Blethen powers Messalonskee

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OAKLAND – A quick scan of the sidelines before the opening kickoff told you all you had to know about how Friday’s Old Town-Messalonskee showdown was supposed to go.

The Eagles did end up winning, 18-14, to improve to 5-1. The Indians dropped to 3-3. But that isn’t the way things were supposed to go.

Things were supposed to get ugly.

A quick look down the line of white Old Town jerseys told you that. There, with his baseball hat turned backwards and his billy-goat scruff uncovered by chin strap, was Old Town’s Peter Baker – all 166 yards per game worth. His football pants were blue jeans. His jersey was an Indians letter jacket. After a week of migranes, a doctor sidelined the league’s top rusher just five minutes before the Indians boarded their bus.

For 24 minutes, the Indians played like a team lacking their best player and fell into a 12-0 hole. In the second half, they found another horse, saddled up Alger Yanush, and nearly rode him to the win.

“All week in practice, our defense was getting ready for Baker, Baker, Baker,” Messalonskee linebacker Travis Doucette said. “We were expecting him to play. Expecting him to be there.”

So were the Indians.

It wasn’t until shortly before game time that the decision was made to sideline a player coach Ian Braun had already held out of practice after he began having headaches on Tuesday.

“We”re gonna do the right thing for Peter Baker,” said Braun, noting that Baker’s return isn’t a foregone conclusion. “This team will get by.”

The Eagles wasted no time greeting the stunned Indians with their bruising fullback.

Junior Ryan Blethen, a burly 200-pounder, emerged in the Old Town defensive backfield after a dive on the third play from scrimmage, looked up, and saw nothing but 51 yards of green. He rumbled the distance to put Messalonskee up 6-0. Blethen finished with 96 yards on 17 carries and scored all three TDs.

Though freshman Tony Harmon rushed for 85 more yards and senior Chris Rancourt had 45, Blethen was the wrecking ball.

“Ryan Blethen is gonna get Ryan Blethen yards,” Braun said. “Once he gets a load of steam going, he’s tough. I like him.”

After the Indians punted the ball back, the Eagles took a 12-0 lead on a 75-yard, 15-play drive capped by a Blethen dive from the one with 34 second to go in the first.

After that, the Indians stiffened, and held the Eagles scoreless until the fourth.

Meanwhile, Old Town was doing something to combat a 173-27 rushing disadvantage they’d allowed in the first half. Basically, the remedy was a healthy dose of Yanush. He shook off a 20-yard first half by carrying 19 times for 95 yards and two TDs after intermission.

The Indians got on the board on a 17-play, 80-yard scoring drive that took up 9:03 of the third quarter. All of the yards came on the ground, and 12 times the ball was handed to Yanush. He capped the drive on a five-yard plunge with just 33 seconds left in the third.

The Indians seemed poised to take over after that, holding the Eagles to a three-and-out series on the next possession. But for the second time in two weeks, a roughing the kicker penalty gave their opponents another shot.

And for the second time in two weeks, their opponents punched the ball into the end zone.

The penalty pushed the ball to the OT-40, but the Eagles had another big play ready. Backup quarterback Dan Currier – playing his second game for the injured Geoff Ponitz – hooked up with Doucette on a 22-yard play that took the ball to the three.

That meant another helping of Blethen. His TD made it 18-6 with 7:32 to go.

Old Town did come back, roaring down the field. The big play was a 32-yard pass from QB Jeremy Belyea to Yanush on fourth-and-three that took it to the 10. Yanush bulled in from the three on fourth-and-goal to make it 18-12, and his PAT rush capped the scoring.

Eagles 18, Indians 14

Old Town (3-3) 0 0 6 8 – 14

Messal’skee (5-1) 12 0 0 6 – 18

M – Blethen 51 run (rush failed)

M – Blethen 1 run (kick failed)

OT – Yanush 5 run (kick failed)

M – Blethen 3 run (rush failed)

OT – Yanush 3 run (Yanush rush)

Old Town Messal’skee

First downs 10 13 Rushing att. – yds 38-134 52-226 Passing cmp. – att. 2-5 2-3 Yards passing 77 32 Total yards 211 258 Intercepted by 1 1 Punts – avg. 3-35.0 2-45.5 Fumbles – lost 1-1 1-0 Penalties – yds 3-45 4-40

RUSHING – Old Town: Yanush 28-115, Belyea 4-9, Brown 3-7, Lizzotte 3-3; Messalonskee: Rancourt 11-45, Blethen 17-96, Harmon 19-85, Austin 2-4, Currier 3-(-4)

PASSING – Old Town: Belyea 2-5-77-1; Messalonskee: Currier 2-3-32-1

RECEIVING – Old Town: Yanush 2-77; Messalonskee: Austin 1-10, Doucette 1-22