Parenteau earns respect in LTC title game

OLD TOWN – When it came to the ground game, Old Town halfbacks Peter Baker and Alger Yanush got most of the attention in Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class B title game between the Indians and defending champion Belfast.

It was Lions tailback Tim Parenteau who got the most done on the field. Parenteau scored all three Belfast touchdowns and racked up 194 yards on 30 carries to lead Belfast to its third Eastern Maine crown. Yanush tallied 181 yards and Baker finished with 61.

The trouble is, Parenteau is still relatively unknown and unrecognized.

During the first quarter, when Yanush rushed for his 1,000th yard of the season, the officials stopped the game so his parents could come onto the field and stand with the halfback.

When Parenteau passed 1,000 yards in Belfast’s victory over Winslow last week, no one realized it until after the game.

“We have to get him a football and present it to him. Maybe we’ll do it tonight when we get back to school,” said coach Butch Arthers. “We just weren’t aware of it. But we’ll take care of it.”

“He’s a great back and I think people give me way too much attention and overshadow his play,” said standout Belfast quarterback Sazi Guthrie. “Yanush got 1,000 yards and everyone knew. I think Tim put himself in the elite today.”

During Belfast’s Eastern Maine title run last season, Parenteau was the backup for tailback Troy Sprague and rarely played. Arthers made him the starter at the beginning of this season and said the junior had to grow into the position.

“Early in the season, he was our go-to back already,” Arthers said. “That was a lot of pressure for him. He had to understand what his role was going to be and he’s turned into a tough, tough kid. He’s made some big plays for us all season long and today was no exception.

Parenteau’s biggest play of the game came with 47 seconds left in the game and a two-point Old Town lead. Guthrie faked a handoff to fullback Brandon Hurd and gave the ball to Parenteau, who dove over the Old Town line to put Belfast ahead for good.

“The play was a 25-dive and it was my ball,” Parenteau said. “I just saw the guy and jumped over him,”

The one Belfast slip-up involving Parenteau was a fumble just as the Lions were nearing the Old Town end zone. With 2nd-and-12 from the Indians’ 16, Parenteau fumbled a pitch from Guthrie. The ball bounced back to the 32, but Parenteau scooted back and recovered.

“It was a bad pitch to start with and it just slipped out of my hands and bounced all the way back there,” said Parenteau. “I had to run back there and get it.”

Old Town held Parenteau to 51 yards in their first meeting of the season, a 38-26 Indians win Oct. 17 in Old Town. The Indians had a little more trouble with him Saturday.

“Parenteau, I think has really stepped up his game and he’s become a legitimate running back threat now,” Old Town coach Ian Braun said.

“Tim really deserves all the credit,” said Guthrie.