BANGOR – It has been quite a week for everyone, and Bangor’s football team was no exception.

Despite all the horrific television images they saw, the frustration they felt, and the two practices they missed due to the week’s jumbled schedule, the Rams managed to finish the week on a high note and help accomplish America’s goal of a return to normalcy in their own small way by playing, and winning, a football game.

The 3-0 Rams remained undefeated thanks to a game effort by the offensive line, a 280-yard rushing attack, and a defense which just got better as the game wound toward its finish: a 31-7 win over previously unbeaten Mt. Blue of Farmington on a crisp, clear Saturday night at Cameron Stadium.

“This is a huge win for us with all the things that happened this week,” said Rams tailback Buddy Nickerson, who had a game-high 131 yards on 19 carries.

Bangor’s offensive linemen (center Ben Guerette, tackles Conor Stephens and Trevor Lagrange, and guards J.J. Jackson and Danny Logan) simply moved Mt. Blue’s interior defenders backward most of the game, allowing Nickerson to get up a good head of steam as he reached the line of scrimmage.

“They were just incredible. We just kept pounding it in there and things just kept working,” Nickerson said. “They had their guys moving back up front and that made it a lot easier for me.”

Meanwhile, the defense was keeping Mt. Blue’s potent offense bottled up for much of the game despite trading in their tried and true 5-2 alignment with two linebackers for a 4-3 to allow for more coverage of Mt. Blue’s dangerous receivers and backs.

Despite the switch and a decision not to blitz, the Rams were still able to generate pressure on Mt. Blue’s backfield and force Cougar quarterback Foster Oakley to make quick decisions. Adding to Oakley’s plight was the loss of 231-pound senior center Tim Shumway, Mt. Blue’s most experienced lineman, to a knee injury late in the first quarter.

Shumway’s sophomore replacement was inexperienced and in Mt. Blue’s complex offense, which uses several shotgun formations, it showed in the exchanges and snaps. The Cougars fumbled the ball five times on exchanges and Bangor recovered two of them – both by junior lineman Steve Fergerson, who also had three tackles for losses.

“We basically tried to rush the quarterback and stop the running game by putting pressure on the backfield and keeping them inside [the tackles],” Fergerson explained. “We lined up on the tackles and if I knew it was a pass, I’d just rush in and put my hands up and get some hands in his face.”

Oakley completed eight of 18 passes for 133 yards, but was intercepted once and had to rely on secondary targets as favorite receiver Cole Parlin (one 29-yard catch) was blanketed all night.

“This is the game we knew we had to win to show that we’re legitimate,” said Bangor coach Mark Hackett.

Bangor scored first when Nickerson capped a six-play, 46-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 5:59 left in the first quarter. Mt. Blue answered right back with a 10-play, 60-yard drive with all but 13 of those yards coming on the ground. The score came on a two-yard pass from Oakley to Jason Shaw with 1:27 left in the first.

Bangor answered with a 13-play drive which culminated with Nick Achorn’s 24-yard field goal three minutes into the second quarter.

The teams then traded turnovers and the Cougars drove to the Bangor nine-yard line before a bad snap sailed out of Oakley’s hands and wound up in Fergerson’s. Bangor then took the ball 82 yards in 11 plays and scored on Nickerson’s four-yard TD punch up the middle with 43 seconds left in the half.

Bangor kept the pressure on in the second half by taking the opening kickoff and marching 84 yards in eight plays despite a clipping penalty which wiped out a 54-yard Nickerson TD run. Nickerson scored anyway with a 33-yard jaunt off right tackle.

Bangor’s final score came on John Huhn’s 3-yard run that capped a nine-play, 67-yard drive with 1:50 left in the game.

“I think this is the first time our kids have been put in a tough situation,” said Mt. Blue coach Gary Parlin. “We have a lot of young kids, so maybe it’s a good lesson for us.”

RAMS 31, COUGARS 7

Mt. Blue (2-1) 7 0 0 0? 7

Bangor (3-0) 7 10 14 0?31

B ? Nickerson 1 run (Achorn kick)

MB ? Shaw 2 pass from Oakley (Beisaw kick)

B ? Achorn 24 field goal

B ? Nickerson 4 run (Achorn kick)

B ? Nickerson 33 run (kick failed)

B ? Huhn 3 run (Huhn rush)

Mt. Blue Bangor

First downs 11 18

Rushing att.-yards 33-61 50-280

Passing comp.-att. 8-18 6-10

Passing yards 133 56

Total yards 194 336

Punts-avg. 6-31.2 3-47.0

Fumbles-lost 5-2 6-3

Intercepted by 0 1

Penalties-yards 3-30 4-60

Rushing

Mt. Blue: Waite 9-60, Hutchinson 4-38, Allen 3-5, Meader 3-4, Karlson 5-4, Fish 2-0, Parlin 1-(-4), Oakley 6-(-46); Bangor: Nickerson 19-131, Largay 7-62, Huhn 12-51, Schmersal 4-23, Bombardier 8-13

Passing

Mt. Blue: Oakley 8-18-1-133; Bangor: Bombardier 6-10-0-56

Receiving

Mt. Blue: DiGravio 3-75, Parlin 1-29, Shaw 4-29; Bangor: Flynn 1-32, Schmersal 2-15, Ray 1-6, Shain 1-2, Prentiss 1-1

A? 600 (est.)