Bangor blanks Messalonskee, moves to 8-0

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OAKLAND – At this rate, the only thing standing between Bangor and a return to the Class A state championship game is severe tooth decay.

Bangor’s defensive unit turned in another strong performance Friday night, blanking a solid Messalonskee team 29-0 for the Rams’ third straight shutout (in regulation) and fourth overall this season to earn free donuts from the coaches.

“We just took care of our assignments and played hard,” said Rams’ two-way starter and captain Derrick Shain. “I guess we’ll have to make sure we brush because we get two this time, one for the shutout and another for going 8-0.”

More importantly, the 2001 edition of Bangor football reached rarified territory on a crisp, clear and chilly night at Memorial Field as they became the first team to go undefeated in the regular season since Gerry Hodge’s Rams did it with a 9-0 campaign in 1973 and then went on to win a state title.

“That’s shocked me. I don’t think we even started realizing it until a couple weeks ago,” said coach Bangor Mark Hackett. “That just shows how special and hard that is to do, and how hard these guys have worked.”

If that wasn’t enough to make the Rams’ honor roll, senior tailback Buddy Nickerson eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark with an 88 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

“I wasn’t even thinking of that at the beginning of the season,” Nickerson said. “The whole line’s been unbelievable all year and I definitely wouldn’t be getting these yards if it wasn’t for them.”

Two-way lineman Corey Mayhew, who earned his first game ball of the season, led the way at tackle along with center Ben Guerette, guards J.J. Jackson and Trevor LaGrange and tackle Conor Stevens.

The Eagles, now 4-4, kept the Rams off the scoreboard until 3:03 into the second quarter, when Bombardier hit wide-open wingback Justin Schmersal with a perfectly timed pass to the right flat. Schmersal found a seam in coverage and sprinted to the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown reception.

Bangor made it 9-0 with 1:19 left in the first half on a safety as backup punter Luke McPartlin bobbled the snap on a punt attempt from the Eagles’ 1-yard line and the ball was fumbled out of bounds to the back of the end zone.

“They came out in the first half and hit us hard, but Corey wanted us to run behind him,” Bombardier said. “I told coach, ‘Corey wants us to run behind him so let’s do it’ and we did. He gave us that spark in the second half.”

That spark was evident on the Rams’ first drive in the second half as Steve Fergerson returned the kickoff 19 yards and the Rams marched the remaining 60 in 13 plays and five minutes. Nickerson capped the drive with a 9-yard TD run.

Bangor made it 22-0 with 1:43 left in the third as Robert Flynn capped an 11-play, 66-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run. The final score came courtesy of a 3-yard TD run by Tyler Heber at the end of a nine-play drive with 9:12 to play.

The Eagles, who have been ravaged by injuries the last three weeks, proved tough despite a rookie year in Class A ball with only six returning starters.

“We were doing quite well when we were healthy. Our kicking game has really suffered,” said Messalonskee coach John Hersom, who was without starting tackle Quincy Bailey (leg), one of the Pine Tree Conference’s top kickers (Chris Castonguay, cancer surgery), starting tight end Len Goff (knee), and starting halfback Chad Dennis (lower back) Friday.

“We took it as a challenge and were all business about it and I think most teams we played really felt like they were in a football game,” he added.

Bangor dominated the second half in terms of time of possession, 16 minutes, 45 seconds to 7:15 for the Eagles and outrushed them 210 yards to 59 for the game. Even after Chris Duffy’s 88-yard kickoff return gave the Eagles the ball at the B-8 early in the fourth quarter, they couldn’t score as Bangor stuffed them for no gain on third- and fourth-and-goal plays from the B-1.

RAMS 29, EAGLES 0

Bangor (8-0) 0 9 13 7?29

Messalonskee (4-4 0 0 0 0?0

B?Schmersal 31 pass from Bombardier (Achorn kick)

B?Safety, ball fumbled out of end zone

B?Nickerson 9 run (Achorn kick)

B?Flynn 1 run (kick blocked)

B?Heber 3 run (Achorn kick)

Bangor Messalonskee

First downs 15 5

Rushing att.-yards 52-210 32-59

Passing comp.-att. 4-10 1-7

Passing yards 43 -1

Total yards 253 58

Punts-avg. 3-33.3 6-26.8

Fumbles-lost 2-0 2-1

Intercepted by 1 0

Penalties-yards 5-45 4-30

Rushing

Bangor: Nickerson 18-88, Largay 10-65, Heber 9-36, Flynn 6-18, Bombardier 6-5, Johnson 1-3, Schmersal 2-(-5); Messalonskee: Pierce 11-34, Hachey 5-20, Dorval 9-4, Richards 2-1, Moody 2-0, Duffy 3-0

Passing

Bangor: Bombardier 4-10-0-43; Messalonskee: Dorval 1-7-1-(-1)

Receiving

Bangor: Schmersal 3-42, Nickerson 1-1; Messalonskee: McPartlin 1-(-1)

A?800 (est.)