LINCOLN – The Stearns Minutemen rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to beat the Mattanawcook Academy Lynx 26-21 in high school football action Friday night.

The Minutemen rallied to take the lead 26-21 with less than six minutes left in the game.

Stearns of Millinocket clinched an LTC Class C playoff spot with the victory. Mattanawcook needs Foxcroft to defeat Dexter today to gain the final playoff spot.

For the second consecutive possession, quarterback Derek DiFrederico and running back Matt Leino hooked up for a Stearns touchdown. The 12-yard pass gave Stearns the victory. On the previous drive, the two had connected for a 57-yard touchdown pass to bring the Minutemen within one at 21-20.

DiFrederico also rushed for a 15-yard touchdown. Ryan Sweeney had a 40-yard run for the Minutemen’s second score of the game.

All of Mattanawcook’s points came during a second-quarter surge. Tyler Gardner led the Lynx with touchdown runs of 1 and 4 yards, as well as a rush for a two-point conversion.

John Carney scored the other Lynx touchdown on a 61-yard interception return.

Stearns (5-4) 0 14 6 6-26

Mattanawcook (5-4) 0 21 0 0-21

MA- Gardner 1 run (kick failed)

S- DiFrederico 15 run (rush failed)

MA-Gardner 4 run (Malone kick)

S-Sweeney 40 run (Sweeney rush)

MA- Carney 61 interception return (Gardner rush)

S- Leino 57 from DiFrederico (rush failed)

S- Leino 12 from DiFrederico (rush failed)

Bucksport 35, MCI 0

At Bucksport, the Golden Bucks were led by Chris Woodman with 12 carries for 73 yards and two touchdowns as Bucksport claimed its seventh straight win.

Woodman put the Golden Bucks up early with two first-quarter touchdown runs of 11 and 5 yards, respectively. Rustin Ames added another score for Bucksport on a 2-yard run.

Dow Cain’s 42-yard interception for a touchdown gave the Golden Bucks a 28-0 halftime lead. Phil Harvey added a 27-yard run in the third quarter to cap off the game’s scoring. Trevor LaLonde connected on all five extra-point attempts for Bucksport.

The Huskies were held to 68 total yards, while Bucksport amassed 269 yards.

Kyle Milan led the Bucksport defense with eight tackles.

MCI (2-7) 0 0 0 0- 0

Bucksport (8-1) 14 14 7 0-35

B- Woodman 11 run (LaLonde kick)

B- Woodman 5 run (LaLonde kick)

B- Ames 2 run (LaLonde kick)

B- Cain 42 interception return (LaLonde kick)

B-Harvey 27 run (LaLonde kick)

Belfast 44, Hampden 0

At Belfast, Jeff Parenteau led the Lions to victory, carrying the ball 13 times for 136 yards and three touchdowns.

Parenteau gave the Lions a 14-0 advantage early with a pair of one-yard dives into the end zone and a rush for a two-point-conversion. Parenteau added his third touchdown of the game in the third quarter with a 39-yard dash into the end zone.

Ben Cowan also rushed for a touchdown and passed for another. His one touchdown completion was a 45-yard hookup with Justin Reynolds.

Cowan finished the night completing three of five passes for 75 yards.

Hampden (2-7) 0 0 0 0 – 0

Belfast (7-2) 8 20 16 0 -44

B-Parenteau 1 run (Parenteau rush)

B- Parenteau 1 run (rush failed)

B- Cowan 3 run (Cowan from Welch)

B- Reynolds 45 from Cowan (rush failed)

B- Parenteau 39 run (Horne rush)

B-Riposta 2 run (Gray rush)

Old Town 26, MDI 6

At Victory Field in Old Town, Adam Sokolowski scored three second-quarter touchdowns to lead the Indians over the Trojans.

With Old Town holding a narrow 8-6 lead, Sokolowski ran 67 yards for his first TD, 16 yards for his second, and 3 yards for the third to complete the night’s scoring.

Mount Desert Island opened the scoring in the first quarter on a Travis Tripp 32-yard pass to Ryan Stillwell. The point-after was blocked.

Old Town’s first score came in the second quarter when Matt Avery tackled John Lewis in the end zone for a safety.

Brandon Eastman put the Indians ahead on a 35-yard TD reception from Jeremy Stormann.

Sokolowski finished with 196 yards on 20 carries and a pass reception for 16 yards. Roger Cole added 102 yards rushing on 18 carries, and Stormann was 4-for-6 for 90 yards and a TD. Avery had 10 tackles, three sacks, and the safety.

For the Trojans, Tripp was 6-for-22 for 81 yards and a touchdown, and Andy Wade and Greg Fellis made 11 tackles each.

MDI (1-8) 6 0 0 0- 6

Old Town (2-7) 0 26 0 0-26

M – Stillwell 32 pass from Tripp (kick blocked)

OT – Safety, Avery tackled Lewis in end zone

OT – Eastman 35 pass from Stormann (kick failed)

OT – Sokolowski 67 run (pass failed)

OT – Sokolowski 16 run (rush failed)

OT – Sokolowski 3 run (kick failed)