BELFAST – The way the Belfast Lions were executing their offensive game plan Saturday, Brewer’s biggest mistake may have been deferring and going on defense after winning the coin toss.

The Lions got a colossal effort from diminutive tailback Jeff Parenteau, seized the game’s momentum from the outset, and never let it go to notch an emphatic 36-8 LTC Class B semifinal playoff victory over the Witches on an unusually bright, balmy late fall afternoon.

The 8-2 Lions will travel to play unbeaten Winslow in a rematch of last year’s LTC championship game next Saturday afternoon.

The 5-foot-5, 150-pound Parenteau rushed for a whopping 200 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. He also scored on a pair of two-point conversion rushes.

“The entire line did a great job, but all of the ends and the job they did downblocking really made a big difference,” Parenteau said. “We had big holes and when you get that, you just keep your head down and head north and south.”

Parenteau did a lot of that longitudinal running thanks to a revamped blocking scheme devised by Belfast’s coaches in which ends Adam Gregory and Chris Duval, and even wingback Colby Horne were utilized as downblockers. The aim was to push Brewer’s defenders, who like to attack inside, further inside and run the ball outside more than usual.

“Our linebackers are some of our best players and they did a remarkable job on them. We had a hard time shedding those blocks,” said coach Josh Emmett, whose Witches finish up 7-3. “When your DB’s [defensive backs] are making a lot of tackles, that’s not an ideal situation to be in.”

The Lions’ strategy paid off almost immediately as they drove 65 yards in marathon fashion as they used 17 plays and just over six minutes to overcome four illegal motion/delay of game penalties and score on their opening possession. Horne capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run off a reverse to the left side.

After forcing Brewer to go three-and-out, Belfast went right back to it and scored again, this time on a six-play, 48-yard drive lasting two minutes, 50 seconds and ending with Parenteau’s five-yard TD run.

Brewer appeared poised to halve Belfast’s lead as it successfully executed a fake punt to extend its next possession and drive 59 yards to the Lions’ 10-yard line in 18 plays, but Belfast’s defense stiffened and stuffed Brewer for three straight rushing losses to set up 4th-and-goal at the 15. Matt Welch batted away a halfback option pass the next play to end the threat.

Belfast then embarked on an 11-play, 85-yard scoring drive capped by quarterback Ben Cowan’s three-yard TD pass to Kevin Gray off a fake handoff to Parenteau.

After having the ball for 8:51 of the first quarter, Belfast had it for only three minutes in the second, but three scores in three possessions gave it a 22-0 halftime lead.

Things didn’t get much better for Brewer in the second half as defensive tackles Reid Woodbury and Stanley Piper, who didn’t play defense in Brewer’s win over Belfast two weeks ago, stuffed the inside against the Witches.

“Derek Greeley came back to offense, so they moved me back to defense, which I like better anyway,” said Piper.

“One thing I noticed they didn’t do today as much as last time was run the middle, so I have to hand it to our inside ‘backers and tackles for stuffing that up,” said coach Butch Arthers, whose Lions limited Brewer to 91 total rush yards.

Brewer’s score came on a 12-yard, 52-yard drive capped by Sean Collins’ 8-yard TD pass to Chris Cote with 10:48 left in the game.

Lions 36, Witches 28

Brewer (7-3) 0 0 0 8? 8

Belfast (8-2) 14 8 6 8?36

Be ? Horne 3 run (rush failed)

Be ? Parenteau 5 run (Horne rush)

Be ? Gray 3 pass from Cowan (Parenteau rush)

Be ? Parenteau 1 run (pass failed)

Br ? Cote 8 pass from Collins (Caldwell rush)

Be ? Parenteau 5 run (Parenteau rush)

Brewer Belfast

First downs 10 20

Rushing att.-yards 34-91 51-294

Passing comp.-att. 3-11 4-6

Passing yards 34 65

Total yards 125 359

Punts-avg. 2-25.5 0-0

Fumbles-lost 2-0 0-0

Intercepted by 0 0

Penalties-yards 4-25 7-45

Rushing

Brewer: Caldwell 16-61, Emerson 6-22, Cote 6-13, Trask 1-2, Collins 5-(-7); Belfast: Parenteau 30-200, Welch 6-34, Cowan 7-34, Riposta 4-13, Hussey 1-5, Gray 1-4, Horne 2-4

Passing

Brewer: Collins 3-10-0-34, Caldwell 0-1-0-0; Belfast: Cowan 4-6-0-65

Receiving

Brewer: Cote 2-19, Sutherland 1-15; Belfast: Gray 2-26, Horne 1-23, Duval 1-16

A? 1,000 (est.)