‘O’ line fuels Tigers in win

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GARDINER – Whether it was a potent potion or simply an attitude adjustment, the Gardiner Tigers who lined up against Bangor Friday night bore no resemblance to the team who gained just 65 yards in a loss to Lewiston last week.

However he did it, head coach Matt Brown managed to create a concoction that would have made Dr. Jekyll proud as the Tigers unleashed a Mr. Hyde-like attack on the Bangor Rams.

Gardiner ran roughshod over the Rams with 229 rushing yards – just in the first half – and 290 total in a surprising 35-24 victory on a clear, balmy night at Hoch Field.

“We just had a bad game and weren’t ready to play last week and this week we came ready to play,” said tailback Justin Lebourdais. “It was all the line. Stay low and run them over.”

Lebourdais should know. The junior tailback gained the most from the sterling effort put forth by the line as he gained a game-high 123 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries.

Center Dan Clark, left guard Mike McGee, right guard Brandon Sirois, left tackle Mike Capen, right tackle Dan Woodcock, and ends John Stevens and Sean Kozma pushed the Rams’ defensive line back most of the first half as the 1-1 Tigers finished with 269 yards on the ground.

As important as the running game was, it was defense that may have kept the Rams from coming back as, despite Bangor dominating the third quarter in terms of time of possession and yardage, the Rams were unable to close the gap.

The key play came with 8:41 left in the third, when Ram quarterback Zak Ray dropped back on third-and-4 and was sacked by linebacker Brandon Sirois, whose hit also separated Ray from the ball, which was then scooped up by defensive end Dan Clark and returned 67 yards for a TD. The Tigers led 28-10.

“There were a lot of big plays in the game,” said Brown, who utilized three different defensive fronts (5-2, 4-4 and 4-6). “They kept coming back and we were trying to put them away, but we just couldn’t, so that was big.

“We just tried to bend and not break. We were just hanging on for our life.”

The defending Class A state champs, now 0-2, scored six minutes later on a 36-yard, highlight-reel run by Ray in which he broke five tackles. Then fullback Craig Toulouse (66 yards) scored on a 1-yard TD run with 8:26 left to play to cap a drive which featured a 29-yard run by Kris Ramsay on a fake punt on 4th-and-15 and a linemen shift that caused a Bangor offsides penalty on 4th-and-2.

Ray then pulled off another eye-popper as he dropped back, cut to the left on a sweep with no one open, got a great block from P.J. Dowe, and ran 58 yards for a score.

Ray finished with a total of 288 yards.

Bangor recovered two onside kicks to extend offensive possessions, but one was negated after a Rams fumble on the next play.

“These last two games, the other teams have been a step above us as far as intensity level and I take total responsibility for that,” said Rams coach Mark Hackett. “These guys are down but they’re going to be tough and keep playing. We’re not going anywhere.”

Gardiner built a 21-10 halftime lead after Seth Antognoni capped the game’s opening drive (five plays, 74 yards) by catching a 27-yard halfback option touchdown pass down the middle from Kris Ramsay just 21/2 minutes into the game.

Almost five minutes later, LeBourdais ended a seven-play, 69-yard drive with a 19-yard TD run after bouncing outside to the right.

After Bangor answered with a five-play, 59-yard TD drive capped by a 33-yard strike from Ray – who was drilled as he let the ball go – to Dowe, who ripped the ball away in tight coverage.

Bangor cut the deficit to 14-10 after driving 54-yards in eight plays and having Nick Achorn drill a 26-yard field goal.

The Tigers came back to score on another 19-yard TD run on a sweep right, this time by QB Jay Paul Folckemer, with 7:06 left in the half.

TIGERS 35, RAMS 24

Bangor (0-2) 7 3 7 7 ? 24

Gardiner (1-1) 14 7 7 7 ? 35

G?Antognoni 27 pass from Ramsay (Munzing kick)

G?Lebourdais 19 run (Munzing kick)

B?Dow 33 pass from Ray (Achorn kick)

B?Achorn 26 FG

G?Folckemer 19 run (Munzing kick)

G?Clark 67 fumble return (Munzing kick)

B?Ray 36 run (Achorn kick)

G?Toulouse 1 run (Munzing kick)

B?Ray 58 run (Achorn kick)

Bangor Gardiner

First downs 12 14

Rushing att.-yards 34-205 50-269

Passing comp.-att. 22-10 1-1

Passing yards 154 21

Total yards 359 290

Punts-avg. 3-37.0 5-27.2

Fumbles-lost 4-3 1-0

Intercepted by 0 1

Penalties-yards 6-50 4-20

Rushing

Bangor: Ray 12-134, Largay 16-47, Huhn 5-17, Prentiss 1-7; Gardiner: Lebourdais 18-119, Toulouse 18-66, Munzing 2-42, Ramsay 4-30, Folckemer 8-12

PassingBangor: Ray 10-22-1-154; Gardiner: Ramsay 1-1-0-21

Receiving

Bangor: Prentiss 6-62, Day 3-59, Dow 1-33; Gardiner: Antognoni 1-21

A?600 (est.)