Lions run by Winslow in fourth

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WINSLOW – Another cold, blustery November day, another Eastern Maine Class B football title game, and another Winslow vs. Belfast battle.

Thanks in no small part to a stubborn defensive effort, an efficient, ball-control offense and special teams-aided field position, the third-seeded Lions were able to stun the top-seeded and previously unbeaten Black Raiders 35-14.

That sets up a second straight trip to the state final at Portland’s Fitzpatrick Stadium. Belfast will take on unbeaten West champ Gorham.

Saturday afternoon’s Poulin Field playoff game marked the fourth time in the last five years Belfast and Winslow faced off for the conference crown. They are now even in those games with Belfast leading Winslow 12-11 in all games played the last 11 years.

Led by fullback Paul Herman (16 carries, 166 yards) and tailback Josh Aldus (18, 106 yards) and blockers Nick Thomann, Ronnie Morse, Jason Wilkie, Scott Hopkins and Chris Hubbard, Belfast’s ground game churned up 317 yards – nearly double the output of a Winslow team averaging more than 300 rushing yards per game before Saturday’s season-low of 159.

“Our whole defense’s goal this week was basically to crack down on the fullback and that left us to guard their pitch man on option,” said senior quarterback-linebacker Nick Arthers. “Their fullback trap really hurt us last time.”

Winslow rolled up 219 yards in a 28-14 win just three weeks ago. So what changed?

“I think the first time we played them, we were a little timid, but this week we practiced great and we studied them like crazy so I don’t think anyone had a doubt in their mind we could beat them,” said Herman. “Little things in a huge game make a huge difference.”

Things like field position. After twice trying to kick away from speedy Belfast wingback Garren Horne and twice getting penalized five yards for kicking out of bounds, Winslow kicked it to him at the B-33 and he returned it 27 yards. Eight seconds later, Herman took the game’s first handoff, blew off right tackle, cut right and raced 40 yards for a touchdown.

Field position was even more crucial in the second half. Nursing a 14-12 lead, the Black Raiders fumbled the opening kickoff at their 15 and recovered it at the 6. Six plays later, a 5-yard penalty erased a 15-yard pass play on third-and-5. Belfast’s Jamie Potvin then made a shoestring sack of Black Raider quarterback Josh LaPointe to force a punt on fourth-and-19 from the W-11. Belfast took over on the W-25 after a 14-yard punt, but the Lions were bottled up at the W-10 and Herman missed a 27-yard field-goal attempt.

The Lions caught fullback Derek Runnells for a 9-yard loss on first down and forced another punt on fourth-and-11 from the W-19. The Lions started at the W-36, but again could get no points after turning it over on downs with a fourth-down incompletion.

Things looked better for the Black Raiders as they took over on their 34 and moved to the 46, but a fumbled handoff recovered by Herman gave the ball back to the Lions on the W-40. This time, Belfast would cash in. A 17-yard pass from Arthers to Tim Morley and a 21-yard run by Herman highlighted a five-play scoring drive capped by Herman’s 5-yard TD run and Aldus’ two-point conversion rush. That made it 20-14 with 11:51 to play.

“We got ourselves in a hole on that kickoff,” said Mike Siviski, coach of the 9-1 Black Raiders. “We really didn’t have the ball much and we didn’t have field position. Our defense was on the field too long against a good team and our offense didn’t move the chains.”

The score emboldened Belfast’s defense, which forced Winslow to go three-and-out the next series. The offense took the cue and used eight plays to score despite starting on its own 6 and having a 65-yard TD run called back on a holding penalty. Herman capped the drive with a 54-yard TD run on a fake option play.

“The call of the game was goal influence trap,” said Lions co-coach Butch Arthers. “We’d been running counter, counter, counter with our tailback. So we ran the same formation and everything, but we slipped Herman over where the guard was pulling and off he went.”

Linebacker Hubbard paced Belfast’s defense with a sack and five tackles, three for a loss. Tackle Morse was a run-stopping force.

LIONS 35, BLACK RAIDERS 14

Belfast (8-2) 12 0 0 23 ? 35

Winslow (9-1) 0 14 0 0 ? 14

B ? Herman 40 run (rush failed)

B ? Aldus 6 run (pass failed)

W ? McCaslin 27 run (Poulin kick)

W ? McCaslin 2 run (Poulin kick)

B ? Herman 5 run (Aldus rush)

B ? Herman 54 run (Horne rush)

B ? Aldus 13 run (Herman kick)

Belfast Winslow

First downs 13 9

Rushing att.-yards 44-317 43-159

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

Passing yards 17 -3

Total yards 334 156

Punts-avg. 1-23.0 4-24.5

Fumbles-lost 1-1 4-2

Intercepted by 0 0

Penalties-yards 4-25 5-25

Rushing

Belfast: Herman 16-166, Aldus 18-106, Horne 2-23, Arthers 7-23, Whalen 1-(-1); Winslow: Runnells 19-53, Lindie 5-49, McCaslin 7-49, Nelson 3-11, McPherson 1-3, LaPointe 8-(-6)

Passing

Belfast: Arthers 1-4-0-17; Winslow: LaPointe 1-7-0-(-3)

Receiving

Belfast: Horne 1-17; Winslow: Lindie 1-(-3)

A?2,000 (est.)