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BELFAST – Want to boil Friday night’s Pine Tree Conference Class B headliner game between perennial pigskin powers Winslow and Belfast down to one word?
Defense… Stingy, steel curtain, psychic, scary defense.
The visiting Black Raiders won their third straight game against arch-foe Belfast with a defensive scheme so thorough and effective that their down linemen were sometimes in the Lions’ backfield before a handoff could be made.
Winslow’s withering defensive assault made it a maddeningly frustrating night for Belfast’s offense and the Black Raiders shook off some early offensive mistakes to record a 16-0 victory.
“We did nothing special in this game that we didn’t do against Leavitt, but tonight we got great penetration and the kids did what they were supposed to do,” said Winslow defensive coordinator Jim Poulin. “They read their keys and adhered to their assignments and for the most part, our tackling was right on.”
The 2-0 Raiders held the Lions, now 1-1, to 100 total yards, 56 of which came on the ground at a 1.7 yards-per-carry clip.
“I think we were just getting beat one on one with their quickness and our tackles admitted they were struggling with Winslow pinching us inside,” said Lions co-head coach Butch Arthers. “We tried to adjust at the half, but we still struggled with it.”
Both Winslow head coach Mike Siviski and his players credited Poulin for the scheme that thoroughly bottled up Belfast’s trapping option offense.
Winslow sacked Belfast quarterback Andy Whalen eight times – six times in the first half – to keep him from getting into any kind of rhythm.
“That was coach P’s defense. That’s all I can say about that. He sets up everything,” said Raiders nose tackle Barrett Hoskins, one of whose two tackles for losses was a sack. “We knew they’d be pulling and stuff and Coach P can pretty much tell us what it’s going to be and set us right up, and we were there.”
Poulin just shook his head.
“It wasn’t me,” he said. “These kids did the job. They did what they were asked to do.”
Meanwhile, Winslow’s offense was getting cranked up after a spotty start. The Raiders drove all the way to the Belfast 4-yard line on their opening drive, only to cough up the ball.
Three plays later, they got the momentum back as Kevin McCabe tackled Whalen in the end zone for a safety. Three plays after Winslow’s Justin Lindie returned the kickoff 34 yards, the Raiders scored on a 17-yard TD run by Jared Maroon, who showed off his varsity track skills by hurdling a would-be tackler at the 15 yard and sprinting to the end zone. Ben Poulin’s PAT kick with 5:34 left in the first quarter made it 9-0.
Two possessions later, Winslow threatened again after a 30-yard Lindie punt return by driving to the B-7, but quarterback Stephen Siviski’s pass was tipped at the goal line by Jon Walsh into the hands of Lions teammate Ricky Bernosky and returned 15 yards.
Winslow made it 16-0 after Siviski capped a seven-play, 44-yard drive by finding Ryan Cosgrove on the right sideline for a nine-yard TD pass on the run with 2:07 left in the third.
Belfast got no closer to the end zone than Winslow’s 13-yard line and only breached the W-20 twice in the game as the Lions couldn’t solve Winslow’s defensive aggressiveness and timing.
“We’re small, but we have a lot of quickness. Hoskins and [junior defensive tackle Bryon] Fogg aren’t super big, but they’re both good wrestlers who know how to move,” said coach Siviski.
“They looked good sized tonight,” said Arthers. “Coach [Butch] Richards said that watching them play last week, they looked small compared to Leavitt, but they play real big.”
BLACK RAIDERS 16, LIONS 0
Winslow (2-0) 9 0 7 0 – 16
Belfast (1-1) 0 0 0 0 – 0
W-Safety, McCabe sacked Whalen in endzone
W-Maroon 17 run (Poulin kick)
W-Cosgrove 9 pass from Siviski (Poulin kick)
Winslow Belfast
First downs 11 5
Rushing att.-yards 42-164 33-56
Passing comp.-att. 4-9 5-11
Passing yards 60 44
Total yards 224 100
Punts-avg. 5-37.6 6-38.0
Fumbles-lost 2-2 3-1
Intercepted by 1 1
Penalties-yards 3-28 5-50
Rushing
Winslow: Goulette 11-59, Siviski 10-46, Maroon 13-38, Lindie 6-17, Weed 1-3, Wood 1-1; Belfast: Lee 3-47, Leeman 11-31, Littlefield 1-9, Felton 1-0, Whalen 17 -(-31)
Passing
Winslow: Siviski 4-9-1-60; Belfast: Whalen 5-11-1-44
Receiving
Winslow: McCabe 2-45, Cosgrove 2-15; Belfast: Morse 2-18, Carr 1-16, Littlefield 1-7, Lee 1-3
A-550 (est.)
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