MMA’s Thibodeau runs over Mount Ida for win

NEWTON, Mass. – Don Thibodeau of Shawmut rushed for 275 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries to lead the Maine Maritime Academy Mariners past Mount Ida College 21-13 in Saturday football action.

The senior fullback scored on a 41-yard run 48 seconds into the game and accounted for 78 percent of MMA’s total yardage (352). Only nine yards came via passing. Brandon Hamilton led the defense with an interception, six solo tackles, and three assists. Chris Clayton had four solos, five assists, and a sack.

Mount Ida answered with a touchdown on a five-yard pass from Matt Marshall to Mark Mitchell eight minutes later to take a 7-6 lead, but Thibodeau gave MMA back the lead for good with an eight-yard TD run and two-point conversion rush with 19 seconds left in the second quarter. Gardiner junior Ken Rackliff scored on an 18-yard run to make it 21-7 MMA with 2:23 left in the fourth, and Mount Ida scored on a six-yard TD pass with 38 seconds left in the game.

Maine Maritime (1-0) 6 8 0 7 – 21

Mount Ida (0-2) 7 0 0 6 – 13

MMA-Thibodeau 41 run (kick failed)

MtIda-Mitchell 5 pass from Marshall (Mormile kick)

MMA-Thibodeau 8 run (Thibodeau rush)

MMA-Rackliff 18 run (Dunlap kick)

MtIda-Caughman 6 pass from Marshall (kick blocked)

Utica 23, Husson 6

At Utica, N.Y., Utica College scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to improve its record to 2-0 on the season.

Quarterback Nick Martin was intercepted twice, but threw for 198 yards and a touchdown for Utica, which committed three turnovers to Husson’s two.

Darius Charlton rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries to lead the Eagles, who took a 6-3 lead into halftime. Freshman Bobby Gilbert of Dover-Foxcroft had six solo tackles, five assists, and a fumble recovery to pace the defense. Former Mattanawcook standout Chad Bennett had five solos, four assists and an interception.

Husson (0-1) 0 6 0 0 – 6

Mount Ida (2-0) 3 0 13 7 – 23

U-Blanchfield 24 field goal

H-Charlton 9 run (kick failed)

U-Hart 2 run (Blanchfield kick)

U-Capra 1 run (kick failed)

U-Slopnick 45 pass from Martin (Blanchfield kick)