Ponies pull out victory for EM crown Final defensive stand lifts Foxcroft into state championship against Lisbon

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DOVER-FOXCROFT – As the players, coaches, family and friends of the Foxcroft Academy football team lingered around Oakes Field after Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class C championship game they were celebrating, to be sure.

They also were breathing a collective sigh of relief, as the Ponies – who have not lost on their home field in more than five years, a span covering 33 victories – withstood a furious late rally by Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln to earn a 14-13 victory.

The final 71 seconds alone included an MA touchdown, a successful onside kick and a drive to the Foxcroft 15 before the unbeaten Ponies finally mustered a last-gasp defensive stand to preserve their fourth regional title in the last five years.

“It was the most draining thing I’ve ever done in my life,” said Foxcroft senior wide receiver and defensive back David Farrar, “the most intense feeling I’ve experienced.”

The win sets up a rematch between 11-0 Foxcroft and 11-0 Lisbon in Saturday’s state final in Portland. Lisbon, which used a last-minute goal-line stand to edge Foxcroft 12-7 in last year’s title game, won the Western C crown with a 23-6 victory over Livermore Falls.

Mattanawcook finishes 7-4.

“Those kids for Mattanawcook played unbelievable,” said Foxcroft coach Paul Withee. “It’s really a shame that someone had to lose, and I’m sure that they feel they deserved a better fate.”

Foxcroft made it look easy on the game’s opening drive, as quarterback David White hit David Frasz for a 22-yard gain inside MA territory and one play later read an option play perfectly and raced down the left sideline 32 yards to give the Ponies a 7-0 lead just 2 minutes, 1 second into the game.

“I had a really good fake with [fullback] Ian [Imbert], he got tackled and I got around the corner and saw the cornerback and outside linebacker go right for [wingback] Brad [Bellemare],” White said. “I just cut up field, made a move and I saw daylight and ran.”

Mattanawcook threatened on its third possession, reaching the Foxcroft 19 before Farrar intercepted a Derek Libbey pass intended for Nick Leonard near the goal line.

Foxcroft then marched 93 yards in 11 plays to extend its lead to 14-0 on a 7-yard run by Bellemare with 3:48 left in the half. Ben Provost sparked the drive with a 31-yard run into MA territory, and White kept it alive on fourth-and-five from the 29 with a 23-yard pass to Jon Geiger.

But MA was undeterred, and used Libbey’s playmaking ability – in his first start at quarterback for the injured Shey Gardner – to march back downfield. He passed to tight end Isaac Young for 30 yards, and added a pair of 13-yard runs to move the Lynx to the FA 2.

But the drive ended in controversial fashion on the next play, as Jesse Birmingham fumbled and Foxcroft covered the ball as it rolled out of the end zone for a touchback.

Mattanawcook argued that Birmingham crossed the goal line before fumbling.

“On the touchdown that was taken away from us, that’s one of those that’s a judgment call,” said MA coach Art Greenlaw. “Obviously our guy thought he was in, but he’s not the guy that counts.”

While Foxcroft controlled the first half, the second half belonged to the Lynx. A switch from a five-man defensive front to a 4-4 set helped slow the Ponies’ offense, and Mattanawcook’s offense finally broke through midway through the fourth quarter.

The key play on the 54-yard drive came when Jesse Miller caught a 16-yard third-down pass that deflected off the hands of tight end Isaac Young. That moved the ball to the FA 17, and one play later Libbey scored from the 12. Jeremy Jipson kicked the extra point to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 5:37 left.

Foxcroft then worked more than three minutes off the clock – with a third-down halfback option pass from Bellemare to Farrar gaining 33 yards to the MA 29 – before the drive stalled as Lynx defensive end Dan Lifer stopped Frasz short on fourth-and-four.

MA then struck quickly, as Miller got behind the defense and Libbey found him for a 70-yard pass play to the Foxcroft 1. Libbey scored on the next play to close the gap to 14-13 with 1:11 left.

Mattanawcook opted to go for the two-point conversion, but Imbert put a strong rush on Libbey and deflected the pass attempt.

“You go for two in that situation, and if you get it you look like a hero,” said Greenlaw. “If you don’t, you second-guess yourself to beat the band. I just felt we had a chance to win it right there.”

Mattanawcook wasn’t done. Miller recovered an onside kick at the FA 49, and a 15-yard late-hit penalty on the Ponies after a 16-yard scramble by Libbey gave the Lynx first down at the 15 with 35.9 seconds left.

But Evan Worthing snuffed out a pass play from Libbey to Brady Vose for a 4-yard loss on first down, and Geiger then sacked Libbey for a 10-yard loss back to the 29. Libbey spiked the ball on third down, then threw a fourth-down pass into the end zone that Bellemare tipped away.

“It was a tough, hard-fought game,” said Foxcroft senior lineman Bill Macomber, who had two quarterback sacks, “but I think this game meant more to me than any other game.

“First, it was our last game at Oakes Field, and second, it was such a hard-fought game against a great team.”

PONIES 14, LYNX 13

Mattanawcook (7-4) 0 0 0 13 – 13

Foxcroft (11-0) 7 7 0 0 – 14

FA – White 32 run (Bellemare kick)

FA – Bellemare 7 run (Bellemare kick)

MA – Libbey 12 run (Jipson kick)

MA – Libbey 1 run (pass failed)

Mattanawcook Foxcroft

First downs 11 7

Rushing att.-yards 40-136 41-144

Passing comp.-att. 9-19 3-3

Passing yards 160 76

Total yards 296 220

Punts-avg. 4-26.8 5-25.8

Fumbles-lost 3-1 3-1

Intercepted by 0 1

Penalties-yards 3-25 2-20

Rushing

Mattanawcook: Libbey 15-62, Vose 18-61, Braley 5-10, Birmingham 2-3; Foxcroft: Frasz 9-46, Provost 3-33, White 9-31, Imbert 6-21, Bellemare 12-8, Adkins 2-5

Passing

Mattanawcook: Libbey 9-19-1-160; Foxcroft: White 2-2-0-43, Bellemare 1-1-0-33

Receiving

Mattanawcook: Miller 5-124, Vose 2-1, Young 1-30, Leonard 1-5; Foxcroft: Farrar 1-33, Geiger 1-23, Frasz 1-20

A-1,100 (est.)