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ORONO – Friday’s LTC Class C football showdown with Orono was fraught with peril for the Rockland Tigers.
The Tigers were coming off a 39-0 pasting at the hands of John Bapst last week, they were without the services of starting quarterback Samuel Weiss (limited to defense due to an undisclosed injury), and they were facing the 4-1 Red Riots on the road in a homecoming game.
After driving 62 yards in 11 plays and eating up five minutes on their opening drive, but coming up with nothing to show for it on the scoreboard, it looked like the fates were arrayed against the Tigers.
The funny thing about fate is it can turn on a bounce. After stopping Rockland on fourth-and-7 from their own 17-yard line, Orono gave the ball right back with a fumble on its first play from scrimmage.
Five plays later, Rockland had its first score in five quarters, and although Orono would come back to take a brief lead, it would arguably be the key score in the Tigers’ 35-19 win.
“We had to win this game,” said Rockland’s Mark Boynton, a pivotal player in the win both offensively and defensively as he had one touchdown and 67 yards on 15 carries as well as three sacks from the defensive end position. “We knew this could be the game that gets us in the playoffs or keeps us out.”
And they played like it.
Thanks to a balanced offensive attack led by tailback Andrew Weiss and sophomore substitute QB Dylan Meklin, the Tigers kept the Riots off-balance just enough.
“We mixed it up really well and just kind of took whatever they gave us,” said Meklin, who completed seven of 12 passes for 148 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. “When our line blocks like they did tonight, we can be successful whether we pass or run.”
Rockland’s line of sophomore center Josh Bodman, guards Alex Young and Stuart Feldpausch, tackles Tyler Patterson and Mike Park, and tight end David Searle helped clear the way for a 129-yard, two-touchdown effort by Weiss, who averaged 6.8 yards per carry.
“When you’ve got guys like this guy right here,” said Weiss, wrapping an arm around Patterson. “You just let him lead the way and follow.”
Patterson also led a defensive effort that generated constant pressure on Orono QB Kash Keezer in the second half.
“I think it was just the mojo,” Patterson said with a wide grin. “We were all fired up despite coming off that loss last week.”
If the first TD was key, Rockland’s back-to-back scoring drives late in the third and early in the fourth were crucial.
TIGERS 35, RED RIOTS 19
Rockland (4-2) 12 8 8 7 – 35
Orono (4-2) 0 13 0 6 – 19
R-Weiss 1 run (kick failed)
R-Baudanza 49 pass from Meklin (rush failed)
O-Keezer 8 run (Dwyer kick)
O-Bates 12 run (pass failed)
R-Weiss 63 run (Boynton rush)
R-Baudanza 23 pass from Meklin (Weiss rush)
R-Boynton 2 run (Baudanza kick)
O-Goudreau 6 run (rush failed)
Rockland Orono
First downs 12 16
Rushing att.-yards 39-187 46-173
Passing comp.-att. 7-12 11-22
Passing yards 148 136
Total yards 335 309
Punts-avg. 2-32.0 1-14.0
Fumbles-lost 2-1 3-3
Intercepted by 1 0
Penalties-yards 11-70 4-30
Rushing
Rockland: A. Weiss 19-129, Boynton 15-67, Meklin 4-(-9); Orono: Bates 16-75, Goudreau 7-48, Keezer 16-37, Perry 7-13
Passing
Rockland: Meklin 7-12-0-148; Orono: Keezer 11-21-1-136, Bates 0-1-0-0
Receiving
Rockland: Baudanza 3-95, Searle 2-47, A. Weiss 2-6; Orono: Doughty 2-56, Bates 2-32, Dwyer 5-29, Goudreau 2-19
A-300 (est.)
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