Rams roll by Brewer in 100th game Bangor 2nd seed for PTC playoffs

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BREWER – In a century-long high school football rivalry that has featured its share of stellar running backs, it was a pass play – a flea-flicker, no less – that set the tone for the 100th meeting between Bangor and Brewer.

And by the time senior wideout C.J. Eaton crossed the goal line 14 seconds into the game to complete a 75-yard touchdown play, the Rams were on their way to a 63-6 victory over the Witches.

Bangor, winner of its last five games, will advance to next week’s Pine Tree Conference Class A quarterfinals as the second seed, though the official Crabtree points that will determine that seeding and the team’s first-round opponent will be released Sunday.

“We’re really looking forward to the playoffs,” said Bangor quarterback Ian Edwards, who completed 3 of 5 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. “We don’t really care who we draw. We’ve just got to go game by game just like last year, but hopefully we can win that last one and get to the state championship where we want to be.”

Bangor (7-1) amassed 613 yards of total offense in its regular-season finale, including 421 yards on the ground, while improving its record against Brewer to 72-20-8.

Shane Walton rushed for 74 yards, caught two passes for 82 yards and scored four touchdowns for coach Mark Hackett’s club. The senior tailback scored on runs of 34, 4 and 34 yards and also caught a 63-yard touchdown pass from Edwards.

Adam Billings added 98 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Kyle Vanidestine contributed 94 yards and a touchdown and Lonnie Hackett rushed for 84 yards and a pair of fourth-quarter scores.

But for all the rushing success, it was that opening pass play that ensured that Bangor wouldn’t be caught looking past a Brewer team that finished its first year in Class A since 1998 with an 0-8 record.

Edwards handed off the ball to Walton on Bangor’s first play from scrimmage from the Rams’ 25-yard line, and Walton quickly pitched the ball back to the Bangor quarterback. Edwards then launched a strike down the middle to Eaton, who got behind a Brewer defensive back and caught the ball at the Witches’ 30 before racing into the end zone.

“We worked on the play all week, and Ian’s just been putting the ball right where it needs to be,” said Eaton. “It was an absolutely perfect pass.”

“It’s funny, because it looked the exact same way all week in practice,” added Edwards. “C.J. ran the perfect route, we got the timing down and got the distance down, and how you saw it was just how it needed to be.”

Bangor’s lead was 22-0 by the end of the quarter, with Walton contributing two touchdown runs and the Rams getting two additional points when a Brewer punt snap sailed out of the back of the end zone.

Vanidestine and Walton each added TD runs during the first five minutes of the second quarter before Edwards threw his second touchdown pass, a 63-yard play over the middle in which Walton made a one-handed grab before racing down the sideline.

“He looked like Randy Moss on that one,” said Edwards. “I put the ball in a spot where they couldn’t get it, and Shane has great hands and is just going to go get the ball for you.”

“We saw that they were playing inside, so Ian just put it to the open slot and I caught it and it happened to be one-handed,” added Walton. “It was behind me, but Ian was just putting it where he knows I can catch it.”

Billings added a 1-yard scoring run with 19 seconds left in the period to give Bangor a 49-0 halftime lead.

Brewer mounted its best drive of the game at the outset of the second half, marching 59 yards in nine plays before Sean Murphy scored from the 1 with 6:49 left in the third period. A 25-yard pass from quarterback Caleb Smith to tailback Coby Hutchins on fourth-and-5 from the Bangor 32 extended the drive.

Hackett capped off the scoring for Bangor, first with a 5-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter and adding a 62-yard run with 1:46 left in the game.

RAMS 63, WITCHES 6

Bangor (7-1) 22 27 0 14 – 63

Brewer (0-8) 0 0 6 0 – 6

Ban-Eaton 75 pass from Edwards (kick failed)

Ban-Safety, punt snap out of endzone

Ban-Walton 34 run (Vanidestine kick)

Ban-Walton 4 run (Vanidestine kick)

Ban-Vanidestine 13 run (Vanidestine kick)

Ban-Walton 34 run (Vanidestine kick)

Ban-Walton 63 pass from Edwards (Lawson kick)

Bre-Billings 1 run (kick blocked)

Ban-Murphy 1 run (rush failed)

Ban-Lo. Hackett 5 run (kick failed)

Ban-Lo Hackett 62 run (Lo. Hackett rush)

Bangor Brewer

First downs 22 12

Rushing att.-yards 39-421 39-101

Passing comp.-att. 4-6 3-12

Passing yards 192 67

Total yards 613 168

Punts-avg. 0-0 3-40.7

Fumbles-lost 2-0 1-0

Intercepted by 0 0

Penalties-yards 7-61 3-30

Rushing

Bangor: Billings 13-98, Vanidestine 8-94, Lo. Hackett 5-84, Walton 4-74, Pembroke 3-43, Edwards 2-14, Lewis 1-10, Ingraham 3-4; Brewer: Kingsbury 7-25, Jamison 4-21, Murphy 6-16, Williamson 2-15, Smith 3-9, Risser 2-9, Nickerson 4-9, Hutchins 8-5, Meeker 2-0, Jackson 1-(minus-8)

Passing

Bangor: Edwards 3-5-0-157, Pembroke 1-1-0-35; Brewer: Smith 3-9-0-67, Briggs 0-3-0-0

Receiving

Bangor: Walton 2-82, Eaton 1-75, Lo. Hackett 1-35; Brewer: Hutchins 1-25, Drake 1-23, Cousens 1-19

A-1,250 (est.)