BIDDEFORD – East coach Butch Arthers anticipated that the West might use the size of its line and the speed of its running backs to take a ball-control approach to Friday night’s 19th annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic.

Turns out he was right, particularly in the second half when the West controlled the line of scrimmage en route to a 24-6 victory at historic Waterhouse Field.

The victory halted a two-game East winning streak in the rivalry, which the West now leads 15-4.

West backs Jon Hussey, Justin Villacci and Nick Bourassa combined for 189 rushing yards, 129 coming after intermission when the winners extended a 7-6 halftime lead.

Hussey was the most versatile of the trio, rushing for 63 yards, throwing a 39-yard halfback option pass and kicking a 27-yard field goal and three extra points.

“We were a little shaky in the first half,” said Hussey, the West MVP from Marshwood of South Berwick. “But in the second half we made some adjustments and came out and played football the way we’re capable of playing.”

Villacci, a Fitzpatrick Trophy finalist from Gorham who will play at the University of Maine in the fall, added 70 yards on 12 carries, while Bourassa from Jay chipped in with 56 yards on nine carries.

“I wish I could tell you why we did what we did in the second half,” said Villacci. “But we came out and ran the ball the first couple of times in the second half and it worked, so I guess we just kept doing it.”

The East had its scoring opportunities in the second half but had difficulty finishing off drives – in one case inside the 1-yard-line after a fourth-down pass from Jack Hersom of Lawrence of Fairfield to Andrew Weiss of Rockland.

“We had our chances, but we just didn’t capitalize,” said Hersom, the East MVP. “We’d sort of hit a wall a few times and came up a little short.”

The West used a single big play on offense and strength at the line of scrimmage to take its 7-6 halftime lead.

The East moved from its 45 to the West 37 with the first possession of the game after Bangor’s Kyle Vanidestine returned the opening kickoff, but two sacks of East quarterback Jack Hersom of Lawrence of Fairfield, one by Mark Haley of Marshwood of South Berwick and the second by Joseph Farrin of Boothbay, stalled the drive and forced a punt .

The West then wasted no time in scoring, as quarterback Jeff Elliott of Massabesic of Waterboro launched a second-down pass down the right sideline to Richard Hoyt of Bonny Eagle of Standish for a 72-yard touchdown play with 8:13 left in the first quarter.

Jon Hussey of Marshwood kicked the extra point to give the West a 7-0 lead.

The East defense stiffened despite facing a size disadvantage at the line of scrimmage, and gradually the offense began to move the ball thanks to the option running of quarterbacks Hersom and Dan Hersey of Waterville and some tough inside running by Shawn Champagne of Lawrence.

The East’s best drive of the half came midway through the second quarter – and ultimately led to its first touchdown.

Champagne had consecutive rushes of 9 and 10 yards to move the ball to the West 40, and a 17-yard keeper by Hersom gave the East first-and-10 at the 16 before the West defense stuck Darrus Grate of Morse of Bath for a 6-yard loss and Farrin sacked Hersom. That forced a third-and-19 pass from the Fitzpatrick Trophy winner that was tipped by an East receiver and intercepted by Robert Allen of Traip Academy of Kittery at the 7.

But a mishandled West handoff on the next play was recovered by Isaiah Underwood of Lawrence at the West 7, and two plays later Hussey scrambled left to score from the 6 with 4:00 left in the half.

The extra-point rush by Hussey failed, and the West maintained a one-point left.

At the half, the West had outgained the East 160-105 in total yards, with 118 of the West’s yards coming through the air and all of the East’s coming on the ground.

The West capitalized on a disputed Weiss fumble at the East 30-yard line to extend its lead midway through the third quarter. It took just three plays, with Hussey powering in from 15 yards out to extend the West lead to 14-6 with 4:08 left in the fourth quarter.

The East came up empty after driving to the West 35 on its next possession, and the West countered with a 65-yard march capped off by Bourassa’s 8-yard scoring run with 11:56 left in the game.

A 39-yard option pass from Hussey to Hoyt set up the game’s final score, Hussey’s field goal with 54 seconds remaining. Bangor’s Ryan Weston had two pass receptions for 94 yards.

NOTES: Dylan Small, an offensive lineman from Bucksport, was on the East sideline but unable to play in Friday’s game after suffering a Grade 2 tear of the medial lateral ligament in his left knee. Small suffered that injury during a drill on Tuesday morning as the East was going through pregame training camp at Hebron Academy. … Morse of Bath tailback Darrus Grate was carted off the field midway through the second quarter with a left-knee injury.

West 7 0 7 10 – 24

East 0 6 0 0 – 6

W – Richard Hoyt 72 pass from Jeff Elliott (Jon Hussey kick)

E – Dan Hussey 6 run (Dan Hussey rush failed)

W – Jon Hussey 15 run (Jon Hussey kick)

W – Nick Bourassa 8 run (Jon Hussey kick)

W – Jon Hussey 27 FG