ORONO – As if to answer anyone who might knock the University of Maine football program for not featuring enough state of Maine players, Saturday’s annual Blue-White spring contest turned into a showcase for native-grown talent.

Backup quarterback hopeful Brian Goff (Oakland) drove the Blue squad 51 yards in 11 plays, scoring himself on a 1-yard option keeper to break the scoring ice in the second period.

And flanker Steve Cates (Skowhegan) led all receivers with six catches for 60 yards, including a 15-yard snare that helped set up the Blue squad’s second TD in what became a 14-6 victory over the White team witnessed by an estimated 800 fans at sunny Alumni Field.

The contest ended the Black Bears’ spring workouts. Maine opens the season Sept. 4 at the University of Buffalo.

“Overall, it goes hand-in-hand with the improvement in the level of play in the state over the last four or five years,” is how first-year UM head coach Jack Cosgrove explained the high-grade performances turned in by several native Mainers. “It’s to the point now where there’s a Division I player or two produced every year in the state.”

How well did the 26 Div. I Maine-i-acs do amid the 72 players who dressed for Saturday’s exhibition?

Steve Knight (Marshwood), an incoming junior fullback for the White team, led all ball-carriers with 55 yards on eight carries.

Blue team redshirt freshman tight end Lenny Cole (Benton) finished as the third-leading receiver on the day, with three catches for 37 yards.

Among the standout defensive players were White team senior tackle Jed Wehrman (Farmington), sophomore inside linebacker Ross Fichthorn (Madison), and freshman outside linebacker Jason Jabar (Waterville). Blue team junior tackles Mike Adamets (South Berwick) and Todd Park (Winthrop) were also impressive.

Goff, a transfer from Chowan Junior College in North Carolina who played his high school ball at Belfast, looked particularly at home triggering an option series late in the second period. Smooth and shifty with the ball, he turned one option keeper off left tackle into a 19-yard gain, executed a nice late pitch to tailback Ray Baur for a 7-yard run, and connected with Cates on a 13-yard play-action pass before scoring himself.

“There’s always someone who sneaks out of the crowd in these games. This year it was Brian Goff,” said Cosgrove. “He led us on a nice drive.”

Also impressive was junior backup QB Joe Marsilio of Hometown, Pa., who completed nine of 14 passes for 85 yards.

The Blue offensive line of center Dave Clark, guards John Hevesy and Ralph Kolbusz, and tackles Dave Rilatt and John Pourby were consistent both in run and pass blocking situations, as shown by the 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with freshman tailback Charles Griffin’s 2-yard TD scamper to start the third period.

Starting QB Emilio Colon of Haverhill, Mass., fared a little less well behind his makeshift offensive line for the White team. Colon, a junior this fall, still completed seven of 11 passes for 69 yards, hooking up with sophomore split end Donny Ledbetter four times for 38 yards.

Knight kept the White team in the hunt with his quick bursts off tackle and punishing dives into the secondary. Knight carried five times for 40 yards in the White’s 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive in the third period.

“Everyone seemed to have a good time competing for their job,” said Knight, who has the inside track on starting at fullback in the fall. “I’ve got to keep one (a job). I did all right today.”

Blue 14, White 6

White 0 0 6 0 -6

Blue 0 7 7 0 -14

B – Goff 1 run (Dadmun kick)

B – Griffin 2 run (Dadmun kick)

W – Colon 2 run (kick failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Blue: Baur 8-32, Stephenson 6-31, Griffin 6-28, Hevesy 2-24, Goff 6-20, Marsilio 3-(minus-15); White: Knight 8-55, McRae 6-28, Tubbs 1-0, McKean 4-(minus-one), Colon 5-(minus-nine)

PASSING – Blue: Marsilio 9-14, 85, 0; Goff, 3-5, 33, 0; White: Colon 7-11, 69, 1; McKean 0-1, 0, 0

RECEIVING Blue: Cates 6-60, Cole 3-37, Griffin 2-10, Madison 1-11; White: Ledbetter 4-38, Gaine 2-20, Squires 1-11