DOVER-FOXCROFT- The Foxcroft Academy Ponies will get a chance to defend their football state championship title. Foxcroft used a stiffling defensive effort, and got two touchdowns from Caden Crocker and a field goal and touchdown by Kemsley Marsters to roll to a 32-0 win over the Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale Ramblers at Oakes Field in a Class D semifinal contest on Friday night.
The smothering defense helped set up the Foxcroft offense all night long. All four drives in the first half by the Ponies started in Winthrop territory, with three resulting in points. After receiving the games opening kickoff, the Ramblers went three and out and gave FA a short field to set up the first score. A 39 yard drive was helped by a 21 yard pass from quarterback Wyatt Rayfield to Caden Crocker, and then was capped off by a Crocker seven yard touchdown reception on a flip pass from Rayfield for a 7-0 lead. Later in the first quarter and on fourth down for Winthrop in a punting situation, a bad snap to the punter Isaac Oliveira resulted in Oliveira being tackled for a turnover on downs. That would lead to a 35 yard field goal by Marsters to extend the lead to 10. The Ponies held the Ramblers to just 46 total yards over the first two quarters, and stretched it to 17-0 at the break when Crocker found the endzone again on a six yard run with 7:19 left in the second quarter.
Foxcroft took the second half kickoff, and started in their own territory for the first time in the game. It didn’t seem to bother the Ponies much, as a 39 yard run on the drive by Crocker helped set up a 10 yard touchdown pass from Rayfield to Jadon Richard. Marsters missed the extra point and it was 23-0. On the next offensive possession for Winthrop, another bad snap on fourth down to the punter Oliveira went into the endzone. Oliveira tried to pass it out to a receiver, but was tackled before doing so and the Ponies picked up two points on the safety. Marsters would score the last points on the night with a 22 yard scoring run late in the third, as Foxcroft Academy (9-1) advanced to their second straight state title game.
Rayfield went 9-13 passing for 73 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the win. Crocker rushed nine times for 67 yards, and had five receptions for 56 yards. He scored one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown. Crocker also had an interception. Marsters carried seven times for 52 yards and a touchdown, made 3/4 on extra points, and kicked a 35 yard field goal. Finn Holmes made five tackles to help lead the defense. The solid play especially to start the game by Hunter McSorley helped earn him the Bangor Savings Bank Player of the Game. McSorley had three total tackles, two for a loss and helped effectively shut down a good rushing attack. Winthrop was held to a total of 61 yards of offense. Owen Harding went 2-4 passing for 11 yards and an interception, while Robby Feeney rushed nine times for 23 yards. The Ramblers leading rusher Dominic Trott was held to 13 yards on the ground on eight attempts, and one catch for just four yards. Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale, who fell to FA in last years state game, ends their season at 6-4. Foxcroft will meet Lisbon in the state title game next Saturday, November 19 at Cameron Stadium in Bangor at either 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. (time to be announced on Monday). The Greyhounds sent the Ponies to their only loss of the regular season with a 14-13 victory back on September 23 in Dover.
Hunter McSorley (75) helped lead a ferocious defensive effort for the Foxcroft Academy Ponies in a 32-0 win over Winthrop in a Class D semifinal football matchup on Friday, November 11. McSorley was named the Bangor Savings Bank Player of the Game.
