The Foxcroft Academy Ponies outscored the Winslow Black Raiders 21-0 in the second half on Saturday afternoon, and finished the regular season unbeaten with a 35-14 win in Winslow in Class D North football action.
In the stiffest challenge Foxcroft has faced so far, Winslow surprised the Ponies right away by recovering an onside kick to begin the game. The Black Raiders would put FA behind for the first time this season when Liem Fortin would score on a 3-yard run to take advantage of the opening kick recovery. The guests tied it up quickly when Wyatt Rayfield connected with Kemsley Marsters for a 48-yard touchdown pass. They would take the lead later in the first quarter on a second TD pass for Rayfield of 24 yards to Jadon Richard. Winslow evened it right before halftime, when Nolan Kelly caught a 16-yard scoring pass from Fortin. The 14 first half points allowed by the Ponies was more than they had allowed all season combined (12). Foxcroft (8-0) took over in the second half, getting touchdown runs of 2 and 11 yards from Finn Holmes and a 1-yarder on the ground from Gage Beaudry and the defense was able to shut down the Raiders.
Rayfield went 7-12 passing for 153 yards and two touchdowns in the Foxcroft win. Beaudry rushed 18 times for 111 yards and a touchdown, while Holmes added five attempts for 32 yards and his two second half scores. Marsters (two receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD), Richard (3 rec, 38 yards, 1 TD), and Silas Topolski (2 rec, 37 receptions) led the receiving core for the Ponies. Marsters hit all five of his extra point attempts as well, and had 7.5 total tackles on defense. Fortin led Winslow (3-5) in the loss going 10-14 passing for 89 yards and a touchdown, and also rushing for 64 yards on 19 carries and a score. Matthew Quirion also had 42 yards out of the backfield, and Kelly caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. Foxcroft has a week off as the #1 seed in Class D North, and will face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between MCI and Winslow in the semifinal round in Dover-Foxcroft on either Friday, November 3rd or Saturday, November 4th.
Written by Chris Lessner/Stats provided by Toby Nelson
Foxcroft Academy running back Finn Holmes looks for an opening on a run against John Bapst in a game earlier this season in Dover-Foxcroft. Holmes had two touchdowns on Saturday as the Ponies defeated Winslow to finish the regular season undefeated. Photo courtesy of Eric Ogden Photography
