BANGOR- Malcolm Butler had a big game on Saturday night, as the John Bapst Crusaders defeated Winslow 27-14 in a Class D Football matchup of unbeatens at Cameron Stadium in Bangor.
Butler started the scoring with a 50-yard touchdown run with 6:15 left in the first quarter. The extra point was no good and it was 6-0 John Bapst. Late in the opening period, another impressive player in freshman Michael Loubier of Winslow, gave the Black Raiders their only lead of the night (7-6) with a 56-yard scoring run. Crusaders quarterback Aiden Ouellette completed a key touchdown pass of 15-yards to Butler on 4th down with 4:01 left in the half to give his team the lead for good. They also converted a 2-point pass try thrown by Butler to make it 14-7. On the ensuing kickoff, Winslow was going to let it go out of bounds and take the good starting field position. But the ball took a Bapst bounce and stayed in, and Thomas Curtis jumped on it for the recovery. A few penalties though backed the Crusaders up. On 3rd down and 20, a perfect play call would go for another touchdown. Ouellette sent it into the flat on a screen pass to Curtis, who went up the near sideline pretty much untouched 45-yards to the endzone to extend the advantage to 20-7 at halftime. John Bapst iced the victory after a defensive stop on 4th down early in the fourth quarter. On the first play after the change of possession, Curtis had a long carry of 54-yards that would set up a 9-yard TD run by Zac Babcock. The Black Raiders did get another long run for a score by Loubier of 62 yards with 7:58 remaining, but the Crusaders ground game was able to eat up the clock to stay unbeaten in Class D North.
Both teams play again next Friday night at 7 p.m., as John Bapst (4-0) will host their homecoming game against Maranacook and Winslow (3-1) travels to Mattanawcook Academy.
