CAPE ELIZABETH — One week, Cape Elizabeth rallies to win. The next week it holds on to win.

Either way the Capers are pleased to be 2-0 after what Coach Aaron Filieo called “another gritty performance” Friday night.

Additional Images

Cape Elizabeth running back Christian Lavallee breaks through the tackle of Poland’s Andrew Demers during the second quarter Friday night. The Capers improved to 2-0 with a 32-29 win. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

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Ben Ekedahl kicked a 25-yard field goal with five seconds remaining as the Capers defeated Poland 32-29 in a Western Class C football game at Hannaford Field.

A week ago, Cape rallied to beat Leavitt, the defending state champion, 35-34 in overtime.

This time the Capers took an early lead and looked to breeze, ahead 29-0 at halftime.

But all wasn’t well. They lost Noah Wolfinger, their starting quarterback and all- around leader, to a knee injury in the second quarter and with it went momentum.

Sophomore quarterback Jeb Boeschenstein, in his first real varsity action, did a nice job filling in, and on his first play threw a 32-yard scoring pass to Ekedahl that made it 29-0 with 4:05 remaining in the half.

But it wasn’t enough, not when Poland (1-1) finally got its running game going in the second half.

“It was ugly but we won,” said Filieo.

The Knights kept coming … and coming … and drew within 29-28 when Patrick Jacques scored on a 38-yard run with 1:01 left.

Poland elected to kick an extra point instead of going for two and a possible win.

It was certainly on Coach Ted Tibbetts’ mind.

“Leavitt went for two last week against Cape and it didn’t work,” said Tibbetts. “I was thinking about that. We still had some time on the clock to get the ball back.”

After tying the game, the Knights forced a punt, but the ball hit a Poland player with Henry Shroder recovering for the Capers at the 33.

On first down, Boeschenstein passed to Christian Lavallee for 17 yards, then hit Ethan Murphy for 8.

Two incomplete passes forced a fourth down and Filieo brought out Ekedahl.

“I almost called a fake,” said Filieo, who stayed with his original plan, and Ekedahl rewarded him.

Cape’s kickoff after the field goal went out of bounds with no time running off the clock. Poland had Cape kick it again instead of taking the ball at the 35.

On the ensuing kickoff, Poland tried one lateral before Cape swarmed the ballcarrier as time expired.

Wolfinger got his team off to a great start with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Lavallee on the opening series. It came on fourth-and-10 as Wolfinger did a great job scrambling.

Moments later, Wolfinger, as a defensive back, stripped a runner of the ball and went 66 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-0 after Ekedahl’s PAT.

Jack Drinan went 37 yards for a score and Boeschenstein’s scoring pass after Wolfinger’s injury made it 29-0.

Wolfinger had ice on his left knee and was on crutches in street clothes on the sideline in the second half. Filieo said he didn’t know the extent of his starting quarterback’s injury and wouldn’t know until early next week after Wolfinger is examined.

Poland came alive in the third quarter. Quarterback Adam Mocciola scored on an 80-yard run for the Knights’ first score.

The other touchdowns also came on the ground as Poland showed a devastating running game that Cape couldn’t prevent.

“I thought we were in control when we were up 29-0,” said Boeschenstein. “Poland’s offense stepped up and our defense let down a little bit.”

After Poland cut its deficit to 29-14 on a Will Bernier 43-yard run in the third quarter, Ekedahl seemingly quelled the momentum shift with an interception.

But on the next play, Andrew Demers intercepted for the Knights, and on first down Robbie Porter scored from the 20. Nick Cote’s two-point conversion run made it 29-22.

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