STANDISH — Bonny Eagle has had trouble keeping running back Matt Smith on the field for an entire game. Cramps have tightened up his legs, limiting his carries.
He did not play in the second half Friday night, but there was no problem. He had already completed his job.
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Smith rushed for 214 yards and scored five touchdowns, all in the first half, as Bonny Eagle romped past Sanford, 60-12.
The Scots led 40-0 at halftime and 48-0 after the third quarter. It was an opportunistic night for the back-ups. Subs for both teams played the whole fourth quarter.
Sanford (2-1) suffered its first loss, while Bonny Eagle (2-1) bounced back from a 21-14 loss at South Portland last week.
“The guys really approached the week as they should, practicing with a lot of emotion and enthusiasm,” Scots Coach Kevin Cooper said.
And Smith approached the week differently.
“A lot more stretching, drinking a lot more water,” he said. He also researched diet cures. “I ate a lot of cabbage and carrots.”
Smith, a 6-foot, 230-pound senior, looked in fine form from the start. He took the opening kickoff at the 15, broke two tackles at the 25 and took off for an 85-yard touchdown. The low extra-point kick was blocked, and Bonny Eagle led 6-0.
The Spartans lost a fumble on their first play from scrimmage. Bonny Eagle scored four plays later, with Smith carrying it in from the 6.
“That’s what I warned the kids about,” Sanford Coach Keith Noel said. “Teams like that, you knew they were going to come out with intensity. You could tell they were hungry.
“We couldn’t match their intensity from the start and just couldn’t take that step forward.”
The Spartans also couldn’t get their misdirection ground game going. Bonny Eagle defenders, led by linebacker Nikk Pierce, were plugging the holes.
“Our concern was their run up the middle – like last week (against South Portland),” Pierce said. “But we got our heads together and played like a team.”
Sanford managed one first down in the first half. After falling behind 12-0, the Spartans’ next five possessions resulted in four punts and an interception.
Bonny Eagle scored the first five times it had the ball. The Scots made it an 18-0 on 45-yard run by Smith. He finished it by stiff-arming one tackler and dodging another.
“Everyone at Bonny Eagle knows what Matt can do,” Cooper said. “Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to use him like we want to.
“We knew if we could just keep him in the game … If we can get him his carries, he’s going to get yards.”
And after 16 carries – and 214 yards – Smith got the rest of the night off.
Quarterback Zach Dubiel, who scored the sixth touchdown of the first half, played one more quarter, time enough to toss a 27-yard touchdown pass to Ben Autry.
At that point, Bonny Eagle had outgained the Spartans 379-61.
Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or at:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: KevinThomasPPH
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