OLD ORCHARD BEACH — In its season opener last weekend, Old Orchard Beach couldn’t come up with enough big plays, resulting in a hard-fought loss to three-time defending Class D state champion Oak Hill.
Friday night, the Seagulls were the team that made the biggest plays on the way to a 20-0 shutout of Traip Academy.
OOB Coach Dean Plante knew an 0-2 start would have been damaging to his teams hopes of earning home-field advantage in the Class D South playoffs.
“We felt this was a must-win game for us in order to get off the schneid,” Plante said. “It is important since we play everyone in our conference, so it will determine seeds and home field.”
The big plays started right off the bat for the Seagulls (1-1), courtesy of the defense. Traip’s first four possessions ended with the home team clamping down: a fourth-and-1 stop; a strip-sack by Josh Dumont that was recovered by Levi Day; a quarterback hit by Dumont on fourth-and-9; and a pass breakup by Cody Blanchette on fourth down at the OOB 25.
The Seagulls’ offense didn’t have a great first half. But it produced the only score it needed with less than a minute to play.
Versatile quarterback Dylan Boudreau (91 yards rushing, 97 passing) started to call his own number more often as the game went on.
He carried four times during a six-play, 65-yard drive, capping it with a 30-yard TD as he deked a defender at the 20 and went in untouched.
Boudreau also found the end zone on a 9-yard keeper early in the third quarter when he ran behind left tackle Tyler Tozier and left guard Jon Gillis.
“It was all my line (my touchdowns),” said Boudreau, who also had center Jake Malone, right guard Nik Willette and right tackle Andrew Houle opening holes for him. “I trust them and I will follow them wherever they go.”
The Seagulls iced the victory with 5:05 left, following a fumble recovery by Brian Davis. The 63-yard drive included a 21-yard scamper by Boudreau on third-and-13 and a 20-yard rumble by fullback Thomas Fregeau (12 carries, 64 yards), who finished the drive with a 9-yard run.
“We came into the second half a different team,” Willette said. “We looked at the game like there was a blank score. We wanted to pound it.
“I think we came off slow in the first half. I think we really played our game (in the second half).”
Traip (0-2) committed two turnovers and 50 yards in penalties, and was 0 of 4 on fourth downs. The Rangers were held to 119 yards, 94 in the first half.
“It’s same thing that happened in our first game (a 19-7 loss to Winthrop/Monmouth) – we’re not good enough to shoot ourselves in the foot,” said Traip Coach Ron Ross. “And we don’t run an offense that can recover from penalties, fumbled snaps.”
Traip quarterback Angelo Succi was 6 of 11 for 61 yards. Evan Porter had 37 yards rushing.
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