WINSLOW — The Winslow and Waterville high school football teams are at different levels of development. That was readily apparent Saturday.

Winslow won the annual Battle of the Bridge 61-7 and will enter the playoffs seeking a third consecutive Class C state title. Waterville finished an 0-8 season.

“It’s a whole new season and we’ll get ready for the playoffs,” Winslow Coach Mike Siviski said.

Winslow (7-1), the No. 3 seed in the Class C North playoffs, will be home against sixth-ranked Old Town (4-4) in the regional quarterfinals next Saturday, in a rematch of last season’s regional final.

Saturday’s win was Winslow’s fifth straight win over the Purple Panthers, who lead the all-time series, 51-34-4.

Winslow outgained Waterville 436 yards to 90. Nate St. Amand scored on runs of 5, 46, 10 and 20 yards. St. Amand had just eight carries, gaining 115 yards.

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“It’s just incredible. We work so hard in practice all week, to come out here and have a big win, it’s really nice,” St. Amand said.

Ryan Fredette opened the scoring with a 50-yard run on Winslow’s first play, 29 seconds into the game. Patrick Hopkins scored on a 4-yard run early in the second quarter to make it 42-7. A 38-yard run by Dylan Hutchinson and a 24-yard fumble return by Keanu Earle gave the Black Raiders a 55-7 halftime lead.

Waterville’s touchdown came on a 9-yard run by quarterback Jack Thompson midway through the first quarter. Thompson is one of a handful of Waterville sophomores asked to play a lot this season. John Evans, a sophomore two-way lineman, showed versatility with a 48-yard kick return Saturday. Sophomore tight end Cooper Hart caught three passes for 27 yards.

“In a season like this, there’s a lot of things to consider. Although the record doesn’t show it, there’s a lot of bright spots,” Waterville Coach Matt Gilley said.

“There are a lot of football players that made some big plays that are in position that under normal circumstances, they’d probably be dominating a (junior varsity) schedule, getting ready to step up as juniors. That’s just not where we’re at.”


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