Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

September 30, 2012

Line makes a difference for Raiders

Winslow gains a victory with three runners gaining more than or close to 100 yards, and improves to 4-1.

By MATT DIFILIPPO Waterville Sentinel

WINSLOW - For three quarters, Winslow and Yarmouth traded mistakes, and Yarmouth stayed in the game despite Winslow's large advantage in yards. Eventually, as it often happens, the dominance of Winslow's offensive line won out.

The Black Raiders gained 397 yards and nearly had three 100-yard rushers. Winslow pulled away in the fourth quarter and chalked up a 34-8 Western Class C victory at Poulin Field.

"All the props go to the linemen," said Joe Hopkins, who rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries for Winslow (4-1). "The biggest holes I've ever seen were there. You have to be something to not be able to hit those holes."

Dylan Hapworth had 102 yards on six carries, and Zach Guptill added 95 yards on 18 rushes.

"We're trying to do weekly improvement," Winslow Coach Mike Siviski said. "Our first few games were a mess. A lot of kids contributed today. We're pretty happy. Our league is pretty tough. It's almost like top to bottom, anybody can beat anybody."

Winslow moved the ball on nearly every drive in the first half, and led 7-0 when Hapworth squirmed out of two tackles at the line and went 70 yards for the score. But a few minutes later, Yarmouth quarterback Brady Neujahr kept the ball on an option and went 59 yards to give the Clippers (1-4) an 8-7 lead.

Over the second and third quarters, the teams combined to run 64 plays. Only six were on Winslow's half of the field.

Winslow went up 15-8 at the half on a 15-yard run by Hopkins. In the second half, after an interception by Justin Martin, the Raiders switched quarterbacks from Bobby Chenard to Adam Pelletier.

Pelletier is shorter, lighter, more elusive as a runner, and made an impact on his first play with a perfectly timed option pitch to Hopkins, who went the rest of the way for a 40-yard touchdown run.

Pelletier also played the next series, which ended with Winslow losing the ball on downs. Chenard then returned.

"He's quick. He's got good feet," Siviski said of Pelletier. "We could explore that in the future."

Yarmouth drove to the Winslow 26 but lost the ball on a fourth-down sack by T.J. Mitchell. In the fourth quarter, Guptill plowed over for a 3-yard run and after Winslow recovered Yarmouth's fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Hopkins dashed 39 yards on the next play for another score.

Yarmouth lost fullback Matt Klepinger, apparently to a broken arm. Coach Chris Pingatore said of the team's 32 players, four had varsity experience before this season. The Clippers lost four fumbles in the second half.

"We're a young team, learning, but they play tough," Pingatore said. "I thought we were in it for almost three quarters. Sometimes it's an issue of trying too hard. You make a mistake, you get a penalty. That kind of steamrolls and it starts to cost you."

 

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