WATERBORO – David Mick caught the ball on the kickoff at his 14-yard line and looked up.

As he started to run, he noticed a huge hole parting in the middle of the field. Then he accelerated.

Mick’s 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 2:10 remaining in the game — his third touchdown of the night — sparked Marshwood High to a wild 39-27 victory over host Massabesic Friday night at Ronco Field.

“I just got the ball and was in the zone,” said Mick. “I wanted it bad and the team needed it.”

In collecting their first win of the season, the Hawks (1-2) scored three touchdowns in the final 5:16, including a clinching 75-yard interception return by Addison Casey.

“We believe in what we’re doing, the kids believe in what we’re doing,” said John Caverly, coach of the Hawks. “Every week they’re going out and fighting hard and doing what we ask them to do. This was well-played. We executed. I’m very proud of the effort.”

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Both teams moved the ball well in this game, setting up a wild fourth quarter.

After a halftime ceremony that celebrated the 10th anniversary of Massabesic’s 2000 Class A state championship (and honored the memory of Joe Olszewski, a member of that team who died on Sept. 2), the Mustangs tied the game at 20 on a 17-yard pass from Jake Desrochers to Brandon Coulombe late in the third quarter.

Marshwood would break that tie with 5:16 left on a 7-yard pass from Troy Pappas to Mick. The PAT kick by Jon Hartman made it 27-20. The Hawks then forced a punt and John Morin, the coach of the Mustangs, implored his defense: “No first downs.”

He got something better. Scott Sampson recovered a fumble on first down, giving the Mustangs the ball at the 34. On second-and-1 from the 25, Casey Nava ran untouched off right tackle for a touchdown. Travis Mansfield’s kick tied it at 27 with 2:22 left.

It didn’t stay tied for long.

Mick took the kickoff at his 14 and started up the middle before angling for the right sideline. No one touched him as he raced in for the score, just 12 seconds after the Mustangs had tied it.

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“I saw the opening, made a couple of cuts and I was gone,” said Mick. “The team blocked great for me all around. All I can say is that they opened it up.”

Caverly said Mick played “an unbelievable game.” Mick caught five passes for 61 yards, rushed for 26 and made a number of big hits on defense.

Massabesic, fueled by a 28-yard pass play to Nava on third-and-10 from the Marshwood 45. But on third down, Desrochers tried to throw a swing pass to Nava on the right. Casey caught the ball and went the other way for the clinching touchdown with 31.4 seconds left.

“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” said Casey. “I came across the line trying to keep my contain. He got pressure and threw it, it was wobbly and I went up and grabbed it.”

The victory proved something to the Marshwood players.

“We hadn’t had a good season so far,” said Mick, who also caught a 49-yard TD pass from Pappas in the second quarter, a play in which he broke at least three tackles. “It’s great to come back and win one like this.”

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Pappas completed 12 of 19 passes for 190 yards for the Hawks. Halfback Jake Rasque also threw a touchdown pass, a 30-yarder to Jack Verrill in the second quarter.

The Mustangs dropped to 0-3, despite entering the fourth quarter in each game tied or leading in the fourth quarter.

“We are missing something to win games like that at the end,” said Morin. “All three have been like that and we have found a way to lose. We need to find that missing piece that we need to win.”

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at: mlowe@pressherald.com

 


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