(Editor’s note: For the complete Greely-Westbrook game story, with a box score and additional photos, please visit theforecaster.net)

The good times continued on the gridiron for local teams last weekend as, for the second straight week, all four squads earned victories.

In Western B, Falmouth improved to 3-0 with a 33-14 home win over Marshwood, but the Yachtsmen had to turn it on in the second half to do so.

Junior Will Sipperly got things off to a ringing start with a kickoff return for a TD, but the Hawks (who are new to Class B this year, moving down from Class A) responded for a 7-6 lead. After Sipperly (12 carries, 110 yards) ran for a score, Marshwood reached the end zone for a 14-13 advantage at halftime.

Falmouth then dominated the second half. Senior quarterback Matt Kingry (10 of 20 for 170 yards and three TDs in the air and 102 yards on eight carries) hooked up with classmate Jack Cooleen (four catches, 85 yards) for a TD to put the hosts ahead to stay. Kingry then found senior Ryan MacDonald (two catches, 18 yards, six rushes for 51 yards, and seven tackles, seven assists and an interception on defense) for a touchdown pass and it was 27-14 Yachtsmen after three. Kingry’s third TD pass of the afternoon, to senior Michael Ryan (two catches, 41 yards, and seven tackles on defense), accounted for the 33-14 final score.

“It took awhile to get the momentum going,” said Falmouth coach John Fitzsimmons. “We had two touchdowns called back and fumbled at the 4-yard line. It wasn’t a clean game for us. We talked at halftime and said, ‘You’re much better than this.’ We shut them down in the second half and the offense took over. To (Marshwood’s) credit, they came out in the hurry-up. We don’t have a lot of depth. The players got a little tired.

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“Will Sipperly did his thing again,” he added. “He’s making a name for himself. There are plays where he looks caged in, then he finds a hole and off he goes. I’m proud of the line. They worked hard and didn’t have much rest.”

The Yachtsmen visit 2-1 Cape Elizabeth for a pivotal showdown Friday night. Last year, Falmouth let a late lead slip away in a 24-21 loss. The Yachtsmen are seeking their first ever win over the Capers.

“Cape is always tough,” Fitzsimmons said. “I think we bring a lot more offensive weapons than we have before. It’ll be a matter of can we stand up to their toughness and stop them offensively. We have a special team.”

Greely is now 2-1 after its second straight win Saturday night. The Rangers hosted a Westbrook squad (that like Marshwood moved down from Class A) for the first time and put forth an impressive, balanced effort, scoring a touchdown in each quarter en route to a 28-0 triumph.

Greely got the only score it needed when bruising junior runner Svenn Jacobson scored on a 1-yard rush in the first preiod. Jacobson ran it in from 7-yards out in the second quarter to make it 14-0. In the second half, senior Mike Leeman scored on runs of 13 and 44-yards and the Rangers pitched the shutout.

“The kids played great,” Greely coach David Higgins said. “It’s a great win for our program. We’re getting there.”

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Jacobson had 19 second-half carries for 104 yards and finished 26-145 with two scores. He also caught one pass for two yards.

“I started cramping up, but I kept running,” Jacobson said. “We just moved up to the second line to the linebackers and that’s what made it open. The line did a great job.”

Leeman gained 59 yards with two TDs on his 10 rushes. He also caught four passes for 52 yards.

“Svenn’s amazing,” Higgins said. “He’s coming back to his form and what can you say about Leeman? They wouldn’t get those holes if it wasn’t for the linemen.”

A year after missing the playoffs with a 6-3 record only because it came out on the wrong end of a coin flip, Greely is right back in the postseason hunt.

“It’s a big win for us,” said Jacobson. “This makes us a competitor. We’re improving every game.”

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The Rangers host 2-1 York Friday night.

Last year, the Rangers beat the Wildcats for the first time in eight tries, 21-6.

Doing it again won’t be easy.

“We need to bring down the penalties, block and keep on moving,” said Jacobson.

“Every week’s a test for us,” Higgins said. “York’s a very good team. The kids improve every week. We passed the test this week, fortunately. Hopefully, we’ll rise to the occasion again next week. York’s always tough. (Coach) Randy (Small) always has his kids prepared. I hope it’s as exciting as this game was for us.”

In Western C, Yarmouth won its 15th straight game and 23rd in 24 tries Saturday, 27-7, at Traip, in the Clippers’ first test of the season.

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Touchdown runs from juniors Caleb Uhl and Nik Pelletier put Yarmouth up 12-0 after one quarter. After the Rangers got on the board, Pelletier scored again and it was 20-7 Clippers. Sophomore quarterback Brady Neujahr found senior Dennis Erving for a long TD pass to put it away.

“That was a good team we played,” said Yarmouth coach Jim Hartman. “I was pleased with how the boys played. We ran for 10 yards a carry against what I thought was the best line we’ve seen in a long time. We have to play a whole game. We had to make some adjustments. They hit us back.

“(Senior) Anders (Overhaug), Nik and Caleb all did well,” he added. “Nik bowled it up the middle for 10 yards a pop and had some outstanding blocks for the other guys. Anders had well over 100 yards. He had a great day. Caleb has incredible feet and is quick.”

Friday, Yarmouth faces an 0-3 Sacopee Valley squad which hasn’t won a game in its three-year varsity history. Last fall, the Clippers romped at the Hawks, 62-0.

Yarmouth hosts Lisbon in a regional final rematch Sept. 30, but won’t overlook Sacopee Valley.

“Sacopee Valley is on the verge and they have some talent,” said Hartman. “We haven’t even talked about Lisbon.”

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Freeport is 3-0 for the first time after downing visiting Telstar, 47-13. The Falcons chewed up 401 yards on the ground and scored five unanswered touchdowns in the second half. Freeport used trap plays to open large swaths in Telstar’s defense for senior Luke Lamagna (13 carries, 118 yards, 2 TDs), junior Dan Burke (11 carries, 107 yards, TD) and sophomore Joe Nixon (3 carries, 64 yards, 2 TDs).

A 41-yard run by Lamagna set up the go-ahead score, a three-yard run by Nixon, who added the two-point conversion to make it 20-13 and open the floodgates with 3:06 left in the third quarter. Touchdown runs by Lamagna, Burke, sophomore Ben MacMillan (60 yards) and Nixon (47 yards) settled the score.

Freeport broke the scoreless tie on junior quarterback James Purdy’s only completion of the first half, a 49-yard TD pass to senior Chris Farley with 3:01 left in the first half. Telstar answered with a scoring pass for a 7-6 lead at halftime. The Falcons started the second half with a nine-play, 71-yard drive concluded by Lamagna’s six-yard TD run.

The Rebels went back ahead early in the third quarter, but the hosts dominated from there.

“We made mistake after mistake,” said Grover. “We had a lot of turnovers, but we rose to the occasion in the second half. We moved the ball well, but shot ourselves in the foot.”

Freeport has a showdown with fellow unbeaten Lisbon next Saturday. Last year, the Falcons lost at home to the Greyhounds, 56-14.

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“We’ll get a test against Lisbon,” Grover said. “We can’t do what we did the last two weeks. Lisbon is very good defensively. Offensively, we can play with them. It’s a nice test for us. I hope the kids believe they can win. I believe in them.”

Sun Journal staff writer Randy Whitehouse contributed to this story. Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

Sidebar Elements


Not even the imposing Jack Cooleen was tall enough to catch this ball during Falmouth’s 33-14 home win over Marshwood Saturday.

Greely senior Mike Leeman tries to fight off a Westbrook tackler during the Rangers’ 28-0 home win Saturday night.


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