AUGUSTA

In a game that featured over 400 yards rushing, 32 first downs and more than 200 yards passing, Saturday night’s Eastern Maine Class A semifinal contest came down to … inches.

Trailing 21-14, third-seeded Brunswick High School pulled to within a point when standout Jared Jensen slipped through the grasp of several Cony defenders and tip-toed down his right sideline eight yards for a score with 5:30 left.

However, the point-after kick nailed the left upright to keep the second-seeded Rams up 21-20 and that’s the way it stayed.

“We made a few mistakes tonight, but we gave ourselves a chance to win,” said Brunswick coach Dan Cooper. “Unfortunately, we needed a little more time or another timeout may have done it for us.

“We had them on the run and just before the half we had a chance on a long throw, but it was just an inch off. It really, truly was a game of inches and they got the breaks.

Following the Brunswick score, Cony (8-2) looked to wind down the clock, but the 7-3 Dragons got the balk back with 2:27 left. The drive included a nice Jensen-to-Logan Tupper halfback pass that was nearly intercepted, but Brunswick, without any timeouts, stalled at the C-40 on fourth-and-eight when Jensen was stopped five yards short.

Led by the running talents of Jensen (39 carries, 286 yards), Alex Bandouveres (11 for 54) and Tupper (11 for 30), the Dragons took a 14-0 second quarter lead.

Jensen had scoring runs of 88 and 30 yards to lift the Dragons, who lost to the Rams 34-7 back on Sept. 28.

In a game that highlighted Brunswick’s ground game and the passing talents of Rams’ quarterback Benjamin Lucas (20 for 38, 205 yards), Cony finally got untracked in the second period.

Following Brunswick’s second score, the Rams stitched together a 10-play 68-yard drive, with Lucas passing on the first seven plays (64 yards) before Chandler Shostak ran it in from one yard out with 2:27 remaining. Zachary Lachance made the first of his three PATs.

Cony got going to open the third quarter with Brandon St. Michel taking the opening kickoff 61 yards to the B-33. However, eight plays later, Jensen picked off a Lucas aerial.

A Jensen fumble was recovered by Cony’s Keith Cloutier and six plays later, Shostak ran it in from three yards out with 6:38 showing.

A Tupper fumble on the Dragons’ next series was again recovered by Cloutier at the C-49 and Lucas threw for three first downs en route to a Lucas 12-yard TD strike to Dayshwan Roberts with 33.9 seconds left in the quarter.

Brunswick punted on its next possession, but Lucas was intercepted by Bandouveres, who ran it to the C-36.

From there, Bandouveres carried three times for 21 yards and Jensen capped off the drive with his slippery 8- yard run with 5:30 left.

“We had four returning starters back on 22 positions,” added Cooper. “It was unexpected that we were going to be a playoff team and play this well. But these seniors played just unbelievable football all year long.”

Brunswick graduates Kaleija

Innis, Jason Carter, Steven Faith, Jensen, Adam Brown, Nolan Robbins, Brett Lancaster, Colby Dwyer, and Ben Lamphere.

Cony 21,
Brunswick 20

Eastern Maine Class A football semifinal

Brunswick014 06—20
Cony 07140—21
Second quarter
B — Jensen 88 run (Casey Kick), 10:15.
B — Jensen 32 run (Casey kick), 6:17.
C — Shostak 1 run (Lachance kick), 2:27.
Third quarter
C — Shostak 3 run (Lachance kick), 6:38.
C — Lucas 12 pass to Roberts (Lachance kick),
33.9.
Fourth quarter
B — Jensen 8 run (kick failed), 5:30.
Records — Brunswick 7-3, Cony 8-2.

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