OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Despite a spectacular individual performance from senior quarterback Bryan Roberts, fourth-seeded Old Orchard Beach needed a full team effort to stop two late attempts by No. 5 Winthrop/Monmouth in a Western Class D football quarterfinal on Friday night. The Seagulls were able to get those two stops when they needed them, as they held on for a 28-22 victory at Joe Regina Field.
Roberts had a hand in all 28 points scored by the Seagulls, as he threw a touchdown pass to Erik Hogan in the first quarter and ran for three touchdowns. He also converted a pair of two-point conversions on passes to Joe Anderson.
“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: He’s the best player in the league. He’s a game-changer and he’s a warrior, because he does everything. He runs, he throws, he tackles, he kicks,” OOB head coach Dean Plante said of Roberts. “When you have him, you have a chance.”
The Seagulls went three-and-out to open the game, but after forcing the Ramblers to do the same on their opening drive, OOB put together the first scoring drive of the night. The 55-yard drive was capped off by Roberts’ 17-yard touchdown to Hogan on a screen pass.
It looked like the OOB defense was going to feed off the momentum of the score, as Andrew Graves and Caleb Bergeron combined for a sack of Ramblers quarterback Matt Ingram on the first play of the ensuing drive. But the Ramblers put a fast one on the Seagulls on the next play, as Ingram passed back to Dakota Carter, who then lobbed a throw to an open Bennett Brooks, who finished off the 95-yard play for a touchdown. The extra point put the Ramblers ahead 7-6 midway through the first quarter.
The teams then traded off drives that ended with failed fourth-down conversions, as Roberts couldn’t connect with Zach Hirst on a fourth-down throw, then Ingram passed to nobody in the end zone on a 4th-and-goal play from the 18-yard line.
Old Orchard Beach got back on the right track by running the ball, as Roberts started the Seagulls’ next drive with a 65-yard run, and five plays later rumbled in from three yards out to put OOB back on top.
The Ramblers responded and took the lead back thanks to another big play. On 3rd-and-7 from their own 46-yard line, Ingram hit Brooks on a short slant, then Brooks made one defender miss before running free for a 54-yard score. Another extra point put Winthrop/Monmouth up 14-12 late in the first half.
“So much for my things we got to do, right ”“ don’t give up the big play,” said Plante.
Roberts threw an interception on the next play ”“ a rare gaffe for him in the game ”“ but the Ramblers couldn’t put together a late scoring drive, as the score stayed 14-12 going into halftime.
The OOB defense got another big stop on fourth down coming out of the intermission, as Zach Phinney was stopped inches short of a first down at the Seagulls’ 32-yard line.
On the very next play, Roberts found a hole on the left side on a quarterback keeper and ran in for a 68-yard touchdown run. He then hit Anderson on the two-point conversion to put OOB up 20-14 ”“ a lead they didn’t relinquish again.
The OOB defense sandwiched a pair of three-and-outs around a long drive that ended a yard short on fourth down, then Roberts and the Seagulls’ offense embarked on a five-play, 65-yard drive that was finished off by a 47-yard touchdown run by Roberts.
The Ramblers answered with a scoring drive of their own, which included a 43-yard gain by Alec Brown on a fake punt. Ingram capped off the drive with a 1-yard run to cut the deficit to 28-22 with eight minutes to play.
After a three-and-out by OOB, the Rambler offense went driving again. Eight plays in, they were faced with a 4th-and-2 at the OOB 43. The Ramblers looked ready to run a play, but head coach Dave St. Hilaire called a timeout a split second before the snap of the ball. OOB’s Zach Belanger was hurt on the non-play, which caused a 20-minute delay as he was immobilized and taken off on a stretcher.
When play resumed, Ingram was stopped a yard short on the fourth-down play, as OOB got the ball back with 2:16 to play.
“You know what, the kids rallied, did a great job,” Plante said of his team regrouping after Belanger got hurt. “No complaints about that when you get a stop like that. The kids responded.”
The Seagulls weren’t able to run out the clock and were forced to punt. But on the Ramblers’ first play of the have-to-score drive, Ingram threw a pass intended for Brooks that was tipped by Hogan before being intercepted by Evan Christensen.
Roberts then took two kneel downs in the victory formation to run out the clock and secure the victory.
“The kids played hard. It was a good game,” said Plante. “That’s what playoff football is all about.”
The Seagulls now advance to next week’s semifinal round, where they will face top-seeded Lisbon, which had a virtual bye week after No. 8 Telstar forfeited its chance to play in the quarterfinals.
“We got our work cut out for us next week. I’m pretty sure Lisbon is chomping at the bit and rested,” said Plante.
— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or sports@journaltribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
