SOUTH BERWICK — Coming on the heels of an undefeated season in which most opponents were toast by halftime, Nick Tice of Marshwood found himself in a battle Friday night against a Biddeford football team making its Class B debut.

With the score tied and Biddeford driving for a go-ahead touchdown early in the third quarter, Tice picked off a pass and swung momentum Marshwood’s way. The Hawks proceeded to score on their next two drives to complete a 21-7 Class B South victory and run their winning streak to 13 games.

“We lost so many seniors, so many key players from our (championship) team,” Tice said. “It was just good to show that we can be good, too.”

Tice, a linebacker, also snuffed out Biddeford’s second drive of the second half, turning a screen pass into a 13-yard loss to set up the most unusual play of the game, a failed fake punt on fourth-and-25 with the Tigers trailing 15-7.

Yellow hankies flew and whistles blew with Biddeford in punt formation because of what seemed to a Marshwood penalty for verbally or physically intimdating the long snapper, but after first walking off penalty yardage, officials returned the ball to its original spot near midfield.

Biddeford Coach Brian Curit, already having called for a fake in anticipation of better field position, never received an explanation for the reversal.

“It was probably a very stupid thing to do, no question about that,” Curit said of the incomplete pass attempt. “To be honest, I’m still not sure what transpired in regards to that (non-penalty), but we probably should have kicked it. But at that point we needed some sort of spark.”

Zach Doyon of Marshwood ran for 83 yards and one touchdown, and caught five passes for 52 yards and another TD to lead the Hawks, who overcame a shaky start and dug themselves out of a 7-0 deficit that could have been deeper.

“The offensive line was opening up holes tonight,” Doyon said. “They were giving me that little bit of room that I need to make a play. It’s my job to just make the plays.”

Biddeford, after fumbling into the end zone on its first possession and losing the handle again on its second, put together a lengthy drive that carried through the end of the first quarter and culminated in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Joey Curit to Patrick Pearl.

It was the third completion in as many attempts on the drive for Curit, who also connected with Tyler Janelle and Pearl for 14 and 15 yards.

Nick Phillips added the PAT kick for a 7-0 lead.

Marshwood responded immediately. Cole McDaniel returned a kickoff 44 yards and the Hawks needed only seven more plays, all on the ground, to score. Doyon ran for the final 4 yards and Jacob Bossi booted the extra point to make it 7-7.

Each team flubbed a punt attempt in the first half, Marshwood on its first possession and Biddeford shortly before halftime, but neither non-kick resulted in a score. Biddeford fumbled away its chance and Marshwood failed to move the chains after starting from the Tigers’ 26.

The Hawks took control by scoring on their first two second-half possessions.

Justin Stacy’s 2-yard run midway through the third quarter broke a 7-7 tie.

The Hawks made it 21-7 early in the fourth on a 27-yard pass from Jack Spear to Doyon on fourth-and-15.

Marshwood held Biddeford to two second-half completions after being burned on 5 of 6 first-half attempts by Curit.

“We had a lot of missed assignments in the first half on defense, especially in pass coverage,” said Marshwood Coach Alex Rotsko.

“I thought Tim Briggs, our defensive coach, did a nice job getting our guys to settle down and take care of their responsibilities. We didn’t do anything different. We just did it better.”

 

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