STANDISH — Windham High made its first drive look easy, zipping 85 yards down the field in three minutes.
But that was all for the Eagles.
Bonny Eagle played stifling defense the rest of the game as the Scots beat Windham 33-13 Friday night.
Bonny Eagle won its fourth straight game to improve to 4-2. The Eagles are also 4-2.
The Scots got big scores from receiver Eben Cram (two touchdown catches) and Cam Theberge, who returned a punt 68 yards. Quarterback Cam Day threw for 164 yards and ran for 61. Receiver Ben Autry caught three passes for 77 yards.
But the big story was the defense. After that first Windham drive, the Eagles recorded only 26 yards and no more first downs.
Big adjustment by Bonny Eagle?
“We just played our basics,” defensive back Christian Napolitano said.
Since two opening losses – by a total of five points – Bonny Eagle’s defense has allowed only two touchdowns.
“It was tough coming off those two losses, but our kids went to work,” Scots Coach Kevin Cooper said.
On Friday night, nose guard Lukkas Pierce worked hard, with tackles Wiley Hollen and Arlo Pike alongside him. Linebacker Nick Thorne was in on several tackles.
Windham could not break loose. But Eagles Coach Matt Perkins was just as concerned with his defense.
“Little things caught up to us,” Perkins said. “I think our biggest flaw was missed tackles.”
Bonny Eagle took a 7-6 lead in the second quarter. The Eagles were blitzing and Day hit Cram on a slant pass. There was no one in the secondary to stop him.
“It was just open. I just hoped I wouldn’t get caught,” said Cram, who sprinted for a 70-yard score.
Later in the first half, Theberge caught a high punt, sprinted up the middle and bolted for open field to his left, not stopping until the end zone as he gave Bonny Eagle a 13-6 lead.
“We were actually in a punt block,” Cooper said. “We didn’t set up a return. He did that almost all on his own.”
Windham tied the game early in the third quarter when safety Blake Houser scooped up a Scots fumble and ran 23 yards for a touchdown.
Bonny Eagle responded with an 81-yard drive. Sophomore quarterback Connor Sirois came in for the last play and hit Cram for a 25-yard touchdown – with Cram dragging defenders for the final 10 yards. Bonny Eagle led 20-13.
On their next drive, the Scots looked stalled at their 11. Napolitano went back to punt but could not handle a low snap.
“I should have caught it,” Napolitano said. “I just tried to get the kick off right away.”
Napolitano kicked it while he was running. The ball bounced on the ground, hit a Windham player and was recovered by Bonny Eagle. They kept marching, with Day scoring from the 1 with 7:16 left.
Thorne sealed it with a 2-yard touchdown run, and soon the Scots were celebrating their conversion from being winless to being a contender.
“We worked and we never put our heads down,” Cram said.
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