ORONO — It was a heavy-hearted Elon football team that toppled Maine 27-22 on Saturday.

And an undermanned one.

The Phoenix were playing three days after junior wide receiver Demitri Allison fell to his death at a dormitory at the University of North Carolina. The 12-member leadership council on the team discussed Thursday whether to go on with Saturday’s game and agreed they should make the trip, although anybody who felt too distraught could remain on campus in North Carolina.

Four of the team’s seven wide receivers opted to do just that, Coach Rich Skrosky said.

“They felt like they weren’t emotionally ready to face a football game,” Skrosky said. “The decision that those guys made, I fully support and applaud for them to have the courage.”

The Phoenix wore patches with Allison’s No. 10 over their right breasts. There was a moment of silence before the coin toss in remembrance of Allison. After the game, every player on both teams huddled at midfield for a brief prayer.

“It was just two teams getting together and showing support for our loss,” Skrosky said.

Senior safety Miles Williams, a member of the leadership council, responded with six tackles and two forced fumbles.

“We made the decision to play today. We knew that we were going to do it for Demitri and one another, and to see us go out there and get the win and play with the heart and the grit that we did was huge,” Williams said. “It’s a day we’ll never forget.”

MAINE HONORED its 18 seniors before their final game at Alfond Stadium. It was not the way they wanted to go out, but linebacker John McCabe of Winslow said that reality hadn’t sunk in yet.

“It’s really tough to have this sort of a season, but probably in a few days it will soak in and it’s going to really suck,” he said after Maine’s record fell to 3-7 with only next Saturday’s game at rival New Hampshire remaining. “I just wanted to get a win with my brothers, and that unfortunately didn’t happen.

“But we’ll move on and we’ll get the (Brice-Cowell) musket (awarded to the winner of the Maine-UNH game).”

JUNIOR QUARTERBACK Dan Collins played most of the game in relief of starter Drew Belcher. He said the discussion at halftime surrounded digging out of a 17-0 hole.

“How were we going to come out? Were we going to put our heads down or were we going to come out there and try to make it a game?” he said after throwing three fourth-quarter touchdown passes.

MAINE WAS without starting cornerback Najee Goode (shoulder injury) and guard Daniel Burrows (foot). Tailback Nigel Beckford dressed but didn’t play because of an undisclosed health problem.

And senior kicker Sean Decloux sat out for the first time this season with an unspecified injury Cosgrove said he’s been nursing all season. Decloux has been uncharacteristically unreliable, missing seven field goals and two extra points.

“I think this week it was just a situation where he couldn’t go,” Cosgrove said.

He said Decloux may return next Saturday.

 

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