YARMOUTH — Andrew Beatty has a chance to pull off a rare feat – becoming a member of two state championship teams during the same sports season.
If it happens, the Yarmouth High senior will know he did his part to help both win titles.
Beatty was a starting defender for the soccer team this fall. On Nov. 7, he helped Yarmouth beat Erskine Academy 3-0 in the Class B state championship by clearing a bouncing ball off the goal line while the game was still scoreless.
Beatty also has been instrumental in getting the Yarmouth football team to the cusp of its first state crown since 2011. The Clippers (11-0) play defending champion Winslow (10-0) for the Class C title Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.
Last week in Yarmouth’s 17-14 regional final win against Wells, Beatty broke a tie by kicking a 37-yard field goal with 2:16 left in the game.
“I do feel like a football player. I really do,” Beatty said. “I’ve been with these guys for two-and-a-half years and I’ve watched them all grow up from being young sophomores to being one of the best teams in the state.”
The Clippers’ stout defense and high-powered offense have overpowered many teams this season.
The defense has forced 27 turnovers and recorded 23 sacks. Ricky Tillotson, who is Beatty’s long snapper, leads the unit with 89 tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles.
Quarterback John Thoma (the holder on kicks) has completed 58.3 percent of his passes (88 of 151) for 1,341 yards and 14 touchdowns. Jack Snyder is the top target with 33 catches and nine scores.
Cody Cook brings big-play capability as a running back with 653 yards and 11 touchdowns on 55 carries. Lucas Uhl (110 carries for 637 yards) and Snyder (72 carries, 552 yards, 13 touchdowns) are the primary runners.
But in Yarmouth’s biggest wins to date, Beatty has provided the winning points in the fourth quarter.
In Week 5, Yarmouth beat Wells 16-15. Thoma’s 2-yard pass to Noah Eckersley-Ray tied the game with about three minutes to play. Beatty, who had his first point-after attempt blocked before kicking a 44-yard field goal in the third quarter, made the extra point.
Two weeks later, Beatty finished a wild 37-36 win against Cape Elizabeth with his point after following Cook’s 6-yard TD pass from Thoma with 28 seconds left. Again, Beatty missed his first PAT but got a 43-yard field goal to crawl over the crossbar. Cape’s kicker missed three extra points.
Overall, Beatty is 5 of 9 on field goals. Four of his makes have been over 40 yards, including two 47-yarders. He is 21 of 26 on PATs.
“He’s a very confident kicker,” said Yarmouth Coach Jason Veilleux. “Andrew is very fluid.”
Beatty has played in and won two soccer state championship games but he said there is little carryover to what he feels when he’s called on by the football team.
“In that moment, it’s all a solo sport,” Beatty said. “In the soccer state game I felt like I always had (my) guys around (me). But in football, everything’s on you and it’s not like I can pass the ball to a teammate and have them kick it through the goal posts.”
Beatty’s father, John Beatty, is responsible for initiating the dual-sport participation – though he says he didn’t have his son in mind when he first proposed the idea.
John Beatty, a three-year letter winner as a linebacker at Army (1989-91) was Veilleux’s defensive coordinator during the 2013 season and Clipper kickers were struggling.
John Beatty’s twin sons – Andrew and Matthew – were sophomore JV soccer players. They had played football growing up but switched allegiance to soccer in middle school.
John Beatty went to his sons’ soccer games and “all the kids kicked so well and you couldn’t tell me that at least one of them couldn’t walk over to football on a Friday night and kick.”
After Veilleux got approval from Athletic Director Susan Robbins and the support of soccer coach Mike Hagerty, John Beatty got the word out: we need a soccer player to kick for the football team.
A couple other kids tried before Andrew Beatty.
“At first, I didn’t do well at all,” he said. “It’s much different than kicking a soccer ball.”
Beatty stuck with it and improved. This summer he went to two kicking camps to hone his craft. He says he wants to kick for a college football team.
“I’m biased but I think he’s the best kicker in the state,” said Yarmouth special teams coordinator Jay Snyder. “He’s mentally strong, he relies on his teammates. His form is perfect. He’s worked on it for three years.”
Beatty’s backup is Hagerty’s son, Mike Hagerty Jr. A soccer goalie, the younger Hagerty has made 6 of 7 extra points and may be the heir apparent in Yarmouth football’s soccer pipeline.
“It’s worked out and I think it’s helped foster the relationship between football and soccer at the school,” Veilleux said.
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