Winthrop/ Monmouth football coach Dave St. Hilaire remembered the 2015 opener against Lisbon well.
After a close game in the opening half, Hilaire’s Ramblers were ground down by the mighty Greyhounds in a 28-24 loss.
The Ramblers (1-0), who visit Traip Academy this upcoming Saturday at 1:30 p.m., rode the arm of quarterback Matt Ingram, who completed 8-of-14 passes for 199 yards and a pair of scores. Receiver Bennett Brooks hauled in both of Ingram’s TD tosses and gained 139 yards for the game. Running back Alec Brown rushed 13 times for a game-high 82 yards and a score.
On the other side, Lisbon never really found its footing after falling behind 13-0 right out of the gate. The Greyhound defense struggled to get off the field on third down, with the Ramblers converting 3-of-5 third-down chances in the first half and earning a big touchdown on fourth down with 16 seconds left in the first half when Ingram squeezed a pass into the arms of Brooks in the right corner of the end zone. The back-breaking score gave the visitors a 21-6 halftime lead.
“That was a tough spot, and their quarterback had a great game,” said Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan of Ingram. “There were a couple times that we had them pinned deep and he got them first downs. That was a big difference in the game. He showed up to play and showed up as a senior.”
The late touchdown for Winthrop/Monmouth was big on two fronts. First off, it gave the Ramblers a two-touchdown lead at the half. Perhaps more importantly, the score answered an 18- play, eight-minute drive that saw Noah Francis score on a 1-yard plunge with 3:37 left in the half to draw the Greyhounds to 13-6.
“Last year it was a close ball game and they just ate the clock up the second half, a game that we just couldn’t get any offensive momentum,” said Hilaire. “After that drive today, we answered and we knew that we had to do that to stay ahead of them.”
Fast start
There was little Winthrop/Monmouth did wrong in the opening quarter. The Ramblers drove 64 yards on nine plays, with Brown diving into the end zone on a 2-yard run for a 7-0 lead.
Lisbon quarterback/ punter Tyler Halls faked a punt and picked up a first down on the home team’s first possession, but the drive stalled on the W-41.
On the next play, Ingram lofted a perfectly-placed pass to Brooks for a 59-yard TD strike and a 13-0 advantage.
“We like to start strong and it sets the pace of the game,” said Brown. “We know Lisbon is a tough team, so we wanted to come out strong. They are so tough. Every single play is physical. It is a challenge everywhere.”
“We wanted to get some confidence right off the start,” said St. Hilaire. “We put that first drive together and kept it going from there.”
Late in the opening quarter, Lisbon took over at its own 41-yard line. The Greyhounds began exploiting an opening on the right side of the Winthrop/Monmouth defense, with Jared Glover (13 rushes, 49 yards) carrying the load. The Greyhounds converted four third downs into a new set of downs. On fourth down, Francis put Lisbon on the board.
But, the Ramblers marched 74 yards, picking up a first down on fourth-and-one at their own 35- yard line. Brooks caught a pass from Ingram for 27 yards before hauling in the 30-yard heave to make for a 21-6 contest at the break.
Led by seven tackles from Brown and an interception each from Nick Scott and Tyler Cote, Winthrop/Monmouth kept Lisbon at bay. Cote nailed a 27- yard field goal and Ingram broke two tackles before pulling away from the Lisbon defense for a 38- yard TD run in the third quarter.
Halls, who completed 11- of-22 passes for 105 yards, hooked up with Lucas Francis for a 25- yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to finish off the scoring. Halls also rushed for 73 yards to pace the Greyhounds. On defense, Tanton Mattson had 11 tackles, with Halls adding six, and Bradley Harriman and Glover five each.
“We will work hard every week and try to get better,” said Mynahan, whose Greyhounds visit 0-1 Maranacook in Readfield on Friday at 7 p.m. “Hopefully we will play them again and be a better team. Take nothing away from Winthrop today. They were good.”
Noah Elegbede and Antonio Meucci each sacked Halls, with Scott adding five tackles.
“Lisbon will get tremendously better,” said St. Hilaire. “We need to move forward, take care of what we need and keep getting better.”
Winthrop/Mon 31,
Lisbon 12
Saturday, at Lisbon
Winthrop — 13 8 10 0 — 31
Lisbon— 0606—12
First quarter
W/M — Alec Brown 2 run (Tyler Cote
kick), 8:40.
W/M — Bennett Brooks 59 pass from
Matt Ingram (kick failed), 5:29.
Second quarter
L — Noah Francis 1 run (pass failed),
3:37.
W/M — Bennett Brooks 30 pass from
Matt Ingram (Andrew Pazdziorko
pass from Matt Ingram), :16.
Third quarter
W/M — Tyler Cote 27 field goal, 6:41.
W/M — Matt Ingram 38 run (Tyler
Cote kick), 3:47.
Fourth quarter
L — Lucas Francis 25 pass from
Tyler Halls (pass failed), 4:55.
Records — Winthrop/Monmouth 1-
0, Lisbon 0-1.
Up next for the Greyhounds — Friday at Maranacook, 7 p.m.
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