BIDDEFORD — Patrick Pearl couldn’t remember what he had to eat Friday before Biddeford High’s Class B South football showdown with Falmouth. His coach, Brian Curit, hopes he can eventually recall it.

“Whatever he had for breakfast,” said Curit, “he better eat it for the rest of the year.”

Pearl, a senior wide receiver and defensive back, scored on two touchdown passes in the first half and intercepted three passes as the Tigers held off Falmouth 17-14 at Waterhouse Field.

He scored on a 30-yard pass from Joey Curit on Biddeford’s first drive of the game and then on a 25-yard pass from Carter Edgarton on the Tigers’ final drive of the first half to give his team a 17-7 halftime advantage.

“This is huge,” said Pearl. “They said Falmouth is the team to beat in our division. This was a huge week of practice for us.”

The Tigers, who intercepted four passes overall, are now 3-0, atop Class B South. Falmouth dropped to 2-1.

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Biddeford received a huge offensive effort from senior fullback Brady Crepeau, who rushed 36 times for 153 yards, battering the Yachtsmen between the tackles all night.

But the Tigers needed a big defensive stand late in the fourth quarter, followed by a trick play, to secure the win.

Falmouth, behind the play of junior quarterback Jack Bryant, had pulled within 17-14 on the first play of the fourth quarter on a 14-yard run by Bryant on fourth-and-1.

An interception and 56-yard return by Brock Welch gave Falmouth the ball at Biddeford’s 35 with 7:27 remaining. Bryant moved the Yachtsmen to a first down at the Biddeford 9. On fourth down from the 6, Bryant threw to Welch in the left corner. But defensive back Curtis Forcier, a senior who hadn’t played the last two years, reached up and tipped the ball away.

“I actually felt for sure we were going to go in and score at that point, I felt really strong about that,” said John Fitzsimmons, the Falmouth coach. “But football is a two-way street and the defender said, ‘I’m not going to let that happen.’ ”

The Falmouth defense then held Crepeau to eight yards on three carries, setting up a fourth down at the Biddeford 14 with 2:01 left. The Tigers stunned Falmouth with a fake punt as Cam Lantagne gained 12 yards for the first down that secured the win.

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“The kids called it,” said Brian Curit. “At the last second I chickened out and yelled for them to punt, but they snapped the ball and they got the first down.”

Biddeford could have had a big lead in the first half. But Falmouth’s defense three times in the first half stopped the Tigers on fourth down deep in Yachtsmen territory. Biddeford finally got a 30-yard field goal by Caleb Bell – set up by Pearl’s first interception – to lead 10-7. Then Edgerton – the backup quarterback – hit Pearl with a 25-yard touchdown pass on a halfback option with 62 seconds left in the first half to make it 17-7.

Fitzsimmons said his team responded well in the second half. “I think we became a stronger team,” he said.

But Biddeford held on and gained a big advantage early in the season.

“This is another step for us to the end goal,” said Crepeau. “We just take every team as the best competition we’ll face and try to beat them.”


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