SOUTH PORTLAND — The Scarborough Red Storm proved Friday night that you don’t need to run a lot of plays or have an edge in time of possession to win a football game.
The Red Storm ran just one offensive play in the first quarter and held the ball for only five minutes in the first half against South Portland, but somehow led 21-3 at halftime, thanks to two big plays from Jayden Flaker and a defensive score.
Scarborough went on to a 40-3 victory.
“For a lot of these guys, it’s the first time on a varsity field, so I’m proud of them,” said Scarborough’s first-year coach, Packy Malia. “We wanted to weather the early storm and we’d be the better team. We made some big plays, and we have a lot of athletes on the field who can make big plays.”
The Red Storm got the ball to start the game but fumbled on their first snap, and the Red Riots drove to the 1 before penalties backed them up and forced them to settle for a 29-yard field from Brady Demers.
Then, Flaker erased the lead in a matter of seconds, returning the ensuing kickoff 91 yards.
“I just saw that gap open up and I took off,” Flaker said. “The kicker was standing still and I just went for it.”
After a long South Portland drive didn’t result in points, the Red Storm struck again midway through the second quarter when quarterback Keegan Weed hit Flaker for a 30-yard touchdown and a 14-3 advantage.
“We settled down and executed,” Flaker said. “We have a lot of new players who had to get their nerves out.”
South Portland’s next drive again ended in frustration, as Griffin Denbow scooped up a fumble and returned it 45 yards to make it 21-3.
After a scoreless third quarter, Scarborough’s Andy Lancaster scored on a 6-yard run. Backup quarterback Tim Crockett hit Brady Clough (who was also part of a huge defensive effort) for a 12-yard touchdown pass, then capped the scoring with a 26-yard dash.
The Red Storm will get a stiffer test next week, at home against Bonny Eagle.
“We’ve always had a good rivalry with Bonny Eagle, so we’re excited to play them,” Malia said. “We’re looking forward to it.”
The Red Riots travel to Massabesic.
“We’re just a very unrefined team right now,” said South Portland Coach Aaron Filieo. “We’re young as far as experience goes. We’ll get there one game at a time.”
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