SOUTH BERWICK — Desperately needing a win, Marshwood High scored the tying touchdown with 34 seconds to play, blocked a field goal to send the game to overtime and then beat Bonny Eagle, 21-20, Friday thanks in part to a point-after by backup kicker Will Anderson.

The four-time defending Class B champion Hawks improved to 2-3 and, at least for another week, avoided being the first Marshwood team coached by Alex Rotsko to lose four times in the regular season. Class A Bonny Eagle, playing another nail-biter, slipped to 3-2.

Marshwood sophomore quarterback Cullen St. Cyr, who completed 6 of 11 passes, found Ty Cougler on fourth down in the first overtime to put Marshwood up 20-14. On the play, St. Cyr rolled left and after several moments then threw back to the far right side of the end zone where Cougler was wide open. The play was designed to get Cougler the ball much quicker.

“I kind of screwed up the play in the beginning but I got lucky,” St. Cyr said.

Then it was Anderson’s turn.

“I was just like ‘focus. Kick it,’ ” Anderson said. “We do the same thing every day. Just kick it.”

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Bonny Eagle scored on its overtime possession on a 2-yard fourth-down run by quarterback Cam Marcello. Brandt Abbott missed the kick wide left, ending the game. Abbott had made a game-saving tackle on Cougler after Abbott’s 46-yard field goal attempt on the last play of regulation was blocked.

At the end of the first half, Bonny Eagle opted not to try a 20-yard field goal and was stopped on a fourth-down run, leaving the game tied at half, 7-7.

“We felt good on going for it. We’re on the 3-yard line, you’ve got to think you can score,” said Bonny Eagle Coach Kevin Cooper. “We thought we could get it in. Unfortunately we didn’t and it was a wasted opportunity.”

The Scots scored on their opening drive of the second half when Marcello connected with Dom Gordon on a 5-yard fourth-down play. Abbott added a clean extra-point for a 14-7 lead.

Marshwood was down to its last chance when it took over at its own 20 with 3:58 to play. A 26-yard run by Emmanuel Poe (12 carries, 99 yards) and a nifty 14-yard pickup by fullback Andrew Ryan (74 rushing yards, including a 28-yard TD) helped get the Hawks to the Bonny Eagle-1. St. Cyr rolled left looking to throw then ran it in.

“That was a huge play,” Rotsko said. “Our wingback was covered and our tight end was jammed at the line of scrimmage so he tucked it away and ran it in.”

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For the Hawks, the effort was a marked improvement after a 34-6 loss to Massabesic.

“We played harder. Not sure we played smarter. We still had way too many turnovers. And defensively it was a huge step for us,” Rotsko said.

Said St. Cyr: “A lot of it is the captains, telling us to play with effort and the coaches this week in practice made emphasis of us playing harder.”

The game featured two of the state’s top coaches meeting each other for the first time. In 11 seasons at Marshwood, Rotsko is 91-19 with six state titles and seven South (West) regional crowns. At Longmeadow, Massachusetts, Rotsko’s teams were 184-39 with 11 Western Mass championships.

Cooper, in his 24th season at Bonny Eagle, is 163-74 with seven Class A championships, the most recent in 2019.


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