CAPE ELIZABETH — As his team walked off the field Friday night, Cape Elizabeth quarterback Michael Foley held the sledgehammer that’s awarded by the team’s coaches to whichever player is deemed to have played the hardest in that particular game.
Normally, the winner of the sledgehammer gives a short speech to the team. After a 49-0 win over York at Hannaford Field, Foley simply raised the hammer over his head.
“I got it earlier in the year, so I decided to stay quiet,” Foley said.
Throughout the first three quarters before he went to the bench, Foley let his play do the talking. The junior passed for 246 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 66 yards and another score, leading the Capers to a dominating win in a Class C South game between two teams heading to the playoffs.
Coming off a one-point loss at undefeated Leavitt, the Capers improved to 5-2. York (5-2) was dealt its first loss since a Week 1 defeat against Leavitt.
“We played four full quarters of football, I think, as a team,” Foley said.
Cape Elizabeth scored on five of seven first-half possessions, and the only thing that slowed the Capers in the first half was a pair of turnovers. Otherwise, Cape carved through the York defense.
The Capers opened the game with a nine-play, 59-yard drive that ended with the first of Nick Laughlin’s three consecutive touchdowns, this one a 7-yard run.
With 1:50 left in the first quarter, Laughlin caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Foley for a 14-0 lead.
Foley and Laughlin (eight catches, 107 yards) connected again just 56 seconds into the second quarter for a 35-yard scoring pass. It was the first of three scoring drives of two or fewer plays for the Capers.
With 6:03 left in the first half, Tom Hennessey caught a short Foley pass and scampered 61 yards for a touchdown. After the teams traded turnovers late in the half, Foley hit a wide-open Owen Tighe in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown and a 35-0 halftime lead.
A few times, Foley scrambled around in the backfield, eluding Wildcat defenders and waiting for somebody to eventually get open downfield. Foley credited the offensive line for giving him the time to improvise until a receiver could be found.
“I got plenty of time, but sometimes I get happy feet, run around when I should just sit and wait and watch,” Foley said.
York had a chance to put points on the board as the first half ended, but Peter Martin’s 29-yard field goal try was wide left as time expired.
York quarterback Gavin Davis rushed for 71 yards.
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