TOPSHAM

The Biddeford Tigers and Mt. Ararat Eagles entered Friday night’s Class B South football showdown with identical 2-2 records, and both were looking to put themselves in better position for the upcoming playoffs.

It was the visiting Tigers who got the job done as Biddeford dominated both sides of the ball on the way to a 22- 0 shutout of the Eagles.

Junior quarterback Carter Edgerton led the way offensively for Biddeford, going 8-of-14 through the air for 136 yards and two scores, while also adding 95 rushing yards and another touchdown. Edgerton’s favorite target on Friday was junior wide receiver Cody Saucier, who hauled in five passes for 94 yards and both of the Tigers’ passing touchdowns.

“Cody’s new to football and I think he’s having a remarkable season. Carter, we know that he can just flat out throw the ball. I was very pleased,” said Biddeford coach Brian Curit on his dangerous QB-WR combo.

Saucier knew he could have a big night offensively against the Eagles (2-3).

“I honestly did not think their corners were very fast, and I could get open with my speed and my quickness,” said Saucier, who believes his friendship with Edgerton has helped the duo be successful on the field. “Carter and I have always been very close. I feel like we’ve always had a connection.”

While the Biddeford offense certainly made some big plays, it was the Tigers’ defense that really led the way on Friday night as they held Mt. Ararat to just 58 total yards on offense, including minus-1 yards in the opening two quarters.

“I think it all starts with the defense,” said Curit.

Mt. Ararat coach O’Neil LaPlante agreed.

“If we had been able to do anything offensively, we would have been able to keep our defense off the field so much and it could have been a lot closer game. But, again, (you can’t) take anything away from Biddeford,” said LaPlante.

The Eagles coach knew from the start that Curit was planning on going all in to stop the Eagles’ rushing attack.

“They knew that we have a very difficult time throwing the ball and they had 11 men within four or five yards of the line of scrimmage. When you have 11 against you that close it’s very difficult if you don’t throw the ball well,” LaPlante said.

The biggest moment for the Biddeford defense came late in the third period. The Tigers, who were up 22-0, gave the ball to the Eagles at the 20-yard line when a bad snap on a punt was recovered by Mt. Ararat. After a defensive pass interference call put the Eagles in a first-and-goal situation, Biddeford’s Scott Spellman forced a fumble and Saucier pounced on it.

“Scott Spellman, he stripped the ball, he’s a very hard worker and he showed it. That’s all him, I just jumped on the ball,” said Saucier.

Despite leading by 22, Curit knew that play was crucial for his team.

“It was huge. I thought it was huge because at the time it was 22-0, but you never know if they get a score there,” Curit said.

Biddeford scored the game’s opening points late in the first quarter when Edgerton found Saucier for a 45-yard scoring strike. The extra point was no good and the Tigers led 6-0 with 3:09 left in the first.

Biddeford put together a 12-play scoring drive, which started with 1:32 left in the first and ended when Edgerton found Saucier for a 14- yard score. This time Shane Spaulding nailed the extra point and it was a 13-0 Biddeford lead.

Spaulding came through again for the Tigers when he nailed a 32-yard field goal with just 1:17 left in the second to send Biddeford into the locker room with a 16-0 lead.

Edgerton added the Tigers’ final score midway through the third — and this time he used his legs as he sprinted into the endzone from 22-yards out.

“If you take a look at it we gave Biddeford an opportunity to have two big plays in the first half, and also in the second half when we gave up a big run,” said LaPlante.

Biddeford, which snapped a two-game losing streak, received a solid game from senior fullback Cam Lantagne, who carried the ball 19 times for 82 yards and was also a standout on the defensive side of the ball.

LaPlante’s message to his team was pretty simple after Friday’s loss.

“We are a young team and one of the things that young teams have to learn is you have to be consistent. You have to do things consistently. You can’t do things well one week or one half and not do them well the second half or the second week or whatever,” said LaPlante, who now has to get his team ready for a visit from powerhouse Kennebunk. “So as we get going, and keep developing as a team we’ve got to learn that … we’ve got to make sure that we hang our hats on that and we keep moving ahead.”