Calvin Southwick stretches for the goal line. (Rivet Photos)
RAIDERS 35
First Downs: Run 10, Pass 3
Penalties: 7-for-60 yards
Turnovers: None
Rushing: 38 carries, 258 yards. Calvin Southwick 24-183, Oscar Saunders 8-57, Liam Harriman 5-9, Nathan Knapp 1-9
Passing: Oscar Saunders 5-of-10, 109 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving: Nathan Knapp 3-76, TD; Isaak McKenney 2-33, TD
Total Offense: 367 yards
Tackles (solo, assist, total): Liam Chisari 4-1-5, Reese Kneissler 5-2-7, Jack Campbell 3-6-9, Tucker Buzzell 4-4-8, Arnold Jaber 2-0-2, Josh Frye 1-1-2, Dawson Jones 1-0-1, Caleb Bowles 1-0-1, Liam Harriman 1-2-3, Eli Mahan 3-1-4, Ethan Burk 3-0-3, Charlie Stokes 1-1-2
Up next: Big game this Saturday for the Raiders as they host Gardiner, also 3-1. The Tigers beat Lake Region 44-14 last week, and have wins over Morse (34-7) and Winslow (35-30). The blemish was a 34-13 defeat against York.
“We felt at the beginning of the year that Gardiner was going to be near the top. We know that we have to play our best game. If we play our best, we’ll be right there with them,” FA Coach David Turner said. “We needed this one, but we have some tough football ahead.”
YARMOUTH 0
First Downs: Run 4, Pass 0
Penalties: 2-10
Turnovers: None
Rushing: 34 carries, 102 yards
Passing: 1-of-9, 3 yards
Total Offense: 105 yards

By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

YARMOUTH — With a gusting wind howling across the artificial turf, Calvin Southwick had his number called early and often Friday night.

He responded, big time.

The junior running back scored two touchdowns and rushed for 183 yards to lead Fryeburg Academy to a 35-0 win over Yarmouth.

“Calvin runs hard and has great vision. He sees the hole very well. They’re moving guys around, but he was still able to make a side step here, and make a move there, for big gains. Plays designed to go inside, he bounced because he saw something. He runs with good vision,” Raider Coach David Turner said. “You combine good offensive line play with a back with smarts and good vision, it leads to that (35-0).”

Early on, Coach Turner tried to get a feel for how the Clippers would attack his Raiders, so he dialed up a steady dose of running plays, which was the game plan regardless if there had been a whipping wind or not.

“That wind was strong in our face in the first quarter and we were deep in our own end. I wanted to see if we could get the running game going, and if we could establish the line of scrimmage because they were quick. We were trying to figure a few things out. We ran some safe running plays to get a feel for what they were doing,” Coach Turner said. “It always starts up front. We dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage from the outset. Once we started moving the ball, we didn’t need to throw it. As the game went on, the ability to run the ball opened up huge passing lanes.”

Senior quarterback Oscar Saunders only went to the air 10 times, but he zipped a bullet over the middle to Isaak McKenney for a 17-yard TD, and later had wideout Nathan Knapp make a back-shoulder catch, which turned a Yarmouth defender, allowing for the Raider senior to spin left and bolt for a 54-yard score.

Saunders also showed good speed, bursting through a huge hole over the right side and beating Yarmouth defensive end Thomas Gentillini to the pylon for a 32-yard score.

“You try to have as much balance as you can,” Coach Turner said. “Tonight, it started with the running game and the guys up front.”

Like the Raiders, Yarmouth tested FA’s front on the game’s third drive. Starting in FA territory, the Clippers pounded the ball, calling 10 running plays. Harry Steinharter’s nine yarder on a counter play gave the Clippers a first down in the red zone.

FA’s big hitters — linebackers Reese Kneissler, Tucker Buzzell and Jack Campbell — lowered the boom.

Sam Mason — Kneissler stop, one yard

Jack Ricciardi — Buzzell hit, no gain

QB Noah Eckersley-Ray — Campbell and Buzzell combine, no gain

Ricciardi on a pitch play — Buzzell and Liam Harriman on the spot, loss of 2.

The ‘backers’ set the tone for the rest of the night, stuffing the Yarmouth run game to just 102 yards on 34 carries. Take away 36 yards gained in garbage time with several starters on the bench, the Clips averaged 1.9 yards per carry.

“As a group, they’re as good as anyone I’ve had. Reese and Buzzell, throw Jack in, they’ve been playing for three years. They see things, they react and they hit hard. Tucker has been playing since he was a freshman, so he’s played a lot of football here,” Coach Turner said. “Those guys have great instinct. They have toughness. They compete. And, they’re smart. They set everything up. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a group like this.”

Isaak McKenney snags a TD toss.

Southwick helped dig the Raiders out of the hole, taking a pitch and rumbling 18 yards. FA erased two holding penalties behind big pushes from the O-line, and strong running inside the tackles by Southwick and Saunders.

Fryeburg caught a break when Saunders lost the handle on the ball after a 17-yard gain, but the play was ruled dead due to an inadvertent whistle. FA scored on the next play as Southwick dashed left and raced 12 yards for a TD three minutes into the second quarter.

Eddie Thurston kicked the PAT, 7-0.

After a Yarmouth 3-and-out, FA’s Eli Mahan partially blocked the punt, giving the Raiders the ball at the Y-39. Southwick got outside for 14 yards, and two plays later, Saunders fired a quick hitter to Knapp for 12 more. On first down at the Y-8, Southwick scored off left tackle. Thurston tacked on the extra point, 14-0.

Again, the Raider defense was stifling. Eckersley-Ray had to fire a pass fading away as Harriman nearly sacked the senior quarterback, causing an incompletion. Campbell and Kneissler then dropped E-R for a six-yard loss, forcing a punt.

Southwick went back to work, gaining 11 yards. But, a bloody nose forced him to miss a couple of plays. Faced with a 3rd-and-9, Southwick returned and delivered a big 14-yard pickup.

Near sack by Liam Harriman.

FA nearly fumbled away the ball, but lineman Kempton Maillett saved the day, and the drive. On fourth down, Saunders blew past the Yarmouth defense for a 32-yard TD with 53.1 seconds until halftime. Again, the FA line paved the way.

Thurston added the PAT, 21-0.

There would be no letdown.

Fryeburg took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 65 yards in 12 plays with McKenney showing great hands, catching the ball just over a Yarmouth defender for a 17-yard TD. Thurston’s boot made it 28-0. The drive saw the Raiders rebound from another holding penalty as Southwick rushed for 11 and Saunders hooked up with McKenney on fourth down for a 16-yard pickup.

Yarmouth went three-and out, twice.

Knapp’s acrobatic grab and run for 54-yards with 15.5 seconds left in the third quarter put the Raiders up 34-0. Steady Eddie made his fifth consecutive PAT boot, 35-0.

With the clock running due to the score, Yarmouth tried to break the shutout on the game’s final drive. As Raider starters encouraged second teamers to rise to the challenge and keep the “0” in the Home Team column on the scoreboard, two deep passes to Wyatt Sullivan in the end zone fell incomplete. Game over.

“A good win,” Coach Turner said.

Pulling the trigger QB Oscar Saunders.

He knows his Raiders will need ramp up another physical effort this Saturday when Gardiner rolls into town.

Charlie Stokes with the QB hit.

Celebration time