Wesatern Class C football quarterfinal: Ramblers restrain 'Hounds
Winthrop football coach Joel Stoneton said one play would make all the difference in this tightly-contested Western Class C quarterfinal game in Lisbon on Saturday afternoon.
He was right, and that one key play went Winthrop's way. The No. 5 Ramblers (6-3) rushed back from a six-point deficit and dismissed the No. 4 Lisbon Greyhounds with a narrow 13-12 victory.
"The kids played very well and kids came to play today," said Stoneton.
It was the second consecutive week that the Ramblers have beaten Lisbon. In last week's regular-season finale, Winthrop outlasted the Greyhounds, 7-0.
The Greyhounds (6-3) were leading 12-6 in the fourth quarter when Travis Luce threw a touchdown pass to Corey Staples at the 7:42 mark to tie the game. Ryan Conant split the uprights and Ramblers were on their way to face Dirigo in the semifinals in Dixfield next Saturday.
The game also featured a handful of interceptions, with Winthrop cornerback Tyler Arsenault picking off two, and teammates Mike Geischwind, Darren Fisher and Conant each collecting an interception.
In the first quarter, Winthrop scored first when Luce hooked up with Staples for the first time and threw a 3-yard pass. But the Greyhounds got it back when quarterback Zack Splude threw a 6-yard pass to Chris Whitney to tie it up.
Lisbon scored again to take the lead in the third quarter when Scott Eck intercepted a pass and ran it back 45 yards.
"I thought Winthrop played a good game, but I thought we also played a good game when it came back in the second half," said Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan.
