DIXFIELD – A strong second half of power running nearly provided the Dirigo/Buckfield football team with enough momentum to overcome a 19-0 deficit, but time simply ran out on the Cougars at Harlow Park Saturday afternoon.

Old Orchard Beach enjoyed great field advantage and quarterback Mike Perrone threw a pair of touchdown passes to Geoff Cote in the first half as the Seagulls held on for a 19-12 win in a Class C Campbell Conference game.

Dirigo/Buckfield (0-3) adjusted its blocking assignments in the second half and used the running by Scott Wetherell to keep the game close. The Cougars held a huge time of possession and outgained the Seagulls 233 to 143 in total yards.

“This was a game that we could have won,” said Cougars coach Jim Wetherell. “A few breaks didn’t go our way. In the second half, we switched our tight end to the opposite and it allowed us to run the ball. Old Orchard Beach had been blitzing us up the middle and it was (disrupting) timing in the backfield.”

Cougar quarterback Jameson Henderson (three of nine for 46 yards, three interceptions) had no time to set up to try avoiding the Seagulls’ pass rush led by defensive end Aaron Ward. Scott Wetherell carried the ball on seven straight plays behind a fired-up offensive line before rushing over from one yard out midway through the third quarter. Wetherell (91 yards on 27 rushes) rode the Cougars’ momentum during the 10-play, 58-yard drive.

“Actually, it played in to our plans,” OOB coach Dean Plante said. “We knew (the Cougars) would come in a ball-control offense in the second half. It took a lot of time off the clock. We have a small team, but the one thing that we do do well is hit and tackle hard.”

Old Orchard Beach (1-2) received the ball on the Cougar 38-yard line and scored on third-and-eight. Perrone rolled left and threw to Cote, who had beaten the coverage.

On the ensuing possession, Nick Pondent intercepted a Henderson floater and it led to a three-yard TD run by Bobby Seavey over the left side. Cougar freshman Spencer Berry (several tackles) intercepted the conversion attempt.

The Cougars went three plays and punted, and Perrone hooked up with Cote for a 26-yard TD pass. The ball bounced off the outstretched hands of Cougar safety Devin Brann and Cote cradled it.

“We actually had the play covered well,” Wetherell said. “The ball just bounced the wrong way. It was very warm, but our players were in better condition. It did bother a few players, but they sucked it up and did the job.”

Cougar senior Craig Langervin scored a three-yard TD with 11 seconds left in the game. Brandon Berry recovered the onside kick, but Henderson’s pass was picked off on the final play of the game.