The lack of a consistent offensive output hurts the Hornets for the third consecutive week.
WINSLOW – No command barked by the Leavitt coaching staff rang out so frequently during the first half of Saturday’s Eastern Class B football game at Gerry Poulin Field as one two-word ode to exasperation.
“Punt team!”
The Hornets flaunt one of the toughest defenses in the Pine Tree Conference, but far too much was demanded from that group for the third straight week. Winslow scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes of the second quarter and gradually wore down Leavitt on its way to a 36-8 victory.
Three sacks, an interception and a special teams recovery by the Hornets didn’t make much impact on the scoreboard. That’s primarily because Leavitt committed five turnovers of its own. The Hornets hammered out only 32 net yards before intermission, falling into a 21-0 hole.
“We’ve got to make more first downs,” said Leavitt coach Mike Hathaway, whose team, a regional finalist one year ago, suffered one-point losses to Mountain Valley and Oak Hill that were decided in the final two minutes.
Leavitt’s most prolonged success with the ball came in what was effectively a junior varsity game in the fourth quarter. Junior backup quarterback Matt Cote found sophomore Corey Witham for a 27-yard touchdown pass with 3:42 left. Nate Cousineau grabbed the two-point conversion pass from Cote.
Prior to that, it was all Black Raiders.
Fullback Derek Runnells rambled for scores from 32 yards out in the first quarter and 2 yards in the third. He finished with 15 carries for a game-high 106 yards.
Runnells’ first TD rush was the lone scoring throughout most of the first half for Winslow (3-0), which beat Class A Waterville by three touchdowns in an exhibition and racked up 91 points in its first two league contests.
“This was our toughest game so far,” said Runnells. “A lot tougher than we expected, or I should say tougher than I expected.”
Quarterback Josh LaPointe capped an impressive 50-yard march with a 1-yard sneak, and the second of four extra point kicks by freshman Ben Poulin made it 14-0. LaPointe and Runnells each had a 16-yard run in the series, and Ryan Lindie delivered a 9-yard pop.
After another three-and-out and one of seven punts by Leavitt’s Marcus Reny in the first half, Winslow turned to trickery and put away the Hornets. LaPointe fired 9 yards in the flat to Eric Lopez. He lateraled to Lindie, who raced the final 25 yards untouched.
Runnells barreled in after a hotly disputed pass interference call to make it 28-0. Reserve QB Mike Shorey scampered to the end zone from 11 yards early in the fourth, with Jared Maroon rushing for the conversion.
Chris Brewer, who had only one carry until the fourth quarter, led Leavitt with 32 rushing yards.
Defensively, Dan Tremblay sacked LaPointe twice. Broc Hardacker had a 40-yard interception return, and Leavitt limited Winslow to a relatively lean 277 yards.
“You are what you are, and the bottom line is that we’re 0-3,” said Hathaway. “Our effort is very good, and our mental mistakes are getting less. You just can’t ask your defense to stay out there the whole first half.”
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