Brunswick is right at home as it takes down Lewiston with a 39-12 win.
BRUNSWICK – Don’t blame the Brunswick football team for overdoing its celebration Friday night.
Sure there was still about five minutes left in the game when the Dragons started dousing their coaches with Gatorade and squirting water in the air like it was champagne. But there hasn’t been a lot to celebrate in Brunswick over the years when it comes to football.
After a convincing 39-12 homecoming win over Lewiston, the Dragons improved to 4-1 in the Pine Tree Conference and in consecutive weeks have knocked off the two teams that played in last season’s PTC Championship game.
That’s why the Dragons had their party shoes on after the game.
“It was looking at our record and knowing we’re playing at the top of the conference,” said Brunswick quarterback Ralph Mims, trying to explain the emotion after the game. “Plus it was homecoming and trying to win the first homecoming game I think ever.”
Early though, Brunswick looked like the Dragons of old by coughing up the ball on their first possession, giving Lewiston the ball deep in Brunswick territory. But the Blue Devils (1-4) couldn’t convert and the Dragons took advantage.
Phillip Warren (158 yards on 20 carries) put the Dragons on the board first with a 40-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 lead.
A fumble by Lewiston inside their 20 allowed Brunswick to jump out to a 13-0 lead on yet another run by Warren, this one an 11-yard scamper.
“That hurt quite a bit,” Lewiston coach Bill County said.
A 77-yard return on the ensuing kickoff by Lewiston’s Jake Angelides pulled the Blue Devils within 13-6 with 9:07 left in the first half. But the Dragons (363 yards rushing) continued to pound Lewiston up front to open up lanes for Warren and the other Brunswick backs, Mims and tailback Devin Shepard.
Mims’ 18-yard touchdown run on fourth down in the second quarter gave the Dragons a commanding 20-6 lead at halftime.
“We felt if we were close at halftime, we were in good shape,” Brunswick coach Dick Leavitt said. “This is a group of kids that’s worked extremely hard in the offseason. They committed to four nights a week (of working out) in the summer. A lot of kids have been in the weight room since the summer. If you’re physically strong, you can kind of beat people up. I think that’s what we’ve been doing.”
With Lewiston keying on Warren, the Dragons looked to Mims (84 yards rushing) and Shepard (46 yards rushing) to carry the load in the second half.
“First they should key on Phillip,” Mims said of his fullback, “and think about me second. Then we have Devin Shepard who can come in and scare people. You can’t really trap us because we have three really good athletes who know how to make plays.”
Right after a big run by Warren in the third quarter, Shepard caught the Blue Devils by surprise and scored on an 18-yard run to put Brunswick up 26-6.
After a 46-yard touchdown run by James Spaulding (73 yards rushing) pulled Lewiston within 26-12, Mims got back into the act to put the game away for Brunswick.
His 70-yard sprint on the option gave the Dragons a 32-12 lead with 4:51 left in the third quarter and the celebration was on.
And while the Dragons shouted and whooped it up over their surprising standing atop the PTC, Lewiston has to figure how to rebound after three straight losses. With just three weeks left in the season, Lewiston has some work to do to get into the postseason.
“If you look in years passed, three wins will get you into the playoffs in most years,” County said. “If we can get to that level, I don’t think we’re going to be a great draw for anybody. We can be formidable in the postseason.”
Comments are no longer available on this story