LISBON FALLS – Fans hoping Saturday’s matchup between upstart Buckfield/Dirigo and unbeaten Lisbon would be decided quickly enough to get an early jump on some leaf-peeping or a good seat at the local pub for the big Yankees-Red Sox matchup had a dilemma at halftime.

Though down 15-0, Buckfield/Dirigo was hanging tough. One big play would get the Cougars right back in the game. But as they soon discovered, one big play could effectively knock them out of it, too.

John Tefft’s 64-yard punt return for a score early in the third quarter broke the game open, and Lisbon’s defense dominated the second half as the Greyhounds cruised to a 30-0 win on a warm Saturday afternoon at Thompson Field.

Tefft rushed for 69 yards and two additional touchdowns, forming an effective three-pronged ground attack with Tony Walker (10 carries, 52 yards) and Derek Roy (four rushes, 36 yards). The Cougars did a solid job against Lisbon’s bruising inside running game but had difficulty containing Tefft and QB Chris Kates (10-yard TD run) in the option.

“They got away with a couple of options, but sometimes when you’ve got such a big team you’ve got to cheat a little more to the middle,” Cougars coach Jim Wetherell said. “Lisbon adjusted well. They’ve got a lot of different formations.”

The game, as expected, was a physical one from the start and got a little bit chippy in the second half.

“We saw last year when our JVs played them that they were pretty physical, and we knew from the very beginning it was going to be a physical game,” said Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan. “In the second half, I thought that we hit a little bit harder and we came to the ball a little bit quicker.”

The Greyhounds (6-0) started quickly, going 59 yards on their opening drive and scoring on Kates’ 10-yard option keeper.

The Cougars’ defense held its ground its next two trips onto the field, producing an interception from Brandon Berry and sacks from Pat O’Leary and Randy Hall.

After Hall’s sack forced Lisbon to punt, the Cougars picked up 18 yards on a halfback option pass from Scott Wetherell to QB Jamie Henderson. Then they went to the ground to punch the ball down to the Lisbon 23, but a fumble recovered by Tefft thwarted their best scoring bid of the day.

Tefft capped Lisbon’s ensuing drive by taking an option pitch from Kates 10 yards for a score, which made it 15-0 with Kates’ two-point rush.

“I think we played right with them in the first half. Second half was a little different,” said Wetherell. “I think they’ve got a little bit more depth than we do.”

Lisbon also seemed to have a little more emotion in the second half. After holding the Cougars (1-5) three-and-out on their first series, Tefft fielded a punt at his own 36, followed some good blocking toward the left sideline, broke a tackle at the B/D-40, then spun off a couple of more defenders on his way to the end zone.

“We may have had a little bit of a letdown in the first half coming off a big emotional win (last week against Boothbay),” Mynahan said. “That punt return was just determination on John’s part. He’s the type of guy that puts a lot on his own shoulders and makes things happen for us.”

Nothing happened for Buckfield/Dirigo’s offense in the third quarter, as the Greyhounds stymied the Cougars for minus-4 net yards. Led by Walker, Roy and Carl Grady, they quickly closed up most of the running lanes for Wetherell (11 rushes, 41 yards) and Craig Langervin (10 carries, 33 yards).

Tefft put the final marker on the scoreboard with a 16-yard TD run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

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