WINTHROP- Three weeks ago, the Boothbay football squad was coming off three consecutive losses with which yielded only 28 points from its offense.

Time to try new plays, different formations, or something creative to open up the offense, right?

Instead of ripping up the playbook, coach Tim Rice simplified it.

The results have been staggering as the Boothbay Seahawks have won three consecutive games including a 42-14 victory over the Winthrop Ramblers Friday night. During the streak, Boothbay (5-3) have outscored their opponents by a 136-34 margin.

D.J. Holcomb ran for 174 yards and four touchdowns as the Seahawks ran all over the Ramblers. The Boothbay offense generated 412 yards on the ground, with 252 coming in the first half.

“We were trying to do too much,” said Rice. “We were overloading the kids. We worked at getting back to fundamentals and cut our game plan in half. Sometimes the coaches can get in the way of the kids.”

Three of Holcomb’s scores came in the first half. The Seahawks compiled 252 yards and 20 first downs in the half and led 30-8. Holcomb, Casey Latter (12 carries for 112 yards) just kept pounding away at the young Ramblers (4-4).

“That offense,” said Winthrop coach Joel Stoneton, “I hate because we can’t stop it. We don’t have the horses up front.”

Boothbay immediately marched down the field only to fumble the ball away at the Winthrop goal line. That would be the only way of stopping the Boothbay ground game in the opening half as the next four possessions resulted in as many touchdowns.

Holcomb capped a seven play drive with an 11-yard scoring run late in the first quarter. He also had a pair of short touchdowns runs in the second quarter.

“The line opened up big holes for us,” said Holcomb. “The coaches just tell us to average three yards (a carry). If you keep getting three yards you can get it down to the goal.”

Late in the half, Winthrop quarterback Travis Frautten (12 for 26, 145 yards) hit wideout Corey Gillespie for the first of the tandem’s two scores with a 27-yard fade down the left sideline. Unfortunately for the Ramblers, the score came with 1:29 left to play in the half. That proved to be more than enough time for the Seahawk offense.

A 31-yard pass deep down the middle from quarterback Roy Arsenault to Pat Norton and a 15-yard run by Max Alley placed the ball on the Winthrop 13 with less than one second to play. Arsenault then connected with Norton for a 13-yard score on the final play of the half.

Another Frautten to Gillespie score, this one from 19 yards out on fourth down, closed the gap to 30-14. But the Ramblers could get no closer as the Seahawks continued to be successful running the football. Holcomb’s 6-yard touchdown and a Latter 49-yard score added insurance.

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