By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

OLD TOWN – A 9-7 lead at the half might have been begrudgingly satisfying for the Oak Hill football team Friday night.

Just when it looked like the Raiders would have to be content with that slim advantage, Oak Hill’s work on the punt drills this week paid off.

When Nick Brown returned a blocked punt 35 yards in the final minute of the half, it quickly turned the tide of Friday’s game at Old Town. Oak Hill took a 16-7 lead at the half and never looked back in a 29-7 victory.

“We actually worked on the punt block this week,” said Oak Hill coach Bruce Nicholas. “We saw how they lined up last week. We had Eric (Daniels) come down the middle and brought some guys down the side because we thought they were a little weak there.”

Daniels burst through the hole in the middle and got a piece of the Matt Cavanaugh punt. Brown was downfield on the right side and caught the deflection and had a direct path for the end zone.

“Being a team that’s building and not used to winning, something like that usually takes more air out of the sails than for a team that’s used to winning and overcoming adversity,” said Old Town coach Dan Baker.

Oak Hill rode the momentum in the second half. The Raiders got touchdowns from Wally Rines and Brown to pad the lead. Meanwhile, the Raiders defense held Old Town to 74 total yards in the second half.

“We saw them last week against Orono,” said Nicholas. “They did very well. They spread the field well and did some things that, quite frankly, scared me. They have big plays, and we were telling our guys all week long – bend but don’t break.”

The closest Old Town got to scoring in the second half was after an Oak Hill fumble. The Indians took over on the Raider 22, but only got as close as the 14. The Indians didn’t get a second first down until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

“Once you get up two or three scores in this league, it’s tough to overcome that,” said Baker. “They can just sit back and the pressure is on the offense.”

Thanks to the blocked punt and a 16-7 lead at the half, Old Town was playing from behind, forcing its passing game to make things happen.

The hole only got bigger for the Indians. Though Daniels (80 yards on 14 carries) left the game early in the third quarter with an ankle injury, the Raiders were able to compensate. Wally Rines had 155 yards on 12 carries, including an 85-yard scamper. Brown added 71 yards on 14 carries and Nick Bosse had 43 yards on five tries.

“Bosse ran like a man,” said Nicholas. “Brown is only a sophomore. He’s playing only because Zac Eaton is out with a stress fracture. It’s nice to have him for a few years.”

After the Raiders stopped Old Town on the 14, Rines cut back with a nifty run for his 85-yarder with 5:31 left in the third quarter. On the Raiders next possession, Brown took it in from 16 yards out.

Oak Hill converted on two fourth-down plays on a game-opening drive that gave them a 7-0 lead with 6:36 left in the quarter. On fourth-and-17 from the 17, Josh Jillson hit Daniels on a short screen pass on the left side. He had the blocks in front to clear a path to the end zone.

Old Town tied it with a minute left in the quarter. A bad punt snap sailed over Jillson’s head, giving the Indians possession at the 22. Just three plays later, Jarrett Lukas raced up the middle on a quarterback keeper.

The punt teams ultimately worked in the Raiders favor. Trying to punt from their own end zone, a bad punt snap got by Indians punter Dustin Marley for a safety with 6:47 left in the half. Then came the block by Daniels and Brown’s return with 47 seconds remaining.

“That was a big play,” said Nicholas. “Once we scored again, it was a two-score game. We told the guys at halftime that they have to score twice.”