By Kalle Oakes,Staff Writer

AUBURN – Here’s why the Pine Tree Conference doesn’t pass out its championship trophy in August, and why football games don’t end at halftime.

Yes, the record will show that Skowhegan held on by a cleat lace to ward off Edward Little, 14-13, in a splendid game Friday night at Walton Field.

The records, as in plural, also show that both preseason favorite Skowhegan and unsung EL are an identical two-up, two-down at the halfway point of the Eastern Class A campaign.

And if the edge in any mythical power rankings goes to the team that thoroughly dominated the second half, well, that’s the Red Eddies, helmets down.

All of which is minuscule consolation, right now.

“If we take anything from this, I think it’s that we’re starting to realize we’re not a bad football team,” said EL coach Jim Hersom. “We pretty much hung in with Messalonskee last week, and we played with these guys tonight. Those were two of the teams that were projected to go somewhere, so I think it shows we’re moving in the right direction.”

Jon Demers rushed for two touchdowns and 95 of his 130 yards in the second half, including a 5-yard surge into the end zone with 3:13 remaining in regulation.

EL pushed the extra point wide right, however. After the Red Eddies elected to kick deep, short-handed Skowhegan pounded out a pair of first downs and ran out the clock.

Senior standout Aaron Chambers left the game with a left ankle injury on Skowhegan’s first series. His diminutive classmate, Lucas Cole, filled the void with 20 carries for 145 yards and both Skowhegan touchdowns. Bruising fullback Josh Whiting provided the change of pace with 14 rushes for 52 yards.

“We picked it up as a team. If we didn’t win tonight,” said Cole, “we probably weren’t going to make it to the playoffs.”

Cole scored from 22 yards out to put Skowhegan on the board with 8:37 left in the first half. Less than three minutes later, after an interception by Mike LaCasse, Cole ran another 13 yards to set up his own four-yard scoring dive.

Skowhegan had multiple chances to embellish its lead, but an interception by Jon Cadman and a goal-line stand kept the Red Eddies alive.

Then EL saddled up Demers behind the resurgent front five of Adam Redmun, Alex Janelle, Nate Chantrill, Matt Anctil and Levi Montoya and put the Indians in retreat.

Demers had runs of 13, 8, 8, 6, 5 and finally 3 for the touchdown on an authoritative 11-play, 80-yard drive to open the second half. Skowhegan stopped the next Red Eddies’ march inside the 10 early in the fourth, but another defensive stand and a 13-yard punt put the Red Eddies in business again at the Skowhegan 35 with 7:43 left.

“If we could have scored on that other possession, it would be a different story,” Hersom said.

Even so, Demers did his part to give it a happy ending, breaking numerous tackles and running up 29 yards on the potential game-tying drive.

Matt Anctil, Nate Chantrill and Demers led a stingy run defense that held Skowhegan to 77 yards after the break.

“We did everything but seal it,” Hersom said.