TOPSHAM – As Pine Tree Conference quarterbacks go, few are more elusive than Mt. Ararat’s Drew Marshall.

Edward Little’s defense has had problems this year stopping good athletes in the open field, so containing Marshall was a top priority for the Red Eddies for Friday night’s game with the Eagles.

The Eddies kept their priorities in order to pull off a 24-9 win. Dylon Therrien tallied 177 yards of total offense and two TDs. Shane Ciriello (two interceptions) frustrated Marshall through the air about as much as the Eddies’ run defense did on the ground (20 carries, 61 yards).

“That’s just a whole other level of the game that we had to plan for,” senior running back/linebacker Dylon Therrien said. “That’s something our quarterback doesn’t really do, so it’s hard to practice against that.”

To simulate the bob-and-weave running style that has made Marshall a top-10 rusher in the PTC, the Eddies had Teven Colon, a sophomore starter at cornerback and also a JV quarterback, play the role of Marshall in practice this week.

“We play him on his reps at corner, then when we get a chance to do the scout (team), he’ll go over and play some scout quarterback and we’ll let him just zig-zag and run all over the place,” Edward Little coach Darren Hartley said. “We don’t want Goddard on the scout offense trying to break down and run around.”

The Eddies did want Goddard (11-for-21, 211 yards, TD) and Therrien (four catches, 93 yards TD) to break down and run around the Eagles by way of the passing game, which they did in key spots.

A 24-yard completion to Therrien set up Goddard’s 27-yard field goal to make it 17-6 Eddies (6-1) with 5:39 left in the first half. The Eagles (2-5) pulled back within eight points when Michael Bastin booted a 30-yard field goal to end the half.

Mt. Ararat crossed into EL territory only once in the second half, on their opening drive. On 3rd-and-5, Grady Burns stopped Marshall at the EL-31 after just a one-yard gain. The Eagles went for it on fourth down, but Marshall’s pass fell incomplete.

“(Defensive coordinator) Travis (Dube) made a couple of great adjustments at halftime again, and we just shifted the momentum.” Hartley said.

The Eddies got some breathing room after that stop when Goddard passed in the right flat to Therrien, who broke a tackle around the MA-35, got a block and broke down the sideline for a 45-yard touchdown that opened up the 24-9 lead with 7:01 left in the third quarter.

“My wide receiver made a great comeback block and it just opened the whole thing up. The rest was just running down the sidelines, running scared,” Therrien said.

Buddy Foss (19 carries, 63 yards) opened the scoring with a one-yard TD plunge on the Eddies’ second drive of the game. A 42-yard run on a reverse by Devin Flynn on their next possession set up EL’s next touchdown, a five-yard run up the middle by Therrien.

Marshall got the Eagles on the board three minutes into the second quarter with a 42-yard TD pass to Ethan Menard.

EL faces rival Lewiston next Saturday at Lewiston. Besides bragging rights, positioning in the Crabtree standings will be only the line.

“We’re very happy, but we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Hartley said.