WINTHROP — Take a walk through the revolving door that is Maine high school football, particularly the smaller programs in the Class C division of the Campbell Conference.

Eleven months ago it was Winthrop, senior-laden and the league’s overwhelming favorite, surviving a scare from a Dirigo dynamo in the making.

Now the Cougars flaunt the depth, the experience and the bull’s-eye between their shoulder pads. After sidestepping a brief but spirited threat from a defending champion that might be between glory years, Dirigo delivered three third-quarter touchdowns Friday night and scampered away from Winthrop, 34-8, at Maxwell Field.

Junior Spencer Ross maximized seven carries for a game-high 108 yards, including scores of 43, 17 and 15 yards. Tyler Chiasson (12 carries, 73 yards) also rushed for a 21-yard TD, and Nic Crutchfield and Alex Miele hooked up for a 34-yard scoring strike.

Dirigo (2-0), which ended Winthrop’s 19-game regular-season winning streak, has outscored its first two opponents by an aggregate score of 108-14.

“Most of us have been together since second grade,” said Crutchfield, a three-year starter at quarterback. “I played AYF (Area Youth Football) in Rumford with Alex Miele and Tyler Chiasson all the way up through. Our eighth-grade team was the same as it is now as seniors. It’s just like Winthrop last year.”

Winthrop needed two fourth-quarter TDs to stave off Dirigo in its championship season, and the Ramblers hinted at throwing that type of scare into the Cougars as an underdog this time.

Ryan Conant’s 32-yard TD scamper on the first play of the second quarter and a goal-line stand in the final 10 seconds of the half kept Winthrop within 15-8 at intermission.

Already armed with a completely new starting lineup on both sides of the line, though, Winthrop (1-1) was bombarded by injuries in the second and third quarters. Conant took a trip to the hospital with an apparent concussion. Inside linebacker and fullback Eric Duplessis and two-way lineman Robin Cook also weren’t around for the finish.

“Every time we get a little momentum going, we get knocked down with injuries,” said Winthrop coach Joel Stoneton. “We put in a couple new offensive sets that gave them some trouble in the first half, but then we lost Conant and we couldn’t run anything more out of it. But up until we lost those guys, we were playing with what is in my opinion the best team in the league.”

Dirigo needed only seven plays to cover 67 yards with the initial drive of the second half. The Cougars alternated the bruising Chiasson and the slippery Ross and Bryan Blackman with rampant success, capped by Chiasson’s TD.

Chiasson and Crutchfield made hay up the middle to set the table for Ross’ 43-yard home run with 3:21 left in the quarter. After Winthrop’s next series netted minus-17 yards, Miele’s punt return to the 15 set up another Ross race to paydirt.

Miele made a brilliant, diving grab at the end of Dirigo’s opening series of the night, crossing the goal line in midair after Crutchfield located him behind two Winthrop defenders.

“Nic, just like always, overthrew me,” Miele said with a laugh.

“That was a play we ran in our two-minute offense last year,” Crutchfield said. “There aren’t a lot of teams that throw the ball in our conference other than Jay running the spread offense. Other teams aren’t used to seeing it, so this year in our first two games we’ve come out with it early to see if they can stop it.”

Dirigo silenced Winthrop on downs at the Ramblers’ 45 to trigger its go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter. Blackman and Ross ripped off gains of 10, 9, 9 and finally Ross’ 17 into the end zone.

Miele’s fumble recovery on Winthrop’s next play from scrimmage threatened to help the Cougars put it away. But Cory Staples, Travis Hutchins and Mike Geschwind collaborated to stuff Crutchfield and force a fumble on fourth-and-goal at the 1.

Cory Harris (22 carries, 135 yards) was the offensive star for Winthrop. Arik Fenstermacher, Mason Cote, Jake Dowland, Miele and Fenstermacher led a defensive charge that held the rest of the Ramblers to minus-9 on the ground in the second half.

“It’s our first (loss) in three years,” Stoneton said. “The kids are having a tough time with that right now.”

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Dirigo’s Nic Crutchfield takes down Winthrop’s Eric Duplesis in the first quarter of their game Friday night at Winthrop.

Rambler’s Cory Harris looks for away around Cougars’ Kyle Hutchinson in the first quarter of their game Friday night in Winthrop.

Dirigo’s Nic Crutchfield forces Rambler’s Ryan Conant out of bounds during the first quarter of their game Friday night in Winthrop.

Dirigo’s Tyler Chiasson attempts to slip by Winthrop’s Spencer Smith during their first quarter Friday night.

Rambler’s Cory Harris looks for a way around Cougar’s defense during the first quarter of their game Friday night.

Dirigo’s Nic Crutchfield takes down Winthrop’s Eric Duplesis in the first quarter of their game Friday night at Winthrop.