GARDINER — Mt. Blue couldn’t have asked its defense for a better beginning and ending to Friday night’s Pine Tree Conference showdown of unbeaten teams with Gardiner at Hoch Field Friday night.

Interceptions by Kindle Bonsall and Brian Durrell on the defense’s first and last play, respectively, bookended several volumes of big stops by the defense in a 21-16 nailbiter.

“This is the biggest win of the season,” Durrell said. “It helps us out a lot and lets us see what we need to work on and what we need to move forward on.”

Durrell’s interception ended the Tigers’ comeback hopes at its own 25 yard line with 56 seconds remaining. The Cougars (4-0), who never trailed, denied the Tigers (3-1) on their two previous attempts to take the lead and also made a couple of big stops in their own territory late in the first half.

“This game is going to help us,” Mt. Blue coach Gary Parlin said. “We knew exactly what we were getting into with (Gardiner).”

What they were getting into was the maddening task of trying to contain Gardiner QB Dennis Meehan (6 for 14, 78 yards, TD, two INTs, nine rushes, 52 yards), a mobile, strong-armed QB who was at his most dangerous rolling out of the pocket.

“He was tough in the two games against us last year,” Parlin said. “He hurt us. To tell you the truth, he hurt us more than (all-conference running back) Lorenzo Connor last year. He’s a fantastic player.”

“We had to adjust because our ends had trouble containing (Meehan),” said junior wide receiver/free safety Cam Abbott.

The Cougars got the first and last laugh, though. Bonsall picked Meehan off on the first play of the game and returned it to the Tiger 32. On the Cougars’ first offensive play, Abbott took a reverse around the right side, followed a block after turning the corner and coasted untouched for the touchdown that made it 7-0 Mt. Blue just 17 seconds in.

“We wanted to come out with a bang and set the tone early,” Abbott said. “I got behind Connor Farrington. He made a great block and I just turned it on.”

Later in the quarter, the Cougars went on an eight-play, 80 yard drive culminating on a 12-yard TD pass from Jordan Whitney to a slanting Abbott that made it 14-0.

Third down passes of nine and 11 yards by Meehan finally got Gardiner rolling at the end of the first quarter. Meehan went to the air again on 3rd and 3 and found Steve Sirois for a 14-yard touchdown that pulled the Tigers within 14-7 with 10:36 left in the half.

On its ensuing possession, Mt. Blue tried Whitney (8 for 15, 102 yard, TD, INT, 34 yards rushing) on a QB sneak on 4th and 1, but he fumbled. Brad Weston recovered for the Tigers at the Cougars’ 43, but that was where the Mt. Blue defense took its queue. The Tigers went three-and-out.

Mt. Blue stalled again deep in its own territory and had to punt, setting up Gardiner at its own 49. But once again, the defense held the Tigers to a three-and-out to preserve the seven-point lead going into halftime.

The Cougars doubled their lead on their first series of the second half with another eight-play, 80 yard drive capped by Bradley Jackson’s one-yard TD plunge to make it 21-7.

The offense sputtered after that, gaining just 68 yards the rest of the game.

“We had a hard time blocking their linebackers,” Parlin said. “The good teams get off blocks. Our outside receivers have had their way with cornerbacks all season but we didn’t block well out there.”

Meehan’s 21-yard field goal pulled the Tigers within 21-10 with 3:44 left in the third. After forcing a three-and-out from the Cougars, the Tigers enjoyed good starting field position again (their own 44) and finally took advantage. A pass interference penalty on the Cougars helped prolong the drive, which culminated in Sirois’ four-yard TD run. Meehan’s extra point try fell short, keeping the score at 21-16 late in the third.

It became a battle of field position after that, a battle Mt. Blue’s defense dominated by not allowing a single first down in the fourth quarter.