PARIS — Sanford had the lead, but Oxford Hills had the ball and momentum in the third quarter when Sanford’s Chase Smith-Roberts made the play that put the game in his team’s permanent control.

Smith-Roberts jumped a hot route, picked off a Brady LaFrance pass and returned it 23 yards to turn a 14-6 lead into a 21-6 advantage for the Spartans. Three plays later, Tyler Flayhan duplicated the feat and sent Sanford on its way to a 31-6 victory over the Vikings at the Gouin Athletic Complex.

“I just did my read,” said Smith-Roberts, a senior outside linebacker. “I looked at (the receiver), he did a drag (route) and I just did what I was supposed to do. Right away, when he turned his shoulder, I knew. And I knew I had it clear (to the end zone).”

A week after rolling to 353 yards on the ground in a 34-28 win over Lewiston, the Vikings (1-1) managed just 52 rushing yards and 63 total with their triple option offense.

“You just have to know your role, know who has fullback, who has quarterback and who has pitch. Just do your job,” Smith-Roberts said.

“Their fullback (Malik Geiger) had a great, great week last week, and we were here two weeks ago when they played South Portland (in the preseason) and they did some nice things offensively,” Sanford coach Bob Fallon said. “We were very concerned because we felt like they could hit it in all three phases with the fullback, the quarterback and the pitch game. We kind of started with that fullback and worked from the inside out.”

The Spartans (2-0) limited Geiger to just 16 yards on eight carries after he went for 237 yards on 39 attempts last week.

“They just clearly dominated us defensively,” Oxford Hills coach Mark Soehren said. “We knew they were big and we knew they were strong and we knew they were physical. Talking to my line, they just thought that with those big guys (up front), it was tough to get to those linebackers at the second level. Those linebackers did a great job filling and we just couldn’t establish anything.”

The offense compounded the problem with six turnovers. It fumbled seven times, losing four of them. Sanford enjoyed excellent starting field position throughout the first half and moved the chains with senior tailback Josh Schroder (21 carries, 113 yards).

Oxford Hills stopped the Spartans’ first drive at its own 19 and had a chance to stymie another venture deep into its own territory on Sanford’s second possession. On 3rd-and-10 from the 20, QB Chase Eldredge hooked up with John Morgan on a fade route in the right corner of the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Smith-Roberts’ fumble recovery at the Vikings’ 14 set up Sanford’s next score, a nine-yard run around the right side by Slade Watson to make it 14-0.

Sanford returned the favor by putting the ball on the ground late in the first half. Ethan Edwards recovered for the Vikings at the Spartans’ 20.

Runs by LaFrance and Geiger got the Vikings to the 11. On 4th-and-1, the Spartans sold out on the run and LaFrance found a wide open Jacob Spinhim over the middle to make it 14-6.

A bobbled snap on the PAT kept it there at halftime, but the Vikings kept the momentum with a defensive stand to start the second half, climaxed by a Davis Turner tackle of Schroder in the backfield.

After a punt set Oxford Hills up at its own 36, the Vikings gave the ball back with a fumble recovery by Watson. Turner immediately got the offense back on the field by picking off a Schroder pass on the next play.

“Our defense really did play well,” Soehren said. “We gave them a short field in the first half. We gave up three points in the second half and even that was on a fumble.”

The Vikings fumbled again on their next possession, but again, the defense rose up to stifle the Spartans’ drive at the OH-39. That’s when Chase-Roberts and the defense decided to take matters into their own hands.

“Momentum was on their side and they were playing with a lot of energy, so we needed that play,” Fallon said. “Our offense was stumbling a little bit in the second half and we needed something to spark us.”

Oxford Hills senior Ethan Child was taken via ambulance to Stephens Memorial Hospital after suffering a neck injury late in the second half. Soehren said late Friday night that Child suffered a stinger and was doing fine.

Copy the Story Link