STANDISH — The stage is now cleared for a clash of unbeatens next week. But Bonny Eagle almost did not make it unscathed.
The Scots rallied with three touchdown in the fourth quarter to beat Oxford Hills 33-21 Friday night.
Bonny Eagle will take its 4-0 record to Saco next Saturday to face 4-0 Thornton Academy. The winner will be the only undefeated team remaining in Class A.
But don’t think the Scots were looking past Oxford Hills (2-2) – especially considering the Vikings beat Bonny Eagle last year.
“They’re too good to overlook,” Bonny Eagle Coach Kevin Cooper said. “We just had to settle down at halftime and play our game.”
The Scots make the big plays at the end. Zach Maturo’s 34-yard halfback pass to Chase Graves set up the winning touchdown – a 4-yard Keegan Meredith run – giving Bonny Eagle a 27-21 lead with 5:54 left.
Oxford Hills drove to the Scots 13. But on fourth-and-2, the Vikings’ pass to tight end Isaiah Oufiero into the end zone was barely broken up, Alex Dyer reaching back to deflect the ball, with 2:30 left.
“I read a run block,” Dyer said. “I thought (Oufiero) was going to block me. Then he made a move to get past me. I was just able to catch up with him at the last second.”
Bonny Eagle got an insurance touchdown with long runs, including 47 yards by Maturo.
“We got off to a rough start,” Maturo said. “The plays were there. We weren’t making them. We kept pushing in the second half.
Oxford Hills running back Colby VanDecker gained 194 yards on 34 punishing carries; 135 of those yards came in the first half, when the Vikings led 21-12.
“He’s a tough, incredible runner,” Oxford Hills Coach Mark Soehren said. “He takes a battering every game, and I couldn’t be more proud of his effort.
“We had a very good first half. I think Bonny Eagle’s experience showed in the second. Those kids were determined. They know how to make plays.”
Nick Klein made the first big play for the Scots, intercepting Oxford Hills on the opening drive, at the 25. That set up Keegan Meredith’s 25-yard pass to Maturo. Bonny Eagle’s conversion run was short, and the lead was 6-0.
In the first half, the Scots were without their kicker, Cam McDonald, who also plays for the Bonny Eagle soccer team.
The Vikings drove down to the Scots 11 but had a field-goal try deflected.
But Oxford Hills kept grinding, with handoff after handoff to VanDecker.
“They were playing some old-school football,” Cooper said. “VanDecker runs hard and they block hard.”
Van Decker scored from the 2 for a 7-6 lead.
Meredith’s fourth-down, 29-yard pass to Jacob Humphrey put the Scots back ahead. But Oxford Hills quarterback Atticus Soehren countered with a 40-yard touchown pass to Addison Brown for a 14-12 lead.
Meredith finished with 137 passing yards, Soehren 139.
VanDecker’s 46-yard run started a 68-yard scoring drive to end the half, putting Oxford Hills up 21-12.
J.J. Worster (three sacks) was leading the Vikings’ defense.
In the second half, Nate Ferris started the big plays for Bonny Eagle. His interception stopped a Vikings drive at the Scots 35. He then caught a 25-yard pass – carrying two defenders the last 10 yards. Meredith, on a fake to Maturo, ran 28 yards to the 1, where Maturo scored with 9:07 left. Bonny Eagle trailed 21-19.
Oxford Hills went three-and-out. The Vikings’ punt was deflected, gong only 15 yards to their own 45.
Behind Maturo’s halfback pass to Graves, the Scots drove in for the go-ahead TD.
Oxford Hills hosts Edward Little next Saturday.
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