LISBON FALLS – For all the talk of parity in Campbell Conference Class C in recent years, Lisbon, Boothbay, Jay, Livermore Falls and Old Orchard Beach, have been the only teams to regularly have their names included in the postseason discussion.

It’s time to add Dirigo to the conversation.

Playing short-handed, the Cougars withstood a shaky start then dominated Lisbon, 24-7, in both teams’ season-opener at muggy Thompson Field Saturday.

“It’s the first time ever (beating Lisbon),” said junior QB Nic Crutchfield. “We ratcheted up practice every week and came out here with 21 players suited up, brought one bus down to a football game, and got fired up. Things happen when you’re fired up.”

Crutchfield fired up two first-half touchdowns, then handed the ball to senior Josh Palmer (137 of his 157 yards rushing in the second half) while the Cougars successfully gorged on the clock in the second half.

The Cougars did it despite 11 players being absent due to either injuries or academic ineligibility. The line had the most holes, with sophomore tackle Arik Fenstermacher moved to center and freshman Jake Dowland and senior Keith Langervin shuffled from fullack to tackle. Yet the Cougars outgained the Greyhounds, 347-112, including 194 to 72 on the ground.

“I’m really happy with them,” Dirigo coach Doug Gilbert said. “I only had nine linemen on the team today. I’ve got two fullbacks playing tackle, and they played really, really well today. The only starter I’ve got back is my left guard (Mason Cote), and he had a great game.”

It looked like Lisbon would own the trenches after marching 81 yards on 16 plays in an opening drive that took over eight minutes. Josh Cote capped it by plowing in from the 1 on fourth down.

“I think that just made us mad,” Crutchfield said.

Dirigo’s first offensive series ended with a Guy Jenkins interception at Lisbon’s 5, but the coaching staff tweaked the defense and it responded, yielding just 31 yards and one first down the rest of the day.

“We had some problems on that first drive. We were in too tight and letting their wing-backs crash down on us,” Gilbert said. “We made the adjustment when we could, and it worked out for us the rest of the game.”

After holding Lisbon three-and-out on the Greyhounds’ second series, Crutchfield worked out the kinks in the passing game on the first play of the second quarter by finding Alex Miele (three catches, 99 yards) on a hitch-and-go pattern down the left sideline for 54 yards and the game-tying score.

Crutchfield (7-for-11, 153 yards, two TDs, one INT) burned the left side of the Lisbon secondary again with a 36-yard scoring strike to Spencer Ross to give the Cougars the lead with 7:08 left in the half.

The Cougars kept the ball grounded in the second half and let the air out of it. They ran 21 plays to Lisbon’s three in the third quarter, featuring a 17-play grinder that ended with Eric Bolduc’s 24-yard field goal that made it 17-7 early in the fourth quarter.

“That field goal was huge. It made it a two-possession game,” Gilbert said.

Moments later, Palmer put it out of reach with a 46-yard jaunt up the gut for the final score.

“We had some young kids out there in new positions. They worked hard. That’s all you can ask,” Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan said. “They controlled the line kind of the whole game. Our kids were standing up straight, and it makes it pretty easy for them when you do that. But we’re going to get better. We know that. We’ve got one returning lineman. Our line will improve.”