DIXFIELD – There are two halves to every game, and the Dirigo football team is still learning that it requires a maximum effort in order to succeed in the rugged Campbell Conference.

The willingness to gamble paid off as Dylan Brann scored what proved to be the eventual game-winning touchdown in the second for unbeaten Boothbay 24-14 against hard-luck Dirigo at Harlow Park.

Boothbay was able to exploit its wing-T offense in the first half as Tim Stover (101 yards, 24 rushes) and Brann (82 yards, 19 rushes carried the load. A TD pass by quarterback Sam Cook to Stover on the final play of the first proved to be a back breaker.

“Our execution was good in the first half,” Boothbay coach Tim Rice said. “We made the plays when we had to (three first downs on fake punts).”

Dirigo (1-3) actually won the second half behind quarterback Nick Crutchfield, who scored on a two-yard run and threw a 35-yard TD pass to Enrico Ross with six seconds left in the game.

“The kids just decided to play football in the second half,” Dirigo coach Doug Gilbert said. “I wish I could say that it was the result of different plays, but we ran the same plays and the kids executed them.”

Boothbay’s Kris Noonan intercepted a pass, but while returning the ball Dirigo senior Derek Daley struck Noonan and Josh Palmer recovered a fumble. The Cougars then marched 60 yards on three passes to Dekota Holmquist (12, 31) and an 18-yard catch and run by Daley.

On the ensuing possession, Boothbay was unable to gain positive yardage and Dirigo took over on downs with one minute left. The airways were ineffective for the most part as Crutchfield (7 of 15 for 90 yards) threw three interceptions, however there was one-play remaining. The sophomore dropped back, side-stepped the rush and fired to Ross who caught the ball and fell in to the end zone. Crutchfield ran-in the conversion.

“The kids played with intensity in the second half,” Gilbert said. “If we had (executed) our plays in the first half it might have been a different story. But Boothbay didn’t drive the length of the field on us, we gave them field position.”

Boothbay opened the scoring on an 11-yard interception return by Chris Graves. Cook passed to Josh Tarat for the conversion with 1:37 to go in the first quarter. Dirigo fielded a punt on its three-yard line. Daley (fumble recovery) and Kevin O’Leary led the defense.

The Cougars had a size advantage with Mike Beale, Jon Berry, Cam Chartier and Arthur Manzer, but the Seahawks utilized double hand-offs and criss-crosses.

“We were fortunate to be up by 24 points,” Rice said, who was an assistant coach at Dirigo in the 1980s. “Because in the second half we made some mistakes and had some foolish penalties. The team still has some tests and a goal is to take it one game at a time.”

Brann scored on a 1-yard run on fourth down in the second quarter.

Boothbay, 24-14

Boothbay 8 16 0 0-24

Dirigo 0 0 6 8-14

First quarter

b- Graves 11 interception Cook to Ferrin

Second quarter

B Brann 1 run Cook to Noonan

B Cook 8 pass to Stover Cook to Noonan

Third quarterd Crutchfield 1 run rush failed

fourth quarter

D- Crutchfield 38 pass to Ross (Cruttchfield rush

J Bourassa 31 run kick failed

D- Boothbay Dirigo

First downs 14 9

Rushes-net yards.218-52 136-31

Passing yards.. 13 90

Passing att-comp-int.3-8-0 8-13-3

Total yards231 226

Fumbles-lost3-2 2-1

Punts-ave …………. 1-45 3-31 .

Pentalities-yards6-55 5-30