Sports

Foxcroft improves to 3-0 with a 28-12 win vs. Freeport

Drury rushes for three touchdowns

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Foxcroft Academy remained unbeaten after defeating Freeport High School 28-12 in a battle of 2-0 teams — representing the North and South geographic extremes of Class D — on Friday, Sept. 17 at Oakes Field. Pony senior Jesse Drury found the end zone three times on the ground as Foxcroft more than doubled the Falcons in yardage, 380-163.

Drury scored from seven and 13 yards out in the first and second quarters respectively to help the Ponies have a 14-6 lead at the half. He would gain a game-high 125 rushing yards on 10 carries, with three touchdowns.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
THREE-TOUCHDOWN NIGHT — Foxcroft senior Jesse Drury ran for three touchdowns in the Ponies’ 28-12 win over Freeport on Sept. 17. Drury is pictured scoring from 13 yards out in the second quarter for the second of his two trips to the end zone.

Foxcroft received the kickoff to open the second half as Freeport — playing in the team’s first road game of 2021 — elected to receive the ball to start. A short kick was fielded by junior Kholton Perry and returned to the Pony 49-yard line. A half dozen plays moved the ball to the Freeport-1 for a second-and-goal.

Two rushing plays both resulted in Foxcroft being stopped at the line of scrimmage a yard shy of the goal line. On fourth-and-goal junior Caden Crocker took the handoff, spun off right tackle and dove into the end zone. A PAT by sophomore Kemsley Marsters put Foxcroft on top 21-6. 

Crocker rushed for 79 yards on 12 carries, and he also caught six passes for 34 yards. The six receptions accounted for nearly half of the 14 completions for senior quarterback Austin Seavey, who went 14-of-21 for 103 yards with completions to seven different receivers. Seavey also ran 10 times for 56 yards.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
DOUBLE THE COVERAGE — Pony sophomore Jackson Smith, left, and junior Cameron Chase force an incompletion on a pass intended for Freeport senior Danny Casale on Friday evening in Dover-Foxcroft. The Ponies won 28-12 to improve to 3-0 on the season.

On the ensuing possession, Freeport faced a third-and-5 at the team’s 25. Falcon junior quarterback Aidan Heath threw deep but Pony sophomore Jaydon Richard came up with the interception at the Foxcroft-45. 

The Pony offense then drove inside the Freeport 5-yard line, also consuming clock with the team having a two-possession lead. In the third quarter the Ponies had the football for just over 10:00 of the 12 total minutes.

The fourth quarter began with a fourth-and-goal at the Falcon 1-yard line. Here the Freeport defense stopped Crocker for no gain to take over and keep the team’s chance to get back in the game alive. 

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
SACK THE QUARTERBACK — Sophomore Hunter McSorley gets up after sacking Freeport junior quarterback Aidan Heath for a 3-yard loss in the second quarter.

The Falcons moved the ball 44 yards for a third-and-8 at the team’s own 45. On third down Heath overthrew senior receiver Danny Casale inside the Foxcroft-30 as the football fell harmlessly to the turf. Freeport then opted to punt with 6:43 on the clock.

Following one first down, Foxcroft punted on a fourth-and-16 from the team’s own 23-yard line. The punt was partially blocked as Freeport took over at the Pony-29 with 3:41 remaining.

Two pass completions moved the ball to the 4-yard line and a 3-yard rush by senior Tony Casale put the ball at the 1. Casale got another crack at a touchdown as he took the handoff on second-and-goal and scored. 

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
FIRST DOWN CATCH — Sophomore Gage Beaudry gains 15 yards for a first down inside the red zone, with senior left tackle Anthony Smith clearing a path.

Down by nine, 21-12, Freeport went for two. Heath looked for Danny Casale on the left side of the end zone. He could not put the ball where Casale could catch it inbounds, with Pony junior Cameron Chase on the coverage, as the Falcons stayed nine points down.

Freeport had no choice but to attempt an onsides kick, and Crocker successfully covered up the football at the Falcon-49. 

Foxcroft had no gain on first down and following the Falcon’s final timeout, Crocker picked up three yards. Drury received the call to carry the football on third down. He slipped a tackle and ran down the right sideline 46 yards for his third touchdown of the evening to seal the victory. Marsters followed with the PAT for point No. 28.

The Ponies will have a bye this weekend and are scheduled to play next at Madison Area Memorial High School at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1 against the Madison/Carrabec High School cooperative program (0-1 heading into a Sept. 25 game at Oak Hill High School of Wales).

Foxcroft still has two home games on the schedule, both for next month, but with the 2021 already having a number of games canceled across the state the school decided to recognize members of the Class of 2022 prior to kickoff against Freeport. The six seniors on the roster are Jesse Drury, Chase Higgins, Alan Ribe, Austin Seavey, Anthony Smith and Gideon Topolski.

FOOTBALL

FRE (2-1) 0 6 0 6 | 12

FOX (3-0) 6 8 7 7 | 28

First: Fox — Drury 7 yds

(no kick)

Second: Fox — Drury 13 yds

(Drury rush)

Fre — Heath 2 yds (kick short)

Third: Fox — Crocker 1 yd 

(Marsters kick)

Fourth: Fre — Casale 1 yd

(pass fail)

Fox — Drury 46 yds

(Marsters kick)

Passing: Fox — Seavey 

14-of-21 103 yds;

Fre — Heath 6-of-11 

93 yds 2 Int

Receiving: Fox — Crocker 6,

34 yds; G. Topolski 3,

4 yds; Richard 2, 25 yds;

Chase 1, 17 yds; Beaudry 1,

15 yds; J. Smith 1, 8 yds

Fre — D. Casale 3, 83 yds;

T. Casale 2, 14 yds;

Knighton 1, – 4 yds

Rushing: Fox — Drury 10,

125 yds 3 TD; Crocker 12,

79 yds TD; Seavey 10, 56 yds;

Beaudry 4, 14 yds; 

G. Topolski 1, 3 yds

Fre — Michaud 6, 50 yds;

T. Casale 13, 16 yds TD;

Heath 3, 4 yds TD;

Knighton 3, 0 yds

Get the Rest of the Story

Thank you for reading your 4 free articles this month. To continue reading, and support local, rural journalism, please subscribe.