Foxcroft wins big vs. John Bapst on opening night
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Foxcroft Academy was more than ready for the 2023 opener vs. John Bapst Memorial High School of Bangor on the evening of Friday, Sept. 1. The Ponies picked up eight touchdowns and found the endzone in eight of nine possessions to roll past the Crusaders 54-6.
Foxcroft started the game off with a big special teams play as senior Kemsley Marsters returned the opening kickoff to the John Bapst 18-yard line. Despite being in the redzone, Foxcroft needed five plays to get to the Crusader-3 — helped by an offsides penalty on a 4th-and-3 at the 11-yard line. On a 3rd-and-goal senior Gage Beaudry ran up the middle and in for the touchdown at the 8:05-mark.
Marsters’ kick was good, the first of a perfect 6-for-6 night for him.
INTO THE REDZONE — Foxcroft Academy senior Kemsley Marsters brings the game’s opening kickoff back to the John Bapst 18-yard line during a Sept. 1 game in Dover-Foxcroft, as senior Kaiden Whitten helps clear the field. The Ponies won 54-6 behind touchdowns on eight of the team’s nine possessions.
The Pony defense forced a punt on John Bapst’s first possession, and Foxcroft then used two plays to move the football from the Foxcroft-47 to the John Bapst-6. Senior quarterback Wyatt Rayfield found classmate Jadon Richard for a 34-yard completion and sophomore Finn Holmes then carried the football 13 yards to the 6-yard line (part of 74 rushing yards for Holmes).
On 1st-and-goal Beaudry got the carry and he ran off left tackle for the score. Beaudry rushed 10 times for a game-high 76 yards and in the second quarter he caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Rayfield. The quarterback ended the night with a pair of touchdown throws on 5-of-8 passing for 76 yards.
Trailing 14-0, John Bapst gambled by going for it on a 4th-and-2 at the team’s own 28-yard line. Crusader Logun McMahon was tackled a yard shy of the sticks as the Ponies took over on downs.
RECEPTION IN TRAFFIC — Senior Jadon Richard hauls in a catch for a 34-yard play during the opening quarter of Foxcroft Academy’s game vs. John Bapst on Sept. 1.
Three plays later Foxcroft had the ball inside the John Bapst-1 before a flag for an illegal substitution moved the football about a foot closer to the goal line. Starting right guard senior Hunter McSorley shifted to the backfield for the snap as he got the handoff and ran in for the touchdown. Marsters’ third PAT made the score 21-0 just over 10 minutes into the game.
In quarter No. 2 Rayfield found junior Silas Topolski for a 5-yard touchdown and Beaudry ran the ball in from 18 yards out. The trips to the endzone helped Foxcroft lead 35-0 heading into the break, activating the running clock for the start of the second half.
In the third quarter Marsters and senior Jacob Johnson both had rushing touchdowns, on 6- and 3-yard plays respectively.
YARDS AFTER CONTACT — Pony senior Gage Beaudry drags would-be tacklers toward the endzone on a 3-yard touchdown run for the first points of a 54-6 Foxcroft victory on Sept. 1. Beaudry would later run the ball into the endzone a second time and have a touchdown catch. To the left is senior guard Hunter McSorley, who had a 1-yard touchdown run.
Sophomore Aiden Harvey scored from the 6-yard line in the final quarter to cap off the night for the Ponies.
Foxcroft will be in action next at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9 when the team travels to Androscoggin County to face Class D South team Oak Hill High School of Wales. The Raiders fell 31-0 vs. Wells High School in the squad’s 2023 opener on Sept. 2.
NO BIG PLAY FOR MALCOLM BUTLER — Sophomore Aiden Harvey tackles John Bapst sophomore Malcolm Butler in the third quarter as Pony sophomore Aidan Bryant runs in.
FOOTBALL
Foxcroft 54 John Bapst 6
JB 0 0 0 6 — 6
FA 21 14 13 6 — 54
First: F — Beaudry 3 yds (Marsters kick); F — Beaudry 6 yds (Marsters kick); F — McSorley 1 yd (Marsters kick)
Second: F — Topolski 5 yds from Rayfield (Marsters kick); F — Beaudry 18 yds from Rayfield (Marsters kick)
Third: F — Marsters 6 yds (Marsters kick); F — Johnson 3 yds (kick wide)
Fourth: J — N. Butler 90-yd kick return (kick blocked); F — Harvey 6 yds (rush fail)
Passing: J — Ouellette 10-of-13 76 yds 2 Int; F — Rayfield 5-of-8 76 yds 2 TD; G. Caruso 4-of-4 26 yds
Receiving: J — Cashman 4, 0 yds; N. Butler 3, 21 yds; McMahon 2, 56 yds; Rollins 1, -1 yd; F — Harvey 3 31 yds; Richard 1, 34 yds; Beaudry 1, 18 yds TD; L. Smith 1, 13 yds; Sickler 1, 9 yds; Topolski 1, 5 yds TD; Vandermast 1, -1 yd
Rushing: J — McMahon 4, 14 yds; Rollins 4, 14 yds; Cashman 4, 9 yds; Wilkinson 3, -1 yd; F — Beaudry 10, 76 yds 2 TD; Holmes 7, 74 yds; Marsters 4, 29 yds TD; Johnson 3, 22 yds TD; Vandermast 2, 8 yds; Havey 1, 6 yds TD; McSorley 1, 1 yd TD; Rayfield 1, 0 yds
Records: J 1-0, F 1-0