Ponies shut out Old Town in D North semifinal

DOVER-FOXCROFT — With the Class D North championship set to take place at Hampden Academy, top seed Foxcroft Academy was going to have its last 2024 game at Oakes Field be a semifinal vs. No. 5 Old Town High School on Friday, Nov. 8. 

The Ponies built a 23-0 lead before the half to help ensure the home finale would not be the season finale as the team won 29-0 via its second shutout of the year and moved on. The squad improved to 10-0, which includes a 21-6 regular season victory vs. Old Town several weeks prior on Oct. 18.

Foxcroft is set to face second-seeded Winslow High School (6-4 having won four straight) in the regional final on Saturday, Nov. 16 on the turf at Hampden Academy — kickoff will be at 11 a.m. The Ponies won at Winslow 35-3 on Sept. 21, starting a 4-game losing skid for the Black Raiders who had a season-low in points that day. Winslow won vs. third-seeded John Bapst Memorial High School of Bangor 56-34 in its semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 9.

After Foxcroft elected to receive, Old Town (the Coyotes who are coached by Foxcroft Academy social studies teacher and boys basketball coach Charles Beale end with a record of 4-6) opted to try an onsides kick. The football did not go the required 10 yards to set the Ponies up at the opposition’s 49-yard line. 

Foxcroft took advantage of the short field as three plays moved the ball to the Old Town-25. Here junior Landon Smith ran off right tackle and down the sideline for the touchdown on what would turn out to be the only needed points of the evening.

At the start of the second quarter the Coyotes stopped the Ponies inside the redzone on a 4th-and-4 to take over at the Old Town-13. On first down Old Town fumbled and junior Finn Holmes recovered the football at the line of scrimmage. Holmes was rewarded for his efforts with a carry on 1st-and-10, good for three yards, and then another on second down. 

Holmes ran up the middle for the touchdown, part of his game-high 91 yards on the ground on 12 carries which included a later 49-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. He also caught two passes for 51 yards to finish with 142 yards of offense.

On the next series the defense forced the Coyotes to punt from the team’s 30. The snap sailed over the head of sophomore punter Ethan Closson and began to roll toward the goal line. Closson got to the loose pigskin first and he kicked it out of the endzone for the safety and two points rather than risk  a Pony recovery for a touchdown.

The following short kick and return set Foxcroft up at the Old Town 40. Five plays moved the football inside the 10 for a 1st-and-goal, and three plays moved the ball to the 1 (a flag for defensive pass interference gave the Ponies four bonus yards and an extra down to work with). 

On 4th-and-goal junior quarterback Griffin Caruso took the snap, but instead of handing it off he ran on his only carry of the game. The interior line cleared a path as Caruso went in for the touchdown. He also threw for 157 yards on 14-of-19 passing, with senior Silas Topolski being on the receiving end of seven of his completions for 66 yards.

A fourth quarter interception set the offense up at the Pony-42. Holmes gained nine yards on first down and then he had his 49-yard run to the endzone.

Foxcroft returns to the Class D North championship a year after defeating John Bapst 29-8 in Hampden to advance to the state game. The Ponies are in the final four of Class D teams for the fourth year in a row. In 2021 and 2022 there was just one division and not North and South regions with respective regional championship contests, and in both of these seasons Foxcroft won the Class D championship. A win on Saturday would put the program in the state final for the fourth year in a row, which would be a first exclusively at the Class D level.

Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield won the Class C championship in 2017 after winning the Class D crown in 2016 and falling in the Class D finale before in 2015 and 2014.

FOOTBALL

CLASS D NORTH

SEMIFINAL
No. 1 Foxcroft 29

No. 5 Old Town 0

OT 0 0 0 0 – 0

FA 7 16 0 6 – 29

First: F – Smith 25 yds (Harvey kick)

Second: F – Holmes 10 yds  (Harvey kick); F – Safety; F – Caruso 1 yd  (Harvey kick)

Fourth: F – Holmes 49 yds (no kick)

Passing: OT – Closson 4-of-11 22 yds; Alston 0-of-1 Int; F – Caruso 14-of-19 157 yds; Harvey 0-of-0

Receiving: OT – Schanz 2, 14 yds; B. King 1, 8 yds; Chase 1, 2 yds; F – Topolski 7, 66 yds; Sands 3, 35 yds; Holmes 2, 51 yds; Sickler 1, 9 yds; Harvey 1, -4 yds

Rushing: OT – Alston 10, 72 yds; Chase 21, 68 yds; Closson 2, 1 yd; B. King 1, 2 yds; F – Holmes 12, 91 yds 2 TD; Smith 13, 79 yds TD; Topolski 1, 3 yds; Caruso 1, 1 yd TD; Harvey 2, -4 yds

Records: OT 4-6, F 10-0