Foxcroft wins big vs. Hampden on Senior Night
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Foxcroft Academy had a dominating performance in a 66-6 victory against Hampden Academy during the final regular season home game for the 19 members of the Class of 2027 between the football and cheer teams (a 10/9 split) on Oct. 15.
The Class C contest was the first-ever on Thursday night for the home team. A few football games across the state have been adjusted each week to accommodate a shortage of officials.
After an interception in the endzone on the team’s first possession, the Ponies scored touchdowns each of the next seven times the team had the football and returned a pair of interceptions for pick sixes as a half dozen players crossed the goal line.
Foxcroft held the Broncos without a single first down all night long — the running clock was in effect for the entirety of the second half to limit the number of plays for both teams. The opposition ran just five plays in Pony territory, four of which came following an interception brought back to Foxcroft’s 10-yard line where the Pony defense forced a turnover on downs.
A STORM’S COMING — Foxcroft Academy sophomore Storm Bjornson-Burgess runs behind a wall of blockers early in the fourth quarter on Oct. 15 against Hampden Academy. The Ponies won 66-6 to improve to 6-1 with the team’s sixth consecutive victory.
Foxcroft (6-1) won the team’s sixth consecutive game with a season-high point total. Hampden fell to 0-7. The Broncos have been outscored 338-63 this season.
The Broncos made the endzone interception nearly halfway through the opening quarter. The team could do nothing with the turnover as Foxcroft’s defense forced a 3-and-out, and the short punt was downed at the Hampden 38-yard line.
Three plays moved the football to the 13. Senior quarterback Evan Seavey ran right and he got inside the pylon for his team’s first points of the evening. Senior Thomas Day went up the middle for two in what turned out to the winning play less than nine minutes in.
Seavey scored on a 7-yard run later in the first 12:00 to help make the game 24-0 at that point.
SENIOR NIGHT — Senior Colby Simmons tackles Hampden sophomore Brady Duff on the first play from scrimmage with junior Preston Hutchinson (8) and senior Thomas Day (2) closing in. Before kickoff the 19 members of the Class of 2027 between the football and cheer teams and their families were recognized.
He ran three times for 43 yards and two touchdowns. Seavey also threw for three other touchdowns to finish 9-of-12 for 237 yards along with the interception.
Senior Aiden Sickler was on the receiving end of two touchdown passes, at 13 yards in the second quarter and 63 yards in the third quarter. Sickler finished with three catches for a contest-best 82 yards and the two scores.
Junior Miles Luellen caught a short pass in the flat early in the second quarter and he took it 70 yards for the touchdown. Luellen’s ensuing PAT made the game 31-0. He recorded 79 receiving yards on a pair of receptions
Junior Preston Hutchinson and Sickler both had interception touchdown returns, 48 and 25 yards respectively, as Sickler had three touchdowns overall.
TRYING TO TAKE THE SHIRT OFF HIS BACK — Sophomore quarterback Chris McGary runs for a first down early in the fourth quarter against Hampden Academy. McGary would later score on a 10-yard run.
With the final outcome settled well before the final whistle Foxcroft’s reserves got to play for much of the abbreviated second half which began with a 44-0 score. The younger offense added to the scoring with a pair of redzone touchdown runs before and after Hampden broke the shutout on a 75-yard kickoff return.
Freshman Kohen Tirrell had an 11-yard run and soon after sophomore quarterback Ryan McGary scored from the 10-yard line. McGary’s 69 rushing yards, on four attempts, were a game-high. He also completed a pass and caught a pass.
Foxcroft will be in action next at Brewer High School at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23. The Witches (1-6) have dropped five straight since defeating Hampden at home 40-26 on Sept. 11.
Before kickoff against the Broncos, the 19 Foxcroft seniors were honored along with their families.
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL — Junior Preston Hutchinson rushes for a 21-yard gain to the Hampden-13 in the opening quarter on Thursday, Oct. 15. Late in the half Hutchinson returned an interception 48 yards for a pick six.
The 10 members of the Class of 2027 on the football team, who all got to start, are Kaleb Briggs, Thomas Day, Justin Fraipont, Kain Niland, Steven Li, Aiden Sickler, Evan Seavey, Colby Simmons, Hunter Stevens and Tyler Wing.
Cheer team seniors are Kaycie Bishop, Prudence Bridge, Kaci Eddy, Isabella Maioriello, Brooke Preble, Sophia Rizitello, Chaparral Schiff, Sophia Wilhelm and Kourthney Williams.
FOOTBALL
Foxcroft 66 Hampden 6
HAM 0 0 0 6 – 6
FOX 24 20 6 16 – 66
First: F – Seavey 13 yds (Day rush); F – Sickler 25-yd Int return (Wing rush); F – Seavey 7 yds (Fraipoint rush)
Second: F – Luellen 70 yds from Seavey (Luellen PAT); F – Sickler 13 yds from Seavey (Luellen PAT); F – Hutchinson 48-yd Int (rush fail)
Third: F – Sickler 63 yds from Seavey (rush fail)
Fourth: F – Tirrell 11 yds (Bjornson-Burgess rush); H – Madden 75-yd KR (no kick); F – McGary 10 yds (Tirrell rush)
Passing: H – O’Connell 3-of-9 14 yds; Sherwood 0-of-1 Int; H No. 16 0-for-3; F – Seavey 9-of-12 237 yds 3 TD Int; McGary 1-of-2 4 yds Int
Receiving: H – Sherwood 1, 15 yds; No. 15 1, 1 yd; Stuart 1, -2 yds; F – Sickler 3, 82 yds 2 TD; Luellen 2, 79 yds TD; Day 2, 75 yds; Mailloux 1, 4 yds; Hutchinson 1, 2 yds; McGary 1, -1 yd
Rushing: H – Duff 8, 15 yds; Sherwood 1, 4 yds; Walters 1, 3 yds; No. 20 1, 2 yds; Stuart 2, 0 yds; No. 34 1, -4 yds; F – McGary 4, 69 yds TD; Hutchinson 4, 48 yds; Bjornson-Burgess 4, 47 yds; Seavey 3, 43 yds 2 TD; Tirrell 5, 31 yds TD; Simmons 1, 9 yds; Day 3, 3 yds; Armitage 1, 3 yds; Fraipont 1, 2 yds; Wing 1, 0 yds
Records: H 0-7, F 6-1
The Hampden Academy roster did not include every player