Foxcroft thwarts Nokomis comeback bid to improve to 6-0

DOVER-FOXCROFT — In a game in which both teams turned the ball over four times, Foxcroft Academy overcame these miscues to defeat Nokomis Regional High School of Newport 20-14 in an interclass matchup on Friday, Oct. 11. The victory over the Class C North Warriors kept the team’s perfect record intact by improving to 6-0.

The Ponies had a 20-6 lead early in the fourth quarter when Nokomis (the team fell to 2-4 with its fourth loss in the last five games) had a 4-yard touchdown by junior Seth Bowden on a toss right. Sophomore Stephone Ross swept left for two to make the game 20-14.

Holding onto a 6-point lead, the Foxcroft offense moved the ball from the team’s own 23-yard line to the Warrior-35 in six plays. A handoff was then fumbled and Nokomis recovered the loose football inside the team’s territory at the 38. 

This would be the fourth turnover for the Ponies with a lost fumble in each quarter of the second half and an interception in both quarters of the first half, but Nokomis scored just eight points off the turnovers. Foxcroft had seven points off the four Warrior turnovers, and another seven following a blocked punt in the second quarter.

On a 2nd-and-8 Nokomis lost possession of the football as Foxcroft sophomore Aiden Sickler recovered at the 35-yard line to set the Pony offense up right where it was on the field just a few minutes prior.

With wildcat quarterback junior Aiden Harvey taking the shotgun snaps Foxcroft got a pair of first down runs to the 7-yard line. Soon the team had 4th-and-goal at the 1 but Nokomis tackled Harvey for a 4-yard loss to take over on downs at the Warrior-5 with 2:29 to go and all three timeouts for the 2-minute drill.

The Pony defense backed the opposition up into a 4th-and-8 where Nokomis junior quarterback Gabe Leighton looked for an open man beyond the sticks. 

Foxcroft sophomore linebacker Thomas Day kept his eyes on Leighton and perfectly anticipated where the throw would be going as Day intercepted the football (for Nokomis turnover No. 4) at the 25-yard line and had a short return to the Warrior-17. 

An offsides call gave the Ponies five bonus yards, and on a 2nd-and-2 junior Landon Smith rushed for six yards and a first down to close out the victory. Smith rushed for a game-high 119 yards on 12 carries, including an 18-yard run in the opening quarter for the first Foxcroft points of the evening.

Junior Finn Holmes gained 110 yards on the ground in his 14 carries, including a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter. 

Less than a minute earlier junior Aidan Bryant burst through the protection and blocked a Nokomis punt. Bryant pounced on the football at the Nokomis 15. Two plays later Holmes scored.

What would turn out to be the winning touchdown came in the third as senior Silas Topolski caught a pitch pass from junior quarterback Griffin Caruso behind the line of scrimmage and Topolski took the football 33 yards to the endzone. His two receptions were good for a game-high 46 receiving yards.

Foxcroft will host Old Town High School in the Ponies’ last regular season home game at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18. The Coyotes will enter at 3-3 and tied for second place in the Class D North standings with John Bapst Memorial High School of Bangor.

FOOTBALL
Foxcroft 20, Nokomis 14

NOK 0 6 0 8 – 14

FOX 7 7 6 0 – 20

First: F – Smith 18 yds (Harvey kick)

Second: F – Holmes 12 yds (Harvey kick); N – Carr 25 yds from Bowden (no kick)

Third: F – Topolski 33 yds from Caruso (kick wide)

Fourth: N – Bowden 4 yds (Ross rush)

Passing: Bowden 1-of-1 25 yds TD; Leighton 0-of-7 Int; F –  Caruso 6-of-8 65 yds 2 Int; Harvey 0-of-0

Receiving: N – Carr 1, 25 yds TD; F – Topolski 2, 46 yds TD; Harvey 2, 10 yds; Holmes 1 5 yds; Sickler 1, 4 yds 

Rushing: N –  Bowden 16, 75 yds TD; Ross 16, 67 yds; Leighton 9, 41 yds; Carr 6, 18 yds; Clark 1, 9 yds; F – Smith 12, 119 yds TD; Holmes 14, 110 yds TD; Harvey 8, 51 yds

Records: N 2-4, F 6-0