RUMFORD — With a new beginning in a new division, Mountain Valley realized Friday that nothing is going to come easy in Class C.
The Falcons were simply unable to get on the right track in the first half and Wells’ Colin Sevigny, Jake Moody and quarterback Nate Booth each ran for touchdowns en route to a convincing 44-13 win at Chet Bulger Field.
It was the first game played between the teams in the realigned Class C, although the opponents are certainly no strangers. They had memorable battles in Class B during the previous three decades. The senior-laden Warriors established the line of scrimmage on their first two possessions of the game and played smashmouth football, with Sevigny busting over for a five-yard touchdown. Moody sprinted down the left sideline for a 55-yard TD in second quarter.
“I really didn’t know what to expect tonight,” Wells coach Tim Roche said. “We hadn’t played that well in scrimmages against York and Kennebunk, and Class C has some good teams. When we got in red zone and then had that TD called back I thought, ‘Here we go again.’ But, the kids came back.’’
Mountain Valley (0-1) has a younger team, made up mostly of freshmen and sophomores. They had opportunities to make some noise, but were held to 11 rushing yards in the first half.
“We are a young team and we made mistakes,” Mountain Valley coach Jim Aylward said. “Wells is a well-balanced team.
The Falcons put things together in the second half, recovering two turnovers and scoring twice. Mike Eversen recovered a fumble, and QB Ian Austin passed to freshman Kyle Farrar, who beat the secondary for a 41-yard strike. Wells fumbled on the ensuing possession and Farrar (55 yards) broke free for 24 yards to the 12. Three plays later, Farrar scored from five yards out. Caleb Gavin booted the PAT.
“We’ll get better,” Aylward said, who praised the team for playing hard in second half. “Some guys still need to return.”
Mountain Valley has always relied on its strong running game, but the line had trouble against the Warriors’ front seven.
The Falcons gained 77 yards on the ground in second half. Moody (94 yards) and Chris Carney (4-yard TD) led the Wells ground game.
Wells added a dagger when it scored on a Booth-to-Carney 57-yard scoring strike, with one minute remaining in first half.
“I said to one of my coaches, I cant remember ever coming up to Mountain Valley and leading 29-0 at halftime,” Roche said. “We needed this and its a good start to season.”
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