KITTERY — Dirigo’s punishing ground attack and special teams play have drawn the most attention this Class D West football season, but the Cougars showed Saturday that their passing game is equally dangerous.
Riley Robinson hooked up with Gavin Arsenault five times for 117 yards, capped by a touchdown in Dirigo’s 35-12 win over Traip at Memorial Field.
Dirigo (6-1) locked up the No. 2 seed in the regional playoffs and will host No. 7 Boothbay next Friday in the quarterfinals. Traip, apparent winners of three games before its season was spoiled by forfeits due to the use of an ineligible player, finished at 0-7.
Kaine Hutchins rushed for a TD and returned a punt for another. Joe Casey also returned a kick 65 yards for a score.
The Cougars went up 7-0 on a 5-yard run by Hutchins. Robinson’s 34-yard completion to Arsenault keyed the drive.
Arsenault caught another one for 27 to set up Dirigo’s second score, a 21-yard run by Tyler Frost.
After the Dirigo defense pinned Traip deep in its own end, Hutchins returned the punt 35 yards for a 21-0 halftime advantage.
Traip put together a solid drive to open the second half, capped by Nate Henderson’s 2-yard run, but Casey’s return supplied an immediate answer.
Robinson found Arsenault from 20 yards out to complete the Dirigo scoring. Evan Pledger tacked on a 40-yard TD run for Traip late in the contest.
Arsenault picked off a pass in each half to compete his fine all-around game. Barry Campbell recovered a fumble to bolster Dirigo’s defense.
Frost rushed 10 times for a team-high 59 yards.
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