BETHEL — Mandated running time, high school football’s version of the mercy rule, performed its magic admirably Saturday afternoon at Telstar.
The Rebels’ second half was better than their first. The mounting injury toll, something Telstar can ill afford if its 19 players are to complete the entire Class D South season, was kept in check.
Old Orchard Beach was clearly the superior team, but the scoreboard never flinched after the 9:41 mark of the second quarter in the Seagulls’ 41-0 victory.
That moving clock didn’t officially kick in until the second half, when the Seagulls (1-2) were above the 35-point threshold. Telstar (0-2) twice threatened in OOB territory but couldn’t chalk up its first points of the year.
“These games are hard to manage,” OOB coach Dean Plante said. “I’ve been in a couple. You do this long enough, you know what it’s like. Lou (Brann, Telstar coach) is doing a good job with what he has. You try to get in, get the lead, get to running time and get some kids some reps.”
Erik Hogan, one of only five OOB seniors, saw to it that Plante’s strategy prevailed.
In the first six minutes alone, Hogan ran for a 48-yard touchdown, blocked a punt to set up Dylan Creswell’s 14-yard score, and returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown.
Thomas Fregeau picked off another pass and returned it 30 yards to set up the first of Creswell’s two touchdown passes in the period, an 8-yarder to Joe Anderson. And immediately following another Hogan interception, Creswell aired it out 20 yards to Zach Hirst on the final play of the quarter.
Jacob Maloney nailed four consecutive extra points after an early miss to make it a 34-0 lead.
Telstar quarterbacks were picked off five times and sacked another five.
“We’re in the same place Dirigo was when they started,” Brann said, referring to the school where he was an assistant on a Class C championship team about a decade after the Cougars revived their program. “We’ve just got to get some of the mentality out of here that losing is normal. We’ve got to get over that hump. I’ve told the coaches it will take a full year for our thing to gel, too.”
OOB recovered a squib kick after Telstar failed to cover it on the initial play of the second quarter. Five plays later, Dylan Boudreau reached the end zone from 10 yards out on quarterback keeper.
The Rebels were persistent, grinding out four first downs in the second half while holding OOB to a net minus-25 yards. Dakota Merrill, Devin Merrill, Elijah Mason, Bobby Sicotte and Fabian Corriveau were defensive standouts for Telstar.
Calvin Glover returned the second-half kickoff 56 yards, but Telstar’s ensuing drive ended on downs at the OOB 35.
Relying mostly on Glover’s legs at quarterback, Telstar drove to the Seagulls’ 12 early in the second half before consecutive incomplete passes stalled the march.
Telstar lost two players to injury and another to a brief scuffle in the fourth quarter. The schedule won’t get easier, with reigning state champion Oak Hill coming to town next Saturday.
“Our (youth football) kids, our numbers doubled from last year. We have a middle school program with good numbers, but we’re not going to see it for two years,” Brann said.
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