GRAY — Rivalry games often are remembered for big plays. When Poland and Gray-New Gloucester look back on the latest installment of their “Battle of Shaker Hill” rivalry, those big plays will no doubt come up.
It was the visiting Knights who made most of those big plays, leading them to a 24-14 win in a Class C South football clash at Myles Burbank Memorial Field Friday night.
Poland (4-4) senior quarterback Patrick Jacques ran for a pair of touchdowns while not attempting a single pass.
Fellow senior John Fossett ran for another touchdown on just four carries — and the scoring run wasn’t even his biggest play on offense.
On the other side, Gray-New Gloucester (4-4) senior back Austin Chase ran for a pair of touchdowns, but needed 34 carries to gain 141 hard-earned yards.
Chase put the Patriots on the board first with a 3-yard touchdown run on fourth down less than a minute into the second quarter. That came after the Knights’ first two drives both ended in Gray-NG territory — the first on a turnover-on-downs at the Gray-NG 10-yard line, and the next on a bad snap.
Poland’s third drive appeared to come to an end after just three plays, but Fossett ran the necessary 12 yards on a fake punt to keep the Knights’ drive alive. Jagger Ware scored six plays later on an 11-yard run.
“They were going to punt the ball,” Gray-NG head coach Mark Renna said. “We gave up a big fake punt. The momentum of that, they scored on that drive.”
“I don’t even know if we call it a fake,” Poland head coach Ted Tibbetts said. “It’s one of those things where John is such an athlete, and say, ‘Hey, if you see it, take it.’”
Jacques made one of those previously mentioned big plays late in the second quarter, breaking tackles on his way to a 41-yard touchdown on a quarterback keeper, putting Poland up 12-8.
“Pat had a couple great runs and we made some good plays,” Tibbetts said.
Jacques scored again as the Knights scored on their opening drive of the second half, but did so as a tailback, after Yvon Desmarais (12 carries, 96 yards) left the game with an injury three plays into the drive.
Jacques spent much of the remainder of the game at tailback, while freshman backup QB Gawain Tibbetts — the coach’s son — moved under center. Tibbetts completed his first pass the play before Jacques’ second touchdown. He finished 2-for-2 passing.
“Pat’s got such great speed, and Gawain does a great job just managing the game, just executing the plays,” Tibbetts said. “He completed two passes there, key passes that we needed, which is great for a freshman. And Pat had some great runs at tailback. So a great team effort.”
The Knights got a big play on defense from Alex Thibault on Gray-NG’s next drive, as the senior linebacker knocked down a fake-punt pass by Justice Bowie. Fossett, who also had a handful of tackles on defense, scored three plays later from 48 yards out, giving Poland a 24-8 advantage.
The Patriots made it interesting down the stretch, as Chase rumbled in from 20 yards out with 3:12 left, but an unsuccessful two-point attempt kept it a two-score game. A final Patriot drive ended near midfield as time expired.
“Their offensive line and their defensive line dominated us. Our line got out-played today,” said Renna, who admitted that his Wing-T offense isn’t ideal for playing from behind. “The line didn’t get it done tonight, and that’s my fault.”
Despite the loss, Gray-New Gloucester still locked up its first playoff berth in the program’s 11-year history.
“It’s our first time ever in the playoffs, so what do we got to lose?” Renna said. “We’re playing with house money.”
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
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