GRAY — The highlight for the young Gray-New Gloucester Patriots in Friday night’s Campbell Conference Class C game against Fryeburg Academy came when sophomore Reese Kneissler stopped Fryeburg running back Tyrese Deloatch-Jeffrey inches shy of the goal line as the halftime buzzer sounded.
Unfortunately for the Patriots, the Raiders had already crossed the goal line five times.
Fryeburg Academy scored four touchdowns in the first quarter and rolled to a 42-0 win over Gray-New Gloucester at Myles Burbank Memorial Field.
Jared Chisari rushed for two touchdowns and Caleb Eklund caught a pair of touchdowns as the Raiders (1-1) outgained the Patriots (0-2), 394-72.
“It’s hard. We’ve got nine starters playing football for the first time ever,” Gray-New Gloucester coach Mark Renna said. “We can’t say that forever for the rest of the season. They got baptized by fire tonight. We’re a work in progress still.”
Fryeburg started at its 35 yard line on its first two possessions and found paydirt in two plays on both.
Chisari started the game with a 17-yard run. On the next play, sophomore QB Oscar Saunders, making his first start of the season, threw over the middle to Eklund, who raced to the 15, cut right to avoid a tackle, and made one more burst into the end zone.
After forcing a punt on the Patriots’ first series, Fryeburg’s Cody Gullikson rambled for 30 yards, then Chisari ran it in from 35 yards out for a 12-0 lead.
“That was good to see,” Fryeburg coach David Turner said. “We hit them early and they just couldn’t recover.”
Fryeburg’s defense focused on containing Gray-NG tailback Boomer Simmons and got the job done, limiting him to 48 yards on 19 carries and while allowing just four first downs.
“He’s a good back. If he finds the hole, he can hit the hole,” Turner said. “What we were trying to be cognizant of was not over-penetrating and giving him rush lanes. And for the most part, we did that.”
The Patriots are starting from scratch after losing a dozen seniors from the first team in the program’s history to reach the playoffs.
“We’re very limited with what we’ve got,” Renna said. “I’ve got 30 kids. I’ve got 12 freshmen. I’ve only got four seniors, That’s no excuse, just the way it is. We’re learning but basically I’ve got freshmen and sophomores starting against a varsity team. My freshmen aren’t ready yet. Unfortunately, they have to be.”
The Raiders needed three plays to score on their third drive, but only needed to cover 30 yards after a bad snap on a punt attempt gave them great field position. Gullikson (six carries, 46 yards) scored from seven yards out.
Chisari (five carries, 95 yards) made it 26-0 with his 34-yard TD run with 19 seconds left in the first quarter.
Eklund caught his second TD pass, this one from Gullikson, from 43 yards. Chisari added the two-point conversion to put the Raiders up, 34-0 at the half.
Justin Daniels added a 37-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
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