OAKLAND – The Messalonskee offensive line was challenged all week in practice leading up to its game Friday night against Edward Little.
It responded by plowing the way to exactly 400 yards of total offense in a 41-14 victory at Veterans Field.
Senior running back Sam Dube led the way on the ground, rushing for 181 yards on 21 carries and scoring two touchdowns. Quarterback Tatum Doucette had 164 total yards (118 passing, 46 rushing) with three touchdown passes and an interception.
“I have to give all (the credit) to my line, and the guys blocking outside, like the slots and wide receivers,” Dube said. “They’re the ones who do all the hard work, and all I have to do is run.”
Messalonskee finished with 282 total rushing yards.
“The offensive line has been outstanding all year long,” Messalonskee head coach Blair Doucette said. “They did a great job opening up holes for Sam Dube. Sam Dube is one of the best athletes I’ve seen at running back, I’m really proud of him. He moved from quarterback last year to running back this year, and he’s just taken on the challenge and responded really well.”
Up 6-0 after Dube scored on a 51-yard touchdown run on their first possession, the Eagles (6-0) dug themselves a hole on the next drive, as Doucette threw an interception to Edward Little’s Jack Pepin, who promptly returned it 45 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 6-6. Minutes later, Pepin capped a 55-yard drive for the Red Eddies (0-6) with a 10-yard scoring run, giving Edward Little a 14-6 lead.
The rest of the game belonged to Messalonskee, as it scored 35 unanswered points. Doucette would toss two scoring strikes – a 7-yard throw to Brady Brunelle and a 45-yard heave to Cash Bizier – while Dube added a 19-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles a 28-14 halftime lead.
“We were out of our element with Senior Night, they didn’t have school (on Friday),” Blair Doucette said. “They came out a little flat and we talked about it at halftime. As the game went on, they started to find their pace and play a little more physical.”
The second half belonged to Messalonskee, with Doucette hitting Garrett Card for a 25-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone for a 35-14 lead. Sophomore running back Landon Rancourt had an 8-yard scamper for a touchdown in the fourth quarter for the final 41-14 score.
“It was a team effort out there today,” Dube said. “It was a hard-fought battle in the first half. When we got our composure, knew what we were doing in the second half, we just ran away with it.”
Messalonskee made life miserable for Edward Little quarterback Kade Messelli, who threw four interceptions. Pepin ran for 108 yards on 31 carries.
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