DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — Top-seeded Foxcroft Academy scored points on five of the team’s first six possessions across the opening three quarters of a Class D semifinal football contest against fourth-seeded Winthrop High School on Friday evening at Oakes Field.
The Ponies (now 9-1 with the team’s seventh consecutive victory) built a 32-0 lead and won by this margin to advance to the program’s second consecutive state championship . A year ago Foxcroft defeated Winthrop 19-16 to claim the gold ball.
Foxcroft will face the winner of Friday’s other Class D semifinal between second-seed Freeport High School and third-seeded Lisbon High School next Saturday at Cameron Stadium in Bangor – with kickoff at either 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m.
The Foxcroft defense forced Winthrop (6-4) into a three-and-out on the game’s opening series, and a 12-yard punt return by junior Kemsley Marsters set the Ponies up at the Rambler 39-yard line. Three plays moved the ball 32 yards for a first-and-goal, where junior quarterback and senior Caden Crocker connected on a pitch pass behind the line of scrimmage Crocker took to the end zone seven yards for what would turn out to be the winning touchdown.
In the second quarter Crocker scored on a 6-yard run, and in the third quarter Rayfield found junior Jadon Richard open in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown play.
In the first half the Foxcroft defense helped its shutout effort by forcing Winthrop into a bad snap on a punt attempt and later stopping the opposition on a fourth down at the Rambler-39. The ensuing possession would not result in any points as Foxcroft opted to run off the last 2:52 of the first half to preserve a 17-0 advantage.
The Rayfield-to-Richard touchdown pass came on the first possession of the second half. This was followed by another three-and-out by the Foxcroft defense to set up a punt from the Rambler 22-yard line. The snap was off over the punter’s head and a tackle in the end zone resulted in a safety.
Marsters, who earlier in the game kicked a 35-yard field goal, scored on a 22-yard run on the possession following Winthrop’s post-safety free kick.