The powerhouse defending Class C state champion Yarmouth football team took another emphatic step toward a repeat crown Friday night.
Hosting fourth-ranked Lisbon in a rematch of last year’s memorable regional final, the No. 1 Clippers again demonstrated that their offense is second to none and that their defense and special teams are superb as well as they held the Greyhounds in check in a 38-0 victory.
Yarmouth improved to 10-0, extended its two-year win streak to 22, ended Lisbon’s season at 7-3 and advanced to host No. 2 Traip (8-2) in the Western C Final Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
“It was a pretty good win,” said Clippers coach Jim Hartman. “The kids played very well. You never know what you’ll get from Lisbon. Some teams you know what’s coming and you just have to line up and stop it. You never know with them.”
Quick start
Yarmouth, which won all eight regular season games with varying degrees of ease before ousting No. 8 Oak Hill (45-6) in the quarterfinals, didn’t just edge the Greyhounds in last year’s regional final, 14-12. The Clippers also had their way with visiting Lisbon back on Sept. 30, 34-6.
Saturday produced more of the same.
An early Lisbon fumble gave Yarmouth the ball at the 41. Senior standout Anders Overhaug then took the second play from scrimmage 41 yards for the score with 10:15 left in the first quarter.
“The hole opened up,” said Overhaug. “I cut around a linebacker and went down the sidelines.”
Yarmouth nearly doubled the lead on its next possession but had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by senior Bryce Snyder late in the first quarter.
Then, the first of three Lisbon interceptions set up another Yarmouth score. Junior Caleb Uhl finished off a four-play drive with a 1-yard run for a 17-0 lead with 5:57 left in the half.
Yarmouth got the ball to start the second half and it took just one play to make it 24-0. Overhaug burst up the middle and outran the Lisbon defense for a 69-yard score with 11:41 left.
“It was another big hole,” said Overhaug. “I just split the two safeties. It was great blocking up front.”
The Clippers added a 2-yard TD run from sophomore quarterback Brady Neujahr late in the third. Uhl scored on a 37-yard scamper in the fourth.
“We changed our motions and formations package against them,” said Hartman. “We don’t just have very good athletes but also smart kids. We just changed things. We had an inkling about what was going to happen and changed some things.”
Overhaug had two touchdowns and 151 yards rushing on 17 carries. Uhl added a pair of scores and 139 yards on 15 tries. The Clippers ground out 324 yards on 50 carries.
“I thought it was an outstanding performance by our three running backs,” said Jim Hartman. “Anders and Caleb ran with authority. (Junior) Matt Woodbury had an outstanding game. He made some blocks for us and gave us some balance.”
Lisbon totalled just 124 yards, 104 of which came on the ground.
Saturday showdown
Yarmouth faces Traip for the first time ever in the postseason. The teams played back on Sept. 17 in Kittery and the Clippers went on to a 27-7 victory.
Yarmouth will have its hands full in the regional final, but likes its chances at home.
“I’m glad we played Oak Hill (in the quarterfinals) since they’re similar to Traip,” said Hartman. “They’re a very good team. Big and strong. They’ll come at us downhill. I hope our speed makes the difference. It’ll come down to special teams. It always does in the playoffs. We’ll have to win those battles. Our crowd will be our 12th man and our turf will be our 13th.”
Sun Journal staff writer Kevin Mills contributed to this story.
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
Sidebar Elements
Yarmouth junior Caleb Uhl tries to elude a Lisbon defender during the teams’ Western C semifinal Friday night. Uhl ran for two TDs as the Clippers advanced, 38-0.
Yarmouth sophomore Nathaniel Shields-Auble brings down a Lisbon ballcarrier Friday. The Clippers host Traip Academy in the regional final Saturday afternoon.
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