WINSLOW — The Winslow and Waterville high school football teams are at different levels of development. That was readily apparent Saturday.
Winslow won the annual Battle of the Bridge 61-7 and will enter the playoffs seeking a third consecutive Class C state title. Waterville finished an 0-8 season.
“It’s a whole new season and we’ll get ready for the playoffs,” Winslow Coach Mike Siviski said.
Winslow (7-1), the No. 3 seed in the Class C North playoffs, will be home against sixth-ranked Old Town (4-4) in the regional quarterfinals next Saturday, in a rematch of last season’s regional final.
Saturday’s win was Winslow’s fifth straight win over the Purple Panthers, who lead the all-time series, 51-34-4.
Winslow outgained Waterville 436 yards to 90. Nate St. Amand scored on runs of 5, 46, 10 and 20 yards. St. Amand had just eight carries, gaining 115 yards.
“It’s just incredible. We work so hard in practice all week, to come out here and have a big win, it’s really nice,” St. Amand said.
Ryan Fredette opened the scoring with a 50-yard run on Winslow’s first play, 29 seconds into the game. Patrick Hopkins scored on a 4-yard run early in the second quarter to make it 42-7. A 38-yard run by Dylan Hutchinson and a 24-yard fumble return by Keanu Earle gave the Black Raiders a 55-7 halftime lead.
Waterville’s touchdown came on a 9-yard run by quarterback Jack Thompson midway through the first quarter. Thompson is one of a handful of Waterville sophomores asked to play a lot this season. John Evans, a sophomore two-way lineman, showed versatility with a 48-yard kick return Saturday. Sophomore tight end Cooper Hart caught three passes for 27 yards.
“In a season like this, there’s a lot of things to consider. Although the record doesn’t show it, there’s a lot of bright spots,” Waterville Coach Matt Gilley said.
“There are a lot of football players that made some big plays that are in position that under normal circumstances, they’d probably be dominating a (junior varsity) schedule, getting ready to step up as juniors. That’s just not where we’re at.”
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