BRUNSWICK — Brunswick scored fast and often in the first quarter, racing out to a 29-0 lead and never looking back, taking down Gardiner, 50-14, in Class B North football action on Whittier Field at Bowdoin College on Friday night.
The Dragons improved to 5-0 and will travel to play Falmouth/Greely this upcoming Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Tigers fell to 1-4.
After putting up 50 points a week earlier at Lawrence, Brunswick duplicated the effort with its fourth game of 47 points or more thus far this season.
Owen Richardson paced the 224-yard run attack with 67 yards and three touchdowns. Mitch Lienert rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown on five carries, while Cam Hathaway had four carries for 39 yards and a score. Cody Larson added 27 and Wes Cooper picked up 18.
“Our whole backfield is good,” Brunswick coach Dan Cooper said. “They are all fast, tough, and all run hard, plus our quarterback (Noah Goddard) makes it more of a threat because he can run or throw it. We’re really blessed to have depth in that area.”
After Gardiner punted on its opening drive, it only took one play for Brunswick to score as Hathaway broke through the line for a 36-yard score. Cam Folsom’s kick was good for a quick 7-0 lead.
Brunswick’s Wes Coffin intercepted a Noah Reed pass on the following drive, but the Dragon drive stalled on the 1-yard line after a fumbled snap on fourth down.
After a Gardiner three-and-out, Brunswick started with another short field and scored on six plays, getting a Richardson dive near the pylon on fourth down for the score.
“We had a couple of times early on we were stuck down inside the 20. We had some stops here and there, but they overpowered us as they have a good running team and they took it to us. That’s what championship level teams do,” Gardiner coach Joe White said.
On the first play of the next drive, Brunswick’s Jack Harvey intercepted Gardiner quarterback Sean Michaud and returned it 43 yards for the score.
“He has been playing really well for us all season, he made a great read right there,” Cooper said of his defensive leader.
Lienert added a late touchdown in the first quarter for the Dragons and Hathaway opened the second quarter with his second score for a 35-0 Dragons lead 37 seconds into the second quarter.
Meanwhile, the Brunswick defense held its ground on the turf, not allowing a Tiger first down until midway through the second quarter.
“This group of senior guys on the defense have been playing together since second and third grade, so we trust each other with every play. We know each guy has our back,” Richardson said about the defense.
Gardiner put together a drive that took them into Dragons territory for the first time on the night. But the visitors were stopped on the Brunswick 16.
A Brunswick fumble on the next play gave the ball right back to the Tigers and they capitalized with a 16-yard strike from Reed to George Ricker to put the visitors on the board.
Brunswick took a 42-7 lead into the halftime break, rushing for 152 first-half yards, while only allowing 72 total yards on defense (41 rushing, 31 passing).
With the Dragons leading by 35 points, Brunswick began substituting the defense as the second half began with running time. With the Gardiner starters still in the game, Michaud ran for 45 yards on three carries to punch it into the end zone, and after a Connor Bell point–after kick, the score was 42-14.
“I told them at the half to keep playing football,” White said. “It’s a football game, we’re playing a good team, so we just need to strap it up and do what your taught.”
Cooper put his starting offense back in the game after replacing them late in the first half and Brunswick marched down the field for a three-minute, 81-yard drive, aided by three Gardiner personal–foul penalties and capped off by a Richardson powerful 12-yard run, breaking two tackles and pushing through a trio of Tigers for the score. Goddard found Hathaway with a pass in the end zone for the 2-point conversion for a 50-14 lead with 4:34 remaining in the third quarter.
“The coaches here at Brunswick take the weight room very seriously,” Richardson said about his strong run. “We are in the weight room all off season. That goes hand and hand with our downhill running style.”
Michaud finished with 99 yards rushing for Gardiner, while Reed was 5-for-10 in the air for 84 yards and a score.
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