BRUNSWICK — There were a lot of things to be excited about prior to Friday night’s Class B North football game at Brunswick High School.
First, the Dragons were playing their first “home” game on their turf behind the school, having hosted three games at Bowdoin College this season while the high school track project was completed.
Second, prior to facing the 1-5 Brewer Witches, Brunswick seniors were honored.
The celebration continued after kickoff, as the Dragons scored the game’s first 42 points en route to a 56-18 victory, giving Brunswick a 7-0 record with only a road trip to Oakland next week (Friday, 7 p.m.) against winless Messalonskee standing between a perfect regular season.
A special “Senior Night” tradition that began back in 2006 that sees a Brunswick senior wear the No. 34 football jersey of former Dragon running back Adam Aube, a 2005 Brunswick graduate who passed away during training with the U.S. Marine Corps, also takes place.
This year’s honor went to senior running back Owen Richardson, who did his best imitation of Aube by slicing and bullying his way through the Brewer defense for 115 yards and four touchdowns in the first half.
“It was a big honor. I found out Thursday after the practice that the family selected me personally, and I have never been more proud to be a Dragon than I am today,” said Richardson. “I went out and ran a few plays that we could be successful against them, and my line blocked well. I just followed them.”
“It is always awesome to see his number on the field and honor him. I am always glad to honor him,” said Brunswick coach Dan Cooper.
Brunswick dominated after its opening drive went for a three-and-out against the Brewer (1-6) defense. The Dragons stepped up on defense on the Witches’ first series, with senior Treyvon McKenzie sacking Brewer quarterback Anthony Chiappone for a 10-yard loss on the first play.
“It set the tone for the whole game, and I felt like I was in there on almost every play,” said McKenzie after his six tackles that included two sacks. “Our defense is the best thing about our team and is what wins games.
The first three Brewer plays lost 12 yards, with the Witches forced to punt.
Brunswick’s second drive began a run of six straight touchdowns for the hosts. A 36-yard pass from quarterback Noah Goddard (2-for-5, 69 yards) moved the Dragons to the Brewer 3-yard line, and Richardson scored on the next play for a 7-0 lead.
Another three-and-out followed for Brewer, and a 42-yard punt return by Richardson had the Dragons playing with a short field. Cody Larson finished off the quick drive with a 9-yard TD run and a 14-0 advantage.
Brewer’s first of two turnovers followed, with Cam Hathaway intercepting a Chiappone pass. After a Brunswick penalty, Goddard hooked up with Chandler Coombs for a 33-yard TD strike and a 21-0 lead after a quarter.
The second quarter went about the same for the Witches, who had trouble gaining much traction on offense. Brewer gained just nine yards in the first half.
“The defense is a huge key to what we do, with everyone making the tackles,” said Richardson, who finished off his first-half performance with touchdown runs of 25, 10 and four for a 42-0 halftime advantage. Hathaway picked up 49 yards in the first half, while Larson added 35 yards on the ground.
Playing at BHS was not lost on the Dragons.
“The atmosphere at Bowdoin was pretty wild, but there is nothing like playing here on our home field,” McKenzie said.
“We were really looking forward to playing here,” said Cooper. “I didn’t think we were as sharp as we could have been, but that might be something to do with looking past Brewer a little bit.”
Brunswick gained 285 yards in the first half and picked up eight first downs. The only drawback for the Dragons were six penalties totaling 65 yards, including three 15-yard infractions and an ejection.
The second half was a battle of the backups. Brewer scored on all three of its possessions, with Jordan Bartlett (seven carries, 85 yards, TD) and Cameron Hughes (8-65) accounting for most of the yards.
Brunswick also found success. Despite running only six plays as the teams played with a running clock, the Dragons totaled 182 yards. Kyle LaDuke scored on a 52-yard jaunt, while Dalton Cooper busted through the Brewer defense and sprinted away for a 95-yard score. The sophomore gained 126 yards on just three carries.
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