Mt. Ararat senior linebacker/offensive lineman Dan Jackson remembers the hard times on the high school football field. Tough, one-sided defeats including playoff blowouts at talented Marshwood and Kennebunk were memories the Eagle seniors carried into this season.
So, forgive Jackson and his senior classmates from whooping it up, or as professional wrestler Rick Flair might say — Woo! — after his team’s 52-20 victory over Yarmouth on Saturday in the large school eight-man semifinals and the Topsham Fairgrounds.
Mt. Ararat (7-2) will have a third chance at figuring out undefeated Maranacook next Friday in the large school final, with a trip to the first-ever Maine High School Eight-Man Championship slated for Nov. 16 at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.
“What a great moment for these kids and this program,” said Mt. Ararat coach Frank True of his team’s victory. “They are executing what we are putting in, and playing tough, tackling at key moments. I couldn’t be prouder of these guys. These seniors have gone through so much, and to have a special year that we are having is great.”
“These are probably my last days of football, so to keep driving, to keep going, is amazing. To get a win like this is just awesome,” said Jackson, who finished with 11 tackles.
Yarmouth, the No. 3 seed, put up a fight, trailing just 24-20 after quarterback Jack McGrath went 32 yards for a score after a long kickoff return by Clipper Wyatt Sullivan. But Mt. Ararat answered when Holden Brannan took a handoff and sprinted down the Mt. Ararat sideline for a 68-yard score and a 32-20 advantage.
From there, the Eagle defense stood tall, holding the Clippers to 53 yards of offense on their next three drives, thanks to standout performances from Nolan Blessington, Kyle Graffam, Cody Holman and Riley Morin.
Offensively, Mt. Ararat found its groove, getting a pair of TD runs from Morin and a 1-yard plunge by Kyle Graffam as the Eagles scored the final 28 points.
“We trusted the process and went at it,” Jackson said. “Enough was enough, and we were able to make some tackles. Without the contain and our corners coming down and pursuing, it is tough to stop the quarterback. We were able to get it done.”
Mt. Ararat opened the game with a 50-yard drive to the end zone, with Brannan scoring on a 5-yard run before hauling in the 2-point conversion pass from quarterback Cam Wallace for an 8-0 Eagle lead.
Clippers answer
Yarmouth, which fell to Mt. Ararat 44-7 on Sept. 27, quickly answered. Sullivan returned the kickoff 63 yards, and Sam Mason finished the short drive with a TD run.
Mason recovered a fumble on Mt. Ararat’s second drive, and McGrath quickly gave the visitors a 12-8 lead when he found a hole and ran 70 yards to pay dirt.
“We gave Jack a lot of liberties to make the calls at the line of scrimmage, and he got up in there and made the right calls. He is a great quarterback,” said Yarmouth coach Jim Hartman.
Early in the second quarter, Mt. Ararat regained the lead, with Wallace plunging in on a quarterback sneak. The conversion run by Brannan made it a 16-12 contest.
With Yarmouth keying on stopping Morin inside, Brannan found room on the outside, with his 46-yard TD run with three minutes left in the first half giving him 105 yards at the break.
In the second half, Morin rushed 139 of his game-high 238 yards on 23 carries, while Brannan finished with 200 yards on just 15 rushes.
“It was good to see that we were able to do what we do,” said Brannan. “My important job is to give that speed on the outside. Plus, Riley hit the outside hard today, which I felt was key to the win.”
Mt. Ararat picked up 486 yards on the ground, and held Yarmouth to 98 yards of total offense in the second half. McGrath was the top Clipper rusher, gaining 187 yards on 19 lugs, with Sullivan adding 42 rushing yards and Mason 24.
Now comes round three against Maranacook, which topped Ellsworth on Friday. The Black Bears hung a pair of defeats — 38-18 and 34-24 — on the Eagles during the regular season.
“We are going to put the work in, do what it takes. It is a heck of an opponent in Readfield, and it will be an exciting game,” said True.
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