Cape Elizabeth’s football players have spent the last few seasons setting the groundwork for a quality football program. Saturday, three games into their first season in Class B, the Capers found out what a war high school football can be.
Saturday’s challenge came in the form of an unbeaten York team, complete with physical players and an in-your-face quarterback.
On paper this game goes down as a 16-8 loss, but the Capers come away with a wealth of experience, a shot of confidence and the surety that they can compete with this league’s best.
“We played hard and they played hard,” said Ben Weimont, who had to step in at tailback in the second half when starter Kyle Toot went down with a twisted ankle. “I’m all battered up. All these guys are. But we left it all out on the field.”
Cape had cruised through wins over Fryeburg Academy (54-8) and Falmouth (42-6) in its first two games this season, but York took control early on. A York interception on the third play of the game, then a lengthy drive pushed the ball inside the Cape 10-yard line.
Cape staged a dramatic four-play goal line stand, got the ball back, but then fumbled it back to the visitors three plays later.
Another four-play series ended without a touchdown, Devon Freitas providing the needed pressure on York quarterback Christopher Knox on an incomplete fourth-down pass attempt.
York finally scored, though, late in the first quarter when Knox threw to Anthony Romano for a 21-yard touchdown, then found tailback Zachary Pruger on a two-point pass.
York broke onto the scoreboard again midway through the second quarter, countering a Cape fumble recovery by Adam Danielson with a second interception to set up the touchdown. York’s Pruger scored the TD on a 23-yard run, Knox’ run tacking on another two points.
“They were pretty much what we expected,” said Cape coach Aaron Filieo. “We knew they would be physical. But we made a lot of mistakes, mental and physical, no question about it.”
But Filieo’s team came out with renewed confidence in the second half and near the end of the third quarter, quarterback Mike Kertes led his team on a scoring drive.
The series included passes to Ben Rautenberg and Vinnie Moulton and ended when Kertes raced around right end on a quarterback keeper, a 5-yard touchdown run. Kertes then ran for the two point conversion, but that was to be it for the game’s scoring.
Toot had been gaining consistently at tailback for the Capers and set up the winning drive with a big punt return. But he went down with the ankle sprain on a late hit and watched the rest of the game sprawled out on the bench, an icepack on the wound.
Kertes conceded the game was “much more physical” than the team’s first two challenges, “but we knew that coming in. We did a lot more tackling in practice, because we knew this would be a lot rougher.
“We’re a fast team,” Kertes said. “We don’t try to bowl people over. We try to run around them.”
Kertes said he believes the outcome would have been different had the field not been soggy thanks to an early weekend rain.
“We play on dry turf, I think we win hands down,” the quarterback said. “I’m pretty confident of that.”
Cape had a last-gasp chance to win it anyway, driving down the field in the final three minutes.
Kertes, who had thrown three interceptions earlier, caught fire and completed three passes, the most effective a 26-yarder to a diving Weimont, good for 23 yards to the York 37-yard line. A 10-yard Kertes run moved the ball inside the York 30, but Knox shut the door with a fourth York interception in the final minute.
“We played with them,” said Filieo, whose team has another giant battle – at 3-0 Greely this Friday night. “We’re as good as any team in this league. We believe that. They believe that. And we’ll bounce back.”
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