KITTERY – Two weeks ago, the Freeport football team played one of its best games in the program’s short, four-year history, scoring six first-half touchdowns in a dominating 49-0 shutout of Sacopee Valley.
Last Saturday, the Falcons got a taste of what it’s like to be on the other end of it as they went down to a 31-0 defeat to a supremely physical and confident Traip Academy side in Kittery for their first defeat of the season. The Rangers scored two first-quarter touchdowns and rode a dominating defensive effort that allowed the Falcons a net of just 81 yards from scrimmage the rest of the way.
With the shutout, Traip hasn’t allowed a point in its first three games, outscoring its opponents 111-0. For a team that dressed just 19 players, the Rangers played a punishing brand of football, using its superior size up front to its advantage throughout.
“We take pride in defense, we really do, we take pride in giving up no points,” Traip coach Ron Ross said. “That line of scrimmage, that’s where it all happens. If our line is having a good day than we’re probably going to pitch a shutout. It’s hard to be physical with just 19 guys, but we do it well. We’ll ride and die with those 19 guys.”
Even though his squad was well beaten on the day, Freeport coach Rob Grover said he thought the teams were closer than the scoreboard indicated, and that a few mistakes at key junctures in the game were the difference.
“They were (the better team) today, but I think we can play with them, we just made some costly mistakes at costly times,” Grover said. “They didn’t just blow us up all over the field, I didn’t see that, maybe other people did. Overall I thought we played very tough with them and we can play with them. There’s no doubt, that’s how I feel.”
Traip opened the game with the ball and marched down the field, utilizing a three-back, two-tight end set and an offensive line averaging 241 pounds to run right at the heart of the Freeport defense. The Rangers controlled the line of scrimmage in the early going, opening holes for Cory Aldecoa, who carried the ball six times for 37 yards on the 5:19, 55-yard drive that was capped by a Devon Draker 1-yard run.
In comparison, Freeport had the ball for only two plays on its opening possession before running back Jared Polley fumbled, giving Traip the ball back with a 41-yard field.
The Falcons made a stand and forced a fourth and 10, but Traip receiver Atencio Martin beat a pair of Freeport defenders, perhaps with a bit of a push off, for a 26-yard TD catch to make it 13-0 less than 11 minutes in.
“Them going up by two scores early, that hurt, I thought that definitely was the difference,” Grover said. “We had to match them drive for drive and we didn’t do that.”
Freeport drove the ball into the Traip half twice in the second quarter before turning the ball on downs, and when Traip quarterback Chris Czachor found Draker wide open over the middle for a 32-yard touchdown pass late in the half, the game was all but over.
In total, the Rangers outgained Freeport 210 yards to 51 in the first half.
“We wanted to come out and put them away in the first half because we’ve got a big demon next week,” Ross said, referring to his team’s game with two-time defending state champs Yarmouth next week. “All in all it was a good effort in the first half. In the second half we just took it easy, trying to stay healthy for bigger and better things.”
Traip then added a 37-yard field goal from Christian Montembeau in the third quarter and another touchdown late in the fourth to cruise to a 31-0 victory.
Aldecoa spearheaded the attack with 75 yards rushing, all in the first half, while Draker added 55 yards on the ground and 69 on three catches through the air.
Polley led Freeport with 44 yards rushing, while quarterback James Purdy was 4 for 10 for 43 yards through the air, finding Joe Nixon twice for 22 yards.
Freeport will now travel to Lisbon Falls on Saturday to take on a Greyhounds squad coming off a 48-0 win of its own over Winthrop. Attention to detail and correcting the small mistakes that turned into a big loss against Traip will be the focus this week, Grover said.
“It’s a big time for the kids, sometimes they fail and sometimes they succeed,” he said. “It’s hard to get those crucial mistakes at crucial times to stop happening. That’s the thing we’ve just got to work on.”
Freeport running back Jared Polley tries to break free from Traip Academy linebacker Devon Draker in the first quarter. Polly led the Falcons with 44 yards on the ground, but the Rangers went on to defeat the Freeport 31-0. (Staff photos by Cameron Dunbar)
Freeport linebacker Dan Burke and Traip Academy receiver Nate Henderson contest for a pass in the end zone early in the first quarter Saturday. The pass would fall incomplete.
Freeport fullback Dan Burke hauls in a pass and races up the sideline with Traip Academy linebacker Devon Draker in pursuit.
Freeport defenders Joe Nixon (12) and Cameron Buthlay (43) try to take down Traip Academy fullback Devon Draker in the third quarter Saturday.
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