BRUNSWICK — Opposing defenses have struggled of late to slow the high-powered Cony offense.
Turns out, not even the weather, which Friday night featured a tough, steady rain, can either.
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Junior quarterback Ben Lucas completed 13 of 21 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns to help Cony hammer previously unbeaten Brunswick 34-7 in a key Pine Tree Conference Class A game before about 500 spectators.
“We knew it was going to be tough throwing in this weather, but we came out and executed,” said Lucas, who threw touchdown passes to Tayler Carrier, Jonathan Saban and Brandon St. Michel. “This is a huge win for us. Last year they beat us 35-7 at our Homecoming game, and to come out on their Homecoming and beat them by basically the same score, it feels good.”
The Rams (4-1), who scored 34 unanswered points, won a fourth consecutive game for the first time since the end of the 2007 regular season.
“This win is a big statement,” said Carrier, whose 50-yard touchdown reception early in the second quarter snapped a 7-7 game and gave the Rams the lead for good. “People are going to have to take notice.”
Added St. Michel, who rushed for a team-high 89 yards and scored two touchdowns: “People need to realize that we can compete.”
The Rams kept Jared Jensen and the Brunswick offense out of the end zone. Jensen, the leading rusher in the PTC A, did return a interception 28 yards for a score with 5 minutes, 36 seconds left in the first quarter to help give the Dragons a 7-0 lead.
The powerful senior running back rushed for 176 yards on 24 carries, but took a pounding from a swarming Cony defense. Jensen, who came in averaging 326 rushing yards and four touchdowns a game, was pulled toward the end of the fourth quarter.
“Our offense gets a lot of recognition, and rightfully so,” Cony coach Robby Vachon said. “But our defense came to play.”
The Cony defense, with an assist to the weather, forced six Brunswick turnovers. The Dragons (4-1) had 11 fumbles, losing four of them.
“I felt if we could hold onto the ball, we could move it on them,” Brunswick coach Dan Cooper said. “But we struggled to do that. Once (Cony) got a head of steam, they kept the foot on the gas.”
St. Michel rushed for a 6-yard touchdown late in the first quarter before Carrier caught the 50-yard pass from Lucas with 8:09 left in the second.
Carrier was not the intended receiver on the play.
“It was a broken play,” he said. “I kind of made it up on my own. I’m glad it worked.”
Cony defensive back John Bennett picked off a Jason Carter pass and raced 67 yards for a touchdown with 4:23 left in the second quarter. Zach Lachance kicked the extra point and Cony was up 21-7.
It stayed that way until Lucas hit Saban for a 33-yard pass with 4:30 left in the third.
“I felt great throwing in this weather,” said Lucas, who’s thrown 16 touchdown passes this season.
Lucas would cap the scoring when he found St. Michel on a well-executed screen pass that went for 65 yards and a touchdown with 5:50 left in the fourth quarter.
“We didn’t run it too many times,” St. Michel said. “But it worked. Once I got to the outside I just kept going.”
Bill Stewart — 621-5640
bstewart@centralmaine.com
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