WINSLOW — Thanks to the Waterville and Winslow high school booster clubs, the Battle of the Bridge football game now has a trophy. Winslow senior running back Dylan Hapworth appreciated the gesture, but after Saturday’s 35-7 win over the Purple Panthers from across the Kennebec River, Hapworth had bigger goals in mind.

“I don’t want that trophy yet,” Hapworth said. “We’re probably going to play them again.”

Hapworth ran for 201 yards on a dozen carries and scored three touchdowns as part of a Black Raider team that dominated on both sides of the ball. Winslow is now 7-0 heading into next week’s regular season finale at Hermon. Waterville, now 6-1, ends the regular season at Madison.

Winslow out-gained Waterville 409 yards to 237. The Black Raiders ran for 360 yards while limiting the Panthers’ strong running game to 143 yards on 41 carries.

“We’re just pleased with the overall team. The defense was really solid,” Winslow coach Mike Siviski said.

The tone of the game was set on the first drive of the game. Waterville kept the drive going on a fake punt run by Trevor Gray for 30 yards, but the Panthers stalled at the Winslow 3, grinding out a six minute, 56 second drive with nothing to show for it.

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On the third play of the ensuing possession, Winslow scored on Hapworth’s 89 yard touchdown run down the home sideline.

“We did what we came out set to do. Winslow’s the toughest team we’ve faced all year,” Waterville coach Matt Gilley said. “Once you’re on the goal line, once you’ve worked all that way, you can’t give that up. You’ve got to punch it in no matter what.”

Added Siviski: “We stopped them on that first drive and that was key. Games like this, you never know what can happen.”

Winslow’s Dylan Hutchinson intercepted an AJ Godin pass near midfield on Waterville’s next drive, and Hapworth scored on a 19-yard run on the first play of the second quarter for a 14-0 lead.

“Just a big hole. I’m just really happy with what our line did today. It was great,” Hapworth said. “We’re just sticking to our things. We just do the same thing every game.”

Later in the quarter, the Black Raiders got the ball back when Waterville touched a rolling punt. Winslow capitalized on the miscue when Justin Martin caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Bobby Chenard for a 20-0 lead.

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Waterville committed five turnovers to Winslow’s one, including a fumble at the Winslow 4 with just over four minutes left in the game.

“Mental mistakes, that’s it. We knew what was coming. A few mental lapses; they’ve got explosive players, and that’s what you get for it,” Gilley said.

Waterville’s touchdown game on a nice fourth-and-21 pass from Godin to Cam Thomas that went for a 35-yard score with 3:51 left in the first half. Each of Waterville three possessions in the second half ended with a turnover, with two interceptions by Martin in the third quarter leading to Winslow scores.

“My job is to guard (Dan) Pooler in the flats, and (Godin) pretty much threw it to me both times,” Martin said. “They have a pretty big line. We pretty much just out-quicked their line. Our linebackers stepped up today.”

Chenard threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jake Trask with 1:13 left in the third quarter to push Winslow’s lead to 28-7. With 10:26 left in the game, Hapworth broke free for a 30-yard touchdown run.

“I think we improved. I think we played better today than we did against Belfast (a 62-6 win on Oct. 3),” Siviski said.

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Thomas gained 96 yards for Waterville, 56 rushing and 40 receiving. Pooler gained 78 yards for the Panthers, 47 on the ground and 31 through the air.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM


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