THORNDIKE — Colby Furrow doesn’t play football like a guy playing his first varsity season. He certainly doesn’t play football like a guy who snapped his fibula 14 months ago.
A senior, Furrow has fit right into the Mount View offense, becoming a spark for a Mustangs team that is looking to build on last season’s seven wins and reach the Little Ten Conference playoffs for a second consecutive season. On Saturday, the Mustangs (4-2) host Dexter (5-1) in a game that is crucial to their playoff chances. There’s no doubt Furrow will be a factor in the game plan.
“He’s caught on really well. A great receiver,” Mount View coach Haggie Pratt said of Furrow. “He’s got really good speed. If we can get him out on the perimeter, he can score at any time.”
Furrow has 34 carries for 396 yards and four touchdowns. As a receiver, he’s caught 14 passes for 223 yards and five touchdowns, including three in a 42-6 victory at Ellsworth last week. Throw in two special teams touchdowns, four 2-point conversions, and 12 extra point kicks, and Furrow has 86 points scored. That’s third-best in the Little Ten Conference, behind Keenan Collett of Orono (94 points) and Matthew Vincent of Bucksport (88 points).
“He’s fast. When he gets to the outside, he gets by defenders pretty quick. He makes them miss a lot,” said Furrow’s teammate Devan Davis, another one of Mount View’s offensive threats.
Furrow played football between the ages 8 and 12, but switched to soccer in junior high. Last year, at the urging of his friends on the football team, Furrow came back to the sport. Furrow was on track to be a contributor to the Mustangs when he broke his lower left fibula returning a kickoff in a preseason exhibition game against Belfast.
“I heard it snap. I tried to get up and hope for the best, but nope, it gave out and I just laid there,” Furrow said. “I didn’t really cry from the pain, but I knew I was going to be out so I shed a couple tears and knew I would be out for the season.”
Furrow stayed with the Mustangs throughout the season. Although he couldn’t take the field, he wasn’t going to abandon the team.
“It was basically a wash. He hung around, learned some of the plays, mentally, but didn’t get to execute anything,” Pratt said.
Added Furrow: “All of the upperclassmen, they’re all my friends, and I wanted to stick with them and cheer them on as the season went on.”
Healed and healthy this season, Furrow was still a little nervous when he took the field for his first kick return since the injury. A little fear crept into his mind.
“I was thinking about that. The ball didn’t go to me, so I went and made a block,” Furrow said. “Every time, I just forget about it. I get the ball and run hard. (The fear’s) gone now.”
Furrow’s skill set makes him a versatile weapon for the Mustangs. He can run between the tackles, Pratt said, but often, the 5-foot-10, 160-pound Furrow is at his best when he’s finding space on the perimeter on one of Mount View’s option plays.
“Every time we run toss, I get this look on my face. I get the ball and run as hard as I can,” Furrow said.
Furrow leads the Mustangs in receptions, and five of quarterback Rayno Boivin’s touchdown tosses have been to Furrow, his favorite target.
“I don’t think he’s dropped a pass all season,” Pratt said. “We do a lot of things with him. When teams try to compensate for some of the stuff we’re doing during a game, we use him somewhere else. He’s very reliable.”
It’s what Furrow is able to do after the catch that also makes him dangerous. One of his touchdown catches at Ellsworth last week was a quick hit in the middle of the field that he took for a long play.
“Just a nice little pop pass right up the middle. They never saw it coming,” Furrow said.
Davis points a play against Houlton, a 47-13 Mount View win, as one of Furrow’s best of the season. Three defenders closed in on Furrow, ready to make the tackle.
“Somehow, he slipped by all of them and ran for the touchdown,” Davis said.
Davis and fullback Darrin Cook are other key contributors in Mount View’s offense. Furrow’s presence opens up opportunities for all of them, Davis said.
“I think teams are keying on both of us, if they can,” Davis said. “If not, one of us, which will open up things for one or another.”
“It’s going to be tough to cover both Devan and Colby. I think they’re equal in what they do,” Pratt said. “We get one on either side of the field, it’s tough for teams in Class D to cover them both.”
Coming back to football, them coming back again after his broken leg, is a decision Furrow and his teammates are happy he made.
“We had a good season last year, and he can see where our program is coming along and improving, and he wanted to stick it out. We’re thankful he did,” Pratt said.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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