DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Foxcroft Academy football team left nothing to chance in its quest for a return trip to the Class D final.
Led by running back Caden Crocker, who accounted for 135 total yards (79 rushing, 56 receiving) the No. 1 ranked Ponies rumbled past No. 4 Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale 32-0 in a Class D semifinal Friday night at Oakes Field.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Crocker, a senior. “This is what we’ve been working for all year… We brought it today and got the win.”
Foxcroft (9-1), the defending Class D champion, will play in the state final on Nov. 19 at Cameron Stadium in Bangor.
“It’s hard, it’s really hard to win (a state title), let alone get back to it again,” Foxcroft head coach Danny White said. “Regardless of who we play (next week), we’re going to put in a good week of preparation and give our best effort next Saturday.”
The Ramblers finished 6-4.
Though listed as a running back, Crocker was moved around as both a back and wide receiver all evening. It opened opportunities for his teammates, particularly in the run game.
“In my opinion, he’s one of the best players in the state of Maine,” White said. “He is tremendous in all aspects of the game, and he changes what the other team does, it’s as simple as that. We just try to take advantage when we can.”
The most impressive performance may have come from the Ponies defense. Foxcroft held Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale to just 61 offensive yards. The Ramblers tried all evening to pound the defense with the run game, either up the gut or with sweeps, to no avail.
Foxcroft Academy’s DJ Scheel, left, grabs the facemark of Winthrop/Monmouth /Hall-Dale’s Robby Feeney during a Class D semifinal football game Friday in Dover-Foxcroft. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
“We’ve been challenging our defense in practice,” White said. “Tonight was a culmination of all their work, because they were brilliant in all phases of the game, but they were brilliant on defense.”
“We couldn’t stress enough, we had to shut them out today,” Crocker said. “Our defense needed to step up and make plays, and we did that.”
The Foxcroft offense was strong from the start, marching 41 yards on four plays. Quarterback Wyatt Rayfield hit Crocker on a shovel pass for a 7-yard touchdown. Kemsley Marsters’ extra point gave the Ponies a 7-0 lead.
Marsters, a junior, proved to be a force with his leg, as he booted a 35-yard field goal to give Foxcroft a 10-0 lead on its second drive.
On its next possession, Foxcroft went on a six-play, 41-yard drive, which Crocker capped with a 6-yard touchdown run to give the Ponies a 17-0 lead.
Rayfield hit Jadon Richard on a 10-yard touchdown pass, and Marsters added a 22-yard touchdown run for the final two Foxcroft scores in the second half.
Marsters rushed for 59 yards on eight carries, while Finn Holmes had 48 rushing yards on seven carries. Rayfield was 9 of 12 passing for 73 yards, tossing two touchdowns and an interception.
The Rambler defense was able to make a stand in the red zone in the fourth quarter, when Nick Keezer intercepted a Rayfield pass in the corner of the end zone.
“(Foxcroft) really outplayed us,” Ramblers head coach Dave St. Hilaire said. “They were more physical, they were stopping us on the edge, they were shutting down Dom (Trott) at fullback. We tried to do some different things. But (Foxcroft) can run, they can pass, they do so many things well. We knew we had to come up and had to get some breaks and play well. We didn’t play as well as we thought.”
Robby Feeney had 22 yards on 10 carries for the Ramblers.
It’s the third win for the Ponies over the Ramblers over the past year. Foxcroft beat Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale 19-16 in the Class D final last year. The Ponies also beat the Ramblers 28-27 in the season opener on Sept. 2 in Winthrop.
St. Hilaire spoke highly of his seniors after the game.
“I commend these guys for solid careers,” St. Hilaire said. “This is the first away game they’ve lost in their career. Two semifinal (appearances) and a state championship game (appearance), they did well.”
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