Deering sophomore kick returner Dominic Lauture had three good returns Thursday night against Bonny Eagle. Two of them led to touchdowns. Lauture ran back the opening kickoff 33 yards. On the next play, quarterback Jamie Ross went deep to receiver John Hardy for 49 yards. The Rams scored three plays later for a brief lead.

Once Bonny Eagle shook its early penalty problems and got its running attack going, the Scots took control. Quarterback Matt Rollins and running backs Nick Adkins and Ethan Thorne, combined for almost 400 yards rushing.

The Scots scored just before halftime for a 28-12 lead. Rollins scored from the 1 after running 62 yards on first down. Early in the second quarter, Lauture bounced back from a fumbled kickoff return that led to the Scots taking the lead with a 30-yard return. He added a 25-yard return prior to halftime.

THE TWO teams emerging as the early favorites in the Cumberland County Division of the SMAA, Cheverus and Bonny Eagle, both have strong running attacks. And both give the ball primarily to three runners. For Cheverus, quarterback Peter Gwilym, halfback Spencer Cooke and fullback Evan Jendrasko get almost all the carries. The same is true for Bonny Eagle with Rollins, Adkins and Thorne.

SOUTH PORTLAND has had a resurgence in football under Coach Steve Stinson. The Riots opened the season with a win over defending Class A state champion Windham at home that created a lot of excitement. Then they beat Westbrook on the road before losing to Cheverus on Friday night in a battle of unbeatens that brought out the fans to Martin Memorial Field in South Portland. One press box observer said it was the largest home crowd in several years.

The success of the Riots’ season and whether they can make it to the playoffs will hinge on the next two to three weeks. Unfortunately for the Riots, it doesn’t get any easier this Friday night, as they travel to Bonny Eagle. Riots QB Tommy Ellis is an exciting runner, and halfback Jacob Stanley is a threat.

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at:

tchard@pressherald.com