Our Communities. Our Teams. Our Future.
We’re proud to make high school sports coverage free for everyone—because these moments matter. At Maine State Credit Union, we’re here for the people and places that make Maine strong. Let’s Go! Learn more at mainestatecu.org. 

BRUNSWICK — Justin Rysdham ran for a season-high 165 yards and two touchdowns, and Keith Kitchens added 119 and a pair of scores to lead Brunswick past Mt. Ararat 33-18 in a Pine Tree Conference football game Friday night.

After a scoreless, penalty-filled first quarter, a Mt. Ararat fumble on the third play of the second quarter gave Brunswick (5-3) the ball on the Eagles’ 19. Rysdham went the distance off left tackle on the next play and added the point-after kick to give Brunswick a 7-0 lead.

“We needed something at that point,” said Brunswick Coach Dan Cooper. “We’d been kind of stopping ourselves, and that got us going.”

“That was kind of a stake in the heart,” said Mt. Ararat Coach Mark LaFountain. “It was a bad break, and they needed a play and they made it.”

Kitchens capped an eight-play, 62-yard drive on the Dragons’ next possession with a 12-yard scoring run, but a 15-yard penalty forced Rysdham to try the PAT kick from 35 yards, and he was wide left.

Down 13-0, the Eagles (0-8) got right back in it when McKenzie Gary took the ensuing kickoff at his 19, broke one tackle and went up the middle for an 81-yard return that made it 13-6.

Kitchens made it three touchdowns in three possessions by scoring on an 8-yard run to cap a six-play, 61-yard drive that featured a 19-yard keeper by quarterback Ezra Drehobl.

Held to 65 yards of offense in the opening half, the Eagles again made it a one-score game after Ben Woodin recovered a Brunswick fumble at the Dragons’ 29 on the first play of the third quarter.

A pass from Brett Milliken to Derek True picked up 19 yards, and True went off right tackle for the last 2 yards to make it 19-12.

“We felt pretty good at halftime, even with the mistakes we’d made,” said LaFountain. “And that was a great way to start the second half.”

But Brunswick responded with a 13-play, 72-yard drive, Brandon Matt going up the middle for the final 4 yards and Rysdham kicking the PAT for a 25-12 lead.

Drehobl closed the scoring with a 21-yard run around the right side after Rysdham set it up with a 54-yard run.

“The offensive line kept doing a great job,” said Rysdham. “You could drive a semi truck through those holes.”

“We played solidly,” said Cooper. “Our defense played really well and that makes it easy for the offense. We’re getting good balance with (Rysdham) and (Kitchens), and (Drehobl) added some nice runs, too.”

“I thought we acquitted ourselves well,” said LaFountain. “We’ve worked hard and been improving, but I have 14 seniors who came into this program when I did, and I’m heartsick for them to go (winless). They’re better than that and I’m going to miss them.”