GORHAM – They hoarded the ball the first half and clinched the game in the second.

Gorham High won its second straight game Friday night with a 35-7 romp past Sanford.

Matt McKenney, who rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, paced a Gorham offense that gained 327 yards, all on the ground.

Gorham (3-2) grinded out long drives for a 20-7 halftime lead while possessing the ball for 171/2 minutes compared to 61/2 for the Redskins.

“We knew their offense poses many challenges,” Sanford Coach Mike Fallon said.

But Sanford (2-3) took the second-half kickoff and played Gorham’s game, driving 63 yards in more than six minutes.

But on fourth-and-3, the Redskins tried a quarterback sneak and were stopped on the Gorham 1.

“Looks like we’re going to put some points on the board and we come up short,” Fallon said. “That can be a will-breaker.”

McKenney helped break that will. On third down from the Rams’ 5, he went through a hole and ran 71 yards to the Sanford 25.

“Great blocking,” McKenney said.

Not only McKenney, but fullback Nick Kilborn (46 yards, two TDs), halfback Jon Woods (20 yards, one TD) and halfback Brad Turnbaugh (37 yards) found holes.

“Nice to see them all following the blocks,” Gorham Coach Dave Kilborn said. “And our linemen did a good job sustaining them.”

Gorham continued to use its packed-in seven-man line of Cameron Willette, Jamie Crawford, Luke Minard, Dominic Deluca, Dylan Whitaker, Brian Darling and Nick Greatorex.

Defensively the Rams did a nice job containing dangerous Redskins halfback Alex Shain (70 yards on 14 carries), with swarm tackling. Middle linebacker Nick Chabot was among those in on the stops.

Gorham took a 6-0 lead on a 74-yard opening drive (McKenney 10-yard run).

Sanford went three plays and out. The Rams marched again, going 60 yards for a 12-0 lead (Kilborn 1-yard run).

The Redskins’ one score came on a 36-yard halfback pass from Jon Schroder to Dan Webb.

Gorham ended the first half with a 71/2-minute drive (McKenney 4-yard run), then scored on its first two drives of the second half (Wood 5-yard run and Kilborn 2-yard run).

After Greatorex intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter, the Rams sent in the substitutes.

For conversions the Rams were 2 of 4 on 2-point tries, and kicker Zachary Heddesheimer made his one extra-point kick.

Gorham will be home against Bonny Eagle next week, while the Redskins will return to Sanford to face Noble.

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at: kthomas@pressherald.com

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