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Thornton pulls away in second half against Massabesic

By WIL KRAMLICH

Staff Writer

SACO — The Massabesic Mustangs hung tough for a half against the Thornton Academy football team. But just like the Trojans’ other three opponents this season, the Mustangs saw Thornton pull away in the second half. The Trojans’ defense shut out Massabesic in the second half to win comfortably 42-14.

Massabesic was playing without a full deck even before the game started, as starting quarterback Jake Desrochers missed the game due to a non-football related injury. Starting tailback Casey Nava slipped into the quarterback roll on short notice, and gave the Trojan defense fits all game long. Nava ran for 184 yards, but only gained 57 in the second half.

“He’s tough to tackle,” Thornton head coach Kevink Kezal said simply about Nava.

Both teams struggled on their opening possessions, and were forced to punt. On Massabesic’s second drive, Nava was intercepted by Cody Lynn at at the Massabesic 37. Three plays later, Thornton quarterback Eric Christensen scored on a 21-yard run to give the Trojans an early lead.

Nava and the Mustangs answered right back, however, as Nava scored on a 57-yard run. Tyler Bear’s point-after attempt bounced off the crossbar and over to tie the game 7-7.

Christensen showed off his arm on the next Thornton drive, as he hit Andrew Libby on a 16-yard pass on the second play of the drive, and then went right back to Libby for a 47-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the first quarter.

It took the Mustangs just three plays of their own to answer, as Nava hit Dylan Crommett wide open for an 80-yard touchdown pass.

The Trojans then took the lead for good at the end of the first long drive of the game. Libby ran for a 10-yard touchdown out of the wildcat formation to make it 21-14 midway through the second quarter. Alex Rizeakos scored on a 6-yard run set up by a Christensen 18-yard pass to Lynn to extend the lead to 28-14.

Massabesic’s downfall came on their possessions that bookended halftime. On the last drive of the first half they got the ball down to Thornton 11 before a personal foul set up an unsuccessful 42-yard field goal attempt by Bear. On their first possession of the second half, the Mustangs drove down to the Trojans’ 3, and on fourth and goal Nava was knocked out at the 1-yard line. The Mustang offense sputtered after that.

“We left points off the board at the end of the half. We left points off the board in the third quarter. We put those in, it’s 28-28, it’s a different game going into the fourth quarter,” said Massabesic head coach John Morin.

Morin was proud of how his players came out and took Thornton head-on, and didn’t give up because Desrochers wasn’t playing.

“I think they came down and they fought,” said Morin. “It doesn’t matter who we have behind the center, the other 10 guys are the guys that are normally there. Things shouldn’t change. And I think that was indicative of them responding to that challenge.”

The Mustang defense held Thornton scoreless in the third quarter, but that changed rather quickly in the fourth. On the first play of the quarter, Christensen hit Dakota Tarbox for a 34-yard touchdown. On the Trojans’ next play, Dylan Morton ran the ball 41 yards for a touchdown to round out the scoring.

Kezal said he wasn’t surprised that Massabesic came out strong and gave the Trojans a game in the first half, noting that they are a tough team with or without Desrochers.

“They’re well coached. They execute well offensively. Casey Nava is a heck of a football player. They were 2-1. We knew it was going to be a football game, certainly,” said Kezal.

—Contact Wil Kramlich at 282-1535, Ext. 323 or follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.