SOUTH BERWICK – It was the kind of effort that Guy Lajeunesse would have appreciated.

On a night when Marshwood High honored the memory of the former coach and teacher, the Hawks played shut-down defense and beat Cape Elizabeth 20-0 Friday.

Junior receiver Noah Kreider caught two long touchdown passes. Junior quarterback Cameron Roll passed for a touchdown and ran for one. And the defense did the rest.

The Hawks improved to 5-1, while the Capers dropped to 2-4. It was a solid rebound for Marshwood, which experienced its only loss the week before, a 36-6 decision to Wells.

“On defense, we were doing everything wrong last week,” said senior linebacker Dan Lizotte. “We weren’t hitting the holes we were supposed to fill. This week, we did it.”

Friday night featured a dedication ceremony to remember Lajeunesse, a coach and teacher for 29 years, the last 19 at Marshwood. He died last May, at the age of 51, from brain cancer.

On Friday, the walkway to the stadium was christened as “Lajeunesse Way,” with a marble bench placed in his honor.

“He was just a really great guy,” said senior running back Nick Janes. “He was hard and when he got angry, it was frightening. But he was also really understanding. He was amazing.”

Marshwood dominated the first quarter (81 yards to 17) but the Hawks could not come up with the big play.

Those would come in the second quarter.

Janes took a hand-off and then stopped, lofting a 40-yard scoring pass to a wide-open Kreider. Justin Hockney’s extra point made it 7-0 with 5:50 left in the first half.

“When I saw Noah wide open, I thought, ‘alright, touchdown,’ ” Janes said.

The Capers went three plays and punted, as they had trouble all game sustaining a drive.

Marshwood, on third-and-10, went to Kreider again. Roll tossed downfield for a 67-yard touchdown, as Kreider outraced his defender, for a 14-0 halftime lead.

“We were feeling good about where we were defensively in the first half, and we gave them two easy ones,” Capers coach Aaron Filieo said. “That’s tough.”

Marshwood’s first drive of the second half went 66 yards, capped by Roll’s one-yard rollout.

Cape came back with its best drive, reaching the Marshwood 22 before stalling.

After that, both defenses stiffened. “Same old story,” Filieo said. “We have stood toe to toe with one of the better teams in our conference, fought, scratched and clawed, but can’t dig out a win.”

Cape managed only 104 yards (60 passing yards from quarterback Noah Wolfinger), while the Hawks gained 307.

Roll completed two passes for 80 yards and rushed for 72 yards. Brett Gerry (19 carries, 60 yards) and Lizotte (15 for 46) were the workhorses.

Marshwood plays at Spruce Mountain next week, while Cape Elizabeth will host Fryeburg Academy.

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: KevinThomasPPH