SANFORD —The Class A football tournament is warming up as Sanford advances to the semifinals after a victory over Deering Saturday, 27-6. Sanford took an early 13-0 lead at the start of the second half.

To end the first half, Sanford’s Nick Howard scored a 26-yard touchdown run and Deering’s Raffaele Salamone blocked the extra-point. Spartan quarterback Frankie Veino and Ethan Belganger were working their usual magic. Belanger made a 59-yard reception touchdown to score, 19-0 but the extra-point was lost.

Deering’s determined Nate Richards staved away a shutout by making a successful touchdown and an attempted two-point conversion was lost to end the third quarter.

The Spartans secured their win when Veino passed to Ethan Emard for the touchdown eight seconds into the fourth quarter and Belanger cashed in on a two-point conversion to set Sanford at 27-6.

Sanford will advance to play Bonny Eagle in the Class A semi-finals. Bonny Eagle is first-seated.

Sanford’s Head coach Mike Fallon said, “We’re very excited. We just won our sixth football game. We got an opportunity to get our seniors back here for a home playoff game which I know meant a lot to these kids and to our program. I am absolutely super proud of our kids they’ve done a tremendous job. I can’t say enough about my coaching staff, I am just blessed to have them they are awesome. You know no one does this thing alone. We’re excited it’s a challenge. It’s no question [Bonny Eagle’s] coach Cooper does an amazing job, they have an amazing program but these kids confidence seem to be growing every single week and we’re going to get prepared… I have no doubt that these kids will go compete, we’ve got an opportunity and you never know. If we can win one more game we can make it to the Western Maine championship and that would be awful darn exciting for our program.”