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CUMBERLAND – Greely High Coach David Higgins shook several hands in the parking lot near the Rangers’ football field. He patted backs, spread the praise around, and began laughing in the middle of conversations.

“Sorry,” Higgins said. “I’m so excited.”

Greely, a team looking for football respectability, enjoyed a benchmark win Saturday, beating York 21-6. It was the Rangers’ first victory over York in the eight-year history of Greely’s program.

“A huge step for us,” junior quarterback Mike Leeman said.

Leeman made the big plays, while rushing 87 yards and throwing for 56 more.

Key plays boosted Greely (4-1), while dooming York (2-3).

In the first half, York out-gained Greely 121 yards to 86, while holding onto the ball for three more minutes. But the Rangers led 14-6 at halftime.

Leeman’s 52-yard run fueled a 61-yard drive that was capped by Svenn Jacobsen’s 6-yard scoring run, giving Greely a 7-6 lead with 11:11 left in the half.

Leeman was often successful by simply faking a handoff and then looking for a hole.

“I just wait for the big guys to run through and I follow them,” said Leeman, who normally followed linemen Jon Higgins and Mike Burgess, and halfback Alex Parenteau.

On York’s next possession, the Wildcats had to punt. But Burgess broke through and blocked it at the York 20.

Greely needed two big plays from Leeman. He completed a 14-yard third-and-9 pass to Ethan Wyman. Then, on fourth-and-goal from the 1, Leeman tried a sneak. Hit behind the line, Leeman fell forward and held the ball over the goal line. Wyman’s extra-point kick made it 14-6.

York Coach Randy Small talked about Leeman’s big run and the blocked punt at halftime.

“Two plays the whole half and that’s it,” Small said. “I felt like we controlled the tempo and moved the ball.”

But York went three plays and out to start the second half.

After the Wildcats’ first drive of the game, when they marched 52 yards for a score (Bradley Stephens’ 6-yard run), Greely’s defense pitched a shutout.

“We took a long time to focus, but then we took it to them,” said Higgins, one of the three linebackers, along with Jacobson and Eric Coyne. They backed up a defensive line of Caleb King, Burgess, Dana Rogers, James Avtges and Parenteau.

The Rangers also took control of the second half, outgaining the Wildcats and holding the ball for 51/2 more minutes. Greely drove 78 yards on its first drive of the second half but fumbled.

The Wildcats ended their next two drives with fumbles near midfield. Said Small, “Miscues and turnovers. This has been one of those years where we’ve had nothing go right.”

Leeman left with an ankle injury late in the game. Justin Moore took over and engineered a 65-yard drive, capping it with a 2-yard run with 44 seconds left.

The Wildcats were led by quarterback Wesley Warner (52 yards rushing and 125 yards passing). Aaron Prugar caught five passes for 46 yards.

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

kthomas@pressherald.com