HOULTON, Maine — Hopes of pulling off a thrilling upset victory in the final home game of the season were not to be for the Houlton football team Friday evening.
The Shires (1-5) have one more game on the regular season — at Mt. View of Thorndike Saturday afternoon — and will likely be on the road for the upcoming open tournament postseason.
Against the visiting Lynx Friday evening, the Shires struggled defensively to stop Mattanawcook Academy, resulting in a 54-40 loss.
“MA is one of the better teams in our league,” Houlton coach Jon Solomon said. “Even though the scoreboard doesn’t reflect that, our defense was in a better position to make plays tonight than we have been all year.”
Houlton quickly found itself in a 14-0 hole as MA scored on its first two possessions. That two-score difference proved to be the winning margin as the two teams played evenly for the remainder of the contest.
Mattanawcook Academy (4-2) ran a total of 50 plays, accumulating 541 total yards of offense, while Houlton ran 51 plays for 469 yards of offense.
As was the case last week, the bulk of the Shires offense came on the ground as the team had 48 carries for 455 yards of offense.
Quarterback Isaiah Ervin led the charge for Houlton with 22 carries for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Kohl Skehan chipped in 13 carries for 78 yards, while Bronson Hanning had three carries for 71 yards and a touchdown; Aedan Valles had one carry for 53 yards and a touchdown, as well as a two-point conversion.
Also running the ball for the Shires were AJ Lewis (six carries, 12 yards), Wyatt Sanford (2 carries, eight yards) and Logan Faggiole (one carry, three yards).
Ervin completed three of three passes for 14 yards on the night. MA quarterback Isaac Hainer completed two of four passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns.
The Shires were unable to contain Hainer on the ground as the senior had 29 rushes for 424 yards and four touchdowns to lead MA in scoring.
Despite the loss, Shire coach Solomon said he continues to see improvement in his young squad. Offensively, the team has made great strides as the season progressed.
“It is now up to us to make the plays and we will continue to work,” Solomon said. “We are looking forward to another week of working to get better.”
HOULTON, Maine — October 7, 2022 — Catching their breath between snaps of Friday night’s high school football game are Houlton linemen Collin Crouse (67) and Hunter Farrar (99). In the background is Shire Jackson Cullen. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
HOULTON, Maine — October 7, 2022 — Houlton’s Logan Faggiole (20) grabs the leg of Mattanawcook Academy’s Matt Heerien for a tackle during Friday night’s high school football contest. Houlton fell 54-40. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
HOULTON, Maine — October 7, 2022 — Houlton’s AJ Lewis (center) gets gang-tackled by four different Mattanawcook Academy players during Friday night’s high school football contest. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
HOULTON, Maine — October 7, 2022 — Houlton’s Dominic Hatch kicks off to start Friday night’s game against Mattanawcook Academy. The Shires fell 54-40. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
HOULTON, Maine — October 7, 2022 — Eluding a tackle by Mattanawcook Academy’s Matt Heeren is Houlton’s Isaiah Ervin during Friday night’s high school football game. The Shires fell 54-40. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
