Knights clinch top spot

Home game Saturday at 1 p.m.
    Good teams display mental toughness, discipline and a hard work ethic. The subtext however, is selflessness and trust in their abilities and their teammates.
    From the sidelines, veteran Tim Chase approached coach Andy Hay as the clock wound down toward the end of a ho-hum affair in Milo.
    “Brooker hasn’t gone in yet,” Chase said.
    Hay found sophomore rookie Cyrus Brooker huddled among his teammates fighting the chill and wind.
    “Who, me?,” Brooker asked with a deer in the headlights look of disbelief.
    Two plays later, the speedy Brooker broke two tackles and hit paydirt from 29 yards out on a handoff from quarterback Hunter Hanning for the final scoring play, as the Houlton Knights won their seventh game in a row, downing the Panthers, 61-0.
    The win assures the Knights (7-0) of their second AFL title in as many years.
    Head coach Brian Reynolds has developed a trust in the usual suspects of seniors, Chase, Eddie Flint, Caleb Black, Brian Tuttle, Mike Ring, Dan Colville, Joey Gould, Josh McNinch, along with junior Quinn Harris and the strong supporting cast of Aaron Eastman, Dan Toby, Josh Bragan, Don Devoe, Corey Morehead, Billy Livezey, Sal Cloukey, John Ramsey and all the younger players.
    “These young men have proven to me at every practice and every game that they have the key ingredient … respect for one another,” said Reynolds.
    On Saturday, the game was played in bone-numbing cold, along with a solid dose of 15 mph winds from the north.
    The Knights won the coin toss and promptly went to work after a 40-yard kick off return by Flint. Three plays later, Black scored with a 15-yard run to the end zone. Harris found Gould open and passed for the extra point. Tuttle recovered a Panther fumble and Harris drilled a 20-yard pass to Flint for the touchdown. Harris then ran in the extra point. On the third possession, the Knights’ Ring bulled in from the one-yard line for the score. Despite the cold temperatures, Harris was hot, as he passed to Gould for a 10-yard score, and Black converted.
    In the second quarter, the Knights’ defense was rock solid. Eastman continued to ignite the Knights’ offense running 19 yards into the end zone for a touchdown. Flint ran a reverse that fooled everyone in the freezing crowd and hit paydirt.
    By the time the second half began, the Knights led 39-0 and were looking for more. The Panthers were bottled up in their end of the field all afternoon by a stingy and unforgiving Knights’ defense.
    Just to make sure his first reverse was not a fluke, Flint did it again from 15 yards out to make the score 45-0.
    On the Panthers’ longest drive, aided by two Knights penalties, Harris came up big with a 43-yard interception and return for a touchdown. Harris again connected with Gould for the extra point. On the following Panther possession, Toby dropped the running back for a five-yard loss, and on the ensuing play, Cloukey was credited with a Milo two-point safety.
    In the fourth quarter, Brooker scored which brings the story back to the beginning.
    Credit goes to Hanning, who showed leadership and sportsmanship in the fourth quarter, since his normal routine and talents are geared to a high-powered offense.
    “He followed the script, the game was over,” said coach Hay. “You really hate to hold this kid back, even in a one-sided affair. I give him a lot of credit for understanding this and doing his job.”
    Throughout the game, the entire roster played and each contributed. On defense, Morehead led with six tackles. Colville, playing an unfamiliar nose tackle position, had four, as did McNinch. Tuttle swarmed and harassed the Panthers and recorded three tackles, along with a fumble recovery. Ramsey had three big tackles.
    The Panthers were held to only 12 yards of total offense.
    On offense, the Knights’ Black led all rushers with 45 yards on six carries and a touchdown. Harris was 5-for-9 in passing for 60 yards, two touchdowns and two extra points.
    According to Hay, game officials from the MPA Central Region said that the Knights of Houlton were the most talented group and arguably the strongest of the non-aligned high school clubs in the state of Maine.
    “They could be competitive at most levels here in the state,” said one official.
    Coach Reynolds may have backed into the title, but most observers know better. Cautious but confident, he already knew he had something special going on with this group of players.
    “We have one more game to go,” said Reynolds. “We’ll prepare for it like we always do. We’re coming home Saturday and hopefully, we can show the fans and folks from Houlton what this team is truly all about.”
    Line coach John Smith said, “Bundle up and come see what the town has been talking about since September. It’s really quite a treat.”
    The Knights play their final 2010 season game against the Madawaska Mustangs at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Bob Ruth Field. The Knights will celebrate Senior Day and field recognition will take place.
    All players are requested to arrive at 11:15 a.m. in uniform for team pictures.
    Saturday’s game is being sponsored by Project Graduation. Admission is free and concessions will be available.