BANGOR, Maine — It was a gut-wrenching week in Bucksport, where it was announced that in December Verso Paper will shut down the mill that has helped define the town.
The Bucksport High School football team used the adversity as motivation and demonstrated a discernible resolve on the football field Friday night.
Senior running back Jack Cyr hammered his way to 122 yards on 24 carries, riding the surge of a stout offensive line to a 20-7 LTC football victory over John Bapst at Husson University’s Winkin Complex.
Coach Joel Sankey’s players, many of whom have parents or relatives among the more than 500 millworkers who will be without jobs, did their best to lighten the mood with their play.
“It’s been a very tough week,” said Sankey, a longtime teacher at Bucksport High.
“I’ve got a number of former players that have gone to work in there and a number of guys that coach with me work in there. It affected these kids,” he said, explaining that Friday also was the anniversary of a fatal car crash involving Bucksport High School students.
Bucksport (3-1) moved the ball consistently on the ground behind an offensive line that included Tucker Boynton, Carter Deredin, Zach Chapman, Lucan Brann and Eric Carlson.
While the Crusaders (2-2) were able to prevent too many long gains, they could not stop the Golden Bucks from controlling the ball, the clock and the field.
“Ground and pound,” was the theme of the night for the Bucksport offense, according to Cyr, who called the line’s play “the best this year. They did great.”
Asher Bowden complemented Cyr’s running with 12 carries for 43 yards, while quarterback Matt Stewart completed five of 12 passes for 54 yards.
Cyr said the news of the mill closing was a great source of motivation for the team.
“It definitely made us angry and we’re supportive for them right now,” Cyr said. “We see what they’re going through, I’ve got family that works at the mill. It’s a hard thing. It’s just motivation from now on.”
Already up two scores, Bucksport made it 20-0 with a 61-yard drive on its first second-half possession. Stewart completed three throws to help set up Bowden’s 1-yard dive.
Coach Dan O’Connell’s Crusaders responded shortly thereafter with a methodical 75-yard march that encompassed 16 plays. Jackson Leonard’s 1-yard TD run with 7:26 left ended the scoring.
Leonard sparked the John Bapst offense with 89 yards on 21 carries.
Linebacker Leonard and lineman Andrew Sargent were the defensive stoppers for the hosts, while Cyr and Lucas Ashmore led the Bucks.
The Bucks began to move the ball effectively on the ground late in the first quarter. Cyr was the workhorse, totaling 59 yards to spearhead a 16-play, 90-yard scoring drive.
Cyr capped it, going 5 yards around the left end to break a scoreless tie with 8:39 left in the second quarter. Deredin’s PAT kick made it 7-0.
Bucksport turned the momentum decidedly in its favor, thanks to Hayden Craig.
Five plays into John Bapst’s next possession, Craig stepped in front of a Spencer Baron pass along the goal line. He raced down the right sideline, needing only a late block from Deredin to close out a 100-yard interception return.
“The first time they did it, I got burnt,” Craig said of the roll-out pass.
“I had a feeling. There was something about it,” he said of seeing the play develop in front of him. “A lot of linemen made good blocks running down the field with me,” he added.
Deredin’s PAT kick missed, but the Bucks led 14-0 with 6:01 to play in the half.