OLD TOWN, Maine — It’s beginning to dawn on the Old Town High School football team that this is a special season.
Senior quarterback Jake Jarvis passed for 289 yards and five touchdowns while the Old Town defense held Foxcroft Academy in check while posting a convincing 38-7 Class C North semifinal win at Victory Field on Friday night.
Coach Lance Cowan’s No. 1 Coyotes (9-0) host the Winslow-Mount Desert Island winner in the regional title game next Friday night.
“The feeling right now is a little surreal,” Cowan said. “It’s a one-game-at-a-time type atmosphere, but I think it’s finally set in right now what we’re going up against.”
Old Town, which handled Foxcroft Academy 41-19 in their regular-season meeting, scored twice in the first 5:40 and never looked back.
Much of the credit for the Coyotes’ offensive success should go to the offensive line — tackles Seth Jack and Chris Hoxie, guards Noah Hayes and Caleb Koneff, center Drew Ryder and tight end Ethan Stoddard.
The unit protected well enough to allow Jarvis to complete 10 of 18 passes, including touchdown throws of 25, 63, 36, 68 and 20 yards.
“The line did an amazing job tonight doing what they practiced for two weeks,” said junior tailback T.J. Crawford, who powered his way to 121 yards on 19 carries and a TD.
“I’m blessed to be on this team and the accomplishments we’ve made,” he added.
The Coyotes amassed 449 total yards.
Senior wideout Andre Miller used his skills to make five receptions for 149 yards, including scoring catches of 25, 63 and 36 yards.
“We’ve been throwing the ball since second grade,” Jarvis said. “We’ve been envisioning this moment, senior year of high school, this one’s for the Eastern Maine game, this one’s for the state championship game.”
Senior Pascal Cyr added four catches for 131 yards with TD grabs of 68 and 20 yards.
Foxcroft (5-5) had difficulty mounting consistent offense as Old Town stuffed the run game. The Ponies struggled through the air with the exception of a beautiful 35-yard TD strike from Nick Clawson to Billy Brock in the third quarter.
“We were ready for them,” Crawford said. “We knew they had a few different approaches and we could stop them both.”
Brock netted 47 yards on nine carries for the Ponies, who gained 166 total yards.
Old Town scored on the fourth play of the game after Crawford took the opening kickoff 60 yards. Jarvis lofted a 25-yard pass to Miller in the back of the end zone to put the hosts in front for good.
The Coyotes scored again three snaps into their next possession when Miller caught another deep ball from Jarvis down the left side for a 63-yard score.
“When we put points up quickly it’s good because our backs aren’t up against the wall and it opens up a lot of stuff offensively and defensively,” Jarvis said.
Old Town continued the siege, highlighted by a 31-yard burst by Crawford. Dana Ouellette, who made eight first-half tackles before leaving with an ankle injury, scored from 3 yards out to make it 18-0 with 4.6 seconds left in the quarter.
The Coyotes then marched 79 yards on eight plays. Miller made a leaping catch over a defender, absorbed a hit and found the end zone to finish off the 36-yard TD play that made it 25-0.