The Bangor Rams scored three touchdowns in their first three possessions versus Brewer on Thursday night, jumping out to a 21-point halftime lead and winning their 111th rivalry game 42-0.
The Rams pounded the ball all game, compiling 235 yards on the ground and treating the Cameron Stadium crowd to six rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, Bangor’s defense was just as overwhelming, logging three sacks and six additional tackles for losses.
The preseason exhibition game did not count to the Crabtree standings, but Bangor was eager to beat its rival after losing their last matchup 35-6 at Doyle Field in Brewer in 2022.
“We were itching to play them. We were so excited for the game, talking about it all summer long,” said senior running back Jackson Varney, who finished with 53 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. “Last practice I said they weren’t going to score a point, and I was right. We have so much depth this year.”
Seven different Rams caught passes or ran the ball on Thursday night, with four scoring touchdowns. Junior quarterback Kyle Johnson led the way with 88 passing yards, 73 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Bangor topped things off with a 45-yard breakaway touchdown run for junior running back Eli Marsh, who put on the burners to barely beat Brewer’s secondary to the goal line.
The Rams now lead the all-time series over the Witches 76-27 with eight ties.
“We have speed, we’ve got physicality. We have everything. We want to win physically every game,” junior linebacker Zac Cota said. “They had no big plays, and [our defense] helped our offense put 42 points on the board. We came into this game like we’re playing [Thornton Academy] or Portland.”
The Rams, who finished 4-5 last season, begin their season next Friday with a highly anticipated home game versus defending Class A state champions Thornton. The Witches, who finished 1-8 last fall, will head to Farmington to play a Mt. Blue team that went 0-9.
Brewer head coach Fred Lower was pleased with the Witches’ efforts right around halftime, when they held the Rams scoreless for more than a quarter and marched down to their goal line before Bangor junior Trey Tennett picked them off.
Brewer junior Jaxson Bragg-Ouellette paced the Witches’ ground game with 80 rushing yards, and senior tight end Caleb Colby accounted for 28 of his team’s 43 total receiving yards.
“I thought we did a lot of things really well. We asked the kids to play physical and play with passion, and they did that,” Lower said. “We had some defensive stops and started moving the ball. We don’t want to peak now, and just gotta keep getting better. We’re gonna go back to work, and focus on the things we have to improve on.”
