Friday’s 34-8 win over Orono was a long time coming for the Stearns 8-man football team.
The Minutemen of Millinocket snapped a three-game losing streak to their Little Ten Conference rivals — which included defeats in the last two Small school regional championship games — shaking off a monkey that had clung to their backs for so long.
The reigning state champion Red Riots scored on their opening drive, but from there on it was all Stearns. On Orono’s home turf, the Minutemen gained more and more steam as the game went on, turning an 8-6 halftime deficit into a 26-point victory.
“They’ve had our number. Orono’s a really good football team with a high-potent offense. Hats off to our kids and my coaches, I couldn’t be more proud,” Stearns head coach Cody Herring said. “The most important play of the second half is the first drive. Having the opportunity to get the ball and score there — that’s what shifted the momentum our way.”
Staring down a short field after the second half kickoff, the Minutemen converted on 3rd-and-long and then scored on a 12-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Cam Atkinson to senior tight end Gavin Gagnon.
After an Orono punt, the Red Riots responded by forcing a Stearns punt, which senior Jack Brewer blocked. On the very next play from scrimmage, however, Stearns stripped the ball right back and began marching down the field, where Atkinson punched in a 20-yard rushing TD with 4:53 remaining in the third.
Things snowballed from there, as the Minutemen parlayed two quarterback sacks, a ridiculous layout catch for senior Sam Jacobs on third down, a 17-yard receiving touchdown for Gagnon and a three-yard rushing touchdown for junior Lucas Pelkey to ice it.
Stearns tallied 405 yards from scrimmage in the second half, compared with Orono’s 80.
“It feels great to beat them on their home field,” Pelkey said. “It was a very big defensive game.”
The Minutemen played with one less defensive lineman and an extra linebacker to keep Orono’s top wide receiver Will Francis locked up, but were still able to overwhelm an injury-riddled Red Riot line corps.
Orono senior quarterback Jack Brewer was never able to get comfortable. He finished with 143 yards and an interception on 13-for-20 passing.
On the ground, the Red Riots compiled 95 yards as a team, with a six-yard rushing touchdown for junior Kason Bagley.
“They came out with a good game plan. We didn’t have much time in the pocket, and they had Will in double, triple coverage,” Brewer said. “Once the momentum swings, it’s hard to stop. The interception was all on me. I don’t make excuses, but the reality is we are running low on guys and are at the end of a tough stretch.”
The Red Riots (2-2) were coming off two games versus 8-man Large school opposition, beating MDI 46-6 and losing to Mt. Ararat 56-26.
Stearns/Schenck (3-1) was coming off a loss to Greely, of 8-man Large South. The Minutemen are second to Houlton/Hodgdon (4-0) in the Crabtree standings, but Stearns is still the prohibitive favorite to win the region.
“They came more prepared in the second half than we did. That’s all it is,” Orono senior Sal Wise said. “But we’re gonna heal up, and Stearns better know we’re coming for them in the playoffs, at their place.”
