BANGOR, Maine — Dynamic Bangor High School junior slotback-wide receiver Gavin Hughes scored four touchdowns and the Rams took a giant step forward in clinching a Class A North playoff berth with a 35-14 victory over undermanned and turnover-prone Edward Little High School of Auburn at Cameron Stadium on Friday night.
The teams were tied for the fourth and final playoff berth entering the game.
Bangor is now 3-3 while the Eddies fell to 2-4.
Edward Little only had 26 players due to injuries and disciplinary action.
Bangor was holding a 21-14 lead early in the third period when linebacker Will Houghton recovered a fumble at the Bangor 41-yard line.
Bangor strung together an 11-play, 59-yard drive capped by Hughes’ two-yard TD run with 3:53 left in the period.
On the next drive, a pass from Ashton Sullivan went through the hands of his receiver and Bangor’s Hayden Summerlin intercepted it and returned it to the EL-25.
Sullivan is a tight end who was filling in at quarterback for the injured Logan Stout.
Alex Tennett found Summerlin for an 18-yard completion and, two plays later, Hughes dashed into the end zone from the three.
Summerlin finished with five catches for 68 yards.
EL lost another fumble on its next possession.
Bangor took a 21-14 lead into the intermission.
Hughes returned the opening kickoff 87 yards untouched for a touchdown but the Eddies answered with a 64-yard touchdown pass from Sullivan to Logan Averill, who got behind the Ram defensive back.
Bangor responded with a nine-play, 72-yard drive capped by Tennett’s 21-yard keeper. He had rattled off a 16-yard run earlier in the drive and tossed a 32-yard pass to Summerlin while he was being chased toward the sidelines.
Bangor expanded the lead with 1:29 left in the first quarter when a low snap went through punter Logan Billings’ legs and was recovered by Bangor’s Lucas Matzilevich at the EL-2 yard line.
Two plays later, Hughes sprinted into the end zone from the one yard line.
But EL used a little trickery to cut the lead to 21-14 in the second period as Evan Madigan extended a drive by dashing 21 yards to pick up a first down on a fake punt while lined up in front of the punter.
Madigan finished off the drive with runs of 13 and 22 yards.
He wound up with 115 rushing yards on 17 carries.
Tennett completed 8 of 13 passes for 89 yards.