Morning Sentinel
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Gardiner holds on to beat Cony
BY BILL STEWART Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 08/30/2008


GARDINER — The proverbial slate was wiped clean when the football preseason began. And the proverbial slate will be wiped clean again today after Gardiner Area High School rallied for, then hung on to, a 14-13 victory Friday in the 131st meeting with Cony High.
Yes, there were no playoff implications at stake for the old rivals. Yes, both teams have the same record today (0-0) that they held prior to kickoff Friday at Hoch Field.
But, yes, both teams came to play — and win — which delighted a strong crowd that numbered almost 3,900 based on ticket sales.
“We came out hitting and we just kept on hitting,” said Gardiner starting tailback Forrest Chadwick, who scored two first-half touchdowns, one in the air and another on the ground. “We’re definitely pleased, especially after last year.”
The Tigers, who still trail the all-time series 65-56-10, lost last year’s exhibition 32-14 a week after winning the Class B state championship game. In that game, Gardiner did little but run the football.
Friday night, the Tigers stuck to that same plan, only this time around the results were much better.
Chadwick rushed for 127 yards on 17 carries to lead the offense. The Tigers rushed for 236 yards.
“We will have more to put in the offense, but what we had, we showed,” Gardiner coach Jim Palmer said. “You have to beat us up front to beat us.”
The Rams couldn’t, but sophomore quarterback Nick Lucas almost did.
Lucas did everything and more coach Rob Vachon could expect from a sophomore making his debut on such a stage. Lucas threw for 269 yards on 21 of 28 passing. He hooked up with Luke Duncklee for a terrific 31-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter that helped the Rams pull within 7-6.
However, Lucas also threw four interceptions, the last one coming with under two minutes remaining and the Rams driving inside the Gardiner 40-yard line.
“I thought I threw the ball OK, but I didn’t make good decisions,” Lucas said. “I realized what this rivalry is all about. The first two interceptions I threw I shouldn’t have thrown the ball downfield.”
Cony starting tailback Greg O’Neill, who rushed for 29 yards and caught four passes for 51 more, said his quarterback will learn from the experience.
“You can’t ask too many sophomores in a big rivalry like this not to make any mistakes,” he said. “He’s going to be a great player.”
Chadwick secured the victory when he picked off Lucas late in the fourth on a ball thrown over the middle intended for Ray Cotnoir, who finished with six catches for 65 yards.
“He tried to throw a post and I read it and stepped in front of (Cotnoir),” Chadwick said.
Added Vachon: “Nick made some sophomore mistakes, but he threw the ball well.”
The Tigers jumped out in front when quarterback Mike Denham found Chadwick open in the flat midway through the first quarter. Chadwick hauled the pass in, took a step back, then bolted to the sideline after receiving big blocks from Tom Cook and Tyler Hall.
Cook then kicked the extra point to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
“I tried to get to the outside and I got two good blocks,” Chadwick said. “That gave us momentum.”
Denham, who wasn’t asked to throw much but didn’t need to, added: “That helped me ease into the game. I was a lot more confident. I think I proved myself.”
The Rams responded with 27 seconds left in the opening quarter when Lucas aired one out to Duncklee, who used his fingertips to haul in the ball while in full stride. Duncklee stayed inbounds and the Rams were back in the game.
“It was a helluva catch,” Lucas said.
Cony took the lead with under five minutes left until halftime, when T.J. Vallee plunged into the end zone from a yard out.
The lead was short-lived, however, when Chadwick scored from 7 yards out with 3:30 remaining in the half to close the scoring.
“This is what makes the rivalry so good,” Palmer said. “Both programs are blossoming.”
Vachon agreed, adding, “Wow, it was a whale of a game.”

Bill Stewart — 623-3811, ext. 515
bstewart@centralmaine.com

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