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The seniors on the Woodstock Academy football team played for a final time in their high school careers on the Bentley Athletic Complex turf Nov. 16.
The result wasn’t what they had hoped.
A win over Waterford would have given them a share of the ECC Div. II title.
But the Lancers were not in the mood to share and they posted a 26-15 victory to claim the title for themselves.
“Although it was a loss, it was a pretty good learning experience for us,” said Woodstock Academy senior wide receiver and defensive back Nick Bedard. “Holding them to 26 and being the underdog in this game is something to build off of.”
Only one team, Griswold/Wheeler, had held the Lancers to fewer points, 14, in a loss to the Lancers.
“I didn’t think they would dominate us,” said coach Sean Saucier. “I expected a good game. I’m a little disappointed that we weren’t able to execute some things.”
Woodstock Academy (6-3, 2-2 ECC Div. II) had a prime opportunity early.
The Centaurs backed up the Lancers to their own 1-yard line after an Aidan Morin 52-yard punt.
Waterford, even with the benefit of an encroachment penalty against the Centaurs, could not get a first down and faced a 4th-and-2 on their own 9-yard line.
Inexplicably, the Lancers opted to go for it.
An incomplete pass gave Woodstock the ball.
But the Lancer defense held.
A run that gained nothing and two incomplete passes later, the Centaurs had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Morin and a 3-0 lead.
The slim advantage held until early in the second quarter when Trey Brennan capped a short six-play drive with a 3-yard run for a touchdown for Waterford to give it a 6-3 lead.
The drive was highlighted by a 38-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Bakken (10-for-21 passing, 102 yards) to Sam Menders.
Woodstock Academy opened the door for the Lancers (8-1, 4-0) to take a nine-point lead at the half.
Jackson Harshberger picked a pass from Centaurs’ quarterback Ethan Davis at the Centaurs’ 25-yard line.
Three plays later, Bakken looked and much to his delight saw Michael Vincent wide open on the right side of the end zone for an 8-yard score.
The Centaurs drove to the Waterford 13-yard line but turned the ball over on downs as the Centaurs could move the ball in the first three quarters, but just couldn’t punch the ball in.
The Centaurs went into the half down, 12-3, but still very much in the game.
Waterford gave itself a bit larger a cushion with a five-minute drive to open the second half that culminated in a 25-yard Bakken-to-Vincent touchdown pass.
The Centaurs stayed within shouting distance when Davis used his feet and arm to propel his team downfield.
The sophomore quarterback, who finished with 83 yards rushing, got 20 of those to open a drive that started on the Centaur 36.
Davis (19-for-38, 187 yards) found Luis Miranda for a 19-yard pass and two plays later, Bedard (8 catches, 66 yards) for another 19-yard connection to the Waterford 9.
Davis scampered to the 3-yard line and then handed off to running back Ian Welz for the touchdown to cut the deficit to 10, 19-9.
Waterford refused to let Woodstock Academy build much in the way of momentum.
The Lancers quickly answered with a 9-play drive that ended in a Harshberger 9-yard touchdown run.
Bedard got the final touchdown on his career on his home field with a 2-yard run with 1:09 left in the game.
The Centaurs finish up the season with a game against the CREC Cooperative at 11 a.m. Nov. 23.
“We want to get that seventh win,” Saucier said. “We want to go to CREC and end the season on a high note. We’re going to regroup and make the last week a good one. Fight to the last day and end on a great note- that would be wonderful.”
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
.