Knights undefeated; tame Huskies

    Football is about defining character. Character is what a large crowd saw on the windswept playing field in Caribou on Saturday. Two teams went at it, both having much to prove.
    The Houlton Knights, 5-0, squared off against the Caribou Huskies, 3-2. No quarter was given, none taken. In the end, the Knights prevailed 34-12 in one of the better regular season games played so far.
    Huskies’ coach Stu Wyckoff wanted the game badly. A win would sidetrack the Knights on their quest for a second consecutive AFL championship.
    Knights to play home game Saturday
    If football is your game and you’ve been curious about the game in Houlton, check out the Houlton Knights program. The successful Houlton varsity Knights will be playing a home game at 1 p.m. on Saturday against BCH at the Bob Ruth Field in Community Park. There is also a junior varsity contest, as well.
    The games will be held rain or shine.
    Free admission, concessions and plenty of action on the field.
    “We have a great respect for Houlton; today, we are here to win,” said Wyckoff.
    A valiant effort by Caribou to back those words fell short on this day.
    Knights head coach Brian Reynolds went about his busy week preparing the team for this showdown.
    “We need to show intensity,” he said before the game. “Caribou is improving with each game, as are all the teams in this league. No team can be taken for granted.”
    From the opening kickoff, this was a physical affair with impressive individual efforts — some for naught. The Knights had two long scores called back on offical’s calls. The 25 to 35 mile per hour winds leveled the playing field and kept the air attack to two scores on 2-for-9 passing from the Knights offensive repertoire. Ironically, the unpredictable and swirling wind aided Caribou’s passing.
    Houlton opened the scoring on the initial kickoff when Aaron Eastman broke loose for a 78-yard touchdown. Following good field position when Caribou failed on a fourth down attempt deep in their own end, Caleb Black trotted over the goal line. He converted the extra point.
    The second quarter saw no scoring, as both teams struggled with miscues and tough defenses. At halftime, the score was 13-0 Knights.
    The third quarter saw more of the same. Showing strategic respect, the Huskies gave up a safety. Going into the final stanza, the Knights led 15-0 and threatening. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Eddie Flint scored and the Knights pushed ahead 21-0.
TACKLED — Caleb Black of the Houlton Knights gets tackled by the Huskies’ Deion Caudill during Saturday’s football game played in Caribou. The Knights were victorious, 34-12, to improve to 5-0 on the year.
    The Huskies were not giving up. With a miraculous tackle by Quinn Harris, who ran down a speedy Caribou halfback after a 60-yard gain, the Knights held defensively on the following play. Caribou launched a pass, which caught the wind and landed in a Huskie hand for the score.
    Things were getting interesting when Mike Ring returned the kickoff 15 yards. Black broke open a play to the left from midfield into the end zone … but wait. An official from the other side of the field ruled that Black stepped out of bounds at the Caribou 12-yard line. No matter, as Knights on the second play scored as Harris found Jesse DaEira in the right corner with a pass to up the score to 27-6.
    On the next Caribou possession, a gang tackle sack by Ring, Dan Toby and Brian Tuttle and a 12-yard loss, guaranteed good field position after the ensuing punt. Houlton obliged with Flint going 27 yards on the first play from scrimmage to the Huskies five-yard line. Harris took a bead on Ring in the end zone and passed for a Knight touchdown, with Black converting the extra point.
    The Huskies were game, but the clock was against them. They passed for another touchdown at the end of the fourth.
    Usually when a team is held to 123 yards of offense, they lose. The Knights held. Ironically, 123 yards were gained on the only four plays by the Huskies. The Knights were not much better on paper. Their total offense for the day was 206 yards.
    The difference, according to coach Reynolds was the “big leg” of his kicker Hunter Hanning.
    “With opponent’s returns essentially left on their own 15 or deeper, we usually get great field position on change of possessions. From there, we grind it, taking up time and finding ways to score from short distances,” Reynolds added.
    The defense was led by Tuttle with nine tackles; DaEira, seven; Toby, six; Ring, Eastman and Harris, five and Flint, four. Harris added an interception.
    “Today, the team did well,” said Reynolds. “They showed great character.”
Junior Knights win, too
    In the JV game, the Knights, 4-0, again prevailed winning, 38-8 over the Huskies.
    The Knights aired it out as quarterback Hanning was 10-for-16 and 147 yards, two touchdowns and four extra points via the airways. Caleb McGary caught two touchdowns, while Sal Cloukey rushed for 52 yards to go with a touchdown. Billy Livezey caught two passes for extra points.
FLATTENED – Knight defensive players Aaron Eastman (24) and Michael Ring (34) combined on a tackle of the Huskies’ Tyler Grant (42), while Wes Holmes of the Huskies (36) also lies on the ground during Saturday’s game in Caribou. The Knights won, 34-12, to stay undefeated on the season with their 5-0 record.
    As the Huskie JVs learned, “live by the sword, die by the sword.” Sam St. John of the Knights returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown. Hanning followed with his only catch of the day — an interception — and returned it nine yards for a score. The Knights also forced a safety on the JV Huskies.
    “Today was a fun game,” said coach Andy Hay. “We have an excellent corps of young receivers … Redman, Brooker, Carmichael, Flewelling, Gould, Suitter, Vargas and St. John, along with McGary, Livezey and Cloukey. All of these kids run great passing routes, have good hands and are smart. Coach Smith’s line combinations of Ramsey, McGufin, McNinch, Wiggin, Keber and Tuttle give us plenty of time and protection in the pocket. They work very hard.”