Renegades slip to 2-4 on season, with a 38-6 loss at Madawaska

The County Renegades football team slipped to 2-4 on the season with a 38-6 loss last Saturday at Madawaska to the defending-league champion Mustangs. The score was 26-0 at half time, and the Renegades finally got on the board when senior nose tackle, Colby Seely of Woodstook punched it in with a four-yard run out of the “Jumbo” package early in the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion was nearly a completed pass to tight end Tristan Larson (Hodgdon) but was tipped away as Larson was hauling it in.    “Maybe the scoreboard doesn’t say so, but we played a lot better today,” said head coach Steve Martin. We moved the ball pretty well most of the day, and had a lot more first downs than when they beat us at home (41-6) a few weeks ago. With a brand new club, we are looking for improvement, and our boys gave four quarters of very good effort and intensity this time out.”
The team also received word early Monday that their final regular season game scheduled against the Milo Panthers has been forfeited, leaving their final regular season record at 3-4.
“Forfeits are no fun for anybody,” said assistant coach Chris Bond, “But, you know, we ended our first year in the league ahead of two long-term veteran clubs (Caribou and Milo) and we held together all year through some pretty adverse stuff like a band of brothers. We’d rather have gotten that win on the field, but a W is a W.”
“The offensive line really played a lot better this week,” added line coach Randy Challoux. “We’ve struggled with consistency and little injuries, and today we found some real toughness. We had guys who were hobbled, but stayed in the whole game anyway — like Collin McMahon (Hartland.)”
Madawka’s edge rushing speed was just too much for the young Renegades club. Gabriel St. Germain threw a touchdown pass early on just over the leaping defense of Gavin Russell (Katahdin) to make it 7-0 on the home team’s first possession, then ran it in for the 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Emanuel Charest took over from there, racking up nearly 100 yards and two long scoring runs around left left edge.
“They are fast, and know how to get outside,” said defensive coordinator Wayne England. “You don’t get to be champions of this league without speed, and without knowing how to use it.”
The Mustangs will defend their title at Husson College on Nov. 2 against the undefeated Panthers of Medomak Valley, champions of the Southern Division.
The Renegades will take a week off before getting prepared to play a non-league game versus the Houlton Shires in early November — details to be worked out.
Freshman tailback Jed Grant (GHCA) hobbled with an injury, rushed four times for 15 yards. Fullback Joe Silliboy (Hodgdon) carried eight times for 14 yards, and quarterback Devon Targonski rushed once for 12 yards. Seely carried twice for seven yards with a touchdown. Through the air, Shiloh Bond (Hodgdon) caught three balls for 16 yards, Russell caught two passes for 30 yards, and Larson hauled in two aerials for 11 yards. Quarterback Dakota Reinhardt went five of 11 for 46 yards. The Renegades did not turn the ball over, and were +1 in that department for the day, but their quarterbacks were sacked three times.
Defensively, the Renegades were led for the third time by freshman linebacker Sam Geary (GHCA) with seven tackles and two sacks. Grant recovered a fumble and tacked on five tackles. Gavin Larson, Cody Brownlee (Katahdin) and Brandon Suitter (Hodgdon) notched three tackles each.