Knights feast at Jamboree

    The weather was perfect. The crowd was large. Knight’s head football coach, Brian Reynolds, acknowledged that the Jamboree held in Caribou on Saturday was only a showcase event. The season is long and perennial rivals Houlton, Madawaska and host Caribou put on the pads for a trial run for 2010.
    The varsity Knights showed plenty of grit in defeating the Mustangs of Madawaska, 18-0 in the first mini-format showdown. Caleb Black returned to old form with two scores from 18 and 3 yards.
    Quinn Harris hit Jesse DaEira with a 12-yard scoring toss to cap off the scoring.
    The Knights defense was stingy. Madawaska, after a slow start, gained some traction but could only bend, but not break, the defense.
    In the second event, Houlton played a much-improved Huskie team from Caribou.
    Rehabilitated from a season-ending injury in 2009, number 32, Eddie Flint, was everywhere and accounted for all the scoring in the 14-0 win by the Knights, with a 24-yard run and a 4-yard scamper to the end zone. Flint converted both XPs.
    With strong support and great individual efforts, the Houlton team beat back an impressive air offensive by Caribou and contained their ground game.
    Reynolds said that he was “pleased with the team’s progress”, but added that they were “not quite there yet.” The season begins next Saturday. “We will take it one game at a time,” said Head Coach Reynolds.
    In the Junior Varsity events, plenty of scoring and tough defense allowed the Houlton team to defeat Madawaska 25-14 and down Caribou 38-7.
    The wins were a team effort with a few pleasant surprises from first-year players: Hunter Hanning, Bill Livesay and Sal Clukey. “This team is loaded with athletes. All our kids contributed and are responding well to our system,” said Coach Hay.
    Portland’s WCSH-TV6 photojournalist Tim Goff, a county native, was present and planned to do a video report on the action and football interest in northern Maine. He interviewed Coach Reynolds and Knight player, Tim Chase, for his online segment available on the web next week.