AUGUSTA — It was a major mismatch on paper and, as it turned out on a chilly Friday evening, an even bigger one on the field.
The Cony and Gardiner football teams renewed their rivalry with their first regular-season meeting in nine years and fans were treated or subjected — depending on their allegiances — to one of the biggest blowouts in the history of a series that dates to 1892.
Additional Photos
Senior quarterback Ben Lucas completed 14 of 18 passes for 223 yards and six touchdowns as Cony cruised to a 76-14 victory at Alumni Field.
“We didn’t do anything out of the ordinary,” Cony coach Robby Vachon said. “We just executed our offense.”
And in a big way, too.
Cony (6-2) set a record for most points scored by one team in the series. The Rams held the previous mark of 62, set in 1892.
“We played hard,” Vachon said. “We came out aggressive and just played a tough game.”
The Rams, who led 20-0 after the first quarter and 56-0 at the half, lead the all-time series 69-57-10. They’ve won four of the last five meetings and five of the last seven.
Gardiner finished the season 0-8.
“Like I told Cony in the (handshake) line, I hope they make some hay in the playoffs,” Gardiner coach Matt Burgess said. “They deserve it. They ran their offense and it was our job to stop it. We just couldn’t.”
Charlie Hallak rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries for the Rams. Jonathan Saban caught six passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns. Reid Shostak, John Bennett and Tayler Carrier also caught touchdown passes.
Cony raced out to a 20-0 lead in the first quarter with three touchdowns in about a five-minute span.
Hallak got it started with a 12-yard touchdown with 8 minutes, 27 seconds left in the quarter before Lucas and the Rams took to the air.
The 6-foot-4 quarterback fired a 13-yard touchdown pass to Carrier with 5:14 left. Then, about a minute and a half later, Lucas hit Saban for a 33-yard touchdown pass.
“We had trouble with the pass,” Burgess said. “We knew they could throw it. It was a tough season. But we had a lot of young kids out there.”
Cony poured it on the in the second quarter with Lucas throwing touchdown passes to Shostak, Bennett and Saban. Hallak also rushed for an 18-yard score as Cony cruised into the half.
The game was delayed about 20 minutes early in the second quarter when Gardiner defensive back Chase Begin needed medical attention after taking a hit during a kickoff return. He left the game in an ambulance, although medical personnel on the field said it was for precautionary reasons.
Brad Weston rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries to lead Gardiner. Backup quarterback Eli Kropp threw a touchdown pass to Austin Libby as well.
“We had it going,” Vachon said. “I give the kids credit. They came out and were not complacent.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
