Friday’s high school football: Kennebunk beats Fryeburg with late TD
Kennebunk edges Fryeburg 35‑34 in a nail‑biter at Fryeburg Academy
Kennebunk (5‑1) won a tight, back‑and‑forth Class B South football contest against Fryeburg Academy (2‑4) with a 35‑34 finish on Friday night in Fryeburg. The Rams’ victory came on a last‑second 5‑yard pass from running back Bradley Farrell to quarterback Giovanni D’Elia, with Blake Morris converting the final extra point.
The game was a showcase of both teams’ resilience. Kennebunk began the day with a 1‑yard touchdown run by D’Elia, giving the Rams a 7‑0 lead. Fryeburg answered with a 6‑yard run by Buk Awe, tying the score. Kennebunk quickly regained the lead when running back Ethan White ran in for a 6‑yard touchdown. The Raiders tied again on a 6‑yard run by Lars Bruh. With the game tied 13‑13, Farrell connected on a 41‑yard pass to Charlie Pentland, and Morris capped the drive with a successful extra point to make it 21‑14 in favor of the Rams with one minute left in the first half.
The second half was a see‑saw battle. Bruh exploded for a 90‑yard touchdown pass from Marcus Sutton, giving Fryeburg a 27‑21 edge with 2:49 left in the third quarter. Kennebunk answered immediately on the first play of the fourth when White ran in from one yard out, putting the Rams back on top 28‑27. The game remained a one‑score affair until the final minute.
In the waning seconds, Kennebunk forced a critical turnover. On a fourth‑down play in the first quarter, Kennebunk’s offense fumbled into the Fryeburg end zone, where the Raiders recovered the ball. That error proved costly, as Kennebunk regained possession after a forced punt and began the final drive from its own 35‑yard line with 1:53 to play.
With the clock winding down, D’Elia threw a 15‑yard pass to Peter Landenberger, setting up a first‑and‑goal at the Fryeburg five-yard line. On first down, D’Elia shifted the offense into motion and the snap went to Ethan White, who pitched the ball to Farrell. Farrell, who had already contributed as a runner earlier in the game, spotted D’Elia in the corner of the end zone and delivered a 5‑yard touchdown pass as the clock ticked 7.5 seconds. Morris kicked the extra point, sealing the Rams’ 35‑34 victory.
The win marks Kennebunk’s fourth consecutive triumph and keeps their season record at 5‑1. Fryeburg Academy, now 2‑4, fell short of a chance to stay in the running for a playoff spot. The close score, combined with the dramatic finish, underlines how a single play can define a game—and a season.
