Spruce Mountain football bests Cape Elizabeth in 8-man battle
Spruce Mountain quarterback Dylan Jewett turned in another multi-threat performance Friday night, accounting for four touchdowns—one through the air and three on the ground—to power the Phoenix to a 40-28 victory over Cape Elizabeth in an eight-man football Large School South contest at Livermore Falls.
The win improved Spruce Mountain to 4-2 and kept the team firmly in the hunt for a top-four playoff spot. Jewett, who also accounted for four scores in a loss to Orono earlier this month, credited the offensive line and his teammates for the efficiency.
“That kid, he can change the game in the blink of an eye, and sometimes we have to talk to him a little bit to realize that,” said Spruce Mountain coach Devin Roberts. “And once he knows it in the game, he does it.”
“I think a lot of it goes to the line and coach just making the right play call, and my guys just block for me, so (I) just take advantage of that,” Jewett said. “We came into the game knowing we had to win if we wanted to seal a spot, (a top-four spot) for playoffs, so it was a big game for us.”
Cape Elizabeth, also sitting at 4-2, answered Spruce Mountain’s early scoring surge with balanced offense. Rosco Hampton found the end zone on a 13-yard run to open the scoring, and the Capers matched the Phoenix drive-for-drive through much of the first half, including touchdown passes and a rushing tally that kept them within striking distance.
But Spruce Mountain seized momentum late in the second quarter. Jewett capped a long drive with a 72-yard scramble just before halftime, putting the Phoenix up 20-14. Cape Elizabeth responded in the third quarter with two quick scores—a six-yard run and a nine-yard pass—to reclaim the lead at 28-20 with plenty of time remaining.
From there, the Phoenix offense took control. After Levi Richards recovered a fumble by Cape Elizabeth’s Sam Hews deep in Spruce Mountain territory, the offense capitalized. Jewett and Owen Kelvey both found the end zone on the ensuing possessions, building a 34-28 lead late and effectively sealing the outcome.
Richards, who also hauled in a touchdown pass and the ensuing two-point conversion, was a catalyst on both sides of the ball. His defensive effort shifted the game’s momentum at a critical juncture.
Cape Elizabeth coach Issiah Bachelder reflected on the result and the themes that have defined his team’s season.
“We feel like we've beaten the teams we're supposed to beat, and the two teams (Yarmouth, Spruce Mountain) that we really had circled on our schedule, we just have to play a full four quarters. In both of those games, we've had some turnovers in areas of the field where we were going to take the lead or increase the lead, and it just didn't work out that way,” Bachelder said.
Statistically, Jewett led all players with three rushing and one passing touchdown, while Kelvey added two rushing scores for Spruce Mountain. Hampton tallied two rushing and two passing touchdowns for the Capers.
With the victory, Spruce Mountain looks to build momentum down the stretch of the regular season. Cape Elizabeth will aim to clean up the costly turnovers that have proven decisive in close contests, beginning with their next matchup.
