Lawrence cruises to victory in Class B North quarterfinals over Skowhegan

FAIRFIELD — It didn’t seem to matter who was carrying the ball Friday night for the Lawrence football team, the result was going to be the same: big wins and touchdowns.

Running back Colton Carter rushed for 201 yards on 13 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead the No. 3 Bulldogs to a 42-13 victory over then-No. 6 Skowhegan in a Class B North quarterfinal at Keyes Field.

“It’s really exciting to come out and win like that,” said Carter, a senior.



Senior running back Preston Roy had 97 yards on 13 carries for Lawrence (6-3), while sophomore Keegan Littlefield added 58 yards on two carries. Each scored a touchdown. Of the Bulldogs’ 431 offensive yards, 372 were on the ground.

Skowhegan (2-7) was led by junior running back Ayden Mulcahy, who rushed for 98 yards on 16 carries. Junior quarterback Jason Aubin had 104 total yards (60 rushing, 44 passing) and a rushing touchdown for the River Hawks.

Lawrence established its offensive attack early. On the second possession, Carter ran to the outside on the throw and saw nothing but open field, sprinting 90 yards for a touchdown. Trevor Pellerin’s extra point gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead that carried into the first quarter.

“That’s one of our biggest goals that sets the tone,” Carter said. “Once we get going, you can’t really stop us.”

“We’re obviously a running team,” senior founder Michael Hamlin added. “If we can get there and establish that early, we feel comfortable doing whatever we want the rest of the game.”

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the second quarter when Littlefield, taking an inside hand from Carter on a counter, scampered 51 yards up the middle of the field for a score.

Skowhegan cut the lead to 14-7 on the next possession, marching 76 yards in nine plays. Aubin finished the drive with a 21-yard run. Lawrence responded with two touchdowns — an 8-yard touchdown pass from Hamlin to junior wide receiver Leighton Bradford and a 37-yard run by Roy — to go into halftime with a 28-7 lead.

Carter scored the final two touchdowns, one of 36 yards, the other of 7 yards, to give Lawrence a 42-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The success on the field was a welcome sight for the Bulldogs, who were without senior running back Dustan Hunter-Bellows, who is out with a foot injury.

“He gives us so much versatility,” said Hamlin, who went 5-of-9 for 59 yards. “(Littlefield) is a sophomore, Preston and Carter are both seniors. Jaxson O’Boyle, who got in there a little bit tonight, is a sophomore. We can ask anyone to step up and know they are up for the challenge.”

“It’s not really set in stone who’s going to shine,” Lawrence head coach John Hersom said. “(Littlefield) is doing really well in this (counter game). He had a couple of touchdowns in that game and is coming back from a knee injury. (Roy) and (Littlefield), along with Cole Quirion, give us good depth. Colton doesn’t have to get all the carries, although he certainly gets his share.”

Freshman Austin Lancaster replaced an injured Aubin in the fourth quarter. His first pass connected deep with sophomore wide receiver Kaden Pelletier for an 84-yard touchdown. Pelletier had 98 yards on five receptions.

Skowhegan head coach Brad Cyr said he was impressed with the fight of his group, which battled injuries throughout the week.

“We were really weak this week,” Cyr said. “I’ve had days where I’ve had 20-year-old kids at practice, shaking my head thinking, ‘How the hell are we going to prepare to play tonight with what we have numbers-wise?’ I’m very proud to have put it together. Obviously, we had some guys playing a little disappointed. … We just exhausted ourselves a little bit.

“We have some good fundamentals and have improved throughout the season, taking off last year as sophomores and improving this year as juniors,” Cyr continued. “We’re working on finding that winning mentality, (getting) those little pieces to win games.”

The Bulldogs completed a season sweep of the River Hawks. Lawrence defeated Skowhegan 32-7 in the regular season game on September 20.

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