Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

Cony avenged a tough overtime loss to Gardiner last season with a 26-15 exhibition victory Friday night at Hoch Field.

A few notes and observations …

* Cony quarterback Ben Lucas looked pretty good, throwing for 147 yards. He completed 13 of his 25 passes.

However, the 6-foot-4 Lucas also made his presence on the field, rushing for 38 yards.

Lucas, one of the top passers in Pine Tree Conference Class A, is not known as a mobile quarterback.

“It's always good to start off like this,” he said. “Last year, it set the tone for us.”

Gardiner won 36-34 in overtime last season at Alumni Field.

* Interesting situation late in the game. Cony coaches called for the junior varsity units with under a minute to play. However, when Gardiner took a punt and started a drive at the Cony 14-yard line, things got interesting. Gardiner coach Matt Burgess kept his starting offense on the field, prompting Cony coach Robby Vachon to pull his subs and put his starting defense back out.

The Tigers scored anyway, on a 14-yard Dennis Meehan rush.

* Brandon St. Michel had just 19 yards on six carries in the first half for Cony. Suffice to say, he picked it up in the second half, in which he rushed for 88 yards. He finished with four touchdowns.

“He has a great motor,” Vachon said.

* Gardiner opened the game with Meehan taking a shot down the far sideline to Tyler Jamison. The pass went incomplete.

“We wanted to get that first pass over the top,” Meehan said. “It didn't work so we started pounding it.”

In the first game of post-Alonzo Connor era, the Tigers rushed for 128 yards. Steve Sirois rushed for 62 yards while Meehan went for 56.

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