By PATRICK WALSH
Tyson Totten found the end zone five times with his legs, including a 54-yard score on the first play from scrimmage as Pembroke defeated Frewsburg (VI) 49-20 in the 8-Man Far West Regional at Pittsford Sutherland High School on Friday.
Totten also scored on the second Pembroke drive, taking the first play of that possession 81 yards to the house and putting the Dragons up 14-0 early. The senior scored his third touchdown on the day late in the first frame, this time from 47 yards out.
“Elite vision and endurance,” Pembroke head coach Brandon Ricci said of Totten. “Kid doesn’t get tired. Gets guys lined up on both sides and he is the force pushing them to get better. He sets the tone for the locker room.”
The Dragons finished the first quarter up 28-0 with Caleb Felski scoring on a 26-yard run for the other touchdown in the frame. The quick start was exactly what Coach Ricci hoped for.
“Last game in the Sectional Championship we came out flat and let Bolivar Richburg jump on us 16-7 and had to battle back. We always want to set the tone and certainly, it is encouraging when you can score that quick and get up on people.”
With Pembroke keeping Frewsburg off the scoreboard in the first half, it marked the fourth time the Dragons accomplished that feat this season.
“We had good technique, played our games, won our one-on-one matchups and didn’t get caught out of alignment,” said Ricci. “Football is a numbers game and when you can count the box and beat the man across from you, good things usually happen. I don’t care if it’s 8-Man or 11-Man.”
Coach Ricci also noted how important the win is for the program.
“It’s really rewarding to see the younger generation taste the fruit of their labors. Four years ago, when I decided to coach here, we had 11 players signed up, grades 9-12. I had to pull up five freshmen. Totten, (Jayden) Mast and (Jeremy) Gabbey were three of them, now senior captains. As a resident and father in the community, we take great pride in this program and the support has been humbling and overwhelming at the same time.”
With the win, Pembroke advances to face the Section III champion on November 18 in Waterville. Ricci is confident his squad will be up to the task.
“No secret sauce, just hard work, sweat, time and sacrifice. Truth is truth. Discipline, humility, hunger and teamwork.”
Totten scored twice in the second quarter on 86 and three-yard carries and finished with 340 rushing yards. Felski returned a kickoff 78 yards to the house in the third quarter to round out the Pembroke scoring and racked up 99 yards on the ground. On defense, Jaylen Bridge led with 12 tackles and one sack. Octavius Martin finished with 11 tackles. Totten had eight tackles. Felski, Madden Perry and Vijay Dhanda each had at least five tackles.
For Frewsburg, Blake Weaver put the Bears on the board with a seven-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Weaver also scored on a four-yard carry later in the frame. Trent Lewis hurled a 20-yard touchdown pass to Kenton Dahlin. Dahlin also recovered a fumble in the third stanza.
Leave a Reply