There wasn’t much fullback Kayden Ames didn’t do Oct. 8 in Boothbay’s 35-18 come-from-behind eight-man football victory over Sacopee Valley. Ames rushed for his team’s first touchdown on a 74-yard run. He threw a 21-yard third quarter touchdown pass which gave the Seahawks a 22-18 lead after trailing by two touchdowns in the first half. He ran 52 yards for another touchdown. Plus, Ames had a key interception midway through the third quarter ending a Sacopee Valley drive.

But his greatest contribution may have occurred in the defensive huddle prior to a fourth-and-goal situation late in the first half. Sacopee Valley had already scored three first half touchdowns, and looked to extend its 18-14 lead in the first half’s final minute. 

“I told them ‘How bad do you want this,” Ames said. And it seems, the Seahawks wanted it pretty bad, as the defense stymied the Hawks on fourth down and for the rest of the game. Sacopee Valley was stuck on 18 for the rest of the game and Boothbay went on to score 29 unanswered points.

Boothbay had lost its previous three games, and it looked like a fourth was destined on Homecoming night. Sacopee Valley scored three touchdowns in the game’s first 13 minutes. But a key strategic move by Boothbay coach Ed Crocker may have been the decisive factor. In the first half, no Seahawk played both offense and defense. Crocker wanted to rest his key players enough to provide a strong second half performance. “I thought about it, and decided to try it. It worked pretty well because we were a different team in the second half,” Crocker said. 

Boothbay improves to 2-4. The Seahawks are in sixth place in eight-man small conference standings. Sacopee Valley drops to 1-4. Boothbay travels to Gray Friday, Oct. 15 to play large conference opponent Gray-New Gloucester (2-3).