BRISTOL — The Mount Abraham-Vergennes football team picked up its first-ever Division II victory on Saturday, 14-7 over visiting North Country.
The Eagles controlled the first half on both sides of the ball and took a 14-0 lead. Ryan Paquin, who rushed for 106 yards, capped one march with a 7-yard run seven minutes into the first quarter, and Wyatt Gracie finished another drive with a 10-yard run in the second quarter to make it 14-0 at the half.
The Eagles’ defense remained strong in the second half, but the offense found the going tougher against the 0-4 Falcons defense. The Eagles did pick up a couple key first downs to run the clock on a sneak by quarterback Coleman Russell, a Paquin plunge up the middle, and a pass from Russell to Devin Kimball.
The Falcons finally broke through with one sustained drive early in the fourth quarter, capped by a 20-yard pass from Evan Sarault to Hunter Stanley.
They gained a couple first downs in their next possession, but a big sack by Kimball, Bradley Sturtevant and Aaron Fanning helped kill the drive. Kimball also batted away Sarault’s long desperation pass as time expired, allowing the Eagles to celebrate.
The Eagles will play at Lyndon on Saturday.