Running back Nate Warren of the Bucksport Golden Bucks rushed for 178 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead the unbeaten Golden Bucks to a 48-12 win over the Foxcroft Academy Ponies on Friday.—STAFF PHOTO BY HUGH BOWDEN

BUCKSPORT — With an offense that ran for more than 300 yards and a smothering defense, the Bucksport Golden Bucks crushed the defending Eastern Maine Class C champion Foxcroft Academy Ponies 48-12 on Friday at Carmichael Field.

Quarterback Kyle McGeechan of the Bucksport Golden Bucks looks for running room during Friday’s contest against the Foxcroft Academy Ponies.—STAFF PHOTO BY HUGH BOWDEN

Bucksport’s first touchdown came on back-to-back fumbles after the Golden Bucks had marched to the Foxcroft six-yard line on the opening drive of the game.

The Golden Bucks turned the ball over on a fumble but Foxcroft gave it right back, with Robbie McGuire pouncing on the loose ball in the end zone and Bucksport took a 7-0 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The Ponies went nowhere after the ensuing kickoff and the Golden Bucks immediately mounted another drive with Warren going into the end zone on a five-yard run that put the score at 13-0.

Foxcroft again fumbled the ball away, this time on the kickoff, but moments later, it was jarred loose from Warren’s grasp and the Ponies recovered at their own 31-yard line.

Halfback Ian Champeon put the Ponies on the scoreboard when he raced 36 yards for a touchdown.

But the Bucks answered right back, driving 50 yards with Findlay taking the ball into the end zone from 15 yards out to put the Bucks up 21-12.

The Ponies mounted another drive, this one good for 71 yards and a touchdown when quarterback Ryan Stroud connected with Josiah Richard on a 30-yard scoring pass with just seven seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Bucksport’s Warren made the most of those seven seconds, scooping up the kickoff at his own eight-yard line and somehow emerging from a cluster of Foxcroft defenders for a 92-yard touchdown run that put Bucksport in front 27-12.

The Golden Bucks added three more touchdowns in the second half on runs of 41 yards and 37 yards by Warren and a one-yard plunge by Alex Giosia.

Warren finished with 178 yards on 23 carries and Findlay had 118 yards on 11 carries to lead the Bucksport offense.

Champeon had 76 yards on 14 carries and Stroud, who came on in the second quarter when Jamie Nason left with a leg injury, completed six of 13 passes for 75 yards for Foxcroft.

The 3-0 Golden Bucks will travel to Rockland tomorrow (Friday) to face the 1-2 Tigers at 7 p.m.

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In a major Pine Tree Conference match-up on Friday, the Mount Desert Island Trojans put their mark in the win column over the Waterville Purple Panthers with a 35-14 victory that brings their season record to 2-1.

The Trojans began the game by recovering a fumble on the kickoff at the 18-yard line, setting up receiver Terrence Jones on quick pass from quarterback Tyler Crawford for a touchdown with 10:55 left in the first quarter.

The Purple Panthers, with an aggressive offensive push, quickly answered the Trojans with a short TD run from Kris Huggins evening the score at 7-7 with 5:56 left in the first quarter.

The second touchdown for the Trojans was carried in by Jasper Cousins from the one-yard line with 2:32 left in the first quarter.

The Trojans stopped the Purple Panthers deep in their end of the field when Ben Cline managed a solo open field tackle on the kickoff, leaving Waterville at its own 15-yard line.

Waterville, despite several threatening offensive pushes, couldn’t find the end zone and MDI went into the second quarter with a 14-7 lead.

On a fourth-and-two situation early in the second period, Waterville attempted a draw play that was summarily squashed by Trojan noseguard Uriah Hallett, giving MDI possession of the ball near the 20-yard line.

The Trojans marched the length of the field and scored on a plunge by Cousins with 6:47 left in the second period, bringing the score to 21-7 with the extra point.

Waterville mounted another offensive push late in the period and scored on the back of Huggins, cutting the lead to 21-14 with 3:32 left in the half.

Moments later, the Trojans were caught in the end zone for a touchback, giving the ball to Waterville at its own 20-yard line.

But with just 59 seconds to go before halftime, time ran out for the Purple Panthers.

The Trojans struck quickly in the second half, using the running game to open up the passing lanes, and Crawford hit Nolan Hall with a 55-yard touchdown pass, upping the score to 28-14, including the extra point, with 11:07 on the clock.

The final touchdown of the night came when Jones ran the ball in from the 18-yard line with 1:18 left in the third quarter.

“Obviously, we were happy with the victory,” said MDI coach Mark Shields. “We looked at the tape and we performed well at times but there are still a lot of things that we need to get better at.”

Offensively, Odane Gaynor had 123 yards on 17 carries to lead the Trojans in rushing, followed by Jones with 109 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns and Cousins with 48 yards on 12 carries for two touchdowns.

Crawford completed six of seven passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.

Oliver Pryor was “a pleasant surprise,” according to Shields, going five-for-five on extra point kicks.

Defensively, linebacker Camden Fernald had 12 tackles and two assists, and Cousins had 11 tackles and five assists.

The 2-1 Hampden Broncos will be at MDI on Friday at 7 p.m.