3 min read

SOUTH BERWICK — The 2025 season ended in disappointment for Marshwood High’s football team when the Hawks let a playoff win slip away at Westbrook.

Friday night in South Berwick, the Hawks made the defending Class B champions feel some pain.

Marshwood intercepted four passes and made an opening-drive touchdown stand up for an 8-0 win in a Class B South game.

“We wanted it bad and we said, ‘This is the time to get it,'” said senior linebacker Sam Therrien who made hole-filling tackles for a stout run defense. “It’s the first Friday night. We worked hard all week. It’s just a combination of things that led to us being able to come away with a hard-fought win tonight.”

Marshwood has 31 players on its roster, a dangerously small number for the competitive B South ranks. The Hawks, however, have 11 seniors and several juniors who played a lot in last year’s 5-5 season.

Marshwood (2-0) has stamped itself as a contender. Westbrook (1-1) was obviously emotionally shaken immediately after having a 10-game winning streak snapped.

But 20 minutes or so after the final whistle, as he sat reflecting on his team’s bench, Westbrook senior running back Cole Tanner recalled that the Blue Blazes also lost their second game of the season in 2025.

“Same exact thing. It’s a wake-up call,” Tanner said. “We made a lot of mistakes out there, as the referees let us know.”

Both teams were hurt by penalties. Westbrook was whistled for three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and six penalties overall for 75 yards. Two penalties wiped out an 85-yard interception return touchdown by Andre Hicks III. A block in the back took away the score, then a dead-ball unsportsmanlike penalty wiped out any field position gain.

Three plays later, Tanner had a chunk run called back. Westbrook quarterback Hunter Hall was intercepted on the following play by Gavin Villineau.

Marshwood (five penalties, 40 yards) had a Mike Sbrizza to Greg Castoras touchdown pass nullified by an illegal substitution penalty just before halftime.

Marshwood showed it could be explosive on offense in its 50-27 season-opening win at Class A Sanford. The Hawks started well with a nine-play, 52-yard drive, capped by hard-running fullback Greg Castoras with a 3-yard touchdown. Castoras added a 2-point conversion run.

Yards were tough to come by for both teams after that. Marshwood finished with a slight edge in yardage, 218-192.

It might be a stretch to call Noah Goodwin an unsung hero, since he intercepted three passes. But he also contributed 43 tough rushing yards on 10 carries, caught five passes for another 29 yards, and opened the game with a 32-yard kickoff return that put the Hawks in good starting position.

Therrien was another key. After Tanner busted a 33-yard gain to put Westbrook at Marshwood’s 34 early in the fourth quarter, Therrien race into a large off-tackle hole from his inside linebacker position to stop Hicks in his tracks on second down. Therrien and Roman Sylvester combined to make a similar stop on Tanner on third down, and then Castoras made a superb open-field tackle to knock Hall down a yard short on fourth down.

Hall injured his left, non-throwing shoulder on the play and did not return when Westbrook got the ball on its own 8 back with 1:27 remaining.

• Westbrook: Cole Tanner (13 carries, 96 yards; 3 receptions, 36 yards); Hunter Hall (8 for 17 passing, 56 yards, 3 interceptions)

• Marshwood: Greg Castoras (21 rushes, 92 rushing); Noah Goodwin, (10 rushes, 43 yards; 5 receptions, 29 yards; 3 interceptions); Michael Sbrizza (9 for 14, 64 yards, 1 interception)