Skowhegan Ends Playoff Drought With 35-0 Shutterout of Brunswick

Skowhegan football players and fans can finally breathe easy. The River Hawks defeated Brunswick 35-0 on Friday at Reginald Clark Memorial Field to claim a Class B North quarterfinal victory. The shutout marked the program's first playoff win since it captured the 2022 Class B state title.

The result gives Skowhegan its sixth win of the 2026 season. That total is one victory short of the combined wins the team recorded over the previous three years from 2023 to 2025. Coach Brad Cyr described the win as a necessary step to make winning a habit. "It’s kind of like getting the monkey off our back here," Cyr said. "My message all week was that we want winning to be normal, and we can’t do that unless we get some of these wins in the playoffs."

Austin Lancaster powered the offense with a 228-yard rushing performance. The junior also added 56 passing yards and one touchdown on five completions in 13 attempts. He broke the scoring tie early by rushing 47 yards on a third-and-24 play for a touchdown. Lancaster then threw a 28-yard fourth-and-6 score to Christian Ouellette to extend the lead to 14-0.

The Skowhegan defense limited sixth-seeded Brunswick to just 102 total yards. The River Hawks forced three turnovers, including two fumble recoveries and one interception by Matthew Keister. Asher Ouellette pressured Brunswick sophomore quarterback Max Caouette throughout the game. Ouellette recorded a sack early in the third quarter and played his first game in a season without a cast on his arm.

Brunswick, which finished with a 2-7 record, saw Ethan Carr carry the ball four times for 29 yards and catch five passes for 28 yards. Max Caouette completed five of nine passes for 38 yards but gave up the interception. The loss keeps Brunswick out of the next round of the playoffs.

Skowhegan now prepares to face No. 2 Cony at 7 p.m. next Friday in Augusta. The two teams met in Week 2, when Cony won 42-35 after Skowhegan came back from a 20-point deficit. Cony had a bye in the quarterfinal round. Lancaster, who rushed for 113 yards and passed for 194 in that earlier matchup, said the team must play with physicality against the Rams. "Just don’t let them score, I guess," Lancaster said.

Cael Hamilton, a junior lineman, credited the team's improved practice habits for the shutout. "I think we just practiced better (this week than we did when we beat Brunswick 19-17 back in Week 4)," Hamilton said. "I think we’ve grown way more as a team and increased our teamwork so much better."

The River Hawks' defense controlled the line of scrimmage and stifled the Brunswick run game. Lancaster noted that the offensive line provided strong blocking, allowing him to find running lanes. "I had great blocking up front, and it was great all around," Lancaster said. "(Our defense) is a great group of guys up front. They can play with anyone; size, strength, it doesn’t matter, they’ll get it done."