Winthrop wins mud bowl
It was muddy. It was wet. It was, simply, a mess at Winthrop Grade School for the Campbell Conference Class C title game Saturday between No. 1 Winthrop and No. 3 Lisbon.
In the end, the Ramblers (11-0) prevailed 34-0 in a game they dominated from start to finish.
"It's a great feeling," said junior running back Riley Cobb, who rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown. "Everyone came out to play. I'm just super happy for the seniors."
Cobb was one of three Ramblers to rush for more than 100 yards -- Jake Steele went for a game-high 129 with three touchdowns while Joe Morey had 117 and a score as well.
Winthrop will play Little Ten Conference champ John Bapst in the Class C title game Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium. The time has yet to be determined.
The story Saturday in Winthrop wasn't just how dominating the Ramblers were, but the weather and field conditions.
The rain didn't start falling hard until the second half, but by then the field was just a muddy mess. Players admitted it was tough to get their footing.
"Once you got out there, it was do what you can with it," Steele said. "It was hard to cut."
Despite the weather, a strong crowd still showed, which is a testament to small-town football. About 1,500 spectators were on hand to see the Ramblers reach their first state title game since 2000.
"To be honest, I'd much rather play on a dry field," Steele said. "But I like being able to plant my feet and turn on a dime. The footing was tough. It was real tough, but you had to play through it. But I'll never complain with something like this."