The Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale/Kents Hill defense forced three turnovers on downs its its 56-14 victory over Lisbon on Friday in Lisbon. Cooper Sullivan/The Times Record

LISBON — Entering Friday night’s game, Joel Stoneton knew that a high-level of physicality and a complete team effort were needed for the Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale/Kents Hill football team to walk out of its Week 2 rivalry game against Lisbon victorious.

It took a few drives, but once the Ramblers found what their head coach was looking for, they never looked back. The relentless attack — on offense, defense and special teams — led Winthrop to a 56-14 win.

“We started out a little slow,” Stoneton said. “We were expecting to come out and have a little more ‘umph,’ but I have to give it all to Lisbon because they came out and punched us right in the mouth. We drove down the field, and I think the kids got a little overconfident, and I think Lisbon took advantage of that.”

After senior running back Cody Cobb found the end zone on Winthrop’s opening drive, Lisbon quickly answered back with sophomore running back Maleek Beaumier taking a simple pitch 58 yards to the house. On the ensuing kickoff, the Greyhounds forced a fumble and recovered the ball on the Winthrop 38-yard-line.

“I think we came in a little overconfident, to be honest,” Cobb said. “I didn’t think we expected them to come out and hit us as hard as they did. But once we got our heads together and we all started playing and working together, we just clicked again.”

Lisbon (1-1) marched forward to the Ramblers’ 22-yard-line, but the Winthrop (2-0) defense remained strong, forcing a turnover on downs. The cohesion didn’t translate to the offense immediately, but once the second quarter began, the visitors took complete control.

A bad snap by Lisbon’s punt team set up favorable field position and another Cobb score. Lisbon’s next drive sputtered out and poor control on the punt again led to favorable field position and, yet another Cobb rushing touchdown, making it a 21-6 game.

The senior finished with 102 yards and three TDs (all 3-yard punch-ins) on 12 carries.

Despite their initial offensive success, the Greyhounds were struggling against Winthrop’s defense, which adjusted to take away the pitch option, and they did not see the opposite side of the field for the rest of the first half.

With four minutes left in the second quarter, the Ramblers forced another turnover on downs.

“Consistency is our problem right now,” Lisbon head coach Chris Kates said. “We do things in spurts well, but we’re not consistent enough to put together full drives and get stops on defense.”

Cobb and senior running back Carter Rivers (11 rush, 143 yards, TD) took turns stiff arming the Lisbon secondary and moving the chains, before senior quarterback Braden Branagan (5-for-5, 40 yards, TD) found junior wideout Ben Porter in the end zone to make it a 28-6 game at the break.

The defensive shutdown continued in the second half with another turnover on downs. Rivers rubbed it in by spinning and weaving through Lisbon’s defense to take Winthrop’s first play of the half 64 yards to the end zone.

“I went up to (Stoneton) and I was like, “Coach, they’re blitzing every time. Let me get a toss outside,'” Rivers said. “It just worked. Outside, give me space, I just got away.”

Already up by four scores, the loudest cheers from the Winthrop fans were yet to come.

On Lisbon’s next punt attempt, junior linebacker Brock Dewar got a clear release and blocked the kick. Right behind him was Isaiah Trott, the Ramblers’ largest lineman, who scooped the ball and raced 32 yards to the end zone.

“Never in my life,” Trott said when asked if he had ever run faster.

By the fourth quarter both teams put in their second-stringers, and both teams continued putting points on the board.

Winthrop sophomore Carter Rand ran six times for 93 yards and two TDs, while Lisbon junior Jared Francis returned a kickoff for over 80 yards and six points.