BOURNE — Upper Cape coach Ken Owen picked up his 200th career win and a Mayflower League Small title yesterday.
If you asked him, it is pretty easy to know which of the two he prefers.
“Winning the conference title with these kids,” Owen, a Massachusetts High School Football Hall of Famer, said following the milestone victory. “Not that it wasn’t one of our goals but it wasn’t talked about. You come down to this and realize what is happening as time goes along and all of a sudden you tell the kids ‘We can win this thing.’ ”
The Rams bested Old Colony, 13-6 and immediately thereafter doused the newest member of the 200-win club with a Gatorade shower.
Junior backs Kemrin Glover and Juzary Salim provided the scoring for the Rams (5-2) as the duo combined for 185 yards on 14 carries. But the defense, led by captains Wally Alden and Anthony Georgopoulos, were also instrumental in the victory.
With Upper Cape holding a 7-0 lead in the fourth quarter, the Cougars (3-4) cut the deficit when Kyle Scholz powered up the middle on a 1-yard quarterback keeper. On the ensuing two-point attempt, Alden and Georgopoulos were able to penetrate the backfield and stop the potential go-ahead score.
That play kept Old Colony chasing in the final quarter. The Rams made the hill steeper as Salim provided a 15-yard touchdown scamper with just 2:57 left.
“We didn’t have the offense we normally generate but that is OK. We had the big plays. Juzary and Kemrin both had their one big play that helped us a lot, and we fought for our lives on defense,” Owen said.
Glover’s big play came in the first quarter, one play after a fumble recovery on the defensive end. With the ball at midfield, Glover took a reverse sweep and gained the edge before bursting 49 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.
Right now, it is tough for Owen to think about his personal achievements. After all, there is still football to be played.
“Yes, it’s a nice milestone,” he said. “It’s the people around me that it matters to. The people who have been so supportive to me over the years, including my family. My wife, my kids, and my mom, they are all here (yesterday) to see it. It is very important, you know support-wise and everything, but I guess it takes time for me to process things like that.”
