FREEPORT — Freeport took advantage of its speed and athleticism, racing out to a big first-quarter lead then cruising to a 43-14 victory over Telstar in a Class E football matchup Friday.

The Falcons used eight different rushers and amassed over 250 yards on the ground en route to earning their third win of the season against one loss.

“These kids have had a lot more pressure put on them this year,” Freeport coach Paul St. Pierre said. “ A lot of them expected to play JV this season, but with low numbers, we’ve fast-tracked them to varsity.”

Freeport moved from Class C to E this year due to a large number of freshmen and sophomores, and St. Pierre is seeing the results.

“We’re really pleased with the way they are handling it. They are getting the plays down, the schemes down and are coming along physically,” St. Pierre said.

The Falcons wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Anthony Panciocco connected with Tre Morris down the right sideline for a 47-yard touchdown on the game’s third play from scrimmage.

“We have a reputation of being a run-heavy team, because it works,” St. Pierre said. “Tonight we wanted to mix it up early to start the game. Anthony is only a sophomore and we’ve brought him along slowly.

“We’re trying to pass a little more, do something different. If we want to succeed later in the season, we have to be able to do more than run. It all starts with the protection.”

After each team traded punts and another Freeport defensive stop, the Falcons were off an running. An eight-play drive of 67 yards, all on the ground, resulted in another touchdown as Caden Benedict blasted his way into the end zone.

Freeport scored on its next possession to close out the quarter when Morris took the handoff and sprinted 52 yards for the score and a commanding 21-0 lead after 12 minutes.

“Our lineman are great. We’ve been trying to get our blocks down,” Morris said. “If the linemen protect us, we do our job.”

Telstar, playing in Class E for the second straight season, opened the second quarter with an impressive drive of its own. Quarterback Davin Mason hit three of four passes, including a strike to Tyler Hill for the score. After the point after, Telstar trailed 21-7.

“We only have 15 kids and one was hurt the other day and we had an injury tonight,” Telstar coach Timothy O’Connor said.

On the ensuing kickoff, Morris struck once again. Weaving through traffic, missing multiple tackles, the junior broke free, rattling off a 75-yard touchdown.

“I was a little mad after their touchdown because that was my responsibility,” Morris said. “I got angry and wanted to make up for my mistake.”

Freeport tacked on another score late in the half to take a 37-7 lead into the break.

The Falcons rushed for 192 first-half yards, thanks in large part to the offensive line.

“We have some talent in the skill positions with some athleticism, but the key tonight was the offensive line and their blocking,” St. Pierre said. “The offensive line really gelled tonight. If we get the blocking down, our runners are exceptional.”

Freeport scored on its first possession of the second half, putting together a 43-yard drive after Telstar turned it over on downs. Connor Fox hit Duncan Nam in the corner of the end zone for the score.

Telstar added a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Brayden Stevens, who replaced Mason at quarterback in the second quarter, took a 1-yard plunge over the goal line for the touchdown. The freshman finished the game with 78 yards on 13 carries between the running back and quarterback positions.

“He’s a big player (6-foot-2, 180 lbs.) for us and we expect good things from him,” O’Connor said. “We kept battling and scored a nice touchdown in the first half and got another in the second half. It was a good morale booster for us.”

Freeport hosts Dirigo next Friday at 6 p.m. Telstar (0-4) hosts Old Orchard Beach next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.