Members of the Brunswick football team huddle up prior to playing Mt. Blue on Friday night in Farmington. Dave Dyer/Kennebec Journal

FARMINGTON — Friday night was more than the season opener for the Brunswick football team.

It was a step forward.

Although the Dragons fell 50-8 to Mt. Blue in a Class B North game at Caldwell Field, they showed a possible foundation for a rebuild nearly a year after a hazing investigation resulted in the firing of longtime coach Dan Cooper, the dismissal of players, and the shutdown of a program.

“It’s one game at a time, one practice at a time,” said Brunswick first-year coach Brandon Dorsett. “We’ve got a good group of kids. We’re going to turn this thing around, but it’s not immediate success, right? Rome wasn’t built in a day, we’ve just to keep cracking at it.”

On Friday night, the Dragons finally played football.

“It’s more than just a game,” sophomore quarterback Cam Beal said. “We’re brothers. We’re a family, we’re a community.”

Brunswick (0-1) dressed 27 players, 17 of whom were either freshmen or sophomores. The Dragons took their lumps early, struggling to stop a strong Mt. Blue (1-0) passing attack, led by quarterback Jayden Meader, who finished 13 of 17 passing for 188 yards and three touchdowns. Brunswick trailed 42-0 at halftime.

But the Dragons refused to quit.

The Mt. Blue football team takes the field prior to playing Brunswick on Friday night in Farmington. Dave Dyer/Kennebec Journal

On its second possession of the second half, Beal hit sophomore wide receiver Trevor Gerrish on a screen pass near the sidelines. The 6-foot-4 Gerrish made a quick move and found nothing but open field down the sidelines for a 62-yard touchdown. Beal hit Gerrish again on the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 42-8.

“It just feels great to be back out here, with last year getting cut short,” Beal said. “I just love the game; it’s fun to play.”

Beal showed off his athleticism and moxie. He finished with 103 passing yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He also ran for 27 yards.

“He’s a first time starter, a sophomore and a (junior varsity) kid last year, but he really stepped up,” Dorsett said. “From Day 1 when I got here to Brunswick, he’s shown leadership in that sophomore class. When you have a young leader like that, you can build off that.”

The Cougars spread the ball around in the passing game, as six receivers had at least one reception. Charles Stevens led the receiving group, with five receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

Head coach Matt Friedman, who earned his first win at Mt. Blue, was impressed with the play of Meader, a senior.

“Jayden has been waiting for his opportunity,” Friedman said. “Last year, we didn’t protect him very well, he was running for his life a lot. But this year, hopefully he can show what he can do. He’s a smart guy, has got great vision and spreads the ball around.”

Mt. Blue was also successful in the run game, with senior Cowen Young rushing for 82 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Sophomore Dane Cousineau added two touchdowns on the ground, including a scoring rush of 17 yards.

Friedman praised Brunswick’s resolve after the game.

“They’re going to circle the wagons,” Friedman said. “They’ll probably take some lumps this year, but I think Coach Dorsett will get those guys probably where they were before.”

Despite the loss, Dorsett said the Dragons will use the game as a learning experience, and continue to appreciate moving forward with a season.

“Just to even have a team this year is nothing short of a miracle after what happened,” Dorsett said. “Just to have the kids come out and play is what it’s all about. The kids who want to be here and put in the work, that’s what they’ve done. We’re going to build off this. Take this one on the chin and take it as a learning experience.”