(Ed. Note: For the complete Cape Elizabeth-Westbrook story, with additional photos and a box score, please visit theforecaster.net)

Just one of three local football teams earned a victory last weekend.

The good news came from Waterboro Saturday, where South Portland held off the Mustangs of Massabesic, 35-34, for its first win. The Red Riots had produced a mere 26 points in their first four outings, but came to life Saturday and barely held on down the stretch to improve to 1-4.

South Portland (12th in the Western Class A Crabtree Points standings) hopes to make it two in a row Friday night when it hosts 2-3 Sanford. Last year, the Red Riots beat the now-Spartans twice, 42-34 in the regular season and 33-13 in the Western A quarterfinals.

Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough weren’t as fortunate.

The Red Storm hoped to stay undefeated when it went to unbeaten, powerhouse Thornton Academy, but ultimately suffered its first loss, 35-7.

Scarborough had an opportunity to make an early statement when it took the opening kickoff and drove from its 20 to the Golden Trojans’ 4, but after a sack, on fourth-and-goal from the 10, a bad snap resulted in a fumble which Thornton Academy’s Bobby Begin pounced on and returned 75-yards for a touchdown.

The Red Storm never caught up, even though it moved the ball in the first half to the tune of 217 yards (146 through the air by quarterback Dillon Russo).

The Golden Trojans pushed the lead to 21-0 at halftime thanks to second period scoring runs from Andrew Libby and Nick Kenney and early in the fourth went up, 28-0, on another Libby TD run. Scarborough broke the ice on its next series, as Russo hit Chris Cyr for a short touchdown pass, but Libby put it away with another long scoring run, dropping the Red Storm to 4-1 (third in the Crabtrees).

Scarborough will host No. 8 Massabesic (2-3) Saturday at 3 p.m., as it looks to get back on track. The teams didn’t play in 2011.

The Capers hosted Westbrook and despite some good early opportunities, fell, 22-7.

Cape Elizabeth failed to capitalize on great field position early, including a possession which began at the Blue Blazes’ 1 after a fumble, but finally got on the board late in the first half when Noah Wolfinger hit Ethan Murphy with a 16-yard scoring pass. The Capers were up, 7-0, at halftime, then everything went sour.

Westbrook outgained Cape Elizabeth, 220 yards to negative-1 in the second half, scored twice in the third quarter to take the lead and put the game away with another score in the fourth period, improving to 4-1 with a 22-7 victory, dropping the Capers to 2-3 in the process.

“I don’t know what happened,” said Cape Elizabeth coach Aaron Filieo. “We left some points on the board in the first quarter. They took momentum from us. We couldn’t get in rhythm offensively in the second half.”

The Capers (seventh in the Western B Crabtrees) have a daunting task Friday when they go 4-1 Marshwood (tied for third), which is coming off its first loss, 36-6, to Wells. The Hawks figure to be fired up. Last year, host Cape Elizabeth beat Marshwood, 40-15.

After hosting Fryeburg, Cape Elizabeth closes at Mountain Valley.

“I keep telling the guys to continue to stay on path,” Filieo said. “It is coming together. My feeling is if we get into the playoffs and we face these teams again, we know we can play with them. We’ve got to get in. We have tough games coming up and we have to win them.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

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Thornton Academy’s Nick Kenney is gang tackled by Scarborough seniors Dillon Russo (12) and Merrick Madden (87), and junior Ben Greenberg (11) during Saturday’s 35-7 win for the Golden Trojans.

Cape Elizabeth sophomore Ethan Murphy comes down with a first half touchdown pass Friday night. Problem was, it was the only score the Capers mustered in a 22-7 home loss to Westbrook.

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