Only when normal things started to happen did the Morrisville-Eaton football team finally taste defeat. First, the Warriors got outgained by West Canada Valley on Sept. 4, but won there. Then M-E didn’t manage an offensive touchdown at archrival Hamilton, but still pulled out a 10-7 win in the “Jug” game. By stark contrast, the Warriors’ 21-7 loss to Waterville Friday in a duel of 2-0 Class D South division teams had more conventional elements. By far, the biggest nod to convention was the fact that M-E paid a steep price for mistakes, whether it was a series of turnovers (all interceptions) or a blocked punt that helped the Indians moved forward. All of this, combined with a fierce Waterville defense, led to a 14-0 halftime deficit. Brett Sutton (10 tackles, two sacks), Dan Kelly (two interceptions) and Taylor Jaquays (nine tackles, plus a blocked punt and interception) led that resistance. Working with short fields, the Indians converted when Garth Curtis scored on a three-yard run in the first quarter, then again in the second period when David Reynolds had a one-yard touchdown plunge. M-E did get its own turnovers, thanks to Ben Thomas and Jamie Maciag earning interceptions. And it finally got on the board in the third quarter when Joey VanDee found the end zone on a 10-yard run. Waterville didn’t flinch, though, as Eric Miller’s three-yard TD run offered the clinching points. Tough as this was, M-E might find a greater challenge next Saturday at 2 p.m. against Westmoreland, the state’s top-ranked Class D team. The Bulldogs won the Section III Class C title in 2008 and, after getting moved down, have thrashed through its first three opponents with relative ease.