Matt Trombley was holding the runner-up plaque after the Class B North final when he summed up the conflicting emotions that were taking place.

“I’m all over the place,” the Lawrence senior and co-captain said. “I’m happy, I’m sad. Most of all, I’m happy with how we played at the end. It was hard-fought, two overtimes, that’s crazy for a championship game. I’m glad I got to play that hard with my boys for the last time. That was a great final game.”

It didn’t go Lawrence’s way, as Windham came away with a 42-35 double overtime victory to head to the Class B state championship. But the hard-fought game was emblematic of the Bulldogs’ hard-fought season, one that saw them work through injuries that plagued the homestretch of their playoff race to be in position for their first state championship appearance in nine years.

“We felt we got some great momentum at the end of our season,” Lawrence coach John Hersom said. “For the last month, we’d been feeling really good about the condition of our team and the way that we’d been playing the last four weeks.”

The Bulldogs’ final showing may have been their most resilient one. Windham seemed constantly poised to land a knockout punch, but Lawrence had an answer each time. The Eagles scored touchdowns on three straight possessions in the first half, and the Bulldogs answered with a touchdown of their own each time. Windham drove 73 yards to the Lawrence 1-yard line in 13 plays to start the second half, but the Bulldogs forced a fumble that Jake Hutchins recovered to end the threat.

And then, in what would have been the defining moment of the game had overtime turned out differently, Windham had first-and-goal from the 4-yard line in the final minute of regulation, but Lawrence stuffed Tate Chork and Haddon Boyle for zero yards on back-to-back carries from the 1 to somehow keep the game tied at 28.

“Two words: ‘Lawrence built,'” Trombley said. “We’ve gone through a lot this year, injuries and quarantines and losing everyone, so we’ve always had to move around people. … Everyone was super mentally tough.”

 

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There was not a tremendous amount of defense during the Class C North championship game between Winslow and Hermon on Saturday afternoon at the Weatherbee Complex at Hampden Academy.

The Black Raiders accounted for 419 offensive yards — 367 of which came on the ground — while the Hawks had 277 yards.

But one of the standout plays of the game was, in fact, a play made by the Black Raiders defense, one that helped double-up the scoring in the third quarter and played a large role in Winslow’s 38-30 victory.

Up 22-14 after quarterback Jared Newgard hit tight end Tyler Brockway with a 7-yard touchdown pass, Winslow was back on defense. Hermon had success with its passing attack throughout the game, and finished with 242 yard through the air. But with just over six minutes remaining in the quarter, Hawks quarterback Johnny Kokoska tried to hit a receiver on a slant route. It turned into a fatal error.

Defensive back Jack Dorval recognized the route and cut in front of Kokoska’s pass, returning his interception 17 yards to the Hermon 31 yard line. Nine plays later, Dorval finished Winslow’s offensive drive with a 4-yard touchdown run that helped put the Black Raiders up 30-14.

After the game, Dorval credited co-head coach Pete Bolduc on the play.

“We practiced that all week, we have great coaching,” Dorval said. “Coach Bolduc spends hours and hours in the film room. We knew all their plays. He didn’t steer me wrong, I did what he told me to do and I got it.”

Dorval had a solid day on offense as well, rushing for 96 yards on 19 carries and scoring two touchdowns.

 

• • •

 

Two days after a wrenching loss in the Eight-Man Small School championship, Maranacook coach Jordan DeMillo was ready to look at the bigger picture.

“To see this team compete at the level they competed at, after having certain things take place over and over again, was a testament to their ability to deal with adversity,” he said. “That’s something I questioned them on, and they showed to me on Saturday that they grew as young gentlemen, and that’s what’s most important to me.”

The Black Bears’ season ended a win shy of a state title when they lost to Dexter 34-30 on a touchdown pass on the last play of the game.

“That final play was tough,” he said. “We shouldn’t have let it get to that play. My team had multiple opportunities to execute prior to that play.”

Video of the play, a 15-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Connor to Avery Gagnon, makes it appear Connor may have passed the line of scrimmage before throwing, but DeMillo said he was fine with the officiating.

“At every level, I think most of the refs let things go on that play. Even NFL refs, I’ve seen blatant pass interferences not get called,” he said. “I don’t critique those refs at all for that final play. … I don’t feel robbed. I feel like we had multiple opportunities to win the game, and just didn’t execute. It is what it is. It was a hell of a game.”

 

• • •

 

No one on the Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale defense was busier Saturday than Nick Keezer. The safety led the team with 11 tackles, and also assisted on two more as the Ramblers defeated Freeport 28-19 to reach the Class D final.

Ramblers coach Dave St. Hilaire said the Falcons’ outside running style brought Keezer, who entered the game with 17 tackles in nine games, in to the play more.

“When teams run up the middle, you tend to have your linebackers and your defensive line make a lot of tackles,” he said. “But Freeport likes to run outside and get out in the alley, so that (means) you need a good safety who can fill that alley.”

St. Hilaire said Keezer, who also returns kicks and is the gunner on punt coverage, has thrived in the position.

“He understands coverages, and we can have him call the plays if Dom (Trott) is out,” St. Hilaire said. “He’s a very good athlete. He flows from one side to the other, and he’s a very good tackler.”

(Staff writer Dave Dyer contributed to this report.)

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