SANFORD – Kevin Kezal insists his Thornton Academy football team has to improve in several areas. It’s hard to see that, the way the Trojans are playing.

Thornton Academy rolled over its fourth consecutive opponent Friday night, downing Sanford 41-6 at Cobb Stadium.

Senior quarterback Josh Woodward, the son of Fitzpatrick Trophy-winning Biddeford fullback Scott Woodward, continued his impressive season. He rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown and was 5 for 5 passing for 100 yards and a touchdown.

The Trojans, who have given up only 13 points this season, improved to 4-0. Sanford dropped to 2-2.

“You have to play perfect,” said Sanford Coach Mike Fallon. “And we are just a bunch of plays short of perfect.”

Kezal said he doesn’t think the Trojans are perfect either, but they are playing extremely well.

“We’ve got some really good players,” said Kezal. “We’re progressing. We’re getting better.

“We still make mistakes. That first play, we had a breakdown, but they’re working hard, we’re getting great senior leadership and I feel we’re getting better every week.”

“That first play” came after Sanford received the opening and started at its 33. On first down, Alex Shain ran left and went all the way to the Thornton 1-yard line. But the Redskins were called for a holding penalty, negating the long run.

“That was huge,” said Kezal. “They got the penalty. If they score there, who knows how the first quarter goes?”

Added Fallon: “It is huge. In a game like this, when you’re playing an opponent of this caliber and you start a game like that and you get that called back, it takes a little air out of the balloon.”

The Trojans forced a punt, which freshman Andrew Libby returned 48 yards to the Sanford 18. Four plays later, Adam Lamontagne rammed in for a 6-yard touchdown.

The Trojans scored later in the first quarter on a 2-yard run by all-purpose back Dimitri Skinsacos, the score set up by a 52-yard run by Woodward, who appears a little faster and shiftier than his father was.

“He was bigger than me,” said Woodward. “He was a power runner.”

In the second quarter, Woodward passed very effectively. He threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Skinsacos after a 25-yard completion to James Ek, and then set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Libby with a 32-yard completion to Skinsacos.

“When we came out they were playing a lot of man (defense) and we feel we have some really good receivers,” said Woodward. “They can catch the ball, so we let them go at them man to man and they did a good job getting open.”

Fallon said the Redskins actually were playing pretty good defense, but Woodward’s “passes were so perfect we couldn’t contend with it.”

It didn’t help the Redskins that they lost quarterback Jon Schroder — also a starting cornerback — with a rib injury late in the second quarter.

With a 28-0 halftime lead, Woodward, who scored on a 56-yard run on the third play of the second half, was confident the Trojans’ defense would continue to clamp down. The Redskins did not get a first down in the second half until less than seven minutes remained.

“It’s a young defense but they love to hit,” said Woodward. “They’re physical right from play one.”

The Trojans’ defense, likewise, is quite confident in the offense.

“We obviously want to give them good field position, but it seems no matter where they get the ball they seem to be able to get in,” said junior safety John Remmes.

Fallon was impressed.

“They’re just a very, very good squad,” he said. “They’re athletic, big and physical.”

 

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at: mlowe@pressherald.com