PORTLAND – Cheverus looked like a well-oiled machine Saturday with a 41-8 victory against Sanford in a Western Class A football game at Boulos Stadium.
The Stags, the defending Class A state champions, dominated from the opening kickoff to hit the halfway point of their schedule with a 4-0 record.
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The Redskins, who won their first two games, are 2-2.
Spencer Cooke of Cheverus ran for two touchdowns, from 18 and 2 yards, and caught a 24-yard scoring pass from quarterback Cam Olson.
Olson’s first-half performance was surgical as the Stags built a 35-0 lead.
He went 9 of 11 passing for 228 yards and three touchdowns before being replaced after the first series of the second half.
“When Cam has his good starts, it just goes right up from there,” said Louie DiStasio, who caught a pair of touchdown passes for the Stags. “I mean, he was great today and he was right on the money.”
Cheverus set the tone in the opening series, putting together a five-play drive that covered 71 yards.
Olson capped the drive, which took only 2:29, with a 39-yard pass to DiStasio for a 7-0 lead.
Cooke followed with his two running touchdowns as the Stags scored on three of their first four possessions to open a 21-0 advantage.
While the offense was clicking, the Cheverus defense was limiting Sanford to 48 yards of total offense in the first half.
“We just came out fired up,” said Christian Deschenes, who set the tone on defense with several early tackles.
“We knew these guys were going to give us a little bit of a challenge. It might not have looked like it but they did.
“We have some big playmakers on the offensive side, which meshes with our defense because they make big plays and our defense comes right back out. It’s like a cycle.”
DiStasio’s second touchdown reception, covering 38 yards, and Cooke’s touchdown catch, both in the second quarter, completed the Stags’ first-half scoring.
“We got a little overwhelmed in the first half, there’s no question about that,” Sanford Coach Mike Fallon said
“Obviously, credit to Cheverus and Coach (John) Wolfgram. Their program is rolling right now, and we weren’t able to match the intensity and physicality of the game, and things happened quickly. Unfortunately, it got out of control early.”
Backup quarterback Liam Fitzpatrick led the Stags to their final scoring drive in his first series under center in the second half.
Will Hilton’s 18-yard touchdown run followed by a failed 2-point conversion gave Cheverus a 41-0 lead.
Sanford’s lone score came late in the fourth quarter when sophomore quarterback Josh Schroder passed 29 yards to John Morgan.
Slade Watson successfully found the end zone for the 2-point conversation.
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