FAIRFIELD — With all the big plays the Lawrence High football team made Friday night, it’s tough to pick the one play that swung the Eastern Class A championship game in the Bulldogs’ favor.
Was it the 32-yard touchdown pass Alex Leathers threw to Aaron LaFrance in the last minute of the first half? Was it Chris Doyon’s sack and Bryant Wade’s 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown that increased Lawrence’s lead in the third quarter? Perhaps it was the fumble recovery on Bangor’s next offensive play, which set up yet another Lawrence scoring drive.
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Pick one of those, or a handful of others. Playing in front of a crowd of approximately 3,000 fans at Keyes Field, the Bulldogs never trailed, never punted, and took a 40-14 win over Bangor to win the regional title.
“We had several (big plays),” said Lawrence halfback Shaun Carroll, who ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns. “I’m blessed to play on this field, honestly.”
Lawrence (11-0) will face either Cheverus or Thornton Academy next Saturday in the Class A state championship game at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
Bangor ends the season at 8-3.
“The better team won. We were outmatched, outcoached. We got as far as we could and we were done,” Bangor Coach Mark Hackett said. “I’m proud of our effort. I don’t think we ever gave up. I think they took it to us and just took the game away from us.”
It will be Lawrence’s first trip to the state championship game since 2007.
“It feels like it was just a while ago. Now that you think about it, it’s been a little while,” Lawrence Coach John Hersom said. “We’re really excited about it. The kids have done a great job all season long, hanging in there.”
With 2:33 left in the second quarter, Bangor’s Cody Chapman scored his second touchdown of the game, a 1-yard run that tied the game at 14-all. Lawrence answered with a six-play, 80-yard drive, taking the lead for good when Leathers rolled to his right and hit LaFrance with a 32-yard touchdown pass.
“That was our waggle play. That’s the play Alex spoke about as being our top play. That was big,” Hersom said.
The drive was kept alive when Carroll went 24 yards on a draw play on third-and-7 from the Lawrence 23.
“They made three or four great plays on that drive,” Hackett said.
After forcing a Lawrence turnover on the first possession of the second half, the Rams gave the ball right back on the defensive play of the night. Bangor quarterback Carl Farnham was sacked by Chris Doyon and fumbled. Wade scooped the ball up at the Bangor 42 and returned it for a touchdown that made it 27-14.
“Chris Doyon was on a blitz and smashed him,” Wade said. “I’m not the fastest person. I was just running for my life.”
That play, coupled with Farnham’s fumble on Bangor’s next play, killed any offensive momentum the Rams gained in the first half, when they put together scoring drives of 75 and 74 yards.
Lawrence converted Bangor’s second turnover of the third quarter into points when Carroll scored on a 4-yard run. He added a 5-yard TD run with 8:20 left.
Carroll gained 128 of his 183 yards in the first half, including a 65-yard touchdown run with 4:27 left in the first quarter to give Lawrence a 7-0 lead.
LEAVITT 22, MT. BLUE 21: It wasn’t the fancy fireworks display many expected to witness when Mt. Blue and Leavitt met in Turner to decide the Eastern Class B championship.
But the Hornets and Cougars still provided plenty of drama.
Jordan Hersom completed a shovel pass to Jake Ouellette for a 2-point conversion that give top-seeded Leavitt a victory in double overtime.
“I can’t explain the feeling,” said Ouellette, who rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown. “It’s … amazing.”
Leavitt (11-0) pushed its conference winning streak to 33 games and reached the state championship game for the third consecutive season. The Hornets will play Wells or Mountain Valley next Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
No. 2 Mt. Blue, which was in position for the victory before turning the ball over in the first overtime, finished 9-2.
“It was a tough game,” said Mt. Blue senior halfback Izaiha Tracy, who put the Cougars ahead with his 5-yard touchdown run in the second overtime. “There’s not much else to say. They came out and won it.”
The 2-point conversion came after Hersom threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Brian Bedard.
Leavitt lined up to kick the extra point, but then Coach Mike Hathaway called a timeout and brought out the offense.
“I knew all along we were going to go for it,” he said. “I thought if we sent out the field goal unit maybe (Mt. Blue) wouldn’t be prepared for it. They might not have drawn up a defense.”
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