PORTLAND – Donald Goodrich didn’t get to carry the ball much in the regular season because Spencer Cooke was having an outstanding senior season for Cheverus.
But when Cooke suffered a broken leg in the final regular-season game, Goodrich got his opportunity. Suffice to say, he made the most of it.
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Goodrich, a junior, scored five touchdowns on the biggest stage of the season, and fullback Brent Green added two touchdowns to lead a relentless ground game that carried Cheverus to a 49-7 romp over Lawrence for the Class A football state championship Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
And in the best of both worlds, Cooke, a co-captain, got to play. He entered at the end of the third quarter and carried nine times for 16 yards.
The Stags (12-0) capped a second straight perfect season and ran their winning streak to 24 games.
In taking the state title last season over Bangor, 46-8, Cheverus didn’t pull away until the second half. Against Lawrence (11-1), the Stags took charge from the start.
“It all starts with our running game and our defense,” said quarterback Cam Olson. “It’s been that way all season.”
Olson helped break the game open early with two long passes to Louie DiStasio. He also recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass.
Cheverus scored on its first three possessions to take a 21-0 lead. Green scored the first one, followed by Good-rich’s first two touchdowns.
The Bulldogs cut it to 21-7 with 7:13 left in the half, but Goodrich returned the kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.
“The kids played really well,” said Cheverus Coach John Wolfgram. “It was important to jump on them early. (Goodrich) played very well and so did (Green). We had a nice balance. Our playmakers made plays.”
Cheverus forced five turnovers — three interceptions and two fumbles — and ran up the middle at will.
“I love my line,” said Goodrich. “They’ve done a great job all season.”
Green carried 20 times for 183 yards, and Goodrich had 17 carries for 149. The Stags did all their passing in the first half, with Olson completing 4 of 5 passes for 126 yards.
The first two times Olson put the ball in the air, DiStasio, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver, got behind the secondary for 46-yard gains.
The Stags got the quick start they wanted when Olson, who doubles as a defensive back, had a Lawrence fumble bounce straight up to him. It came at the end of a 16-yard completion from Alex Leathers to Luke Lawrence.
Starting from the Bulldogs’ 49, Cheverus used seven running plays with Green scoring from the 1.
Spencer Carey of Lawrence returned the kickoff 39 yards, but on third down, Liam Fitzpatrick intercepted at his 35. He returned it for a TD that was called back because of an illegal block.
Starting from their 24 after a penalty, the Stags needed three plays to make it 14-0, Goodrich scoring from the 5.
Goodrich added a 1-yard TD run before Anthony Sementelli of Lawrence scored on a 52-yard run.
But Goodrich and Green added 1-yard scoring runs to make it 42-7, and the Stags closed the scoring on Goodrich’s final touchdown, a 52-yard run.
“The second time feels a lot better,” said Olson. “It’s an unbelievable experience to play and compete against a team like Lawrence. Physically they were right there with us, but we executed so much better.”
“We gave Cheverus a short field in the first half and they took advantage,” said Lawrence Coach John Hersom. “Cheverus is a great team and Coach Wolfgram does a great job of changing formations to keep you guessing.”
Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at:
tchard@pressherald.com
Twitter: TomChardPPH
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