LISBON FALLS — For the second time this postseason, Oak Hill is still playing football by the slimmest of margins.

Alex Mace caught a 40-yard touchdown pass on quarterback Dalton Therrien’s only completion of the game, and Adam Merrill’s extra point proved to be the difference as the third-seeded Raiders edged No. 1 Lisbon 7-6 to win the Western Class D championship Saturday at Thompson Field.

“At the end of the first half we had a gut check,” Oak Hill senior Kyle Flaherty said. “They played a very good game.”

Mace and Flaherty who carried the load for Oak Hill, as 46 of the team’s 49 offensive plays went to one of the two. Mace finished with 93 yards on 17 carries, while Flaherty carried the ball 28 times for 104 yards.

The defending Class D champions will face Maine Central Institute (10-0) in the state final next Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. MCI beat Bucksport in the East final, 21-7.

“We get to defend it,” Oak Hill senior Mike Pease said. “I don’t know what else to say. It’s just a great feeling.”

Advertisement

Mace’s TD grab came with 7:15 remaining in the first half.

After a lengthy first drive that stalled out at the Oak Hill 37, Lisbon cashed in on its second possession, immediately following the Oak Hill touchdown.

Sophomore Tyler Halls – playing quarterback in place of the injured Kyle Bourget – converted a third-and-6 pass to Noah Francis and rushed for another first down on fourth-and-inches before Shawn Grover capped the 10-play, 72-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown.

Lisbon elected to go for the 2-point conversion, but the Raiders got good pressure on Halls and his pass fell incomplete.

Oak Hill’s work was far from over.

Lisbon was poised to take its first lead when Halls completed a 7-yard pass to Joe Philbrick on the first play of the fourth quarter to set the Greyhounds up with a first-and-goal situation at the 4.

Advertisement

The Greyhounds fumbled on the ensuing play, though, and Oak Hill junior Brendon Tervo alertly jumped on the loose ball at the 1.

“I just saw the guy going down and the ball fly out,” Tervo said. “I saw my brother (Kyle) come try to jump for it and miss it, and he sort of hit it toward me, so I jumped on it.”

After a false start penalty on first down, the ball was less than one foot away from the Raiders’ end zone. Therrien sneaked ahead for a yard on first down, Flaherty grounded out another yard on second down, and Mace picked up four on third down to give Oak Hill a little breathing room.

Still, Flaherty was forced to punt from his end zone.

“I always get a little nervous punting in my own end zone,” Flaherty said.

“I try to be as fast as I can with my punts so I don’t get blocked, but I don’t know. I just try my best, I guess.”

A player known far more for his running ability, Flaherty came through with a season-saving punt, as his 47-yard boot prevented the Greyhounds from getting great field position. Lisbon picked up one first down before punting it away with 7 minutes to play.

Oak Hill, as it has done so many times this year, used its double-wing formation to grind out four first downs and run out the clock.

“We’re just happy to be moving on,” Oak Hill Coach Stacen Doucette said. “It was hard work throughout the year. We talked about being in shape in the fourth quarter when it’s time to burn out the clock, and I thought we executed that.”


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.