Thornton Academy quarterback Mike Laverriere said his team applied its short-term and long-term memory this week in practice.

The two-time defending Class A champions manhandled host Cheverus 65-0 on Saturday afternoon. Laverriere said the Golden Trojans responded after a performance they viewed as “a little sloppy” in their season-opening 62-27 win at Sanford.

They also drew motivation from their last visit to Cheverus – a 56-7 loss in 2013.

“They beat us like this a couple years ago, my freshman year. We came ready to play,” Laverriere said. “I played in that game and it was brutal. Brutal. It was good to get them back.”

Thornton won last year’s meeting at home, 57-0.

This result was even more lopsided. Thornton scored on its first 10 possessions before opting to take a knee four straight times on its 11th drive. The Trojans led 52-0 at halftime and outgained Cheverus 498-31.

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Laverriere, the Trojans’ short-yardage running back the past two years, gained 149 yards on 10 first-half carries, with touchdown runs of 42 and 26 yards. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 94 yards, including one perfectly thrown 35-yard TD to his new favorite target, Johnny Rosario, a 6-foot-4 senior transfer from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“He’s a vertical threat on any play, so it’s upped the game for us,” Laverriere said of Rosario.

Rosario had six catches for 77 yards and also scored on a 31-yard jet sweep. On that play, Rosario easily got to the edge and, upon seeing one of many swaths of open territory opened by the offensive line, shifted gears and accelerated past the Cheverus secondary.

“There are always places to improve,” Rosario said. “We need to get our connection a little more, but before the end of the season we’ll be good.”

Defensively, the Trojans did not allow a gain longer than five yards. Cheverus recorded two first downs, one early in the game via penalty, the other with 45 seconds remaining. Defensive end Garrett Lynn and Laverriere had interceptions. Laverriere got his interception when he tore the ball away from Cheverus receiver Griffin Watson.

“We did some good things last week, but we gave up some big plays defensively and we kind of took our foot off the gas,” Thornton Academy Coach Kevin Kezal said. “We had a lot of penalties last week and it was all stuff we can improve on, and I thought we did a much better job today.”

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Thornton’s superior size and strength was evident throughout. Its offensive line of center Nick Bartholomew, guards Jerry Nason and Andrew St. Peter, and tackles Jack Webb and Kyle Holman was impressive. Starting running back C.J. LaBreck gained 94 yards, with touchdowns of 9 and 33 yards. The Trojans’ second unit also produced, with Eric Heiman gaining 100 yards on seven carries.

Nose tackle Adam Gibbons and tackle Xavier LeClair led a defensive front that stuffed the Stags.

Cheverus Coach Mike Vance isn’t surprised his relatively inexperienced team is facing some adversity.

“We have to kind of forge our future a little bit through tough times, and our kids did that today. They stayed together, and that’s good,” Vance said.


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