Nate Rousseau ran 13 times for 161 yards and two touchdowns to lead Leavitt to a 47-18 victory over Winslow in the Class C football state championship game Saturday night at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

It was the first Class C state title for Leavitt, which represented Eastern Maine in the Class B final from 2009-11. The Hornets (11-0) won the Class B title in 2009.

Winslow (9-2), which came up short in the Class C final last year against Foxcroft Academy, was making its fourth appearance in a state championship game in 10 years. The Black Raiders were Class B runners-up in 2004 and 2006, and last won a state championship in 2001.

Rousseau’s touchdown runs of 60 yards in the third quarter and 33 yards at the start of the fourth put the game away for Leavitt, which took a 20-10 lead in the first half with the help of three fumble recoveries.

Nate Coombs added a 90-yard kickoff return, a 4-yard touchdown run and an interception for the Hornets. Tyler Chicoine completed 3 of 10 passes for 21 yards, including a 5-yard TD pass.

Dylan Hapworth led the Black Raiders with 15 carries for 108 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown run. He also kicked a 30-yard field goal. Zach Guptill ran 13 times for 88 yards, with a 3-yard TD.

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Rousseau’s 60-yard run on the first possession of the second half capped a five-play, 72-yard drive that took just 2:37.

Winslow’s only score of the second half was Guptill’s 3-yard run with 3:54 left in the third quarter. Hapworth’s run for the 2-point conversion cut the Horrnets’ lead to 26-18.

Winslow quarterback Bobby Chenard completed 4 of 7 passes for 14 yards and an interception.

The Black Raiders got on the board first when Hapworth’s field goal four minutes in capped an opening 11-play, 53-yard drive.

Leavitt countered in the closing seconds of the first quarter with Jack Sylvester’s 34-yard touchdown run on an inside counter. Matt Thibodeau’s point-after try failed, but Leavitt led 6-3.

Hapworth’s 34-yard TD run gave the Black Raiders a 10-6 lead with 8:27 left in the second quarter. That lead lasted all of 25 seconds, as Nate Coombs returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards and ran in the 2-point conversion for a 14-10 lead.

Leavitt forced a punt and pushed the lead to 20-10 when Chicoine hit tight end Mitchell Davis for a 5-yard touchdown pass with 12.8 seconds left in the half.


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