It was fitting that Cheverus quarterback Ethan Jordan’s last-gasp pass fell into Jon Woods’ hands.

It was Woods, after all, who grabbed the victory out of the Stags’ hands on the Scots’ winning drive.

Bottled up most of the game, Woods gained 51 yards on six consecutive carries in the 82-yard march that started with 2:12 to play. He ripped off consecutive runs of 21, 11 and 20 yards – the last padded by a Cheverus 15-yard late-hit penalty after Woods ran out of bounds.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life. I knew how to make a play and our line did a great job all (day),” Woods said.

Three more Woods runs gained nine yards and put the Scots in a fourth-and-1 from the 6.

Quarterback Zach Dubiel ran it in from there with 22.8 seconds left. With Isaiah Reynolds’ fifth PAT, the Scots had a 31-28 win.

“Woods is a playmaker. He can run with the best of them. He’s got a chance to make something happen on every play,” Dubiel said.

Bonny Eagle Coach Kevin Cooper said he went to Woods after a first-down incompletion because he wanted to gain some positive yards.

“Then all of sudden Jonny started making great runs and we had a chance to run it in,” Cooper said. “He’s electric. He has a chance of going the distance every time he touches the ball, so we felt confident giving it to him.”

Woods is a senior who transferred from Gorham High and is living with teammate Ben Malloy and his family.

“They supported me through this whole thing,” Woods said of the Malloys. “It’s hard for me to move from Gorham. My family has supported me the whole way and I’m blessed to be in this program.”

Woods and Malloy were both new to the Bonny Eagle football tradition. Malloy hadn’t played football since sixth grade.

Now they will go down in lore as key contributors in the Scots’ fifth Class A title – and the first in five years.

Woods finished with 86 rushing yards on 17 carries. He also hauled in a Dubiel pass for a 35-yard gain just before halftime that set up a 33-yard field goal by two-way 300-pound tackle Reynolds to give Bonny Eagle a 17-14 lead.

Woods said he was welcomed immediately by the Scots – and told what was expected.

“The seniors, they were hungry for it. They wanted it, and everyone made it clear we were winning the Gold Ball this year and I was just another player on the team,” Woods said.

Malloy, a junior, is better known as a basketball player. But his friends were playing football and Dubiel told him to come out, that he could help.

He sure did.

His first catch was on a third-and-10 slant for 18 yards on the Scots’ first possession. Two plays later, Mike Smith burst 66 yards for the game’s first score.

In the second quarter, it was Malloy (four catches, 112 yards) who made it happen on a third-and-23 pass up the right sideline. Dubiel’s throw came out of the sun and dropped over Cheverus cornerback Jack Sutton’s gold helmet and fell softly into Malloy’s hands.

“I didn’t see the ball until it got about five feet away from me. I just stuck my hands out and got it,” Malloy said.

Then he shook off Sutton’s tackle, stumbled, stayed upright and inbounds and then sprinted in for a 75-yard score, giving Bonny Eagle a 14-7 second-quarter lead.

Now Woods and Malloy, friends since third grade, have a golden memory to share, and the knowledge that they helped make it happen.

“He’s basically my brother. He is my brother. He’s a great kid and a great football player,” Malloy said.

“We picked a great year. The best time I’ve ever had in my life actually. It was probably the best decision ever, to play football.”

And the final interception, which was akin to fielding a punt the way it hung up into a strong wind, how did that feel, Jon Woods?

“It didn’t even feel real. I caught the ball and knew how to go down,” Woods said.

Down in Bonny Eagle football history that is.

Steve Craig can be reached at 791-6413 or at:

scraig@pressherald.com

Twitter: SteveCCraig