The Westbrook Blue Blazes football team is hoping that lightening can strike twice and they can open their 2008 season the same way they opened the 2007 season, with a win.

On Sept. 5, the Blazes will kick off the season against one of their old rivals, the Portland Bulldogs.

While the Blazes finished with a 3-5 record last year, first-year coach Jeff Guerette will be looking for a fresh start and is hoping to do that against Portland, a team that has traditionally given the Blue Blazes trouble over the years.

Going into last season’s opening game at Portland’s Fitzpatrick Stadium, Westbrook was in the midst of a long losing streak against the Bulldogs, having not beaten Portland since 1992.

However, from the onset it seemed that Westbrook was determined to snap that streak.

On the first play of the 2007 season, Westbrook senior quarterback Brian Doyle stunned the Bulldogs defense by keeping the ball and breaking off a 33-yard run to the Portland 47.

In fact, the Blazes kept the ball on the ground for the entire drive, as Doyle kept the ball for several long gains and senior back Joel Chadbourne and back Patrick Webber, who will be returning for his senior season in 2008, chewed up the Bulldogs defense.

Chadbourne ended the drive by scoring the first of his three touchdowns on the night, a three-yard burst right through the middle to make the score 6-0. Doyle missed a pass on the extra point attempt, keeping the Blazes’ lead at six.

After taking Chadbourne’s kick out to their own 31, the Bulldogs attempted to get back into the game. However, after a penalty and a sack forced the Bulldogs into a third-and-15 at their own 26, Westbrook struck again.

Blazes linebacker Nick Marchant intercepted Portland quarterback Andrew Lieberman’s pass, and the Blazes were in business again at the Bulldogs 33.

It didn’t take Westbrook long to find the end zone, as Doyle hit Dom DiBiase on the second play of the drive, and DiBiase outran the Bulldogs defenders down the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown reception. Chadbourne ran in for the two-point conversion, and with 5:52 left in the first quarter, the Blazes had a 14-0 lead.

Turnovers continued to haunt the Bulldogs on the next drive as Westbrook pounced another Portland fumble at the Bulldogs’ 28.

Once again, it only took Westbrook two plays to score, as Chadbourne found the end zone with a 14-yard touchdown run with 4:38 left in the quarter, giving Westbrook a 20-0 lead.

While Portland managed to hold onto the ball, they were unable to get a first down on the subsequent drive, and were forced to punt from their own 31.

Westbrook so dominated the first quarter of last season’s game that in the quarter, the Blazes only ran three plays on their own side of the field.

The Blazes scored again in the second quarter as Chadbourne smashed through the line for a two-yard touchdown run with 9:51 left in the half. Chadbourne repeated the run for the extra point, making the halftime score 28-0 in favor of the Blazes.

Portland got on the board in the third quarter as sophomore quarterback Joe Zukowski scored on a seven-yard touchdown run with 4:29 left in the third. The extra point attempt was no good, and the score stood at 28-6 in favor of Westbrook.

Westbrook ended any talk of a comeback on the next drive, moving the ball 65 yards on six plays for another touchdown and a 34-6 lead. The big plays on the drive came from Webber, who broke through the middle and sprinted down the sideline for a 50-yard gain and Doyle, who followed a Chadbourne block for a four-yard touchdown run.

The score held up through the fourth quarter, and when the final gun sounded, the Blazes found themselves 1-0 on the season, which is just where they hope they find themselves after the final gun sounds this Friday night.

Westbrook High School 2008 football schedule

Sept. 5 Portland 7 p.m.

Sept. 12 @ Deering 7 p.m.

Sept. 19 Cheverus 7 p.m.

Sept. 26 @ Bonny Eagle 7 p.m.

Oct. 4 @ Thornton Academy 3 p.m.

Oct. 10 South Portland 7 p.m.

Oct. 17 @ Gorham 7 p.m.

Oct. 24 Windham 7 p.m.