Gorham 40

Sanford 14

It’s not very often that the Gorham football team drops two games in a row, but that’s just what happened over the last two weeks against Deering and Cheverus. A Saturday night trip to Sanford and a dominant performance from the offensive line got the Rams back on track.

At the start, the Rams made things look pretty easy. Following a three and out on Sanford’s first possession, the Rams began with great field position. It only took three plays for Gorham to score when Connor Walker burst through the line and ran 56 yards for the score. The two-point attempt failed and the Rams led 6-0.

The Redskins took over after the kick at their own 41. Just a few plays later, they were in Gorham territory moving the ball when Doug Woods intercepted a pass and gave the Rams the ball inside Sanford territory.

Gorham’s offensive line took over again and it was just four plays later that the Rams found the end zone again. Walker took the handoff and ran around the left side for a seven-yard touchdown. This time the two-point attempt was good and Gorham’s lead was 14-0.

“We didn’t stop that offense at all tonight; that’s just a bear,” said Sanford head coach Mike Fallon. “Gorham was physically too much for us tonight, especially with that double wing offense.”

The Rams began their third possession of the game near the end of the first quarter at their own 40. They didn’t march down the field with the ease they had in their first two drives, but the result was the same. It took six plays this time for the Rams to score with Jonathan Day running it in from nine yards out. The two-point attempt failed and Gorham led 20-0.

“Sanford played tough,” said Gorham head coach Dave Kilborn. “They hung in there. Mike (Fallon) does a great job coaching them and they never gave up, which is a tribute to them.”

Gorham scored on their fourth straight possession later in the second quarter with another four-play drive that began at the Gorham 31. After a few shorter runs, Woods got behind Frankie DiDonato and ran 55 yards for a touchdown. The two-point attempt was no good, but Gorham’s lead was 26-0.

“(DiDonato) was doing a good job getting downfield,” Kilborn said. “In a game like that you have to take what they give you.”

Sanford finally got their offense going a bit in the ensuing possession. They began at their own 40 with just 3:53 to go in the half. A steady diet of Goodrich brought the Redskins all the way to the Gorham 15 where they took a timeout with 1:27 left. A few plays later, Ryan Legere punched it in from a yard out to put Sanford on the board. Mike Plante’s kick was good and the score was 26-7 in favor of Gorham.

Sanford began the second half by recovering an onside kick to take over in Gorham territory. Eight plays later, Goodrich put Sanford back in the end zone from two yards out and Plante connected on the kick and suddenly it was 26-14.

But just as it looked like the Redskins were pulling themselves back into the game, the Rams scored on a 27-yard run by Day to extend their lead. With the two-point conversion the Rams led 34-14. Evan Lambert scored in the fourth quarter to put the game away and help Gorham get the win.

Big play of the game

Jonathan Day’s 27-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave Gorham a 32-14 lead pending the two-point conversion, which was good. That score stopped the Redskins’ momentum and helped the Rams earn their first win since week two to improve to 3-2.

They said it

“I thought our guys did a decent job controlling the clock and defensively we finally found out when we want to play we can be OK when we have a little more heart and desire,” Kilborn said.

Unsung hero

Kilborn is a big fan of linemen and thanks to his efforts on both sides of the ball; DiDonato is the Rams unsung hero of the game.

“Last week he had an off week against Cheverus,” Kilborn said. “This week he came to play and showed why he’s one of our leaders. He’s our captain. He’s basically the heart of the defense and he showed why he is one of the premier linebackers in the league. He is our leader. He is basically the heartbeat out there.”

Up next

The Rams will be on the road again this week as they head to Windham to take on a much-improved Eagles team. The Eagles are coming off their third straight win, a 40-19 beating of Kennebunk. This game could have serious playoff implications as both teams have 3-2 records.