SACO — Bonny Eagle was a consensus pick among many pundits as the team to beat in Class A West football this season. Thornton Academy may have put some doubt in those pundits’ minds, as the Trojans handed the Scots their first loss this season with a 30-21 win on homecoming at Hill Stadium on Saturday.

“It’s a huge win,” said Thornton senior Cody Lynn. “We needed this, it was judgment day for us. We came out and played hard.”

“We had a good week of practice,” said Thornton heads coach Kevin Kezal. “We put in three great days, and it was a great bounce-back win for our kids.”

A week after getting handled mightily by Cheverus, the Trojans (5-2) looked like a completely different team against the Scots (6-1). Thornton went punt, punt, fumble on its first three drives of the game, but followed that up with two touchdowns and a field goal to take a 17-14 lead at half.

Bonny Eagle took a 7-0 lead on its second drive of the game, as Jon Woods ran 51 yards up the middle for a touchdown on the first earned first down of the game.

The Trojans gained four first downs on their next possession, and were driving deep into Bonny Eagle territory, but a fumble at the 5-yard line by Demel Ruff gave the Scots the ball at their own 1-yard line.

The Scots were able to get out of the shadow of their own end zone ”“ thanks to a 13-yard pass from Zach Dubiel to Joe Bissonnette on 3rd-and-8 ”“ but couldn’t get past their own 33-yard line.

The Scots then pinned Thornton deep its own end, but Ruff made amends for his fumble with a 75-yard run up the middle on 3rd-and-22 from the Trojans’ 13-yard line. Five plays later ”“ including a 3-yard run by Ruff on 4th-and-2 ”“ the junior running back bulled in from one yard out to tie the game at 7-7.

After a Bonny Eagle three and out, Thornton needed just two plays to find the end zone again. The Trojans got the ball at the Scots’ 48-yard line after Carter Davis was hit trying to field a Robie Martin punt, and Davis ran for 29 yards on a sweep to the right on the next play. Austin McCrum then found Lynn for the first of the two touchdown passes from 19 yards out to give the Trojans a 14-7 lead.

The Scots tied the game back up after an 11-yard touchdown run by Woods with 2:34 to play in the first half.

Thornton then embarked on a 15-play drive to end the half that included four Bonny Eagle penalties. After McCrum couldn’t connect with Lynn in the end zone on 3rd-and-goal, Chris Camire kicked a 19-yard field goal with 1.8 seconds left to put the Trojans up 17-14 at the half.

Bonny Eagle scored on its opening possession of the second half, on a Dubiel-to-Bissonnette 37-yard touchdown pass, but it was the last time the Scots found the end zone.

McCrum found Lynn open in the back of the end zone on 4th-and-goal for a 7-yard touchdown pass on the ensuing drive to put Thornton up for good, 24-21 late in the third quarter.

“Definitely a momentum-swinger, and definitely came in the clutch,” said Lynn. “We knew what we had to do, and we executed on that play.”

The Trojans then forced turnovers on the Scots’ final three drives ”“ a Woods fumble inside the red zone followed by interceptions by Greg Ruff and lineman Ian Paul. The fumble by Woods gave the Trojans the ball at their own 2-yard line, but they finished off a 98-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Justin Boure.

“That was a huge 14-point turnaround,” said Kezal.

Ruff’s interception came on the Scots’ first play after the score, with Davis tipping the pass in the air right after being assessed a 15-yard penalty before the play for illegal equipment.

Thornton was forced to punt, but Paul sealed the win by tipping a Dubiel screen pass on 4th-and-20 and holding on for the interception.

“We made the big plays we needed to today. That’s why we won the game,” said Kezal. “When we needed to make plays, we made them today.

The Trojans finish their regular season on Saturday as they host rival Biddeford.

— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.