BANGOR — Three times, Bangor High drove close to the Windham goal line.

To the 5-yard line in the second quarter: broken-up pass.

To the 6 early in the fourth quarter: quarterback sack.

To the 4 in the closing minute of the game: run stopped.

Windham remained unbeaten Friday night with a 6-0 victory at Cameron Stadium.

The Eagles (5-0) used their defense and a 15-play, 95-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter for the victory.

Windham is alone atop the Eastern Class A standings after dropping Bangor to 4-1.

Dylan Koza of Windham rushed for 122 yards on 31 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown plunge.

But Windham’s big story was defense.

“We got tough when they got close to the goal line,” said defensive back Tanner Laberge. “Not the prettiest win but a huge win.”

It was Laberge who hauled down Bangor tailback Dane Johnson on the Rams’ final play from the Windham 4 – a fourth-and-goal run to the outside.

“I knew they were going to give that kid the ball,” Laberge said.

“Everyone pushed him to the outside and I came up and made the tackle. But it wasn’t just me on that play.”

Indeed, the Eagles played a tough team defense when it needed to, including big tackles by linebackers Zach Davis and Patrick Leavitt.

“They’re the most physical team we’ve played all year,” Davis said. “We just had to keep going and make big plays on key downs.”

Most of those plays focused on stopping Johnson, the workhorse with 36 carries for 126 yards.

On the Rams’ first threat, when they reached the 5, Bangor tried its first pass but Eric Webb broke it up in the end zone.

Then the Eagles’ offense went to work with 6:15 left in the half. Windham reached the Bangor 18, facing a fourth-and-8. After a timeout, quarterback Desmond Leslie found Laberge open on the left side for a completion to the 5 with one minute left.

Leslie, who made several key passes in last week’s win at Cheverus, completed 5 of 7 passes for 61 yards.

“He’s very poised,” Windham Coach Matt Perkins said. “I like what he did tonight.”

From the 5, Koza gained four yards, then dove over from the 1. The extra-point kick was wide and the Eagles led 6-0 with 33 seconds left in the half.

“They’re a little bit more dynamic (on offense),” Bangor Coach Mark Hackett said. “They spread the ball around a little more.”

The first half showcased the ball-control offenses of both teams and each team had one full possession in each quarter.

Bangor drove to the Windham 47 before punting to the Eagles’ 4. Windham drove 68 yards – with the help of a fake punt, eating up eight minutes.

The drive ended on Ethan Dorman’s interception. Dorman looked like he might return it for a touchdown before Griffin Jacobson knocked him out of bounds at the Eagles’ 43.

Then came Windham’s first red-zone stop and its 95-yard drive for the only score.

Early in the fourth quarter, Bangor faced fourth-and-3 from the Windham 6. Quarterback Jeff Lewis rolled out to his right, found no one open and was tackled for a 4-yard loss.

The Rams had one more chance but the Eagles stopped them again.

“They’re a little bit stronger than us up front,” Hackett said. “They’re better than us but we’d like to meet them again.”

Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or at:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: KevinThomasPPH