ORONO — A ball-hawking defense and an incredible effort from quarterback Dalton Therrien helped Oak Hill win its third consecutive Class D state championship with a 34-21 victory Friday night over Maine Central Institute at the University of Maine’s Morse Field.
Oak Hill (11-0) became the first Maine football team to win three consecutive state titles since the playoff system for all classes began in 1987.
The Raiders forced seven MCI turnovers, including three in the final five minutes, as they beat the Huskies (10-1) in the championship game for the second year in a row. Oak Hill also extended its winning streak to 21 games.
Therrien, a senior, accounted for all five Oak Hill touchdowns. He ran for 179 yards and four touchdowns, and threw for 243 yards.
Therrien’s 16-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third quarter gave the Raiders the lead for good, 26-21.
Oak Hill added a safety with 9:36 left. After a Levi Buteau interception at the Oak Hill 40 with just over two minutes remaining, Therrien clinched the victory with a 48-yard touchdown run.
MCI was trying to drive for a tying touchdown when Buteau forced a fumble by Greg Vigue at the Oak Hill 40 with 4:37 remaining. Austin Goucher recovered the ball for Oak Hill, but the Raiders were unable to convert a fourth-and-1 at midfield, giving the Huskies another chance at a tying score.
Down 18-14 at halftime, MCI put together its best drive of the game in the third quarter. The Huskies went 63 yards in 10 plays, scoring on Eli Bussell’s 1-yard run to take a 21-18 lead with 1:23 left in the quarter.
The lead was short-lived. Oak Hill answered with a five-play, 61-yard drive, culminating in Therrien’s 16-yard scamper to the left. When Therrien lofted a pass to Connor Nilsson for the 2-point conversion, Oak Hill had a 26-21 advantage.
Therrien’s 63-yard touchdown pass to Jonah Martin just 1:24 into the game gave the Raiders a 6-0 lead. MCI answered early in the second quarter when Willie Moss scored on a 1-yard run following an Oak Hill turnover at the Raiders’ 19, and the extra point put the Huskies ahead, 7-6.
Oak Hill quickly regained the lead, though, on touchdown runs of 1 and 5 yards by Therrien that made it 18-7.
The Raiders had the ball again after stopping the Huskies on downs at the Oak Hill 6. But in the minute of the half, Braden Monteyro picked off a pass by Therrien and returned it 37 yards to the Oak Hill 1, setting up a run by Moss with 15 seconds left.
Nilsson caught six passes for 148 yards for the Raiders.
Moss ran for 142 yards on 29 carries for MCI, while Monteyro had three interceptions, all in the first half.
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