PORTLAND—It was the Maine high school football version of avoiding the Campbell and Wales Trophies and waiting to skate the Stanley Cup.

Friday evening at Fitzpatrick Stadium, moments after handling Bangor in the Class A North Final, Portland received the plaque for winning the region and it was left to the teams’ waterboys to show it off to the crowd.

That’s because the Bulldogs are superstitious and still have unfinished business.

Two-plus decades worth of unfinished business and after consecutive losses in the state final, this year’s team will settle for nothing short of winning the Gold Ball.

And if that happens, Portland players and coaches will happily raise it to the heavens.

The top-ranked Bulldogs got pushed by the No. 3 Rams for much of the first half, but ultimately, their three-headed offensive monster of senior quarterback Louis Thurston, senior running back Aidan McGowan and junior do-everything standout Cordell Jones, combined with a superb 48-minute defensive effort, proved too much to overcome.

Jones put Portland on top in the first quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run, but Bangor chewed up nine minutes and drove for the tying score, a 10-yard TD scamper from junior quarterback and captain Kyle Johnson, early in the second period.

When the Rams forced a fumble on the next Bulldogs’ possession, it appeared they might be in business, but Portland forced a turnover to get the ball right back and by halftime, was in firm control of the contest.

A 3-yard Thurston touchdown run put Portland ahead to stay and McGowan added to the lead with a 33-yard rush.

Then, with just 4.9 seconds to go before halftime, Thurston hit diving junior Charlie Abramson-Thompson from 8-yards out for a 27-7 advantage at the break.

The Bulldogs then ended any lingering doubt with three more touchdowns in the third quarter.

McGowan sandwiched 5-yard TD runs around a 1-yard rush by Bangor junior captain Zac Cota, then Thurston and Jones connected on a 49-yard scoring strike, one snap after Portland recovered an onsides kick, making it 48-14 heading for the final stanza.

There, the Bulldogs got one more score, a 2-yard run by Jones, and rolled to a 54-14 victory.

Jones, McGowan and Thurston all finished with over 100 yards rushing as Portland improved to 9-2, ended Bangor’s campaign at 5-6 and reached the state final for the third year in a row, where it will take on either reigning champion Thornton Academy (8-2) or Noble (8-2) next Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

“I didn’t touch the plaque last year, but the captains did and the guys remembered that,” said Bulldogs coach Sean Green. “We talk about going 1-0 every day. It starts in film, in the meeting room, walkthroughs, practice. If you do that, hopefully it leads to 1-0 game day and that’s what happened this week. I’m really proud of our guys and their resiliency and willingness to come out here tonight and give everything they’ve got.”

Dominance

Ever since it rolled past Oxford Hills and Windham to start the year, it’s been clear that Portland was the class of Class A North (see sidebar for links to previous stories).

Ultimately, the Bulldogs won seven of nine regular season games, losing only at Bonny Eagle and at home to Exeter, an elite New Hampshire squad,

In last week’s semifinal round, Portland made quick work of No. 4 Windham, 42-14, to advance to the regional final for the ninth time in the past 11 postseasons.

Bangor, meanwhile, lost its first three games and was just 1-5 at one juncture, but won its final three regular season games to qualify for playoffs, then last week, upset No. 2 Lewiston, 22-14, to advance to its first regional final in 13 years.

On Oct. 11, the Bulldogs beat the host Rams, 35-7, as Jones scored three times and McGowan and Thurston added a TD apiece.

The teams had met twice previously in the playoffs (see sidebar), splitting those meetings.

Friday, on a comfortable mid-November evening (52 degrees at kickoff), Portland didn’t mess around and punched its ticket to the biggest game of all.

The Rams won the opening coin toss and wanted the ball, but they would go backwards.

Starting at its 37, Bangor got a run for no gain from senior captain Ian Blackwell, then it was flagged five yards for illegal formation and Johnson was sacked for a nine-yard loss by senior Colin Kelly. Senior Lisandro Rodrigues then sacked Johnson for a loss of six more and after a false start penalty set up fourth-and-35, the Rams had to punt.

Portland’s first possession began at the Rams’ 43 and in the matter of four plays and 66 seconds, the Bulldogs struck first.

Jones set the tone with a 21-yard scamper. After Thurston moved the chains with a 10-yard rush, McGowan gained 10 more to set up first-and-goal at the 2 and from there, Jones took the snap in the Wildcat formation and bulled forward for the 2-yard score with 7:57 remaining in the first quarter. Sophomore Justin Bouchard added the extra point for a 7-0 advantage.

Bangor then got the ball back at its 20 with 7:50 on the first period clock and the Rams would hold the ball for all of that time, plus some of the second quarter, as they drove to pull even.

After senior Anthony Tavares held Johnson to no gain, Rodrigues had his second sack, setting up third-and-11, but Johnson threw a screen pass to sophomore Will Houghton, who gained 12 yards for Bangor’s initial first down. After Johnson kept the ball for a yard, Johnson had to scramble, then threw the ball down the right sideline to junior Trey Tennett, who came back to the ball and made a nice catch, good for 19 yards and a first down at Portland’s 49. After Johnson ran for two yards, he was held to no gain, but on the play, a 15-yard facemask penalty was assessed on the Bulldogs, moving the ball to the 32. After Portland jumped offsides, Johnson ran for four yards, but a false start penalty backed the Rams to the 28. Johnson then twice ran for two yards, setting up fourth-and-2 as the first period gave way to the second.

On the first play of the new quarter, junior Eli Marsh ran for nine yards and a first down. Marsh then gained five more before Johnson kept the ball, rolled left and raced in for the 10-yard touchdown with 10:47 to go before halftime. Freshman Caden Karam’s extra point tied the score, 7-7, capping a 13-play, 9:03 march.

After the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, the Bulldogs started at their 37, but after running for seven yards, Thurston fumbled and Houghton recovered for Bangor at the Portland 31.

The Rams had a chance to grab the lead, but after Blackwell gained a yard, then a false start penalty costed it five yards, Bangor turned the ball over, as Johnson went back to pass, was sacked by Tavares, who knocked the ball loose, and senior Carter Lucca fell on the loose pigskin at the Bulldogs’ 39, changing momentum for good.

“We talk about how we crave adversity and how much we love adversity,” Green said. “We didn’t want to give them any oxygen in this game, but unfortunately, we did. You have to love that type of response and our willingness to battle through adversity.”

Portland would need eight plays and 3:52 to drive 61 yards to take the lead for good.

After Thurston threw incomplete, Jones ran for eight yards, then Thurston kept the ball, ran left and didn’t stop until he was brought down at Bangor’s 29, a gain of 24 yards. After a block in the back penalty backed up the Bulldogs, Jones ran for six yards, then Abramson-Thompson caught a pass but lost a yard, but on third-and-8 from the 27, Thurston scrambled for 18 yards to the 9. Jones then ran for six yards and Thurston did the rest, scoring on a 3-yard burst to his left with 5:25 on the first half clock. A bad snap on the ensuing PAT forced a pass that fell incomplete, but Portland was in front, 13-7.

The Bulldogs’ defense then got the ball right back.

The Rams got good field position at their 33, but after Rodrigues held Blackwell to no gain and Johnson threw incomplete, Johnson tried a deep pass down the left side that Jones intercepted and returned to the Portland 41.

The Bulldogs would need just six plays and 2:24 to add to their advantage.

After McGowan gained four yards, Jones moved the chains with an 11-yard pickup to the Bangor 44. After McGowan as held to no gain, Thurston ran for three yards, then Jones got the first down with an eight-yard burst to the 33. McGowan then finished the job, breaking free on the left side and beating the pursuit to the end zone for a 33-yard score. Bouchard added the extra point and with 2:24 left before halftime, Portland had a 20-7 lead.

And the Bulldogs weren’t done.

The Rams started at their 30, but would go three-and-out, as sophomore Alex Martin dropped Marsh for a two-yard loss and after a holding penalty set up second-and-20, Martin and Tavares combined to sack Johnson for an eight-yard loss, then Rodrigues sacked him for a loss of two more, necessitating a punt.

With 1:07 remaining before the break, Portland started at the Bangor 41 and it would execute perfectly to strike paydirt again.

Martin caught a pass for six yards, then Thurston scrambled to his left for 20 yards to the 15. After Thurston threw incomplete, he connected with McGowan for seven more, then he spiked the ball to stop the clock and set up fourth-and-3.

Green passed up the field goal opportunity and allowed Thurston to run another play and he dropped back to pass, waited and waited until finally firing the ball to the back of the end zone, where Abramson-Thompson dove and made a terrific catch for the 8-yard score with just 4.9 seconds left.

“Actually, it was the wrong route, but it worked out,” Thurston said. “It just opened up and we found the gap.”

“It started on defense,” Green said. “We talked about getting a TFL (tackle for loss) and I think we got multiple in that situation. We had three timeouts. We got good field position. Louis then put together a drive and orchestrated the offense. The receivers and O line did a good job up front. That was actually his fourth progression on that concept. It was supposed to be a post, but it turned into a back line runner for Charlie. Great catch. He’s really stepped up for us.”

Bouchard booted home the extra point and the Bulldogs raced to the locker room with a comfortable 27-7 advantage.

Portland outgained Bangor, 198 yards to 27 in the first half and if there was any lingering doubt, the Bulldogs ended it with a strong third quarter.

Portland’s initial second half possession began at its 23 and in six plays and 1:48, the Bulldogs matriculated down the field and struck again.

McGowan got things going with a 19-yard scamper to his left. Jones then burst up the middle for 19 more yards to the Rams’ 39. After Thurston kept the ball for five yards, McGowan picked up 15. Rodrigues then ran 14 yards up the gut to the 5 and McGowan did the rest, scoring from the 5 with 10:03 on the clock.

Bouchard’s PAT made it 34-7.

Bangor refused to fold and answered.

Junior Jordan Pettway returned the ensuing kickoff 48 yards to the Portland 44 and five plays later, the Rams scored.

After Johnson kept the ball for eight yards, Cota gained five for a first down at the 31. Johnson then connected with Houghton on a pass to the right side and Houghton got all the way to the 3 before he was brought down. Cota then picked up two yards before he bulled in from the 1 with 7:31 remaining. Karam’s extra point cut the deficit to 34-14.

But that’s as close as Bangor would get.

The Bulldogs started their next drive at their 39 and in eight plays and 3:03, rolled to another touchdown.

Thurston got things going with a 21-yard burst.

“I say it every week, but I have the best line in the state and I’m grateful to run behind them,” Thurston said. “The holes are just there.”

“It starts up front with the line and obviously, our tight ends, our H-backs,” Green said. “Our running backs and wide receivers get involved in the blocking and from there, the playmakers just have to make plays when the lanes are there.”

After McGowan ran for 10 yards, Jones gained 11 to the Rams’ 19. After a two-yard pickup by McGowan, Thurston was dropped by Cota for a three-yard loss, but after Thurston scrambled for three yards, he hit Jones for a dozen yards on fourth-and-8, setting up first-and-goal at the 5. McGowan then took a handoff from Martin and raced up the middle for the 5-yard score with 4:24 on the clock and Bouchard’s PAT made it 41-14.

Portland then attempted an onside kick and it was recovered by senior Will Lukoki at the Bangor 49.

And one play and nine seconds later, the Bulldogs hit their biggest play of the night for additional breathing room.

Thurston dropped back and waited for Jones to break free on a post pattern before lofting a perfect strike that Jones caught in stride. Jones then strolled into the end zone to complete a 49-yard scoring play.

“That’s something we planned this week,” Thurston said. “We were ready for it.”

Bouchard added another extra point for a 48-14 advantage with 4:11 still to play in the third.

The Rams went quietly on their next series, as Cota gained a yard, then Johnson twice threw incomplete.

With 3:10 to go in the quarter, Portland took over at its 27 and it began to march again.

After McGowan ran for 12 yards, Jones picked up six and Thurston moved the chains with a four-yard pickup to the 49. Jones then nearly broke away, eluding an initial tackler before racing down the left side all the way to the Bangor 5, a gain of 46 yards. McGowan lost eight yards, then junior Alex McKusick got four back on the final play of the stanza.

On the first play of the fourth period, Thurston ran for seven yards, setting up fourth-and-goal from the 2 and there, Jones ran up the middle and broke the plane for the touchdown. The Bulldogs weren’t able to complete a pass on the conversion, but their lead was up to 40 points, inducing a mercy rule running back.

Bangor got the ball back at its 42 and drove into Portland’s territory before coming up empty.

After senior Jackson Varney was dropped for a four-yard loss by sophomore Dominic Huntington, Tennett caught a pass for one yard, then Johnson hit Tennett for 23 more and a first down at the Bulldogs’ 38. Rodrigues then produced another sack, his fourth, good for a five-yard loss. After Johnson threw incomplete, then Tennett did the same, Rodrigues produced his fifth sack, giving the Bulldogs the ball back on downs.

“Defense is my specialty,” Rodrigues said. “I love getting sacks.”

With 4:24 to go, Portland started at its 47 and with its second string offense taking over, McKusick ran for a yard, sophomore Reece Wildes gained one more and after the Rams jumped offsides, a bad snap was recovered by Bangor junior Wyatt Feero.

The Rams began their final possession at their 4 and senior Parker Hunter took over at quarterback, finding senior Nevin Howell for 13 yards and senior Fionn Parker-Cummings for 29 yards, but one final sack, this one by sophomore Quinn Derrig, brought the clock to zero and at 8:11 p.m., made the Bulldogs’ 54-14 victory and Class A North title official.

“Everybody just did their job,” said Rodrigues. “We tackled as a team. What turned the game around was just being resilient. We were just dogs. Coach told us to go 1-0 on every play.”

“There were some hiccups at first,” Thurston said. “You have to expect that in a regional final, but we figured it out and settled in and after that, we were locked in. It’s really nice to impose our will. The defense executed perfectly. We have a lot of studs on our team. When we’re all on, it’s tough to beat us.”

“It was a three-phase football win,” added Green. “I’m really proud of our guys for their preparation. We talk about being confident, but not arrogant or entitled. Confidence comes from preparation and trusting the process. In the second half, we had a step on the neck mentality. We came out and scored and after that, we put it away.”

Portland finished with a whopping 460 yards of offense and overcame two turnovers and three penalties for 23 yards. The Bulldogs also had a whopping nine sacks.

Jones ran a dozen times for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 61 yards and another TD.

Thurston ran 13 times for 122 yards and a score and completed 6-of-9 passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns.

McGowan gained 102 yards on 12 carries, scoring three times.

Bangor mustered just 145 yards of offense, gave the ball away twice and was flagged five times for 25 yards.

Johnson went 5-of-10 passing for 75 yards and an interception. He ran eight times for 28 yards with a TD.

Tennett had three receptions for 43 yards.

One more

Portland has been as successful and competitive as anyone over the past decade, but in that span, the Bulldogs have played in five state games (four in Class A and one in Class B) and lost them all.

Last year, for the third time since 2015, Portland was beaten by Thornton Academy in the state final (24-14).

The Bulldogs are 2-4 all-time versus the Golden Trojans in the playoffs. They did win in Saco during the regular season, 14-7, back on Oct. 19

Portland didn’t play Noble this fall. The Bulldogs are 3-1 all-time versus the Knights in the playoffs, with a 42-13 win in the 2022 quarterfinals the most recent.

Regardless of the foe, this year’s team is primed to bring home the program’s first Gold Ball in 22 years.

“We just have to play as a team and get behind Coach Green and we’ll go win it,” Rodrigues said. “We’re confident going into next week.”

“I’m grateful to be in this position, but the next one means everything,” Thurston said. “Last year, it was a lot of players’ first championship game, so nerves were really high. I think this time, we just have to focus on ourselves. It’s our last meaningful game and it means the most. We’ll be ready.”

“This week was 1-0 Bangor focus and next week will be 1-0 focus against whoever we play,” Green added. “We can’t come out and do anything special. Last year, we tried to do too much individually. We just have to come out and prepare. The first thing we’ll do is self-scout, then we’ll get on to our next team. We’ll go through our walkthrough, we’ll prepare offense and defense soup to nuts, then we’ll play football and hopefully we’ll go 1-0 every day in that preparation.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. 

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