PORTLAND—The 2024 Portland Bulldogs now belong to the ages.

And at long last, the 2002 Bulldogs have some company.

Saturday morning/afternoon, on its home field, Fitzpatrick Stadium, Portland was challenged by the cold, wind and rain, momentum shifts and plenty of adversity, but the Bulldogs overcame it all to finally beat the state’s gold standard, reigning champion and longtime nemesis, Thornton Academy, on the biggest stage of all.

Portland drove the field to start the game, going ahead on a 28-yard touchdown dash from senior quarterback Louis Thurston, but the extra point failed and the Bulldogs held a 6-0 advantage after one period.

Portland’s defense then stymied the Golden Trojans on multiple occasions, before nearly extending their lead, only to have an apparent touchdown pass from Thurston to junior Cordell Jones overturned by offensive pass interference, keeping the lead a mere six points at the break.

Thornton Academy then did what it always seems to do, wait for the optimal moment to strike, as it blocked a punt and junior Connor Ayoob fell on the loose football in the end zone to give the Golden Trojans the lead, 7-6.

When Thornton Academy got a fortuitous bounce on the ensuing kickoff, the Bulldogs were on the verge of falling even further behind, but instead, they roared back with a vengeance.

The game turned for good midway through the third quarter, as Thurston made the biggest play of his life, finding room on the right side and racing 81-yards for the go-ahead score.

Portland was just getting started, as by period’s end, Thurston hit senior Aidan McGowan for a 64-yard touchdown pass, then he found Jones for a 28-yard strike to make it 28-7.

The proud Golden Trojans refused to go quietly and with 9:22 left, kept hope alive on a 21-yard scamper from junior Mauricio Sunderland, but with 4:49 remaining, Jones put it away with a 1-yard dive and the Bulldogs went on to a historic 35-14 victory.

Portland finished the season 10-2, ended Thornton Academy’s campaign at 9-3 and in the process, ended a run of five straight state game setbacks, captured the Gold Ball for the first time since 2002 and the third time in program history.

“I haven’t even felt the emotions yet, but it’s really special to bring this to our city,” said Thurston, who had a roller-coaster high school career before saving his very best for the biggest moment. “Our city loves football and 22 years was too long. I couldn’t ask for a better ending. It’s like a fairy tale.”

Bulldog pride

Last Nov. 18, Portland walked off the Fitzpatrick Stadium turf in despair after dropping the state game to Thornton Academy.

The Bulldogs vowed to be back and delivered on that promise (see sidebar, for links to previous stories).

Portland quickly made it evident that it had no peer in Class A North, opening the year with decisive wins over Oxford Hills and Windham, before stumbling at Bonny Eagle. That loss was followed by a four-game surge, which saw the Bulldogs outscore the opposition, 160-14, with the final victory coming at Thornton Academy in a highly-anticipated Saturday afternoon showdown Oct. 19 (14-7). After falling at home to Exeter, an elite New Hampshire squad (35-24), Portland closed the regular season by downing rival South Portland in the Battle of the Bridge.

As expected, the top-ranked Bulldogs rolled through the regional field, eliminating No. 4 Windham in the semifinals (42-14), then pulling away to oust No. 3 Bangor in last weekend’s Class A North Final (54-14).

Thornton Academy, meanwhile, came into the 2024 season as the favorite, and despite having much more competition in Class A South, managed to break through yet again, losing only to Bedford, New Hampshire and Portland during a 7-2 regular season.

As the top seed for the regional tournament, the Golden Trojans advanced by knocking off No. 4 South Portland in the semifinals (36-12) and No. 3 Noble (57-29) in the regional final.

Entering play Saturday, the teams had met six previous times in the postseason, with Portland winning in the 1982 Western A semifinals (34-14) and the 2004 Western A quarterfinals (48-6) and Thornton Academy taking the 1994 Western A quarterfinals (27-12) and the 2015, 2018 and last year’s Class A state finals.

The Golden Trojans had won eight of 11 previous state final appearances and were also awarded championships in the pre-title game era in 1954, 1955 and 1962.

The Bulldogs, who were crowned state champion in 1952, prior to the playoff era, had prevailed in two of their previous eight state game appearances (see sidebar), downing Sanford in 1982 and Edward Little in 2002, but they had dropped their last five in succession.

Saturday, on an overcast, windy and chilly day (low 40s at kickoff), which included occasional rain drops, Portland put together a brilliant three-phase performance and captured the prize it has long been chasing.

Fast start

Thornton Academy won the opening coin toss and deferred possession to the second half.

Portland then made an immediate statement by driving 76 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes, 11 seconds to get the jump.

Thurston kept the ball on the game’s first play and picked up four yards before taking a hard hit from Golden Trojans junior Dominic Hussey. McGowan was then dropped for a two-yard loss by sophomore Brennan Tabor, but on third-and-8, Thurston rolled right and fired to Jones for a dozen yards and a first down at the 38. Jones then ran for three yards and salvaged a yard on a quick pass where it appeared he’d be brought down in the backfield. On third-and-6, Thurston delivered again, this time rolling right and firing downfield to senior Brody Viola, who caught the ball for a 21-yard gain to the Thornton Academy 37. After McGowan ran for seven yards, Thurston was brought down for a one-yard loss by senior Rachean Dotson. Jones gained three yards, setting up fourth-and-1, and Thurston did the rest, finding a big hole on the right side and racing all the way to the end zone for a 28-yard score with 6:43 remaining in the first period.

“Our execution in practice made us believe,” Thurston said. “We came out calm. That’s what it took. Especially in a game like this, scoring points first is really big.”

Sophomore Justin Bouchard’s extra point sailed wide right, but the Bulldogs held a 6-0 lead, a score that shockingly, would hold up into the halftime break.

Thornton Academy had a promising first drive as well, but missed out on its chance to score by mere inches.

The Golden Trojans began at their 39 and got a three-yard run from Sunderland, followed by a nine-yard run from senior quarterback Wyatt Benoit, last year’s hero, for a first down at Portland’s 49. Benoit then nearly broke one, but the play was called back by holding. After Benoit ran for five yards, he was hit late out of bounds and Thornton Academy moved the chains again, to the 31. Senior Colin Kelly dropped Sunderland for a two-yard loss on first down, sophomore Alex Martin brought Benoit down for a seven-yard loss on second down, then Benoit hit senior Jackson Paradis for 10 yards, setting up fourth-and-9 from the 30. Benoit then dropped back and lofted the ball toward the end zone, where sophomore Noah Fullerton had broken free, but the pass was just beyond the lunging receiver’s reach, fell incomplete, and the Bulldogs had dodged a bullet and got the ball back on downs at their 30.

This time, Portland went quietly, as McGowan ran for three yards, Thurston picked up one, then Thurston threw incomplete under pressure, necessitating a punt. Viola’s punt only went 19 yards and the Golden Trojans took over in good field position, at their 47 with 1:51 to go in the opening stanza.

The Bulldogs didn’t even let Thornton Academy across midfield, however, as Sunderland ran for two yards, then was met by Kelly and senior Lisandro Rodrigues for no gain before Benoit threw incomplete. Fullerton then booted a perfect punt which was downed at the Portland 4.

On the final play of the first period, McGowan ran for five yards and the second quarter commenced with Thurston running left for seven yards and a first down at the 16. Thurston then threw to junior Charlie Abramson-Thompson, who lost three yards on the play, McGowan was stuffed for no gain by senior Zach Nelson and on third-and-13, Thurston dumped the ball off to Rodrigues, who gained seven yards, then was stripped of the ball from behind. Senior Carter Lucca fell on the fumble to allow the Bulldogs to avoid disaster, but they had to punt and again, Viola struggled, kicking the ball just 12 yards, giving the Golden Trojans possession at the Portland 32.

Thornton Academy was in optimal position to get on the board, but the Bulldogs’ smothering defense had other ideas.

Fullerton made a nice diving catch on first down, moving the ball to the 13, but Viola held Sunderland to no gain, Rodrigues, Martin and Kelly dropped Sunderland for a two-yard loss, then Martin caught Benoit from behind, a loss of two more.

“(Wyatt’s) a great player,” Martin said. “We just had to contain him.”

The Golden Trojans had one more shot on fourth-and-14, but after scrambling, Benoit slipped and lost 11 yards, giving Portland possession at its 28.

The Bulldogs then appeared to add to their lead before the powers that be ruled otherwise.

The drive started at the 28 and began auspiciously, as Thurston found Jones for 13 yards. After Thurston was dropped for a one-yard loss by Dotson and junior Curtis Nason, McGowan found room up the gut and gained 16 yards to the Thornton Academy 44. After Jones ran for three yards and McGowan picked up six more, junior Grady Hersey dropped McGowan for a one-yard loss, setting up fourth-and-2. Thurston kept the ball and got barely enough with a second effort for a first down at the 34. On the next play, Thurston threw deep to the right where Jones was wrestling with junior defender Stevo Jones. As the ball arrived, a flag was thrown and Jones somehow managed to wrest the ball away from the defender and fight his way into the end zone for an apparent 34-yard score, but after a lengthy discussion, offensive pass interference was called on Jones and a potentially huge play was wiped away.

Not only did the touchdown not stand, Portland lost 15 yards on the penalty and that ruined the drive. Senior Henry Kenniston dropped Thurston for a four-yard loss, Rodrigues only gained one yard on a screen and after the Bulldogs took a delay of game penalty, McGowan ran for two yards on third-and-33. This time, Viola delivered his best punt of the day, a 43-yarder, which pinned the Golden Trojans at their 12 with just 1:45 to go before halftime.

Ayoob ran for seven yards, then was held to no gain by senior Anthony Tavares, but on third-and-3, Sunderland picked up three yards for a first down. Rodrigues then dropped Benoit for a seven-yard loss, bringing the curtain down on the first half.

The Bulldogs outgained Thornton Academy, 113 yards to 40, but hadn’t gotten separation, reminding some of last year’s final, where Portland was up at halftime, 7-3, before the Golden Trojans took over in the second half.

Those Bulldogs aren’t these Bulldogs, however.

“We knew we still had a lot left,” said Thurston. “What we’d been running had been working, we’d just been unlucky getting in the end.”

Character test

After just one touchdown was scored in the first two quarters, a total of four went up on the board in a wild third period which would see momentum shift Portland’s way once and for all.

Thornton Academy got possession to start the half at its 35, but went three-and-out, as Benoit threw incomplete, Sunderland ran for three yards, then Benoit was off the mark again. Fullerton then produced another jawdropper of a punt, however, as the ball rolled for 60 yards, pinning the Bulldogs at their 2 and that would lead directly to the Golden Trojans’ first points, and first lead, of the contest.

After Thurston ran for three yards, Hersey held McGowan to no gain, then Thurston was held to no gain as well, forcing a punt.

Viola lined up just in front of the end line, but he was smothered by the rush as soon as the ball arrived and while he tried to boot it away, junior Trent Wilson managed to block it, the ball landed in the end zone to Viola’s left and Ayoob pounced out it for the easiest touchdown of his life.

“It was tough kicking today,” Viola said. “Someone got through and I didn’t have much room to go.”

With 8:49 on the clock, junior Yeonwoo Kim added the extra point and just like that, Thornton Academy was on top, 7-6.

If that wasn’t enough of a momentum swing, on the ensuing kickoff, the Golden Trojans squibbed the ball off a Portland up-man and senior Ryan Camire fell on it at the Bulldogs’ 46.

But instead of allowing Thornton Academy to further seize control, the misfortune galvanized Portland and in a dizzying sequence of events, the Bulldogs completely controlled the remainder of the frame.

After Benoit threw incomplete, Sunderland gained five yards, but on third-and-5, Rodrigues held Benoit to a one-yard gain, necessitating a punt.

“We love adversity,” Jones said. “We crave it. Every game we’ve had, we’ve had ups and downs, but we stayed straight and it led us to this point.”

“This time, we shut down their momentum after we let it run last year,” Viola said.

“Coach (Sean) Green did a great job keeping us in the moment and having us forget about the (blocked punt) play and moving on to the next play,” Thurston said.

“Out of the half, we faced a ton of adversity, but we talk about how we love adversity,” Green added. “That’s what we needed to get us rolling. Then, it started to feel like a game.”

Again, Portland had bad field position, this time starting at its 16, but it didn’t matter, as two plays later, it was back in front to stay.

After Jones picked up three yards, Thurston rolled right on the triple option, decided the keep the ball and he took off. With nothing but green turf in front of him, Thurston raced down the right sideline and while the Golden Trojans’ defense gave chase, then never caught him and Thurston completed the 81-yard scamper with 6:15 to go in the quarter.

“It was a triple option and I just got free and I took off,” Thurston said. “I was looking back and I thought I might get caught, but I kept going. It was amazing.”

“That run got us all juiced up,” Jones said.

“I knew we were going to win right then,” said Martin. “I started celebrating mid-play.”

“I got up after blocking some dude and that was the biggest sigh of relief ever,” Viola said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

On the ensuing two-point conversion, Thurston threw to Viola in the end zone and Portland was ahead, 14-7.

Thornton Academy got the ball back at its 37 and had a chance to answer, but couldn’t finish the drive.

Sunderland took off for 21 yards on first down to the Bulldogs’ 42. After Sunderland ran for two more yards, Benoit kept the ball, ran left and didn’t stop until reaching the 24, a gain of 16. Sunderland then twice ran for three yards, but on third-and-four from the 10, Martin again dropped Benoit for a loss at the optimal time, this time three yards, and after the Golden Trojans had a false start penalty assessed, setting up fourth-and-12, Benoit handed the ball to Fullerton, who tried to throw back to Benoit, only to have the pass fall incomplete, giving the Bulldogs possession at their 26 with 3:10 on the clock.

And four plays and 1:27 later, Portland doubled its advantage.

Thurston threw incomplete on first down, then ran for one yard before hitting Jones for the nine yards necessary to move the chains to the 36. On the next snap, Thurston faked a handoff, then dropped back and launched a perfect strike over the defense to a streaking McGowan, who caught the ball in stride at the Thornton Academy 35 and didn’t stop until he crossed the goal line, completing a 64-yard TD reception with 1:43 on the clock.

“We knew that play would be open,” Thurston said. “I just had to put it up there where he could catch it.”

Bouchard added the extra point for a 21-7 lead, the first time the Bulldogs held a double digit advantage in a state final since 2002.

And they weren’t done scoring.

On the ensuing kickoff, either an onside kick or a squib kick, depending on who you ask, the ball squirted free and junior Colin Haigh recovered for Portland at the Golden Trojans’ 40.

“We feel like we’re the best onside kick team in the state,” Green said. “We had a chance to put that in the bag and we got it done.”

Four plays and 1:35 later, the Bulldogs were in the end zone again and were starting to feel it.

Thurston threw incomplete on first down, but Jones moved the chains with a 10-yard rush. After McGowan picked up two yards, Thurston threw the ball to the end zone where Jones was covered, but the talented Jones went up and plucked the ball away from the defender, cradled it and landed in the end zone for a 28-yard score with just 15.3 seconds remaining.

“I wanted a touchdown so bad,” Jones said. “Every time I get the ball, I want to score.”

Bouchard added the PAT and in the course of just six minutes, a one-point deficit had turned into a 28-7 lead.

Portland almost got the ball back again on the ensuing kickoff, but this time, junior Taylor Ackerman fell on it at the 30 and the Golden Trojans would embark on a nine-play, 70-yard, 2:39 drive to keep hope alive.

On the final play of the third period, Sunderland ran for a yard, then Benoit picked up 12 to the 43 on the first play of the final quarter. After Martin dropped Sunderland for a three-yard loss, Benoit threw incomplete, but on third-and-13, he hit junior Nathan Neely for 15 yards to the Bulldogs’ 45. Sunderland then broke away for 23 yards to the 22. On the next snap, Martin continued to traumatize Benoit, dropping him for a 14-yard loss, but a personal foul facemask penalty on a short pass to Sunderland put the ball at the 21, where Sunderland got free to his right and raced into the end zone for a 21-yard scoring run with 9:22 to play. Kim’s extra point cut the deficit to 28-14.

Thornton Academy then kept momentum by forcing a Portland three-and-out.

The Bulldogs got the ball back at their 41, but Jones and McGowan could only gain two yards apiece, then Thurston threw incomplete. That brought Viola in to punt and after so many misadventures on the day, Viola saved his best boot for last, punting the ball 51 yards to the Golden Trojans’ 4.

And four plays later, Thornton Academy’s dreams of a miracle comeback were extinguished.

After Benoit threw an incomplete pass which could have been intercepted, Benoit ran for eight yards, but on third-and-2, Sunderland was stuffed by Tavares and sophomore Dominic Huntington and on fourth-and-2, Tabor was held to no gain by Viola and Portland got the ball back on downs at the Golden Trojans’ 13.

Four plays later, the Bulldogs delivered the dagger.

After Rodrigues ran for one yard, Jones picked up 10 to the 2. Jones got another carry and was stopped just short, but with 4:49 to play, Jones bulled in from the 1. Bouchard’s extra point made it 35-14 and the stirrings of a celebration began on the Portland sideline.

Thornton Academy started its next drive at its 36 and after Sunderland ran for seven yards, then for one, Benoit threw incomplete and on fourth-and-2, a bad snap was recovered by Huntington at the Golden Trojans’ 44.

The Bulldogs weren’t able to drain the rest of the clock, but they did milk it some.

After Nelson dropped Thurston for a two-yard loss and Portland took a delay of game penalty, McGowan ran for eight yards and Jones picked up one, but on fourth-and-8, Benoit threw incomplete, giving Thornton Academy one final chance from its 42.

Sunderland ran for seven yards, then Neely caught a pass for 21 more to the Bulldogs’ 30. After an incomplete pass, junior Brayden Hooper caught a pass for 18 yards to the 12. After being backed up 10 yards by penalty, the Golden Trojans had time for just one more play and while Sunderland broke free, he was brought down at the 5 and at 1:08 p.m., the horn sounded and Portland rushed the field to celebrate its 35-14 victory, an exultation which was just as intense in the stands, with loved ones, former players and former coaches like Mike Bailey and Jim Hartman cheering and crying tears of joy.

“After two years of taking those losses on our home field, it means so much more to win it senior year,” Viola said. “I couldn’t bear the memories of losing the last two years and I’m glad I didn’t have to feel it this year. We were honestly a little entitled last year, going up to Class A, going undefeated. We thought we deserved it. This year was different. We lost two games, we got humbled and disciplined. We went into this game with the mindset of winning every down. Going into it 1-0 and coming out 1-0. This was bigger than all of us. We finally got it done and that means so much.”

“It feels great,” said Jones. “I didn’t expect anything less. We have a sense of pride. Our preparation was the key. It was confidence over arrogance. We came out with a sense of urgency and got it done.”

“It’s amazing,” Tavares said. “I worked so hard for this and the whole team worked so hard for this. I love these boys. We came prepared and we were so confident. It’s just another week, but this time, we got the Gold Ball.”

“We worked hard,” Martin said. “Last year, we came in too cocky. This year, we just came in confident and had to go 1-0 and we came to play.”

“It’s awesome,” Green added. “We talk about going 1-0, being present, having a maniacal sense of urgency and our guys came out and did that on every play. Our guys responded and did a tremendous job. I’m a very small piece of this puzzle. I have a tremendous coaching staff. We have tremendous Boosters. I have awesome support from (administration), these players and their families.

“Every season when it starts, the goal is to win a state championship and at Portland High especially, with all the tradition. It’s great to bring the Gold Ball back to Portland and back to Class A North.”

The Bulldogs finished with 333 yards of offense, never turned the ball over and overcame five penalties for 55 yards.

Thurston was sensational with all eyes upon him, rushing 13 times for 119 yards and two breakaway touchdowns. He also completed 10-of-15 passes, good for 153 yards and two more TDs.

“This year, Louis was just different,” Viola said. “He’s just a different breed.”

“Louis should be the Fitzpatrick Trophy winner this year,” Green said. “He’s the best quarterback in the state. He’s a tremendous leader on and off the field. He does it all for us. To do what he did today, through the air, on the ground, he led us to victory.”

Jones finished with 39 yards and a score on 10 rushes and five receptions for 63 yards and another touchdown.

McGowan added 48 yards on 13 carries and caught a 64-yard TD pass.

Viola caught one ball for 21 yards, Rodrigues had two receptions for 8 yards and Abramson-Thompson had one catch for negative-3 yards.

As dazzling as the Portland offense was the day, the defense was equally sensational, allowing just one score to a Thornton Academy squad which had put 57 points the week before.

“Bend, don’t break,” said Tavares, of the defensive unit’s philosophy. “We just couldn’t let up. We’re just dogs on defense. We did our job. We didn’t have to be special. If we did our job, we’d become special. Coach told me back in May, be consistently good and occasionally great.”

“Everyone focused on themselves and their assignment,” Viola said. “Our motto is 11-as-1.”

“It’s really scheme with the defense,” Thurston said. “We’re put in a great position to succeed and all we had to do was do our job.”

“Our guys just locked into the game plan this week,” Green added. “We were gap sound and ran to the football. We tried to take Benoit away primarily and take away the rest.”

Thornton Academy, which finished with 226 yards, turned the ball over once and was flagged three times for 17 yards.

Benoit, who ran wild last season, this time was held to 15 yards on 11 carries. He completed 5-of-14 passes for 83 yards.

Sunderland had a big second half and gained 114 yards and had a touchdown on 21 carries.

Neely had two receptions for 36 yards, Fullerton had one reception for 19 yards, Hooper caught one pass for 18 yards and Paradis had one catch for 10 yards.

Legacy

For the better part of two decades, decorated Portland senior classes fervently sought to bow out as champions.

Only to be left wanting.

The Class of 2025 finally managed to reach the pinnacle.

“I’ve learned a lot from the seniors,” said Jones. “I have a lot of respect for those guys. They taught me to be a better player, person, teammate. They’re my brothers.”

“The seniors have been great role models for me,” Martin said. “I knew I had to step up this year and they helped me out a lot.”

“These seniors are awesome,” Green added. “They’re experienced and they really answered the bell. They did a great job leading this football team. They all made plays for us in all three phases.”

Not quite finished

For those not ready to say goodbye to the 2024 Bulldogs, the good news is you don’t have to.

Thursday at 10 a.m., Portland will meet a very good Deering squad in the most highly anticipated Turkey Day contest in years and while the game is non-countable, it will allow the Bulldogs a few more days to be together.

And then, following that one, Portland can think about doing something this program has never done.

Going back-to-back with another Gold Ball in 2025.

“We just have to keep working hard and keep it going,” Martin said. “I’d like to feel this feeling again.”

“We’ll focus on having a good time tonight, then we’ll move on tomorrow to Thanksgiving and to next season,” said Green.

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