PORTLAND—The Foley boys were fabulous, but Deering wasn’t quite able to pull off an epic upset in a memorable 112th Turkey Day showdown Saturday morning at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

That’s because the Portland Bulldogs dug deep into their reservoir of championship heart to do just enough to cap their finest season in decades in unforgettable style.

With the weather miserable throughout, Portland appeared poised to roll when it parlayed an interception from junior Cordell Jones into an immediate 7-0 lead, as Jones caught an 81-yard touchdown bomb from senior quarterback Louis Thurston.

The Bulldogs then drove all the way to the Rams’ 2 in an attempt to extend the lead, but a bad snap led to a turnover and that gave Deering life.

And gave junior running back extraordinaire Joey Foley an opportunity to show what he’s all about.

Early in the second period, Foley broke away for a 49-yard TD run to pull the Rams within one.

Then, with just 1;21 remaining before halftime, Foley weaved his way through the Portland defense for a jaw-dropping 77-yard score and an improbable 12-7 halftime lead.

The Bulldogs, admittedly, weren’t able to summon up the emotion that they wore so proudly last Saturday in their emphatic state game win over Thornton Academy, but in the second half, Portland was able to do just enough to prevail.

Midway through the third quarter, Thurston connected with Jones for an 18-yard touchdown on fourth down and the Bulldogs were ahead to stay.

Then, with just 5:32 on the clock, after a long run by Jones set the stage, Thurston bulled in from the 1 to seemingly put it away.

But Deering had other ideas.

First, with just 3:44 remaining, junior Jordan DiBiase threw a 25-yard TD pass to junior Elijah Stewart, to cut the deficit to three.

The Rams got the ball back at their 19 with just 46 seconds remaining and freshman Nathan Foley, starting at quarterback for the injured Tavian Lauture, almost became a legend, as he broke away for a potential game-winning score before finally being brought down at Portland’s 26.

Deering tried desperately to get in the end zone as time wound down, but Bulldogs senior Colin Kelly’s final tackle was his biggest of all, as he wrapped up Nathan Foley just before the horn to give Portland a much-more-difficult-than-expected 21-18 victory.

The Bulldogs won their fourth consecutive Turkey Day contest and improved to 63-42 all-time (with seven ties) against the Rams, who made quite a statement in their narrow defeat.

“I’m glad we’re sending the seniors off right,” said Portland coach Sean Green, the Class A North Coach of the Year. “We heard a lot at the (Portland Football) Hall of Fame dinner last night about the 2002 team and how proud they are of their state championship, but when they get together, all they do is talk about (losing to Deering) in this game. I’m sure our guys will talk about this game too, but it will end with a smile.”

The gift that keeps on giving

Last Saturday, Portland experienced joy, relief and redemption as after five tries dating to 2015, it finally broke through and returned to the pinnacle, beating nemesis Thornton Academy, 35-14, to win the Class A state title, its first crown since 2002.

Unlike the other state champions, the Bulldogs weren’t finished, as they got to celebrate all weekend, then return for a few more days of practice to get ready for a Deering squad which had a terrific season of its own.

The Rams posted a 7-1 regular season record, their best since 2008, earned a bye into the Class B South semifinals, then blanked Massabesic to reach the regional final for the first time in 14 years. Deering met its match in the form of Kennebunk, falling, 35-14, to finish 8-2, but the silver lining is that the Rams also had one final game to prepare for.

Deering and Portland did not play during the regular season.

The Bulldogs and Rams have quite a holiday history, however (see sidebar for 21st Century results).

Deering and Portland have played annually on Thanksgiving Day since 1911 (with just one exception, in 2018, when the threat of bad weather moved the game up a day). The contest was also canceled twice, by weather in 1920 and by COVID exactly a century later.

For 90 years, the Bulldogs ruled the rivalry, winning 53 times, losing 30 and tying seven. In fact, from 1982 to 2001, Portland won 19 of 20 meetings.

The series shifted in 2002, when, just days after the Bulldogs won the Class A state title, the Rams sprung a 16-10 overtime upset on Thanksgiving Day. Deering parlayed that victory into a state title run of its own in 2003 and won 10 of 11 meetings through 2012.

Since then, Portland reasserted control of the game, going 8-2 over the past 10 meetings, dating to 2013.

Thursday, on a chilly and rainy day (38 degrees at kickoff), the Bulldogs won again, but the back-and-forth contest wasn’t decided until the final horn.

Portland deferred possession to Deering to start the game and the Rams, who recovered an onside kick to start the contest at their 47, began to drive.

But not behind the quarterback everyone expected to see.

Lauture, one of the state’s elite players this fall, hoped to be able to play with his balky hip, but in pregame it was determined he wouldn’t be able to go and just like that, Nathan Foley was in the spotlight.

“It’s unfortunate that Tavian was out today, but I told the guys that Nathan’s just as good of an athlete and extremely dangerous,” Green said. “He’s an absolute stud.”

Joey Foley set the tone on the first play from scrimmage, gaining nine yards. Nathan Foley then kept the ball for eight yards and a first down at the Bulldogs’ 36. After DiBiase picked up four yards, Nathan Foley broke a tackle and rumbled for 17 yards to the 15, but on the next snap, Deering went to the air and Foley’s pass over the middle was picked by Jones at the 5 and Jones returned the ball to the 19, swinging momentum back to the Portland side.

One play and 11 seconds later, the Bulldogs struck first.

Thurston dropped back, Jones streaked free down the middle and with no defender within 15 yards, Jones hauled in Thurston’s long pass and strolled into the end zone untouched to complete a thrilling 81-yard touchdown reception with 8:37 to go in the first quarter. Sophomore Justin Bouchard added the extra point for a 7-0 advantage.

The Rams got the ball back at their 18 and this time went three-and-out, as Joey Foley gained four yards and after Joey Foley fell on a fumbled exchange for a two-yard loss, he gained three yards, setting up fourth-and-5. After a false start, Deering had to punt and Joey Foley booted the ball 39 yards, but Jones returned it 11  yards to the Rams’ 46 at the midway point of the opening stanza.

Portland then threatened to double its lead.

After Thurston scrambled for five yards, Jones gained 17 more for a first down at the 24. Senior Aidan McGowan then got the ball for the first time and rumbled to the 11, a gain of 13. After Thurston picked up six yards, McGowan got three more, setting up third-and-1 from the 2, but with Jones in the “Wildcat” formation, the snap went over his head, took a Deering bounce and senior Jameson Dennis fell on the ball at the 16, a huge momentum swing.

In a drive that chewed up the final 3:47 of the first quarter and the first 63 seconds of the second period, the Rams marched 84 yards in eight plays to score their first touchdown on Turkey Day in five years.

Joey Foley gained five yards on first down, then Nathan Foley ran for three. On third-and-2, Joey Foley ran right and gained 13 yards for a first down at the 37. After Nathan Foley gained six yards, Joey Foley picked up seven more for a first down at midfield. On the final play of the quarter, Foley was held to no gain by McGowan.

The second period then began inauspiciously for Deering, with a false start penalty. Joey Foley got six yards back, setting up third-and-6, then Joey Foley got the ball again, ran left, blew past a defender who had stumbled, then he roared down the left sideline untouched all the way to the end zone to complete a 49-yard TD run with 10:57 left in the first half. Joey Foley attempted to add a two-point conversion rush, but he was stopped short by senior Carter Lucca, keeping Portland in front, 7-6.

The Bulldogs weren’t able to respond, despite starting at their 40, going three-and-out, as junior Zeke Dewever held Thurston to no gain, Jones picked up one yard and Thurston threw incomplete.

With 9:13 left in the half, the Rams began at their 32, but after Nathan Foley and Joey Foley each ran for two yards, Nathan Foley was intercepted for the second time, this time by McGowan on a deep pass down the right side, at Portland’s 26.

Unlike the first turnover, the Bulldogs weren’t able to turn this one into points.

McGowan took off for 32 yards to the Deering 42 on first down, then McGowan ran for 11 more, but Joey Foley dropped Thurston for a six-yard loss. After McGowan got 13 yards back, Jones moved the chains to the 20 with a four-yard pickup. McGowan was dropped for a one-yard loss by Dennis and junior Corbin Burke, then Thurston threw incomplete. Thurston gained six yards back, but Portland had a false start, setting up fourth-and-10. Thurston connected with Jones on an out pattern, but Jones was brought down at the 11, one yard shy of the sticks, giving the Rams the ball back on downs with 3:03 to go before halftime.

Three plays later, Deering went in front, as Joey Foley put on a dazzling show.

Dewever gained two yards on first down, then Nathan Foley picked up eight for a first down at the 21. Joey Foley then took the handoff, found a big hole up the middle, started left, broke tackles, cut back right, then burst free and outran the pursuit to the end zone for a 79-yard TD run. Joey Foley’s two-point conversion rush was stopped, but with 1:21 on the first half clock, the Rams were ahead, 12-7.

The Bulldogs got one last chance in the half, starting at their 27, but a Thurston pass to junior Charlie Abramson-Thompson resulted in a five-yard loss, then junior Santino Cavallaro dropped McGowan for a three-yard loss. McGowan broke free for 20 yards on the final play of the half, but the horn sounded and Deering took its five-point lead to the break.

In the first 24 minutes, the Rams had a 207-187 edge in yardage, as Joey Foley dominated with 177 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

“We came out and played stronger in the first half,” Joey Foley said.

Not surprisingly, Portland came out a different team in the second half, but Deering never went away.

The Bulldogs began the third quarter with the ball at their 39 and drove 61 yards in a dozen plays and 6:03 to retake the lead for good.

After Joey Foley dropped McGowan for a two-yard loss on the first play of the second half, Jones ran for eight yards, then Thurston picked up seven for a first down at the Deering 48. The Rams were then caught with too many men on the field, giving Portland five free yards. Thurston picked up 11 yards on the next snap for a first down at the 32. After Jones gained three yards, Joey Foley dropped Thurston for a one-yard loss, then Thurston threw incomplete, setting up fourth-and-8. Again, Deering did the Bulldogs a favor, jumping offsides, then Thurston ran for four yards for a first down at the 21. After senior Lisandro Rodrigues gained two yards, Thurston threw incomplete and Thurston was held to a one-yard run by senior Christian Kanana, setting up fourth-and-8. Portland didn’t hesitate, eschewing a field goal, and Thurston threw the ball to the end zone to Jones, who brought it in despite the coverage of Stewart, for the 18-yard touchdown.

“It’s just next-play mentality all the time,” Jones said. “I knew they were good and they’d give us a good game, but I hate being down in any game. I’m just a competitor. I want to come out here and have fun and never lose.”

Bouchard’s PAT made it 14-12 Bulldogs with 5:56 to go in the quarter.

Disaster then struck for Deering on its first opportunity of the second half.

The Rams began at their 35 after Portland’s kickoff went out of bounds, but after a bad snap resulted in a loss of a yard, another bad exchange this time was recovered by Kelly, giving the Bulldogs possession at the Deering 28.

But the Rams’ defense stood tall.

After Thurston threw incomplete, he ran for two yards and Jones picked up four, setting up fourth-and-4, where Thurston threw incomplete again, giving Deering the ball right back on downs at its 22 with 3:24 on the clock.

The Rams would chew up the remaining time in the frame, but weren’t able to score.

After Nathan Foley ran for five yards, Joey Foley took off for 16 and a first down at the 43. Joey Foley then picked up two yards, Lucca threw Nathan Foley for a one-yard loss and a delay of game penalty ended the quarter and set up third-and-14.

On the first play of what would be a dramatic final stanza, Nathan Foley threw incomplete and Joey Foley had to punt.

With 11:50 to play, Portland got the ball back at its 29 and it looked to drive for some breathing room, but it wasn’t to be.

After Cavallaro dropped sophomore Alex Martin for a four-yard loss, Jones ran for 11 yards and on third-and-3, Thurston picked up nine for a first down at the Rams’ 45. Thurston then tried a pass down the right sideline, but under pressure from Joey Foley, he overthrew the receiver and junior Jojo Silva intercepted the ball. Compounding matters for the Bulldogs, Silva returned the ball 17 yards and after the play, a 15-yard personal foul penalty was tacked on, giving Deering a golden opportunity at the Portland 28.

But the Rams couldn’t capitalize.

After Nathan Foley kept the ball for five yards, a false start penalty moved the ball back and another bad exchange put the ball on the ground again and this time, Bulldogs senior Anthony Tavares recovered the fumble at the Portland 35.

Nine plays, 3:51 later, the Bulldogs got an insurance touchdown.

Points they would desperately need.

The drive began with a two-yard run by Thurston and a seven-yard pickup by Jones. On third-and-1, Thurston gained two for a first down at the 46. After Jones was held to one yard, he got the ball again and gained 10 for a first down at Deering’s 43. Jones then ran for eight yards and nearly broke it on the next snap, rumbling 29 yards to set up first-and-goal at the 6. After Thurston pushed the pile to the 1, he capped the drive with a 1-yard rush with 5:32 on the clock. Bouchard’s PAT made it a two-score game, 21-12.

The Rams then roared right back, driving 76 yards in just three plays and 1:47 to make things most interesting.

Nathan Foley nearly broke it on the first play, racing down the field for 42 yards, with only a last-second Rodrigues tackle saving the touchdown. Joey Foley then gained five yards and fumbled forward, but luckily for Deering, junior Zade Smith recovered at the Bulldogs’ 25. DiBiase then launched a pass down the right side to Stewart, who got behind a defender and brought the ball in for the 25-yard score with 3:44 still to play. Joey Foley’s two-point conversion rush was stopped, but Portland’s lead was now a tenuous 21-18.

Starting at their 27, the Bulldogs hoped to run out the clock, but they couldn’t do so.

Thurston ran for 10 yards and a first down, then Thurston picked up four yards, followed by a seven-yard burst, for a first down at the 48. Portland kept the ball in its quarterback’s hands, as Thurston ran for five yards into Deering territory, then he gained one more, setting up third-and-4. A false start penalty backed the Bulldogs up five yards, then Thurston only gained two yards, making it fourth-and-7. The Rams called timeout to stop the clock with just under a minute to play and senior Brody Viola punted the ball away for Portland, pinning Deering at its 19 with just 46 seconds on the clock.

But that was plenty of time for the Rams to strike fear in the Bulldogs’ hearts.

Nathan Foley kept the ball on the first play, started left, ran up the middle, then cut back right all the way near the sideline and took off past midfield and deep into Portland territory before he was finally brought down at the Bulldogs’ 26, after a gain of 55 yards.

Deering was out of timeouts and after Nathan Foley spiked the ball to stop the clock, he hit Smith for seven yards to the 19. A false start then backed the Rams up five yards and Deering had time for one more play.

As the clock wound toward zero, Nathan Foley took the snap and dropped back, but Kelly read the play, wrapped up the quarterback and brought him to the turf.

“It opened up for me and I knew I had to get him and end the game,” Kelly said. “We did what we had to do. We had to finish it off and we did.”

“No surprise, when we needed it most, Colin made the play,” Green said. “Everything all year started on the line of scrimmage, so it’s fitting it ended on the line of scrimmage.”

The horn sounded and at 12:09 p.m., Portland was able to exhale and celebrate its 21-18 victory.

“We just had to play our brand of football,” said Kelly. “Take one play at a time and do our jobs. No one be a hero. There’s no way better to finish my senior year.”

“No better way to end the season and no better team to do it with,” Jones said. “This is the tightest family I’ve ever been a part of.”

“(Deering) wanted it and we definitely came out a little cocky, which we’ve talked throughout our playoff run not to do, but it was a little tough after being on such a high last week,” said Thurston. “(Deering’s) a really good team. They have studs. We’ve played with those guys for years and they know us best. We settled down in the locker room and we knew what we had to do. We dialed it in. It took a little longer to get into the game, but we got there.”

“First of all, credit to Coach (Brendan) Scully and Deering and the effort they brought today,’ Green added. “It’s extremely hard to get refocused and re-motivated after playing in a state championship game. Our guys didn’t come to play, especially in the first half, and those guys did come to play. We opened the door for them and gave them some oxygen, which we don’t like to do, and they took advantage. Second half, we played a little more of our brand of football. It never quite got there, but at the end of the day, we’re a resilient football team and we were just trying to win and our guys were able to get it done.”

Portland finished with 359 yards of offense and overcame two turnovers and four penalties for 30 yards.

“We threw it a little bit, but we dropped a touchdown, we fumbled the ball and made bad mistakes,” Green said.

Jones, who was given the Vinnie Allen Award winner as Portland’s outstanding player, caught three passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns and ran 11 times for 102 yards.

“This (award) means a lot,” said Jones. “I thought it would go to one of the seniors, but I’ll take it.”

Thurston bowed out with another memorable performance, completing 4-of-11 passes for 113 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, while rushing 22 times for 83 yards and a TD.

“Portland’s meant so much to me,” Thurston said. “It’s the last time I got to suit up on this field, so it was really emotional. At (the Hall of Fame) banquet last night, the 2002 team put it in our heads that we had to win the game or we’d regret it for the rest of our lives. We have no regrets.”

McGowan had some huge runs and finished with 86 yards on nine attempts.

So close

Deering, which had scored a total of three points combined in the past three Turkey Day games, was much more competitive this time around.

The Rams finished with 320 total yards, but were flagged seven times for 35 yards and committed four costly turnovers.

Both Foleys put on a show.

Joey Foley finished with 200 yards on 14 carries, scoring two touchdowns, earning the Merv Kilgore Award as his team’s MVP.

“It’s awesome to have 200 yards, but we still came up short,” Foley said.

“Joey was a man,” Scully said. “They had to make some adjustments to slow him down in the second half. ”

“(Joey) can move in-between tackles really quick,” Jones said. “I give him praise. I wish he was on my team. We go way back. It’s great to see what he’s doing.”

“Joey’s a stud and (Deering) did a great job up front,” said Green. “I was wondering what was going on on defense. Why aren’t we running to the ball? Why aren’t being gap-sound?”

A star was born in the form of Nathan Foley, who ran for 144 yards on 12 attempts and went 1-of-5 passing for 7 yards and two interceptions.

“(Nathan) played really good,” said Joey Foley. “I didn’t expect it honestly, but he was great stepping in for ‘Tay.'”

“Tavian couldn’t play because he had a banged up hip, but Nathan, a ninth grader, came out and executed,” said Scully.

“That kid’s is going to be a very special player someday,” said Thurston, who knows a thing or two about great quarterback play.

DiBiase completed his one pass attempt for a 25-yard touchdown.

Stewart had the one touchdown reception for 25 yards.

Smith caught one pass for 7 yards.

Kanana received the James. A Banks Sr. Unsung Hero Award, recognizing a hard-working athlete from either team.

“I’m very proud,” said Scully. “The kids came out to play and they played their tails off. We had a chance. We were really close. We could have very easily come here and laid down and gotten blown out by the state champions, but we fought and played hard.”

On to 2025

After its best season in over a decade and Thursday’s tremendous showing, rest assured that Deering can’t wait to get back to action next year.

“This is going to propel us into next season, knowing we stuck with the Class A state champs,” Joey Foley said.

“This gives us great juice going into the offseason,” Scully said. “It should spark interest in the student body. It’s a great jump-off spot for next year.”

Portland loses a lot of talent to graduation, but no one can ever take away its Gold Ball, or bragging rights from Thursday’s contest.

The 2025 Bulldogs will have a new look, but they’ll be right back in the title hunt.

“This gives us momentum and confidence going into next year,” said Jones.

“This will flip us right into the weight room for the offseason,” said Green. “The guys coming back can learn a lot from this group of seniors and there’s a lot of lessons to take away from the season.”

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

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