LISBON FALLS

The odds were certainly stacked against the Lisbon High School football team coming into Saturday’s Western Maine Class D Regional final against defending Class D champion Oak Hill.

Figure, the Raiders had already solved the Greyhounds, rolling to a 28-14 victory in the regular-season finale just three weeks earlier on Thompson Field. And, that was with senior Lisbon quarterback Kyle Bourget in the lineup, but now on the sidelines sporting crutches after an ACL tear in the semifinal win over Old Orchard Beach.

In the end, it wasn’t that significant loss that led to Lisbon’s 7-6 setback on a frosty field. No, simply put, it was two very good defensive teams not willing to give an inch, with Oak Hill onepoint better on this day.

“I am really proud of the way we played, and I thought Oak Hill had a great game, with a good coach, and a team that doesn’t make too many mistakes,” said Lisbon (8-2) coach Dick Mynahan. “I tell my kids it is the whole game and that it never comes down to one play. I am really proud of my kids that they played a whole game.”

“I knew it was going to be a physical game, and Coach Mynahan is a great coach, probably the best in the state,” said Raiders coach Stacen Doucette, a former Lisbon assistant to Mynahan who now will coach in his second consecutive Class D state title game on Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. “Both teams played a very good game. One mistake here, one mistake there. That was it. It was just a well-played game, with both teams rising to the occasion defensively.”

Oak Hill will face Maine Central Institute, which defeated Bucksport 21-7.

Defense

Oak Hill began the game with a signature long, sustained drive, chewing up over seven minutes of the clock behind running backs Kyle Flaherty and Alex Mace.

But, Lisbon held and forced a punt, setting up shop at its own 10-yard line.

The Greyhounds showed their willingness to run the ball hard at the Raiders defense. Lisbon put together a five-minute march before Samson Lacroix stuffed sophomore quarterback Tyler Halls for a six-yard loss on fourth down at the OH-36.

The first 35 plays of the game were runs, but Oak Hill quarterback Dalton Therrien surprised the packed crowd by swinging a pass out to Mace, who turned it into a 40-yard touchdown. Adam Merrill tacked on the point-after kick for a 7-0 Raiders lead with 7:15 left in the first half.

Back came Lisbon. This time, Halls threw twice, picking up 17 yards on a catch each by Noah Francis and Henry Adams to move the ball to the OH-16. Shawn Grover followed his blocking, getting into the end zone on a 16-yard TD run with 2:20 left on the secondquarter clock.

With Bourget also the team’s place kicker, Lisbon went for the 2-point conversion, but Halls pass was knocked away by Lacroix to preserve Oak Hill’s slim lead.

The Raiders drove into Lisbon territory late in the half, but Blake Berube intercepted a Therrien pass to send the teams to the intermission locked in a onepoint contest.

Both teams punted on their first possession of the second half, with Lisbon beginning a drive on its 17- yard line. The Greyhounds put together a solid, 18-play drive, with Halls gaining seven yards on a third-downand five, and later throwing to Francis for a 32-yard pickup to the OH-30.

“Tyler is an exceptional athlete and he ran that team like he has been doing it all year,” said Doucette of Halls. “His future is ahead of him, and he is going to be a great football player. He was just perfect today.”

On fourth-down at the OH- 12, Halls again came through, hooking up with Francis for an 8-yard gain to the Raiders 4-yard line. On the next play, Francis took an inside hand-off and was met at the line of scrimmage by Oak Hill defenders Garrett Gile and Mike Pease. The hard hit jarred the ball from Francis’ hands, with Logan Childs recovering at the OH-1.

“I got hit really hard and folded up, and I must have blacked out because I don’t remember the play,” said Francis, who was as scrappy as anyone with 83 tough rushing yards, 47 receiving yards and seven tackles on defense. “We came out and worked hard every day, and focused on giving it all every play.”

“We talked about bending and not breaking. We made a play,” said Doucette.

Lisbon’s defense refused to budge, forcing another Oak Hill punt, with Flaherty getting his team out from the shadows of its goal post with a wind-aided 47-yard punt.

A big run by Francis moved the chains to the OH- 43, but two incomplete passes forced the Greyhounds to punt.

Oak Hill’s calling card, the long drive, came into play again. The Raiders, beginning at their own 9-yard line, picked up four first downs and milked the remaining 6:54 off the clock to preserve the 7-6 victory.

Despite the loss, Mynahan was proud of his team and the play of Halls, who finished 5-for-7 in the air for 64 yards and picked up 28 yards on the ground.

“We did a lot of things well today. Tyler did a great job running the offense and the kids protected him well. To Oak Hill’s credit, they got the big turnover,” said Mynahan.

Flaherty led the Raiders with 106 yards rushing on 28 carries, with Mace chipping in 92 yards on 17 lugs. Defensively, Mace led the way with seven tackles, with Lacroix adding six.

Grover finished with 45 yards and Lisbon’s lone touchdown, while Halls picked up a team-leading eight tackles, followed by seven from Francis and Joe Philbrick. Henry Adams, Tanton Mattson, Darren Ward and Berube were solid in holding Oak Hill to 4.1- yards a carry (48 rushes, 199 yards). The Raiders held a slim 239-229 total yardage advantage.

No. 3 Oak Hill 7,
No. 1 Lisbon 6

Western Maine Class D
Regional Final
Saturday at Thompson Field
in Lisbon Falls
OakHill—0700—7
Lisbon—0600—6
Second quarter
OH — Alex Mace 40 pass from Dalton Therrien (Adam Merrill kick),
7:15.
L — Shawn Grover 16 run (pass
failed), 2:20.
Records — Oak Hill 10-1, Lisbon 8-
2.
Up next — Oak Hill takes on Eastern
D champion Maine Central Institute at
Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, time
TBA.
Note — Lisbon’s season has ended.