SACO, Maine — For one quarter, it looked like No. 2 Bonny Eagle might have the guns to match Thornton Academy's firepower in the Battle of Maine.
Thornton Academy Takes Charge in the Second Quarter
But this battle was fought on Thornton Academy's home turf, and by the second quarter, the visiting Scots had already taken their best shots. The Golden Trojans rallied from two early deficits to take a 28-14 halftime lead en route to a dominating 49-14 win.
Early on, though, it sure felt like this would be a different story. Bonny Eagle returned the opening kickoff to its own 40-yard line, and by the third play of the game, the Scots were already deep in enemy territory, courtesy of a 32-yard run by Benedito Noe. Three runs by senior star quarterback Lucas Klehn were all it took to cap a quick, six-play, 60-yard drive and put the Scots on top 7-0.
It took just one play for Thornton Academy to even things up. Logan Leblanc fielded the ensuing kickoff at his own 10-yard line before breaking a couple of tackles near his sideline. Suddenly, he was in the clear, racing 90 yards to pay dirt. The PAT was no good, however, leaving the Golden Trojans trailing 7-6.
Bonny Eagle then set up shop at its own 24-yard line, and Noe nearly made a house call on the very first play, breaking into the clear past midfield before a shoestring tackle by a pursuing Trojan saved the touchdown. But the 40-yard run put the Scots in good position again at Thornton Academy's 36-yard line.
Klehn then found Wes Pinkham for 13 yards on the next play before getting stuffed for a 1-yard gain on first down at the 22. On the next play, Klehn handed the ball to Drew Gervais on an end-around to the left, and the senior wide receiver covered the final 22 yards himself to put the Scots ahead 14-6.
At that point, Bonny Eagle ran out of ammo.
Thornton Academy turned up the heat on both sides of the ball from there, starting with an 11-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 1-yard plunge from quarterback Noah Fullerton. That pulled the Golden Trojans within two points, and then Fullerton did the honors himself on the 2-point try to even things up at 14-all.
The Scots were forced to punt on each of their next two possessions, and each time, Thornton Academy marched down the field to take control of the game. The first touchdown came on a 26-yard strike from Fullerton to Leblanc, giving the Trojans their first lead at 21-14.
The Golden Trojans Pulled Away in the Second Half
The second came one play after Bonny Eagle attempted a fake punt but turned the ball over on downs at its own 44-yard line. Fullerton then fired a 44-yard missile to Leblanc, putting Thornton Academy firmly in command at 28-14 heading into halftime.
The second half was more of the same for both squads. Thornton Academy continued to fire on all cylinders offensively, with Brennan Tabor, Leblanc and Fullerton each adding a touchdown, while the Golden Trojans dominated in the trenches and refused to give the Scots much ground.
Maine's high school football season had been building toward this matchup all fall, and now both teams can turn their attention to the regular-season finale. Bonny Eagle will return home to face Sanford next Friday, while Thornton Academy will host Massabesic that same evening.
It wouldn't surprise anyone in Maine, however, if these two teams meet again in the playoffs in just a few weeks with even more on the line.
Add us as a preferred source on Google