ORONO – There would be no beat-the-clock drive this time around… No miracle finish, furious rally to erase a huge deficit, or game-winning touchdown catch in the final seconds.

This one was all but over with a quarter still left to play.

The second-seeded Belfast Lions, who have grown accustomed to cross-your-finger finishes the last two seasons, overcame a lackluster first quarter and dominated Saturday’s LTC Class B championship at Orono High School in almost every phase of the game.

The result was an unusually suspense-free 34-3 victory over previously unbeaten Orono, the only team to beat Belfast this season.

The 10-1 Lions earned a second straight trip to the Class B state championship game. They beat Orono for the title last season, also.

Belfast will meet West champ Mountain Valley of Rumford (10-0), a 35-34 winner over Wells, at noon on Colby College’s Seaverns Field next Saturday. The Red Riots finish 10-1.

The hero of the game? There were just too many to choose from:

Senior tailback Troy Sprague outgained the entire Orono backfield 130 yards to 90 and scored two touchdowns.

“We knew we could run on them, especially since they open up the middle,” said Sprague. “Once you get past that one blocking area, there’s no one there.”

Belfast’s offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage from the second quarter on. Center Marc Box, guards Blade Woods and Matt Newcomb, and tackles Dan Marriner and Elmer Sweetland allowed no sacks and opened huge holes for Lions backs, who ran wild for 281 yards.

“I’d say this was their best game of the season. They blocked some plays today that we didn’t think they’d be able to,” said Belfast coach Butch Arthers.

Belfast’s defense smothered Orono’s formidable running game. The Riots managed only nine yards rushing in the second half.

“This was the best [defensive] performance I’ve ever seen in my life. This is probably the first time Orono hasn’t scored a touchdown in years,” said senior fullback Greg Bouchard.

Four years, to be exact. Not since Winslow blanked Orono 25-0 in the 1992 LTC final have the Red Riots failed to score a touchdown in a postseason game.

Lions defensive ends B.J. Bryant and Joe Littlefield had Orono quarterback Robey Rhoads in their sights all day. Belfast’s dynamic defensive duo sacked Rhoads three times; knocked him down repeatedly; harassed him so much he completed only three of 15 passes; and kept him running, mostly backward, as he finished with minus-21 yards on 11 carries.

“Joe and B.J. are the two best in the league. They stepped it up and when they’re hot, we’re hot,” said Bouchard. “That was their assignment the whole game – Rhoads, Rhoads, Rhoads – because he’s the key to their whole offense.”

Orono’s offense had no trouble moving the ball in the first quarter. The Red Riots ran 23 offensive plays to Belfast’s four and held a huge edge in time of possession: 10 minutes, 36 seconds to 1:24.

But for all that early domination, the Riots couldn’t get the ball in the end zone. Orono drove to Belfast’s 13 on the opening drive, but Bryant sacked Rhoads for a 13-yard loss on third-and-8. A fourth down incompletion gave the ball to Belfast.

Three downs and a Belfast punt later, Orono drove 55 yards in 11 plays to the Lions’ 3, but Bouchard shot through the line on second-and-goal and met back Mike Pare with a bone-jarring hit for no gain. Rhoads fumbled the third down snap and Orono settled for Peter Munn’s 20-yard field goal three seconds into the second quarter.

Belfast answered almost four minutes later on Sprague’s 18-yard touchdown run and Littlefield’s two-point conversion reception.

“I think the kids really believed in themselves after that,” Arthers said.

The Lions made it 14-3 with 3:09 left in the half on quarterback Sazi Guthrie’s five-yard TD run.

The Riots missed a golden opportunity to tighten things up after a high snap on a Belfast punt gave Orono the ball at the Lions’ 22. After getting to the 17 on second down, an incompletion and another Bryant sack ended the threat.

“I think the defense we played really fired us up, and that carried over into our offense and got everyone going,” said Littlefield.

Belfast scored touchdowns on its next two possessions, the second set up by an Orono fumble at the Riots’ 30, to take a 28-3 lead with 13 minutes to go in the game.

Sprague’s five-yard TD run with 5:57 left sent Orono fans to their cars as the Belfast sideline erupted into celebratory bedlam.

“To come up here and beat Orono on their field, these kids deserve this,” said a grinning, but Gatorade-soaked Arthers.

“I thought I was going to avoid this after the kids got the assistants, but I forgot about the other bucket. It’s cold, but it feels good.”

Lions 34, Red Riots 3

Belfast (10-1) 0 14 14 6 – 34

Orono (10-1) 0 3 0 0 – 3

O – Munn 20 field goal

B – Sprague 18 run (J.Littlefield pass from Guthrie)

B – Guthrie 5 run (pass failed)

B – J. Littlefield 33 run (rush failed)

B – Lewis 13 pass from Guthrie (Sprague pass from Guthrie)

B – Sprague 5 run (pass failed)

Belfast Orono

First downs 19 9 Rushing att. – yds 52-281 38-90 Passing cmp. – att. 4-10 3-15 Yards passing 59 21 Total yards 340 111 Intercepted by 1 1 Punts – avg. 2-22.5 3-26.7 Fumbles – lost 1-1 3-1 Penalties – yds 5-37 2-10

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Belfast: Sprague 23-130, J. Littlefield 9-63, Guthrie 11-53, Bouchard 6-34, Bowles 1-2, Brady 1-0, Colson 1-(-1); Orono: Bishop 13-61, Poulin 8-27, Mi. Pare 5-20, Furbish 1-3, Rhoads 11-(-21)

PASSING – Belfast: Guthrie 4-10-1-59; Orono: Rhoads 3-15-1-21

RECEIVING – Belfast: Sprague 1-18, J. Littlefield 1-16, Lewis 1-13, Bryant 1-12; Orono: Poulin 2-20, Bishop 1-1