Community support sustained Bangor

The game of football is won on the field through physical strength, endurance, instinct, intelligence, and execution, but when it comes to Bangor’s 2001 Class A state championship, it’s impossible to overstate the part that emotion, heart and support played in this season of seasons.

How special was this season?

“I’ve been an assistant on the baseball, basketball and football teams for a lot of years now and we’ve won several state championships, but I only carry one medal in my pocket,” said first-year head coach Mark Hackett. “It’s from last season’s basketball team because they played so hard and played well enough in an unbelievable game to beat a team that I thought was a little better than they were.

“Now I’m going to have two in there and I’ll put this one right on top of the other one.”

“Guys poured their hearts into this,” said junior cornerback Zak Ray, who had a personal-best three interceptions, but was just one of many Bangor heroes on the day.

So many players had a hand, leg, shoulder, arm, foot, or fingertip in the stirring 20-14 victory that Hackett and his staff decided not to award a game ball to anyone after the game. It was the first time they’d done that this season.

“We felt the gold ball was the game ball for everybody, and there were too many guys with great games for us to pick out just one or two people,” Hackett said. “This is the ultimate game ball.”

This win and 12-0 season went beyond even the team members on the field and the sidelines:

. Despite an incredible decision by five soon-to-be suspended players to leave their teammates at the food court and wander outside the Maine Mall where some of them smoked marijuana three days before the biggest football game of their lives, their efforts on the field played a part in this win.

. Although their playing days were over, for the most part, 20 years ago, members of Bangor’s last state title team, coach Gabby Price’s 1981 squad, had a hand in this win as about 20 members of that team joined their 2001 counterparts for a spaghetti dinner Thursday night to reminisce, offer advice, and provide plenty of encouragement and support.

“They were great. We watched their game film,” said tight end-fullback Robert Flynn, who had perhaps the game of life despite playing defensive end for the first time ever. “Everyone was with us. They ran rip [up the middle] too … Just smash-mouth football.”

Some things don’t change. It was that kind of football that won this game as the Rams ran for 274 yards – 225 by tailback Buddy Nickerson – and simply wore Portland down.

“I think they got tired,” Hackett said. “They’re a real good team and they’re big, but I think we had more desire. I think last year did this for us.”

. Ah yes, “last year” was the aftermath of a heartbreaking 26-21 loss to unbeaten Massabesic, the team that many supposed experts said Bangor had no chance of beating. Even the victorious Mustangs of Waterboro played a part in Bangor’s victory.

“It was a great motivator,” said quarterback and captain Chris Bombardier, another hero with a 45-yard touchdown pass off a nifty flea-flicker play. “You could see it in our faces that we didn’t want to have that again. People believed we could win and we did.”

. No discussion of state championship football teams from Bangor would be complete without mentioning Price, who surprised friends and colleagues by announcing his retirement earlier this year after 18 seasons. Even though he divorced himself totally from this year’s team so as not to interfere or cause undo distractions or comparisons with his personal presence around the team, his support was unquestionable.

He was there to cheer his kids, his coaches, and his team on to victory Saturday.

“This is the only game of ours we’ve seen him at,” Hackett said. “He loves Bangor, loves the community, and loves the kids, but he stays in the background. I think with what happened this week, he knew he had to be here to support the kids and we appreciate it. It may have been the difference.”

“I saw coach Price here earlier and I mean that just made my day [that] he came here to support us,” said Ben Guerette, two-way lineman, captain, and yet another hero. “He left us where we were and most of this is because of him.”

Hackett jokingly admitted the thought of retiring after this season had occurred to him since it would never get better than this, but said there’s no way he could ever do that.

“This was too easy a season. There are a lot of years left I’ve got to keep giving back to the program. It feels like I’ve only worked two days or so,” said Hackett. “I will be in debt to these guys forever.”

Clark resigns Crusaders post

Former Orono football and boys basketball and John Bapst football coach Matt Clark has resigned his post as girls varsity basketball coach at John Bapst.

Clark, who coached Bapst’s football team in 1996, 1997, and 2000 as well as Orono’s program in 1998 and 1999, took over the Crusaders’ girls basketball post last winter after two seasons coaching the Orono boys varsity team. He is leaving the Crusaders after a 6-13 season last year for family reasons. Wife Dorie has been experiencing severe migraines which have required regular medical attention and Clark, who teaches in the Bangor school system, doesn’t think he’ll be able to devote the time he feels the program deserves to be successful.

Jen Curtis will take the helm in place of Clark.

Andrew Neff’s High school report is published each Wednesday. He can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or aneff@bangordailynews.net.