Foxcroft caps perfect season; Gilbert shines

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PORTLAND – Lisbon High School controlled the football for nearly two-thirds of Saturday’s state Class C championship game at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

But it is Foxcroft Academy that now controls the Gold Ball.

The Ponies use big plays on offense, defense and special teams to outlast the Greyhounds 26-20 and cap off a 12-0 season with their first state title since 1996.

“The opportunity to have a perfect season, something we’ve never done, is just awesome,” said Foxcroft coach Paul Withee, who earned his second state crown in 14 years with the Ponies.

The win also avenged a 25-20 loss to Boothbay in the 2002 final.

“We knew we had the talent and we just battled,” said Josh Withee, the coach’s son who starred defensively with 14 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble from his safety position. “Lisbon’s a great team and they’re going to be back next year battling for it, but today we were the better team.”

Junior Bobby Gilbert, the 5-foot-10, 205-pound tailback-linebacker who transferred from Greenville to Foxcroft as a sophomore to pursue his love of football, rushed for 140 yards and scored three TDs, including a 77-yard kickoff return and a 61-yard run.

“Bobby Gilbert had an excellent game,” said senior wide receiver-cornerback Matt Earnest. “He gave us the Gold Ball, bottom line.”

This game was all about momentum. Lisbon’s came methodically, via lengthy possessions that enabled the Greyhounds to keep the ball for 30 minutes, 45 seconds compared to 17:15 for Foxcroft.

The Ponies generated momentum instantly, forcing four Lisbon turnovers and scoring three of its four TDs on plays of more than 60 yards.

“They made the big plays,” said Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan. “We had a couple of moments where we had little lapses, and when that happened the big play went against us.”

Earnest had the game’s first big play, stepping in front of Lisbon tailback Jonathon Tefft near the left sideline for an interception he returned 62 yards to give Foxcroft a 6-0 lead with 2:30 left in the first quarter.

“I wasn’t really doing what I was supposed to do,” said Earnest. “I was more or less watching the quarterback, and when I just saw him drop back and immediately throw it I just broke on the ball. As the ball hit my hand it was like time just stopped, and then Mike Larrabee had the great leadoff block to take [Lisbon quarterback Chris Kates] out and I just finished it.”

The Ponies marched 65 yards to push their lead to 12-0. Withee hit Earnest with a 38-yard pass on third-and-21 for a first down at the Lisbon 28. Three plays later Gilbert scored from the 8 with 9:35 left in the second quarter.

Kates stripped a scrambling Withee of the football on Foxcroft’s next possession, and Lisbon’s Nick Harmon recovered at the FA 14. One play later, Kates found Tefft open in the left corner of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown pass to pull the Greyhounds within 12-6 with 4:02 left in the half.

That momentum lasted all of 15 seconds, as Gilbert returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown good for an 18-6 halftime lead. He caught the ball on the right side of the field, cut back to the left and eluded Lisbon’s Maxx Hathaway while staying inbounds near the Lisbon 40 en route to the end zone.

“I came up through a crease and was trying to make the best of it and then I cut left,” said Gilbert. “I didn’t know if I could outrun the defense, I just busted it and they didn’t get there.”

Lisbon (11-1) drove 76 yards in 19 plays to draw within 18-12. A fake punt was the key, as Tefft took the snap and passed to Derek Roy for a 16-yard gain to the FA 48 on a fourth-and-10 play. Kates scored from the 1 with 9:15 left in the game.

That momentum lasted exactly 17 seconds, as long as it took Foxcroft to receive the kickoff and Gilbert to take a first-down run off left tackle 61 yards back to the end zone.

“We felt on the ropes, we were on the ropes,” said Gilbert. “All you can do in that situation is just battle back and that’s exactly what we did. We kept running the ball and I was able to break one. There’s not much to say about that, it’s just not giving up.

Withee’s conversion rush gave Foxcroft a 26-12 lead with 8:58 left.

Lisbon was not quite done. The Greyhounds got the ball at their 30 after a punt with 5:42 left, and Kates drove the Greyhounds down the field in 46 seconds. He went 4 of 4 passing for 48 yards, and scored from the 1 with 4:56 to play. Tefft passed to Levi Ervin for the conversion, and Lisbon was within 26-20.

Foxcroft suddenly needed a drive – and got one, running out the clock with 12 straight rushes. Gilbert was the workhorse, gaining 39 yards on seven carries.

“You know in that situation that if they get the ball back it’s going to give them another chance to score, and we didn’t want to give them that,” said Gilbert. “We didn’t want to lose another game like last year and have our hearts broken. I’m so glad it didn’t happen.”

PONIES 26, GREYHOUNDS 20

Lisbon (11-1) 0 6 0 14 ? 20

Foxcroft Acad. (12-0) 6 12 0 8 ? 26

F?Earnest 62 interception return (kick failed)

F?Gilbert 8 run (rush failed)

L?Tefft 12 pass from Kates (kick failed)

F?Gilbert 77 kickoff return (rush failed)

L?Kates 1 run (rush failed)

F?Gilbert 61 run (Withee rush)

L?Kates 1 run (Ervin pass from Tefft)

Lisbon Foxcroft

First downs 9 18

Rushing att.-yards 41-137 37-152

Passing comp.-att. 12-23 2-5

Passing yards 162 59

Total yards 299 211

Punts-avg. 2-33.5 2-31.5

Fumbles-lost 4-1 1-1

Intercepted by 0 3

Penalties-yards 3-21 6-45

Rushing

Lisbon: Walker 18-68, Kates 11-42, Tefft 10-23, Roy 2-4; Foxcroft: Gilbert 18-140, Libby 2-13, Robinson 7-10, M. Kennedy 1-(-2), Withee 9-(-9)

Passing

Lisbon: Kates 11-21-3-147; Tefft 1-2-0-15; Foxcroft: Withee2-5-0-59

Receiving

Lisbon: Tefft 7-95, Roy 2-24, M. Harmon 1-20, Ervin 1-15, Walker 1-8; Foxcroft: Earnest 1-38, Robinson 1-21

A?3,750 (est.)