BUCKSPORT – The sense of satisfaction was undeniable for the Bucksport Golden Bucks after outlasting Foxcroft Academy 26-25 to win the Eastern Maine Class C football championship Saturday.

But the sense of relief was just as palpable, after a remarkable final minute when a broken play on fourth-and-the-season gave life to the Ponies, but a goal-line stand on a two-point conversion try preserved the Golden Bucks’ first regional title since 2001.

“It’s better like this,” said Bucksport senior John Harvey. “I wish it had went so I wouldn’t have to worry the whole game, but it’s a great feeling,”

Bucksport had taken its first lead at 26-19 on a 6-yard run by Nick Tymoczko with 6:55 left in the game. But Foxcroft, down to fourth-and-14 from its 44 in the final minute, turned a mistake into a miracle.

The center snap sailed high over backup quarterback Logan Forrest, but he chased it down and scrambled, just looking to make a play. And he did, finding Jon Catell behind the Bucksport defense for a stunning 56-yard TD pass that pulled the Ponies within a point with 38 seconds left.

With a light layer of snow covering Carmichael Field to make place-kicking difficult, Foxcroft went for two – and the win. There was no secret where the ball was going – senior tailback Bobby Gilbert had rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries.

“I’m thinking we’re going for two, there’s no way we’re going to kick,” said FA coach Paul Withee. “We’re going for the win in that situation.”

But Bucksport was ready, and Tymoczko, Bryce Babson and Travis Tolman combined to stop the Foxcroft star inches short of the goal line.

“That was the game right there,” Babson said. “Me and Tymoczko and Tolman got him wrapped up and held him out. We knew where the ball was going all the way.”

“It was a little scary,” added Tymoczko, “but our defense stepped up and made the biggest goal-line stand I’ve ever seen.”

The win sends 11-0 Bucksport to the Class C state final in Portland on Saturday against 11-0 Jay, a 14-13 winner over Livermore Falls in the Western C title game. Game time will be announced Monday.

Foxcroft, the defending Class C state champion, finishes 9-2.

“It’s too bad any team had to lose,” said Bucksport coach Joel Sankey. “We beat them in overtime here in 2001, and it’s just crushing. I told Paul after the game, they didn’t lose this, they just ran out of time.”

Foxcroft finished with 296 rushing yards and outgained the Golden Bucks 352-225 overall, but four lost fumbles hurt the Ponies.

“Our kids played unbelievable,” said Withee. “I thought for the most part we controlled that game. We had some breakdowns in some situations, and we didn’t get any breaks. But Bucksport’s a tremendous team with an unbelievable amount of talent, and we gave them everything they wanted and more.”

Tymoczko led Bucksport with 24 carries for 141 yards, putting him over 2,400 yards for the season. And while the Golden Bucks didn’t lead until late, they never trailed by more than seven points.

“That’s the sign of a good team,” said Sankey. “Neither team quit. I told the kids at halftime it was like a professional heavyweight boxing match. They delivered a blow, we delivered a counter blow, they delivered a counter blow and it came right down to the end.”

The game began as a shootout, with Gilbert rushing for 128 yards and Tymoczko gaining 96 yards in the first quarter alone.

Gilbert struck for a 22-yard TD run on FA’s first possession, one play after fullback James McPhee (18 carries, 74 yards) went inside for a 24-yard gain. Brad Bellemare’s extra-point kick gave the Ponies a 7-0 lead 2:16 into the contest.

Tymoczko countered 11 seconds later, taking a first-down handoff and going down the left sideline 64 yards to pull the Golden Bucks within 7-6.

Foxcroft then drove 59 yards in seven plays, with gains of 19 and 17 yards by Gilbert setting up his second TD, a 10-yarder as the Ponies grabbed a 13-6 lead with still 6:38 left in the period.

But gradually both defenses stiffened, and the outside running lanes began to vanish.

“Our outside backers were getting caught inside,” said Babson. “We had planned out an idea of what we wanted to do, but we had to get away from it because it wasn’t working that well.”

Bucksport closed within 13-12 on an 8-yard TD pass from senior quarterback Joey Carmichael to Harvey with 49 seconds left in the half, just after a 37-yard run by Chris Maguire. The drive was set up on defense, as the Golden Bucks used their three timeouts and forced FA to punt from its 17 to get the ball back at their 48 with two minutes left.

Foxcroft’s Josh Pelletier stripped Tymoczko of the ball during a punt return early in the third quarter, and the Ponies’ Scott McKusick recovered at the Bucks’ 33 to set up a 24-yard run by Gilbert to give the Ponies a 19-12 edge.

Tolman forced a Gilbert fumble on Foxcroft’s next possession, and Harvey returned the recovery 31 yards for a score to cut the gap to 19-18.

“It bounced up, I saw it, grabbed it and ran to the end zone,” Harvey said.

Bucksport finally grabbed the lead on Tymoczko’s second TD, capping a 61-yard march that had two key preliminary moments: a 17-yard pass from Carmichael to Adam Tweedie on third-and-13 from the Bucks’ 42, and a 22-yard run by Babson to the FA 6.

GOLDEN BUCKS 26, PONIES 25

Foxcroft (9-2) 13 0 6 6 – 25

Bucksport (11-0) 6 6 6 8 – 26

F – Gilbert 22 run (Bellemare kick)

B – Tymoczko 64 run (kick failed)

F – Gilbert 10 run (kick failed)

B – J. Harvey 9 pass from Carmichael (pass failed)

F – Gilbert 24 run (pass failed)

B – J. Harvey 31 fumble return (pass failed)

F – Tymoczko 6 run (Tymoczko rush)

F – Catell 56 pass from Forrest (rush failed)

Foxcroft Bucksport

First downs 15 9

Rushing att.-yards 52-296 36-193

Passing comp.-att. 2-5 3-10

Passing yards 56 32

Total yards 352 225

Punts-avg. 4-35 5-43

Fumbles-lost 5-4 4-2

Intercepted by 0 0

Penalties-yards 4-35 5-43

Rushing

Foxcroft: Gilbert 30-216, McPhee 18-74, Pomeroy 1-6, Croan 3-0; Bucksport: Tymoczko 24-141, Maguire 1-37, Babson 2-22, J. Harvey 4-5, Carmichael 5-(minus 12)

Passing

Foxcroft: Forrest 2-4-0-56, Croan 0-1-0-0; Bucksport: Carmichael 3-10-0-2

Receiving

Foxcroft: Catell 1-56, McPhee 1-0 ; Bucksport: Tweedie 1-17, J. Harvey 2-15

A-1,000 (est.)