West defense stifles East Noble’s Pillsbury sparks 23-12 win

BIDDEFORD – Jeremie Pillsbury hadn’t played on the defensive line since his junior season of football at Noble High in North Berwick.

But when just three linemen showed up at the West’s pre-game training camp for the 16th annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic, the converted linebacker went back to his roots – and led the West to a 23-12 victory over the East in a rain-delayed game at Waterhouse Field.

Pillsbury blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown, and otherwise led a West defense that limited the East to 75 rushing yards on 36 carries.

“We knew we were smaller as a team than the East,” said Pillsbury. “But we were quicker as a whole, and we knew if we could get off the ball quicker than they did we could stop the Fitzpatrick Trophy winner [Nick Tymoczko of Bucksport] and their option game.”

Tymoczko was limited to 19 yards on nine carries by the West defense, while the West offense capitalized on five interceptions to build a 23-6 halftime lead.

“Their defensive line pressure was real good,” said East quarterback Joey Carmichael of Bucksport, who completed 7 of 16 passes for 56 yards with one touchdown and one interception. “I’ve never faced pressure like that before.”

Belfast’s Josh Aldus led the East rushing attack with 10 carries for 46 yards. Tyson Nason of Gorham paced the West offense with 14 carries for 52 yards, while Al Axelson of Deering of Portland added five carries for 20 yards and a TD and was named the West MVP.

Rob Leighton, a defensive back from Edward Little of Auburn, had three interceptions – one he returned for a touchdown – in earning East MVP honors.

The win gives the West a 14-2 lead in the series, which features the top high school seniors in the state. The game was delayed by 102 minutes at the outset because of a thunderstorm and lingering lightning that engulfed greater Biddeford beginning about 6:30 p.m., just as the teams were set to begin pre-game warmups.

Thousands of fans braved the elements, waiting along the sidewalks outside Waterhouse Field until about 8:15 p.m., officials from the sponsoring Kora Shriners determined that there was no more lightning in the area.

According to longtime Lobster Bowl volunteers, this marked the first time the game has been delayed in its 16-year history – and one of the few times the charity contest that benefits Shriners hospitals and burn centers has been affected by rain at all.

The West then capitalized on three pass interceptions and a blocked punt to build its halftime lead. Lisbon’s Chris Kates intercepted a pass by East quarterback Peter Cekutis of Windham on the game’s first series and returned it 35 yards to the East 9 to set up a 37-yard field goal by Ryan Pike of Thornton Academy of Saco to give the West a 3-0 lead 2:32 into the contest.

The West extended the margin to 10-0 late in the opening period on a 3-yard run by Al Axelson of Portland’s Deering High School. The score was set up by two plays by Livermore Falls standout Brad Bryant, a 15-yard punt return and a 30-yard run off right tackle on third-and-1 from the East 37.

Matt O’Donnell of Class A state champion Bonny Eagle of Standish opened the second quarter with a 69-yard TD pass to Mike Joyce of Deering to push the West lead to 17-0. Joyce stepped onto the field just before the snap, and was open along the sideline to take the short pass and then outrace the East defense to the end zone.

The East finally broke through with a 65-yard drive to score on a 23-yard pass from Carmichael to Winslow’s Eric Lopez with 8:28 left in the first half. Belfast tailback Josh Aldus had 37 total yards on the drive as the East generated four first downs.

Then Carmichael scrambled to his left and found Lopez open in the back corner of the end zone to close the gap to 17-6. But the West countered with its special teams, as Jeremie Pillsbury of Noble of North Berwick blocked a punt by Ryan Bouchard of Stearns of Millinocket, picked it up and ran 10 yards for a touchdown with 2:33 left in the half.

Carmichael was 6 of 11 passing in the first half, while Aldus led the East rushing attack with five carries for 24 yards.

West quarterbacks O’Donnell and Justin Wells of Jay combined to complete 4 of 13 passes for 104 yards. The West had 150 yards of total offense in the first two quarters, compared to 111 yards – on 10 possessions – for the East. Leighton of Edward Little of Auburn scored the only touchdown of the second half on an 85-yard interception return with 12:56 left in the game.

West 10 13 0 0 – 23

East 0 6 0 6 – 12

W – Pike 37 field goal

W – Axelson 3 run (Pike kick)

W – Joyce 69 pass from O’Donnell (Pike kick)

E – Lopez 23 pass from Carmichael (rush failed)

W – Pillsbury 10 blocked punt return (kick failed)

E – Leighton 85 interception return (rush failed)