Lewiston’s Turcotte powers East stars past West 47-27

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BIDDEFORD – Lewiston High School tailback Jared Turcotte swept all of the individual honors after the 2006 high school football season.

And he used Friday night’s 18th annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic to show why.

The University of Maine-bound Turcotte scored three touchdowns and rushed for 189 yards on 24 carries, including 105 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone, as the East pulled away to a 47-27 victory.

The win was the second straight and third in five years for the East, which watched the West pull within 26-21 late in the third scoring before responding with 21 unanswered points in the highest-scoring Lobster Bowl in its 18-year history.

Led by Turcotte, the East rushed for 315 yards, with Belfast’s Travis Lee adding a touchdown reception and a scoring run and Ethan Sutton of Oxford Hills catching a 34-yard touchdown pass and adding a 51-yard TD run.

“We were so versatile on offense that we knew they couldn’t stop everything,” said Turcotte, named the East MVP.

Portland quarterback Chris Treister was the West MVP, completing 14 of 23 passes for 188 yards.

Treister, like Turcotte headed for UMaine in two weeks, scored on a 12-yard run and orchestrated a second third-quarter drive that produced a 2-yard TD run by Brian Sandora of Deering of Portland as the West pulled to within 26-21 with 3:25 left in the third quarter.

But the East turned back to Turcotte, and the reigning Fitzpatrick Trophy winner and Maine Gatorade Player of the Year responded.

He scored on a 13-yard run 43 seconds into the fourth quarter to extend the East’s lead to 33-21.

After the West went three-and-out, Sutton went wide on a counter play and cut back to his right, outracing the West defenders to the end zone to extend the margin to 40-21.

Treister then drove the West down the field until Tom Hersom of Lawrence of Fairfield intercepted a pass in the end zone.

Turcotte raced 60 yards on the next plays, and three plays later scored again from 2 yards out to give the East a 47-21 cushion with 6:46 left.

“We had to come out better in the second half after we got off to a slow start in the third quarter,” said Turcotte. “After they got the tempo going their way, we had to show what we could do.”

Turcotte had 60 rushing yards, 20 receiving yards, a forced fumble and a 48-yard kickoff return in the first half in helping the East build a 26-7 lead.

The East nearly scored on its first possession, driving from its 37 to the West 9 before Derek Legere of Sanford stepped in front of a third-down pass by Lucas Thomas of Messalonskee of Oakland intended for Gene Kim of Stearns at the goal line and then returned the interception to the 14.

Turcotte set up the game’s first score with a special teams play, as he stripped punt returner Andrew Pochebit of Cheverus of the ball and recovered the fumble at the West 33 with 4:03 left in the opening quarter.

Two plays later, Thomas hit Sutton with a crossing pass good for a 34-yard touchdown play to give the East a 6-0 edge with 2:30 left in the period.

Treister struck back for the West, throwing a 56-yard touchdown pass to Paul Hinmen of Cheverus on the first play of the second quarter. The Portland quarterback rolled left and bought considerable time as he approached the sideline before spotting both Hinmen and Sandora open at the East 20. Hinmen made the catch and raced untouched into the end zone.

Treister, who was 6-of-8 passing for 111 yards at that point, added the extra-point kick to give the West a 7-6 lead.

It was short-lived momentum.

Turcotte returned the kickoff from the East 19 to the West 33 before being tackled by Kennebunk’s Kirk Metayer. The Lewiston star then carried the ball four straight times before East quarterback Gabe Hinds of Cony of Augusta faked to Turcotte and found Belfast’s Travis Lee open over the middle for a 21-yard touchdown pass to give the East a 12-7 lead with 12:15 left in the half.

The West leads the overall series 14-4.

West 0 7 14 6 – 27

East 6 20 0 21 – 47

E – Sutton 34 pass from Thomas (rush failed)

W – Hinmen 56 pass from Treister (Treister kick)

E – Lee 21 pass from Hinds (pass failed)

E – Turcotte 20 pass from Thomas (McCabe kick)

E – Lee 1 run (McCabe kick)

W – Treister 12 run (Treister kick)

W – Sandora 2 run (Treister kick)

E – Turcotte 13 run (McCabe kick)

E – Sutton 51 run (McCabe kick)

E – Turcotte 2 run (McCabe kick)

W – Emerson 17 pass from Vaughn (pass failed)