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FAIRFIELD – The Lawrence Bulldogs answered their stiffest challenge of the year in championship fashion Friday night.
And with that they remained Eastern Maine Class A football champions.
Senior quarterback Jack Hersom orchestrated two fourth-quarter touchdown drives after Lawrence found itself trailing in the first half for the first time this season, and the unbeaten Bulldogs rallied past Bangor 27-13 in the regional final at Keyes Field.
“They have the best player in the league, probably in the state,” said Bangor coach Mark Hackett of Hersom, who amassed 282 yards of total offense. “He put them on his shoulders.”
The win was the 22nd straight overall for top-ranked Lawrence, which will take an 11-0 record into next Saturday’s state final at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. The Bulldogs will attempt to win their second straight state crown against the winner of Saturday’s Western A final between Bonny Eagle of Standish and Marshwood of South Berwick.
No. 2 Bangor, which reached the Eastern A title game for the second straight year and sixth time in the last eight seasons, finished its season with a 9-2 record – both losses coming against Lawrence.
Bangor answered a 20-yard field goal by Lawrence’s Jeshua Dearborn with a 49-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Shane Walton (19 carries, 110 yards) to take a 13-12 lead with 46 seconds left in the third quarter.
It was unfamiliar territory for the Bulldogs, but they responded with a continuation of offensive balance that enabled them to dominate the game’s time of possession.
The Bulldogs marched 58 yards in eight plays to regain the lead, with Hersom hitting senior split end Nick Nelson for gains of 20 and 15 yards before senior tailback Shawn Champagne scored from the 3 with 9:03 left in the game.
Hersom added the two-point conversion rush to give Lawrence a 20-13 lead.
Bangor then moved into Lawrence territory before coming up a yard short on a fourth-and-4 run by Walton with 6:44 to play.
Lawrence then ran down the clock as it added an insurance touchdown, driving 56 yards in 12 plays while consuming six minutes, with Hersom sneaking in from the 1 with 44 seconds remaining.
“We really hadn’t been tested this hard during the course of this season,” said Hersom. “It’s reassuring to know that we can stick together as a family and dig down deep when we need to do it.”
Hersom completed 12 of 19 passes for 218 yards and also rushed for 64 yards on the night. Nelson had seven catches for 115 yards.
“You’ve got to give it to Hersom, he’s probably the best player in the league just because of his playmaking abilities,” said Bangor quarterback and safety Ian Edwards. “Jack Hersom made the big play over and over, and the difference in the game would have been if we had come out on the other end of those big plays, but once again it comes down to the big stops.”
Lawrence had 202 rushing yards to go with Hersom’s work through the air as the Bulldogs outgained Bangor 420-254 in total offense.
“I don’t really know how well we blocked for the run,” said Lawrence coach John Hersom, Jack’s father. “But we knew we needed to balance it off and we were fortunate to have a good night to throw the football and our quarterback and receivers were connecting pretty well so we wanted to make sure that it stayed a part of our offense.”
Bangor stopped Lawrence on a three-and-out to open the game – the only time the Rams stopped the Bulldogs outside the red zone all night – then went 45 yards in seven plays to take a 6-0 lead on a 3-yard run by Walton with 6:57 left in the opening quarter.
Edwards sparked that drive with a 35-yard keeper to the Lawrence 17.
Lawrence answered immediately, as Hersom passed right to Nelson for a 22-yard gain to the Bangor 15 and passed left to Nelson for those final 15 yards of an eight-play, 63-yard drive that tied the game 6-6 with 3:13 left in the period.
Bangor marched 59 yards with its next possession, but three penalties slowed the Rams before a 28-yard field-goal try by Kyle Vanidestine missed just wide left.
Dearborn gave Lawrence a 9-6 lead with a 22-yard field goal with 7:37 left in the half.
Lawrence nearly scored again before the break, as the Bulldogs marched from their 5 to the Bangor before Hersom was stopped a yard short of the goal line on the final play of the half.
BULLDOGS 27, RAMS 13
Bangor (9-2) 6 0 7 0 – 13
Lawrence (11-0) 6 3 3 15 – 27
B – Walton 3 run (kick failed)
L – Nelson 15 pass from Hersom (kick blocked)
L – Dearborn 22 field goal
L – Dearborn 22 field goal
B – Walton 49 run (Vanidestine kick)
L – Champagne 3 run (Hersom rush)
L – Hersom 1 run (Dearborn kick)
Bangor Lawrence
First downs 12 26
Rushing att.-yards 22-198 49-202
Passing comp.-att. 2-5 12-19
Passing yards 54 218
Total yards 252 420
Punts-avg. 2-39.5 1-28.0
Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0
Intercepted by 0 1
Penalties-yards 5-35 2-11
Rushing
Bangor: Walton 19-110, Edwards 4-47, Vanidestine 7-34, Billings 2-7; Lawrence: Hersom 16-64, Champagne 16-52, Costigan 9-48, Underwood 8-35, Rainey 1-3
Passing
Bangor: Edwards 2-5-1-54; Lawrence: Hersom 12-19-0-218
Receiving
Bangor: Walton 1-39, Pembroke 1-15; Lawrence: Nelson 7-115, Costigan 2-58, Lee 1-22, Champagne 1-15, Underwood 1-8
A-6,650
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