BIDDEFORD – Two days into training camp for Friday night’s Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic, East coach Daryle Weiss already sensed how the game would be settled.

So when Skowhegan’s Aaron Chambers accounted for the final 27 yards of the East’s winning drive in its 22-21 victory over the West at Waterhouse Field, the Rockland High coach wasn’t surprised.

“I told him Tuesday or Wednesday he was going to win the MVP because I had a feeling the game was going to be tight, and we were going to come down to that last drive where we had to put it away and I knew we would go with Chambers,” said Weiss. “I knew he could pound the rock, and he did it.”

Chambers caught a 9-yard pass from Mason Barker of Mt. Blue of Farmington, then powered his way 6 yards to the West 12 before going up the middle for the touchdown with 5:12 to play.

Chambers then rushed for two extra points, and when the East defense stopped the West on downs, the final few minutes were an exercise in running out the clock.

“It was great fun,” said Weiss. “The kids worked hard all week and they deserve all the credit. When the chips were down and our backs were against the wall, they made the plays.”

Epitomizing that ability was a play earlier in the winning drive, a third-and-9 scramble by Barker that became a 39-yard pass to Corey Witham of Leavitt of Turner Center. Chased out of the pocket, Barker threw the pass about as far as he could off his back foot, and Witham reacted to the improvisation with a diving catch for a first down at the West 27.

“I was scrambling and I knew Corey knew his scramble drills from playing with Tyler Angell at Leavitt, who’s a great scrambler out of the pocket,” said Barker. “I saw him downfield, so I launched it up hoping he could do something with it. He made an amazing play on the ball and really saved us.”

The win cut the West’s lead in the series to 14-3, but marked the East’s second victory in the last four years in this contest featuring the top high school seniors from the previous season.

The West had a chance to take control of this weather-delayed game after gaining possession of the opening kickoff at the East 49 – the result of the East touching an onside kickoff before it went 10 yards. But Bangor linebacker Mike McPike came up big on fourth-and-1, stopping Ken Paul of Massabesic of Waterboro for no gain.

“I could see they were really ready to bring it home and that they thought they were going to get a first down, but we were excited to make the stop, so it wasn’t hard,” said McPike. “We just stepped up and filled the hole.”

The West advanced into East territory only once more in five subsequent first-half possessions, moving no closer than the 36-yard line.

“We had heard they were going to throw a lot of tricks at us, but we really didn’t care,” McPike said. “We knew how to read all the packages, and we had a lot of intensity.”

The East built a 14-0 halftime lead, which could have been larger but for a Barker pass intercepted in the end zone by Biddeford’s Josh Morin.

But the East drove 73 yards on its next possession, a drive sparked by two sweeps from Brewer’s Ricky Porter. One went for 37 yards down the right sideline, the second went the final two yards as the East took an 8-0 lead.

“Ricky did a great job,” said Weiss. “With that jet sweep we ran, he’s got lights-out speed, so it was kind of nice.”

Dillon Shaw of Cony of Augusta gave the East a two-touchdown lead late in the half on a 46-yard interception return.

But intermission was a momentum-killer for the East as the West came out and scored 21 unanswered points. Two East turnovers and four penalties helped, but the West also found its running rhythm behind Paul, team MVP Levi Ervin of Lisbon, and quarterback Mike O’Donnell of Bonny Eagle of Standish.

When the West drove 73 yards for the go-ahead touchdown on a 13-yard run by O’Donnell with 7:28 left in the game, the East was left stunned – albeit briefly.

Barker and Witham came up with their big play, and Chambers – who had just 17 yards on six carries through three quarters – showed why he drew the scholarship attention of the University of Maine.

“This was for all the East teams that have lost, and for East pride,” said Barker. “I was in the Class A state championship game last fall and the East got blown out. It’s pretty much a given that everyone thinks the West is so much better than the East, but this is just a little something to remind them that they’re not that much better all the time.”