ORONO – Certain things come around only once in life.

For Matt Gaudet, one of those special occasions was last November’s Class B football state title game. The problem is, he wasn’t able to quarterback Mountain Valley of Rumford that day because of a hand injury.

Gaudet participated in another once-in-a-lifetime event here Saturday. This time, he was able to create some lasting memories.

Gaudet rushed for 58 yards and threw for 48 more while guiding the West senior all-stars to a 40-0 victory over the East in the second Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic football game at the University of Maine’s Alumni Field.

An estimated crowd of 6,500 football fans witnessed a dominating performance by the West unit against an East team that was plagued by six turnovers.

Gaudet directed the West to two first-half scoring drives and a pair of third-quarter touchdown marches en route to earning Most Valuable Player honors for the West. Using his quickness and mobility on the option, hefor the West. Using his quickness and mobility on the option, he rushed for 58 yards on nine carries and completed two of three passes for 48 yards and a TD.

“It felt good to get out there and show ’em, you know?” Gaudet said. “I went out there and practiced a little bit before I came here. It was the last shot to play. We wanted to make it good, and we did. It was great.”

The West, led by head coach Skip Capone of Lewiston, outquicked the East all afternoon. While the East team had a big, strong lineup up front, it was not able to deal with the West’s collective quick feet.

“We were rather a quick team,” said West linebacker Shane Wilcher of Old Orchard Beach. “They were a big team, but we just had more athletes, faster kids. The coaches had us prepared as well as we’re ever going to be prepared for a game in 10 days.”

The West offense established itself from the outset, putting together a 10-play, 76-yard scoring drive on the first possession of the contest. Gaudet had option scampers of 10, 15, and 13 yards to key the march, which was capped on a two-yard run by Biddeford fullback John St. Onge.

Sanford’s Dave Demers kicked the PAT kick to make it 7-0 with 10:24 left in the first quarter.

A diving interception by Madison’s Nate Clark halted a West drive at the East 13-yard line later in the quarter. However, after the East punted, the West needed only two plays to score.

On first down from the E-42, St. Onge rambled 14 yards for a first down. A penalty for a late hit move the ball to the 14-yard line. On the next play, Mike Sinclair of York scored on a counter play. Demers kick made it 14-0 with 1:15 left in the first.

The West took a 21-0 lead into the locker room at intermission after Biddeford linebacker Kevin Letellier intercepted a Scott Walker pass and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown.

“They outplayed us, outcoached us, outhit us,” said East head coach Art Greenlaw, who also divulged he will not return as the coach at Stearns High in Millinocket this fall. (See story below).

“I take my hat off to the West squad. Skip and his staff did a great job. His kids played extremely well. In coaching they always talk about the really good, quick teams matching up with the big teams. This was a classic illustration of that.”

The East’s woes continued in the second half. On the first play of the third quarter, Biddeford linebacker Neil Bolduc intercepted a pass by Walker and ran it back 34 yards to the E-14. Four plays later, Gaudet scored from three yards out to make it 27-0.

The West capitalized on another East turnover six minutes later. Gaudet opened the series by hitting Thornton Academy’s Tom Langstaff on a 10-yard toss. Two plays later, Langstaff slipped inside an East defender to catch a slightly underthrown Gaudet pass to complete a 38-yard scoring toss and push the lead to 33-0.

Brunswick tailback Shane Aubrey, chosen the East MVP, sparked the ensuing East possession, carrying six times for 52 yards. But a fumbled exchange snuffed out the threat.

The West scored with 5:19 left on a two-yard TD run by Jason Kast of Marshwood in Eliot.

Sanford’s Adam Cote led the West with 79 yards on 13 carries. St. Onge had 48 yards on 12 tries for the West, which outgained the East 328-139. Letellier keyed the West defense with 10 tackles. Wilcher made seven.

Aubrey netted 69 yards on 12 carries to pace the East. Stearns’ Will Daisey had 32 yards on eight tries. Defensively, Madison’s Ross Fichthorn was in on 12 tackles, Waterville’s Dave Fernald nine, Chad Damon of Brewer seven, and Jeff Polk of Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln six.

West All-Stars 40, East Stars 0

West 14 7 12 7 -40

East 0 0 0 0 – 0

W – St. Onge 2 run (Demers kick)

W – Sinclair 14 run (Demers kick)

W – Letellier 64 interception return (Demers kick)

W – Gaudet 3 run (kick failed)

W – Langstaff 38 pass from Gaudet (kick failed)

W – Kast 2 run (Demers kick)

West East First downs 19 12 Rushing: att. – yards 56-266 37-121 Passing: att. – comp. 7-4 12-3 Yards passing 62 18 Total yards 328 139 Intercepted by 3 1 Punts – average 3-27.3 6-29.7 Fumbles – lost 3-1 4-3 Penalties – yards 10-120 6-69