BANGOR – After starting the 2001 season 0-4, Skowhegan shocked everyone with six straight wins before losing to Bangor in the Pine Tree Conference title game.

The Indians have made things a little easier – at least earlier on – this year by shocking everyone again with a 28-22 overtime victory over the defending Class A state champions on Bangor’s home field at Cameron Stadium Friday night.

The Indians used a traditional Bangor strength against the Rams by rushing for almost 200 yards and using a 1-2 backfield punch of tailback Jared Walker and fullback Josh Meyer – and timely passing by Brandon Hamilton – with devastating effectiveness.

Walker got the yardage (114 on 24 carries) and Meyer (74 on 18) got the glory as Skowhegan’s winning drive was all Meyer: four yards on the first run, three on the next, and then three more to score in OT.

“Josh did an awesome job coming back after hurting a ligament in his shoulder,” said Walker. “Nobody thought he’d even be back for this game.”

The enormity of the dramatic win was apparent just by looking at the face of Skowhegan head coach Bob LeCours.

“No doubt. I mean… I’m all emotions right now, so I don’t want to say the wrong thing, so just clean it up if you need to,” LeCours said as tears escaped his eyes. “Bangor’s the undefeated state champions. They’re a great football team and … Uh, I’m at a loss for words.”

Fans were too, so they simply yelled as loud as they could as the Rams lined up in a power-I formation with one yard separating them from tying the game in overtime.

Fullback Robert Flynn took the handoff, plowed forward off right tackle, and lunged ahead, but was met head-on by Hamilton, Craig Lowell and Jack Belyeu who stopped Flynn in mid-lunge and dropped him two feet short of the end zone.

“I would have bet 100 bucks we would have punched that in and kicked the extra point to win,” said Bangor coach Mark Hackett. “You know what? I’ve always thought you learn more about your character when you lose because it’s not a lot of fun. That’s a great football team and we’ll see them again, I hope.”

LeCours had seen too much of Bangor lately. He had never before beaten Bangor in his five years at Skowhegan.

“We know he’s wanted this since November last year,” said Walker. “We knew we’d have to come and play four quarters to beat these guys. Turns out we needed more than that.”

Bangor jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a couple of touchdown hookups between quarterback Zak Ray and tight end P.J. Dowe. Neither play looked too fancy, but Dowe got a nice block from teammate Mike Prentiss and raced 65 yards after catching a pass in the right flat with 10:32 left in the quarter. Almost three minutes later, Dowe had more open real estate in front of him as he snagged another pass, this time on the left flat, and took it in for a 57-yard TD reception.

Skowhegan halved the deficit with a nine-play drive capped by Hamilton’s 17-yard TD pass to Walker, who snuck through a left-flat seam and jogged in.

The Indians scored on their opening possession in the second half, marching 79 yards in 13 plays. Hamilton again provided the score with a 23-yard TD strike to Kyle Poissonier, who jumped in front of Prentiss and wrestled the ball away from him at the 5 and then staggered into the end zone.

The snap on the PAT kick was high, but Amos Reid managed to scramble with the ball and floated a pass to Deven West on the right side of the end zone and the Indians led.

Skowhegan made it 22-14 with an eight-play drive capped by Meyer’s 2-yard TD run.

Bangor finally answered the Indians’ scoring run after Ben Payson recovered a Walker fumble at the S-28. Nine plays later, Flynn scored on a 1-yard TD run with 4:26 to play. The Rams tied it on Ryan Largay’s rush down the left sideline and dive into the end zone off an option pitch from Ray.

The Indians racked up 199 rushing yards behind stellar blocking by center Jacoby Johnson, tackles Craig Lowell and Derek True, guards Chad Flannery and Dave Folsom, and tight end Bryan Lancaster.

INDIANS 28, RAMS 22 (OT)

Skowhegan (1-0) 0 7 15 0 6 ? 28

Bangor (0-1) 14 0 0 8 0 ? 22

B ? Dowe 65 pass from Ray (Achorn kick)

B ? Dowe 57 pass from Ray (Achorn kick)

S ? Walker 17 pass from Hamilton (Reid kick)

S ? Poissonier 23 pass from Hamilton (Reid pass to West)

S ? Meyer 2 run (Holt kick)

B ? Flynn 1 run (Largay rush)

S ? Meyer 3 run (rush failed)

Skowhegan Bangor

First downs 17 13

Rushing att.-yards 47-199 40-128

Passing comp.-att. 6-11 8-13

Passing yards 79 163

Total yards 278 291

Punts-avg. 4-31.5 1-38.0

Fumbles-lost 2-1 2-0

Intercepted by 2 0

Penalties-yards 3-26 2-10

Rushing

Skowhegan: Walker 24-114, Meyer 18-74, Libby 2-6, Hamilton 3-5; Bangor: Largay 20-73, Flynn 11-27, Heber 2-10, Huhn 2-9, Ray 5-9

Passing

Skowhegan: Hamilton 6-11-0-79; Bangor: Ray 7-13-2-163

Receiving

Skowhegan: Walker 2-40, Poissonier 1-23, Libby 1-9, Plourde 2-7; Bangor: Dowe 2-122, Day 2-22, Prentiss 2-12, Z. Hackett 2-7

A? 500 (est.)