PORTLAND—Cheverus’ football team took some big steps forward Saturday afternoon at Boulos Stadium.

Even if its offense took a step into the past to make it happen.

But it still wasn’t enough to keep up with the high-powered Massabesic Mustangs in an early-season Class B South showdown.

The Stags, after being shutout in their opener and losing senior quarterback Colby Ross to injury in the process, made a quick statement, utilizing the single-wing offense to drive 90 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 3-yard touchdown run from senior captain Matt Baker.

Massabesic roared right back to draw even on a 1-yard keeper from senior quarterback Cam Bradbury, but Cheverus retook the lead with 2:57 to go in the first period when Baker produced the most electrifying play of the season so far, racing untouched for a 62-yard TD for a 14-7 advantage.

But that would prove to be the Stags’ highwater mark, as the Mustangs tied the score on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Bradbury to junior Caden Nielsen, then the game turned in the visitors’ favor one play later, as senior Kyle Abbott returned a fumble 60 yards for a score and a 20-14 advantage after one wild quarter.

Cheverus’ offense didn’t go dormant, but the Stags weren’t able to find the end zone again and when Bradbury and Nielsen connected on an 87-yard scoring pass with 3:32 to go before halftime, Massabesic had a two-score lead.

Cheverus fought hard until the end, but couldn’t finish drives and the Mustangs, although they were held scoreless in the second half, went on to a 28-14 victory.

Massabesic improved to 2-0 on the young season and in the process, dropped the valiant Stags to 0-2.

“We changed things dramatically offensively,” said Cheverus first-year coach Skip Capone. “We had to make some personnel changes. We basically put in a whole new offense in a week. We were able to put our kids in the position to win.”

Making the most of it

Cheverus has undergone seismic changes since last November’s Class C South semifinal round playoff loss at Fryeburg Academy.

For starters, Mike Vance stepped down as coach and was replaced by Capone, who brought along highly touted assistants Jason McLeod and Mike Rutherford to run his offense and defense, respectively.

The Stags also elected to move up to Class B South this year with an eye on making the jump to Class A in the not too distant future.

Cheverus’ hopes of a fast start to the 2024 campaign were dashed a week ago in Falmouth, when Ross suffered a lower leg injury on the first defensive series and the Stags’ offense disappeared from there in a 14-0 setback.

Massabesic, which got to the Class B South Final a year ago, only to lose to Kennebunk (36-17), beat visiting Gorham in week one, 26-16.

The teams hadn’t met in a countable game since the 2019 Class B South quarterfinals, a 36-34 Cheverus win, and hadn’t played in the regular season since Sept. 1, 2018, when the Stags prevailed, 43-6.

Saturday, on another gorgeous mid-September afternoon (73 degrees at kickoff) in front of a large crowd in its home opener, Cheverus hoped to get in the win column, but ultimately, the Mustangs had too much as they beat the Stags for the first time since Sept. 28, 2007 (41-27 in Waterboro).

The Mustangs got the ball to start the game and after a nice kickoff return, began at their 40. They would quickly march deep into Cheverus territory before being stymied.

After senior Brady Batson ran for a yard, junior Jackson Normand picked up two, then on third-and-7, Bradbury found Nielsen on a slant and Nielsen raced all the way to the Stags’ 24 for a 33-yard gain and a first down. After Normand was held to no gain by Cheverus senior Liam Backman, the home team jumped offsides, then Normand ran for six yards and a first down at the 13. The Stags would stiffen, however, and after Bradbury stumbled and lost a yard, Batson was bottled up for a four-yard loss on a counter. Bradbury then threw incomplete on both third down and fourth down and Cheverus held and got the ball for the first time at its 10 with 7:48 to go in the opening stanza.

Six plays and 1 minute, 59 seconds later, the Stags found the end zone for the first time all season.

Cheverus came out essentially without a quarterback, as Baker awaited behind center with sophomore Igor Bitencourt by his side, and on the first play, Bitencourt got the ball, stumbled, then found running room to the right and raced all the way to Massabesic’s 25 for a breathtaking 65-yard pickup.

Baker lost a yard on his first carry, but Bitencourt ran for six yards, then gained eight on third-and-5 to move the ball to the 12. After Baker ran for nine yards, he capped the drive with a 3-yard scoring run to the right.

“I’m sure they were a little surprised with how we played to start the game,” said Baker. “When we walked in the team room this week, Coach erased the entire board of everything we had and said, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ We didn’t flinch. We rolled with the punches and played our best.”

Senior Devin Kelly added the extra point for a quick 7-0 advantage.

The Mustangs started their second drive at the Cheverus 44 after a personal foul penalty from the touchdown celebration was assessed on the kickoff. Massabesic would need just seven plays and 2:29 to pull even.

After Bradbury twice threw incomplete, Bradbury threw a short pass to Abbott, who broke a tackle then moved the chains with an 18-yard pickup to the 26. After Bradbury ran for 12 more yards and a first down, the Stags jumped offsides. Bradbury kept the ball and ran for seven yards to the left, then Abbott gained a yard to the one. Massabesic completed its march with a 1-yard Bradbury touchdown run over right tackle with 3:14 left in the frame.

Batson added the PAT and the Mustangs were even at 7-7, but the score wouldn’t stay tied for long.

After Baker returned the ensuing kickoff to the Stags’ 38, he kept the ball on first down, roared up the middle where he was greeted by nothing but daylight and he outran the pursuit the rest of the way for a 62-yard score.

“I can’t take any credit for that,” said Baker. “That was the guys up front, doing their jobs.”

Kelly added the extra point and with 2:57 on the first quarter clock, Cheverus had a 14-7 advantage.

The Mustangs stayed poised, however, and by the end of the period would be in the lead for good.

Massabesic started its next drive at its 46 and quickly marched for the tying score.

After picking up a free five yards when the Stags jumped offsides, the Mustangs faced a second-and-5 after an incomplete pass, but Bradbury broke multiple tackles and raced all the way to Cheverus’ 15 only to have a blocking in the back penalty move the ball back to the 40. Regardless, it was a first down, and Bradbury tried again, again breaking tackles and rushing for 15 yards to the 25. After junior Evan Metivier held Abbott to no gain, Bradbury faked a hand off, drew the defense, then opted to throw on the run-pass option and found Nielsen all alone, some 20-plus yards behind any defender, and Nielsen hauled the ball in for the easy 25-yard TD reception with 34 seconds left in the frame. Batson added the PAT to tie it.

The Stags got the ball back at their 40 but on the first play of their next series, disaster struck, as Bitencourt ran for three yards before fumbling and after junior Peter Jones tried but failed to pick the ball up, Abbott pounced on the loose pigskin and brought it back 60 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with just 14.1 seconds showing. This time, Cheverus managed to block Batson’s extra point, but the Mustangs were up, 20-14.

The Stags took over at their 27 and on the final play of the memorable opening stanza, senior Jack Fenton ran for a yard.

Cheverus had a slight 156-148 edge in first quarter yardage, but the Stags would soon find the offensive going difficult.

After Bitencourt ran for four yards, he only gained two on third-and-5 and Capone elected to punt.

With 10:35 left in the first half, Massabesic got the ball back at its 32. After sophomore Michael Pelletier ran for four yards, Bradbury gained three and Pelletier picked up two more, setting up fourth-and-1. Bradbury then moved the pile just enough to pick up the first down at the 42. After Batson ran for three yards, then picked up six, Baker dropped Bradbury for a one-yard loss, setting up fourth-and-2 and the Stags held, as Kelly knocked down a pass to force a loss of downs.

Midway through the second quarter, Cheverus got another opportunity from midfield, but couldn’t capitalize, going three-and-out, as senior Nate Hanson dropped Fenton for a two-yard loss, junior Avery Ross dropped Bitencourt for a three-yard loss and Baker only gained one yard on third-and-15.

Baker unleashed a perfect punt to pin the Mustangs at their 13, but again, in the blink of an eye, Massabesic produced a big play touchdown to extend its lead.

After throwing incomplete on first down, Bradbury tried again and found Nielsen over the middle. Nielsen broke a tackle at the 37 and from there, left the defense in his wake as he completed an 87-yard touchdown catch and run with 3:32 left in the half. The Mustangs went for the two-point conversion and senior Hunter Jacobs did the honors, bulling across the line to make it 28-14.

That would be it for scoring, but there was plenty of game left to play.

With 3:23 to go before halftime, the Stags started at the Massabesic 42 after a 43-yard return from Fenton, but they couldn’t creep closer on the scoreboard.

After Batson dropped Fenton for a one-yard loss, Fenton gained eight, then Baker moved the sticks with a five-yard run to the 30. After Fenton was held to no gain, Bitencourt picked up three yards, but Fenton again was held to no gain. With time winding down, Bitencourt gained two yards, but the ball went back on downs to the Mustangs who had time for one play, a long pass down the middle from Bradbury which fell incomplete, sending the game to the break with Massabesic in front, 28-14.

In the first half, Bradbury completed just 4-of-12 passes, but those four completions went for 163 yards and two touchdowns.

Bitencourt ran for 90 yards on nine carries while Baker gained 79 yards and scored twice on six attempts for Cheverus.

The Stags got the ball to start the second half and embarked on a promising drive, but they couldn’t produce points.

Starting from the 29, Bitencourt ran for two yards, Baker gained three, then Bitencourt moved the chains with a nine-yard pickup to the 43. Baker then bulled forward 13 yards into Mustangs’ territory, Baker ran for nine yards, then picked up another first down with a two-yard burst to the 33. After Bitencourt ran for three yards, he picked up two. On third-and-5, Bitencourt was dropped for a two-yard loss by Batson, setting up the pivotal play of the second half.

For the only time all afternoon, Cheverus attempted a pass and Baker lofted the ball down the right sideline to an open Fenton, but in the process of catching the ball right on the boundary near the 5, Fenton was ruled to be out of bounds and much to the Stags’ chagrin, they gave the ball up on downs and Massabesic took over at its 30.

The Mustangs began to march, as Batson gained five yards and after a holding penalty, Abbott caught a pass for 14 yards and Bradbury picked up three yards for a first down at the 42. On the next play, Massabesic moved into Cheverus territory, as Normand ran for 14 yards. After a five-yard run by Batson, Normand broke a tackle and picked up 10 yards, good for another first down at the Stags’ 31. Abbott was held to no gain on the next play, but a horse-collar penalty on a Cheverus defender gave the Mustangs a first down at the 16. Abbott then caught a pass on the right sideline and gained eight yards before being stripped of the ball. Senior Brady Mitchell recovered for the Stags and returned it to the 22, giving the home team a jolt.

Cheverus couldn’t turn the gift into points, however.

After Fenton ran for five yards and Baker picked up a first down by pushing the pile 14 yards to the 41, Fenton ran for four yards and senior Kevin Jackson lost a yard on the final play of the frame.

On the first play of the fourth period, Baker picked up a first down with a 10-yard run to the Massabesic 46. Bitencourt then ran for one yard, picked up two, then moved the chains with a seven-yard pickup to the 36, but after Bitencourt ran for a yard, Baker gained five yards, then he ran for two more to set up fourth-and-1. The Stags then hurt themselves with a false start penalty and Baker only picked up three yards on fourth-and-6, giving the Mustangs the ball back at their 29 with 7:30 to play.

Massabesic was content to run out the clock from there.

After Abbott gained 15 yards, Bradbury fell on a bad snap for a five-yard loss, Bradbury ran for four yards and Pelletier gained three, setting up fourth-and-8. The Mustangs opted to punt, but got a break when a Cheverus rusher was called for roughing the punter, giving Massabesic a first down at the Stags’ 39.

After Bradbury lost a yard, sophomore Nolan Pomerleau picked up four yards. The Mustangs gave five yards back with a false start, but on third-and-12, Bradbury completed his final pass of the day, to Normand, good for 22 yards to the 19. Normand then ran for three yards, followed that up with a six-yard burst, then Bradbury gained three yards to set up first-and-goal from the 7. Massabesic only needed to snap the ball one final time and Bradbury took a knee to run out the clock on the 28-14 victory.

“We expected a dogfight,” said Mustangs coach Lucas Labbe. “We didn’t know what they were going to do offensively, but we expected they’d come out and punch us and punch us they did. We had to regroup and figure out how to slow that power offense look they were giving us. Our kids did a good job staying composed and steadied the ship.

“Skip Capone is a legend. He’s a great coach with a great staff. I know the Cheverus program, the history, the legacy they bring to the table. Maybe late in the fourth, I felt comfortable that time was on our side, but most of the game, it was back-and-forth and they proved they could strike at any time. They’re a resilient group. Hats off to their coaches, players and communities, but I’m proud of what we’ve got going on and the adjustments we made.”

Massabesic finished with 377 yards of offense, turned the ball over once and only committed four penalties for 45 yards.

Bradbury wound up 7-of-15 passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran a dozen times for 77 yards and one more TD.

Nielsen caught three balls for 145 yards and two touchdowns.

Abbott had three catches for 40 yards and ran three times for 16 yards, in addition to his game-changing fumble return for a score.

Batson ran six times and gained 24 yards.

Normand picked up 39 yards on seven carries and had one reception good for 22 yards.

“(Cam’s) a very dynamic quarterback,” Labbe said. “He’s been getting varsity minutes since he was a sophomore. Fantastic young man, smart kid, a real leader of our team. We had other kids who were stepping up into other roles who were impressive. I’m really proud of all the kids.”

For Cheverus, Baker led the way, picking up 141 yards on 15 carries, scoring both his team’s touchdowns.

“Matt is obviously our leader,” Capone said. “The guys rally around him and he inspires the guys. We did a good job up front.”

Bitencourt had himself a day as well, gaining 115 yards on 18 carries.

The Stags, who tallied 265 yards of offense, hurt themselves with a fumble that went the other way for a TD and eight penalties for 70 yards.

Even though it didn’t result in a victory, Cheverus can build on Saturday’s effort.

“When your starting quarterback goes down, it’s tough on morale and I think we mis-represented ourselves last week,” Baker said. “Today, it was just a couple mental mistakes, but I’m very proud of the guys.

“We moved the ball pretty well, but we have to clean up some mental mistakes,” Capone said. “It came down to two plays. We put the ball on the ground, then we were out of bounds by two inches. It was a battle. (Massabesic’s) a great team. Lucas does a great job. (Cam) is a great player. They’ll win a lot of games.”

Try again

Massabesic seeks to stay unbeaten next Friday when it travels to 1-1 Sanford.

“It’s wide open this year,” Labbe said. “We know Kennebunk’s a good squad. Deering’s got good things going on. It’s going to be a competitive league for sure. We’ll keep build off our RPO game, fixing little things. We want to be a really sound football team that does everything right.”

Cheverus tries again for its first victory when it goes to 0-2 Westbrook on Friday.

“We just have to step up,” said Baker. “I don’t think we’ll play a team that will physically beat us. We’re just beating ourselves a little bit right now. We’ll come back next week and get ready for Westbrook. We still have to mesh together. I think today was a glimpse of the potential we have. I think we’ll be fine.”

“We have to clean up some mental mistakes and do a better job coaching,” Capone said. “We hope to win some games. If we do, we’ll get in (the playoffs), especially with our Crabtree Points. At the end of the day, we just want to get in the dance.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. 

Copy the Story Link