STANDISH—Despite being short-handed, despite self-inflicted wounds and despite digging an early hole, Portland’s football team had its destiny (and the ball) in its hands with a potential game-winning score in its sights Friday evening at Bonny Eagle.

But the Bulldogs couldn’t complete what would have been an inspiring victory.

Because the proud Scots simply wouldn’t let them.

Portland, playing without standout senior linemen Colin Kelly and Anthony Tavares, who both missed the game due to injuries, fell behind for the first time all season when Bonny Eagle took the opening kickoff and marched 62 yards in 11 plays, going in front to stay on a 2-yard touchdown run from senior Connor Johnson.

After the Bulldogs went three-and-out, junior quarterback Colin Moran’s 51-yard TD scamper made it 14-0 Scots with 4:08 to go in the first quarter.

Bonny Eagle then held Portland on downs at its 39 and was on the brink of breaking the game open, but senior Louis Thurston’s interception turned momentum and the Bulldogs subsequently drove 66 yards in five plays, cutting the deficit to six, as Thurston, also Portland’s quarterback, hit junior standout Cordell Jones with a 7-yard touchdown strike and Jones added a two-point conversion rush just 51 seconds into the second period.

That would be it for scoring, but not for drama.

Three times in the fourth period, the Bulldogs drove into Scots’ territory looking to steal victory, but the first foray ended with a fumble, the next when they were stopped on downs and the final opportunity also ended with a failure on fourth down as Bonny Eagle awakened the echoes and prevailed in palpitating fashion, 14-8.

The Scots improved to 2-1 and in the process, handed Portland its first regular season loss since 2022, dropping the Bulldogs to 2-1 as well.

“We just didn’t do enough,” lamented Portland coach Sean Green. “We tell the guys it’s about us and tonight, we didn’t do what we needed to do. Hopefully we’ll learn from it.”

Fight to the finish

Portland began its season by beating two of its top Class A North rivals, winning at Oxford Hills (40-20) and at home over Windham (29-7).

Bonny Eagle, meanwhile, started with a 27-18 loss at Lewiston, then bounced back last week by shutting down visiting Oxford Hills, 27-10.

The teams last met two years ago, a 12-8 Scots’ home win.

Friday, on a 65-degree evening which saw the rain hold off until the very end, in front of a large and vocal crowd, the Bulldogs hoped to beat Bonny Eagle for the first time in nearly a dozen years (a 13-7 overtime triumph Sept. 21, 2012 in Standish), but instead, the Scots rode some early fireworks and late heroics to an inspirational victory.

Portland won the opening coin toss and deferred possession to the second half.

Bonny Eagle returned the opening kickoff to its 38 and then, in 11 plays and just under four minutes, marched for the game’s first score.

The drive began inauspiciously, as the Scots were called for a false start, but Moran kept the ball for eight yards, then Johnson ran for nine and a first down at midfield. Moran found his talented senior receiver CJ Cooper for seven yards and after the teams had offsetting penalties, junior Colby McCormack picked up seven yards and a first down at the Bulldogs’ 36. Moran threw incomplete, then Johnson was dropped for a one-yard loss by sophomore Dom Huntington, but on third-and-11, Moran found Johnson on a flare pass out of the backfield and Johnson dove across the marker for another first down at the 25. After Moran kept the ball for a yard, Johnson was held to no gain by senior Lisandro Rodrigues, but again, on third-and-long, Moran connected with junior Caden Cooper, who leaped and came down with the ball at the 2, good for a gain of 22. Johnson then capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run and junior Mason Kane added the extra point for a 7-0 advantage with exactly 8 minutes left in the opening stanza.

Jones nearly broke the ensuing kickoff, but was tackled at the 46. Portland wasn’t able to capitalize, as Jones ran for two yards, Thurston kept the ball for a yard, then senior Aidan McGowan was dropped for a two-yard loss by junior Nick Breton, necessitating a punt.

With 5:34 to go in the quarter, Bonny Eagle started at its 48 and this time, the Scots only needed three plays and 86 seconds to double their lead.

Johnson ran for three yards on first down, then a bad snap forced McCormack to fall on the ball at the Bonny Eagle 49, setting up third-and-9. Moran did the rest, finding running room up the middle before cutting back to the right and outrunning the pursuit to the pylon for the 51-yard TD scamper. Kane’s PAT ricocheted off the inside of the left upright and through for a 14-0 advantage with 4:08 on the clock.

The Bulldogs got the ball back at their 30 and after Thurston connected with McGowan for four yards through the air, McGowan ran for five  yards, but senior Jayden Doughty first made his presence felt on defense by stopping Jones for no gain and on fourth-and-1 from the 39, Green rolled the dice and went for it, but Doughty and senior Cole Cyr held McGowan to no gain, giving the Scots the ball at the Portland 39 with a chance to break it open early.

But the Bulldogs’ defense would step up to turn the tide.

After a pass interference penalty moved Bonny Eagle to the 25, Johnson ran for three yards, but Moran’s ensuing pass down the left sideline was intercepted by Thurston at the 10 and Thurston brought it all the way back to the 34.

That play awakened the Portland offense, which, as the first quarter gave way to the second, marched 66 yards in five plays and 1:59 to get back in the contest.

After Thurston kept the ball for seven yards, Breton broke up a pass, but on third-and-3, Thurston gained 24 yards. Holding was called on the back end of the play, but the Bulldogs had their initial first down, at the Scots’ 45. On the next play, Jones, out of the “Wildcat,” fired a 25-yard strike to senior Brody Viola and a late hit penalty was tacked on, giving Portland first-and-goal at the 10 as the clock struck zero on the first period.

The second quarter began with a three-yard run by McGowan. Thurston then rolled right, eluded a rusher and fired a strike to Jones in the near corner of the end zone to get Portland on the board with 11:09 to play in the half. After Bonny Eagle jumped offsides on the ensuing extra point, the Bulldogs decided to go for the two-point conversion instead and Jones bulled in to cut the deficit to 14-8.

The next 35 minutes failing to produce a single point was unthinkable at that juncture, but that’s exactly how it would play out.

The Scots looked to answer and began driving from their 29, as Johnson ran for two yards and Moran hit CJ Cooper on a slant for 10 yards for a first down at the 41. After Moran ran for six yards, then for three more, Johnson moved the chains again with a seven-yard scamper to the Portland 43. After Moran threw incomplete and Johnson ran for two yards, Moran threw to CJ Cooper, who made a nice catch while falling, good for 18 yards to the 23. That’s as good as the drive would get, however, as Moran was redirected by Viola to junior Charlie Abramson-Thompson, who made the tackle for an eight-yard loss, Moran threw incomplete and after Moran ran for five yards, he connected with CJ Cooper for just three yards on fourth-and-13, giving the Bulldogs the ball back on downs at their 23 with 5:51 remaining before halftime.

Portland hoped to build on its momentum and began to march, as Rodrigues ran for seven yards and Thurston picked up three more for a first down. After Thurston threw incomplete, he connected with Jones for nine, then Rodrigues ran for two and a first down at the 45, but after a holding penalty cost the Bulldogs 10 yards, a bad exchange between Thurston and Jones put the ball on the ground and Johnson recovered the fumble at the Portland 30.

The Scots couldn’t capitalize, however, as after Moran recovered a bad pitch for a nine-yard loss, Johnson ran for six yards, Rodrigues pressured Moran into an incomplete pass, then on fourth-and-13, Bonny Eagle coach Kevin Cooper opted to punt and it resulted in a touchback.

Portland began at its 20 with 1:13 to go and moved the ball, but with just one timeout, wasn’t able to get into field goal range.

After Thurston was held to no gain on a scramble, he threw a screen pass to senior Carter Lucca and Lucca broke tackles en route to a 28-yard pickup. After Thurston threw incomplete, he threw a shovel pass to Lucca for seven more yards, but much to the chagrin of the Bulldogs’ coaches, the clock ran down to 7.8 seconds. Lucca then caught another pass, ran for five yards, fumbled and while sophomore Alex Martin picked up the loose ball and gained five more yards to the 35, the clock ran out and Bonny Eagle clung to a 14-8 lead at the half.

In the first 24 minutes, the Scots gained 176 yards to Portland’s 159, as Moran had 72 yards passing and 72 yards rushing.

The second half saw both teams move the ball and have opportunities to score, but the goal line wouldn’t be crossed again.

The Bulldogs got the ball first and started at their 34, After Thurston ran for eight yards, Jones had a 16-yard burst to the Bonny Eagle 44. McGowan was then held to no gain and Martin gained just one yard before Doughty ran down a scrambling Thurston for a sack and a two-yard loss, forcing a punt.

The Scots began their first possession of the third quarter at their 15 and looked to add to the lead as they drove deep into Portland territory.

After Johnson ran for nine yards on first down, Moran threw incomplete, but Johnson took the direct snap on third-and-1 and gained 11 yards for a first down at the 35. That play worked so well that Bonny Eagle ran it again and this time, Johnson broke away and got all the way to the Bulldogs’ 10 before Martin tackled him and saved the touchdown. Portland’s defense then rose up and denied the Scots points.

After a false start penalty backed Bonny Eagle up five yards, McGowan broke up a pass from Moran to CJ Cooper, Moran ran for five yards, then he missed high throwing to Caden Cooper before throwing incomplete on fourth down.

With 6:14 left in the third, Portland got the ball back at its 10 and the Bulldogs would drain the rest of the time off the clock on a long drive that appeared ticketed for the go-ahead score.

Jones got things started by breaking a tackle and running for 13 yards. After Thurston kept the ball for five yards, McGowan gained five more for a first down at the 33. McGowan then ran for nine yards and after McGowan was stopped inches short, setting up third-and-less-than-1, Thurston gained eight yards for a first down at the Scots’ 49. McGowan picked up two yards, Jones gained two more, then Thurston found room to the right and his 17-yard burst moved the ball to the 28. After Rodrigues ran for four yards, Thurston gained five more on the final play of the frame.

The fourth period began with Rodrigues running for three yards on third-and-1, setting up first down at the 16. Jones then found room up the middle and gained nine yards, but as he fought for extra yardage, the ball was knocked free and in the biggest sequence of the game, Caden Cooper fell on it at the 7, allowing Bonny Eagle to dodge a bullet and preserve the lead.

Portland’s defense rose up and got the ball back, as after a holding penalty set up first-and-13, Moran ran for six yards, Moran threw incomplete and Moran only gained four yards on third-and-7.

After a punt, the Bulldogs started at the Scots’ 40 with 9:55 still to play and again, they moved toward a potential go-ahead score.

Which wouldn’t come to fruition.

McGowan pushed the pile for seven yards on first down, then Thurston took off for 13 to the 20. After Jones was dropped for a one-yard loss, McGowan gained eight, setting up third-and-3 from the 13. McGowan got the call again and appeared to have room to the left, but Doughty broke through and brought him down for no gain. Portland had to go for it on fourth-and-3 and Thurston kept the ball, but again, it was Doughty coming up huge, making the tackle for a one-yard loss and Bonny Eagle had held.

“I was fired up and I had to dig really deep,” said Doughty. “I gave it my all and our whole team gave it our all. We responded.”

“Jayden is so explosive,” Kevin Cooper said. “He’s tough to deal with. We just try to put him in position to make plays and he’ll make them. He had a great game tonight.”

With 7:11 to play, the Scots took over at their 14 and they hoped to run out the clock. It didn’t happen, but Bonny Eagle did milk over four minutes.

After Moran ran for four yards, he tripped and didn’t gain a yard, setting up third-and-6. The Scots then moved the chains thanks to an unlikely hero, Breton, who caught a quick slant from Moran for seven yards, good for a first down at the 25.

“The kids took to some of our passing game stuff,” Kevin Cooper said. “We knew (Portland would) play man and get in our face, but we had some schemes that helped us. We moved the ball early, but we didn’t run the ball well. We think we have good skill guys who can catch passes. Colin can put the ball on the money. Hitting Nick was an underrated play to keep the clock going.”

After Moran threw incomplete, Johnson ran for three yards, setting up third-and-7 and again, Bonny Eagle converted, as CJ Cooper caught a quick hitter and fought his way to an eight-yard gain and a first down at the 36. After Johnson ran for a yard, then picked up three, Moran threw incomplete and Portland would get one more chance..

The Bulldogs got a break, as the punt traveled only eight yards and with 2:36 left, they started at the Scots’ 48.

But Portland couldn’t produce a single first down.

After Thurston threw incomplete, Jones ran for three yards. Thurston then threw incomplete again toward his sideline, setting up fourth-and-7. Thurston threw down the middle, but overshot Viola and with 1:49 remaining, Bonny Eagle took over at its 45.

The Bulldogs’ faint remaining hopes were dashed when Johnson broke away for a 38-yard run to the Portland 17. The Scots then ran out the clock, as Moran twice took a knee, then fell on a bad snap to avoid potential disaster as time wound down.

At 9:09 p.m., the final horn sounded and Bonny Eagle was able to celebrate its hard-fought 14-8 triumph.

“It’s really big for us,” said Doughty. “This gives us a lot of confidence. That’s just Bonny Eagle football. We worked for this one. We persevered through adversity. It wasn’t just me. Our whole team dug deep and came through and took this win.”

“I can’t be more proud of our guys,” said Kevin Cooper. “Portland’s got a great team. They’re so good at the skill positions with Cordell and Aidan. Arguably, they’re the two best running backs in the whole state and Louis is a veteran back there at quarterback. We were probably a little fortunate they were missing a couple key pieces on their line, but they’re so dynamic. They make you cover the whole field. They’re as legit a program as you’ll find in the state. I think they’re the best team in the North and I think they’ll be in the state championship game. Our guys had to dig deep and it didn’t look good, but somehow, we found a way.”

The Scots finished with 294 yards of offense, overcame one turnover and only were flagged four times for 18 yards.

Johnson led the way with 153 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He also caught a pass for 12 yards.

Moran finished 8-of-20 passing for 87 yards. He ran 12 times for 93 yards and a TD.

CJ Cooper had five receptions for 46 yards, Caden Cooper had one catch for 22 yards and Breton caught one ball for seven yards.

Missed opportunities

Portland finished with 292 yards of offense, but turned the ball over twice and committed four penalties for 40 yards.

Thurston completed 6-of-12 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown and ran 11 times for 88 yards.

Jones compiled 49 rushing yards on 10 attempts, caught two passes for 16 yards and went 1-of-1 passing for 25 yards.

McGowan was held to 33 yards on 11 carries and had one reception for four yards.

Rodrigues gained 16 yards on four rushes.

Martin ran twice for six yards.

Lucca had three receptions for 40 yards.

Viola had one catch for 25 yards.

“Bonny Eagle’s a tremendous football team,” Green said. “They’re physical, smart and they made the plays that we didn’t make. We had uncharacteristic turnovers and couldn’t convert a fourth down on a base run play. We didn’t take advantage of plays in the pass game that were there. Being down two-way All-Conference players, there’s a mental hurdle of missing those guys. We had to settle into the game and once we did, we were just fine. I can’t say how proud I am of the guys who stepped up. (Junior) Ben Trenowith, (sophomore) Law Nguyen, (senior) Will Lakoki and (junior) PJ Vumpa all stepped up.

“This is good for us as long as we respond. It’s all about what we take from this. Last week (against Windham), we got the ball to the 1-yard-line in the second half and didn’t score and tonight, we had three drives when we couldn’t punch the ball in. We’re a team that thinks we can score whenever we want. We have playmakers who have to make those plays and as coaches, we need to put them in better situations as well.”

Lofty goals

Bonny Eagle’s gauntlet gets no easier, as it has to go to Thornton Academy (1-1), the reigning state champion, next Saturday.

“The first game does not matter,” said Doughty. “This game matters and the rest of the season matters and what matters most is holding up the Gold Ball November 23rd. We know Thornton, longtime rivals, it’s going to be a great game.”

“The goal is to be our best come November,” said Kevin Cooper. “That’s what we’re all trying for. We’re getting close. We have to get a lot better. We have to get guys back and keep growing together and hopefully we’ll be there.”

Portland hopes to get back on track when it welcomes Lewiston (2-0, after beating Bangor on a last-second field goal Friday) next Friday night at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

“Lewiston’s a really good team,” said Green. “They’re senior-laden and deep. They’ll have a lot of guys who can play one way. We’ll have to roll with what we have and we’ll have to make plays.”

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

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