KENNEBUNK—Now that’s how you rebuild a program.

From the ground up.

All the way to the penthouse.

In only three years.

Greely’s football team, which returned to stand-alone status in eight-man play in 2022, only to fail to win a single game before losing in the state final after a stunning run a year ago, got back to the large school state final and Saturday morning/afternoon at Kennebunk High School, the Rangers left no doubt that they’re championship material.

Making quick and decisive work of a very talented Mt. Ararat squad.

Greely, the No. 2 seed, drove right down the field to start the game and took a quick 8-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Andrew Padgett to senior Ben McCarron (remember that name).

The Eagles countered, as their senior star running back, Dash Farrell, raced 44-yards to paydirt, but Padgett hit sophomore Luke Piper for a 10-yard TD and a 16-6 lead after one quarter.

The Rangers then extended their advantage, as sophomore Noah Allen scored on a 5-yard run and Padgett scored from the 1, but Mt. Ararat drove the field late in the first half, looking to get back in the game.

Instead, McCarron came up huge, intercepting a pass and returning it for a 79-yard touchdown as time expired and Greely was in command, 36-6, at the break.

The Eagles refused to fold and opened the second half with a 6-yard touchdown run from Farrell, but Padgett connected with junior Ben Kyles for a 9-yard score for a 44-12 advantage heading to the final stanza.

There, Farrell caught a 7-yard touchdown pass and Mt. Ararat recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the Rangers forced a turnover, then got a 3-yard run from Padgett and another McCarron pick-six, this one 45 yards, to slam the door on an emphatic 58-20 victory.

Greely finished the best season in program history at 9-1, ended Mt. Ararat’s solid campaign at 8-3 and in the process, secured its first Gold Ball in over two decades of varsity play.

“It’s just great,” said Rangers coach Caleb King, the chief architect of the program’s resurgence and transcendence. “I’m really proud of these guys. This team has faced a lot of adversity, but they’ve come a long way. All the credit to the players.”

Finishing the job

The Greely program began at the start of the century, playing games at the Cumberland Fairgrounds in the old Developmental League.

The Rangers arrived as a varsity program in 2003, posted a winning record for the first time the following year and reached the playoffs for the first time in 2005. Under David Higgins, Greely was always competitive in the previous decade despite being undermanned, reaching the semifinals every year between 2015-18, but in 2019, low numbers forced the Rangers to join neighbor and rival Falmouth as a co-op.

Greely and Falmouth were a combined team that year and again in 2021 (there was no season in 2020 due to the pandemic), but in 2022, the Rangers once again fielded their own team, at the eight-man level.

King believed his team could compete for a title right away, but instead, Greely took its lumps that first season, going 0-7.

“I think my sophomore year helped us,” Padgett said. “We went through a bunch of adversity and learned how to deal with it.”

Everything changed for the Rangers midway through the 2023 season and Greely came from nowhere to make a stirring run to the eight-man large division state final, but the fairy tale ended there with a 28-0 setback to Mt. Desert Island.

From the depths of that defeat, seeds of this year’s title were planted.

“Last year motivated us a lot,” Padgett said. “We wanted to win it for each other and do it for the boys from last year and avenge that loss.”

“There was a feeling of unfinished business,” King said. “It didn’t even feel like a close game.”

This season, the Rangers believed they could finish the job and after dropping their opener at Camden Hills (14-6), Greely won its next seven contests by an average score of 42-15.

The Rangers had no trouble with No. 3 Lake Region in last week’s semifinals, advancing, 40-6.

“We knew this year was going to be our year,” said McCarron. “We lost our first game and we hadn’t lost since. We knew we were a good team.”

Mt. Ararat, meanwhile, lost only to Camden Hills and Greely and after downing No. 5 Gray-New Gloucester (44-0) in the quarterfinals, the Eagles upset the top-seeded Windjammers, 48-12, in last week’s semifinal round.

On Oct. 19 in Topsham, McCarron, Padgett, Luke Piper and senior Wes Piper all had big games to help the visiting Rangers prevail, 30-26, negating 300 combined rushing yards between Farrell and junior Nick Doughty.

The teams had played just once prior in the playoffs, last year’s 38-0 Greely victory in the semifinals.

Saturday, on a fabulous mid-November day (53 degrees at kickoff), the Rangers dominated again, thanks to highlight reel plays from numerous standouts.

Mt. Ararat won the opening toss, but deferred possession to the second half, and Greely, which began at its 48 after a 12-yard kickoff return from McCarron, drove in eight plays and 2 minutes, 36 seconds to take the lead for good.

Padgett was dropped for a two-yard loss on first down by Eagles junior Adrian Reyes, then he threw incomplete. Compounding matters, the Rangers were flagged for a false start, setting up third-and-17, but in a game-long theme, Greely was able to convert, as Padgett hit junior Sean Justice on a quick hitter to the right and Justice picked up 18 yards before being knocked out of bounds at the Mt. Ararat 41. After Allen was dropped for a one-yard loss by junior Martell Bowman, Luke Piper, who shares time at quarterback with Padgett, connected with junior Ben Kyles, who made a nice catch down the left sideline for 35 yards, setting up first-and-goal at the 7. Padgett then kept the ball for three yards, Wes Piper picked up three more and on third-and-goal, Padgett dropped back and hit McCarron for a 1-yard score.

The touchdown wasn’t just the Rangers’ first in the game, but also marked their first ever points in a state final.

“Coach always says the first two minutes of each half is so important and we knew we had to set the tone,” said McCarron. “It meant so much to score. Andrew threw a great pass. It was a great touchdown.”

On the ensuing two-point conversion, after a false start penalty, Padgett hit Kyles at the 1 and Kyles sidestepped a defender and crossed the plane to make it 8-0.

But Mt. Ararat quickly countered.

Starting at their 45, the Eagles got a two-yard run from Farrell, then gains of five- and four-yards from Doughty, setting the stage for Farrell to break one.

On first-and-10 from the Greely 44, Farrell eluded an initial tackler at the line of scrimmage, then took off and while Padgett tried to run him down, he arrived too late, and Farrell strolled into the end zone with 7:22 on the first quarter clock. Senior quarterback Trent Bailey’s two-point pass conversion attempt was no good, but it appeared the Eagles had some momentum.

Until the Rangers wrested it right back.

Greely began its second possession at its 45 with 7:17 remaining and in 10 plays and 3:20, marched for a score to extend the lead.

After Luke Piper twice threw incomplete, Allen gained just one yard, setting up fourth-and-9.

Most teams punt in that situation, but the Rangers refused to give up the ball without at least attempting to gain a first down and the gamble paid off, as Luke Piper threw across the field to Kyles, who stretched out and made a tremendous catch for 24 yards and a first down at Mt. Ararat’s 30.

“We knew coming in that every possession was an opportunity,” said King. “We knew we couldn’t waste one. Even if it’s fourth-and-a-mile, the players know we believe in them and we’re going to give them a chance to make a big play. We’ve gotten a lot of them.”

After McCarron ran for nine yards, Padgett gained eight more for a first down at the 13. Padgett then threw incomplete, but Wes Piper picked up six yards to set up third-and-four at the 7. Greely then messed up the exchange and the ball fell to the turf, but McCarron recovered it for a loss of three, setting up another fourth down. Luke Piper would account for the touchdown, not as a thrower or rusher, but as a receiver, as Padgett found him in traffic in the right front corner of the end zone with 3:20 left in the quarter.

“This offense is really fun,” Padgett said. “The coaches put in so many random, trick plays that are fun to run and get highlight reel plays.”

Luke Piper hit Justice for the ensuing two-point conversion and the Rangers had a 16-6 lead.

The Eagles looked to answer, as they began at their 26, but they went three-and-out, as Farrell ran for four yards, Doughty gained two, then Farrell was held to two yards on third-and-4.

After a punt, Greely started at its 33 and as the first period gave way to the second, the Rangers marched to paydirt once more.

Wes Piper nearly broke it on first down, taking the handoff and bursting through a hole before running down the sideline for 51 yards before junior Micah Westbrooks tackled him and saved the touchdown.

Momentarily.

After Allen ran for four yards, he gained seven more on the final play of the opening stanza, which saw the Rangers outgain the Eagles, 169 yards to 63.

Greely’s momentum carried over, as on the first play of the second quarter, Allen ran up the gut and fought his way in for a 5-yard touchdown six seconds into the new period. Allen then caught a two-point conversion pass from Padgett to make it 24-6.

Mt. Ararat wasn’t able to answer.

The Eagles started at their 29 and moved the chains, as Bailey kept the ball for two yards, Doughty ran for four and after Farrell was held to a one-yard gain by McCarron and senior Nicholas Lyden, on fourth-and-3, Farrell gained four yards for a first down at the 40. After Farrell ran for four yards, then picked up one, Bailey threw incomplete and Mt. Ararat coach Frank True went for it on fourth down again, but Bailey’s pass over the middle was intercepted by a diving McCarron at the Eagles’ 49.

It would prove to be just the first, and least dramatic, of McCarron’s three interceptions on the day.

The Rangers needed nine plays and 3:55 to reach the end zone again.

Wes Piper threw a halfback pass on first down and the ball appeared poised to be picked off before Justice came back for it and caught it for a 14-yard gain to the 35.

“We can do it all,” Wes Piper said. “We have a very diverse attack.”

After Wes Piper ran for 13 yards, McCarron gained two and Padgett picked up one. On third-and-7, Padgett scrambled, the hit McCarron for exactly seven yards and a first down at the 12. After Allen ran for four yards and Padgett kept the ball for three, Allen gained four yards to the 1 and Padgett did the rest, scoring on a 1-yard sneak with 3:49 left before halftime. This time, Greely couldn’t add the two-point conversion, as Padgett’s run was stopped short, but the lead was 30-6.

As the first half wound down, Mt. Ararat, which knew it would get the ball to start the second half, drove for a score that could have gotten it back in the contest, but instead, the Rangers’ defense came up with the play of the game to break it open.

The Eagles started at their 39 after a 22-yard Farrell kickoff return and Farrell ran for two yards on first down, with a 15-yard facemask penalty on Greely tacked on to put the ball at the Rangers’ 44. After Doughty picked up two yards, Farrell ran for five, then Doughty moved the chains with an eight-yard pickup to the 29. Doughty then ran for four yards, but Farrell was dropped for a one-yard loss by McCarron and Luke Piper and Bailey threw incomplete, setting up fourth-and-7. Bailey then completed his first pass of the day, to junior Aidan Ramsay, good for a nine-yard pickup and a first down at the 17.

That’s as good as it would get for Mt. Ararat, however, as after an incomplete pass, Bailey tried a throw to the right sideline, but McCarron jumped the route, initially juggled the ball, then secured it and took off with no one in front of him. Mt. Ararat’s defense couldn’t catch him and after the clock hit zero, McCarron crossed the goal line to complete a 79-yard interception return for a most dramatic touchdown.

“Once I got it in my arms, I knew I was gone,” McCarron said. “I was so tired, but it felt so good to get down there. I did not see that coming. We just wanted to get a stop and not let them score, but it all worked out.”

“It’s such an honor to put the pads on with Ben,” Kyles said. “He’s such an animal. He brings energy every day.”

“That play just killed (Mt. Ararat’s) energy,” said Padgett.

“I’ve argued all year that Benny McCarron is the best linebacker in Maine football,” King added. “He had 113 tackles coming in. He averages over 12 tackles a game. He’s our heart on defense and plays every snap. He has a nose for the football. What makes him great is he’s so smart and he understands the game so well. He read the play and stepped up.”

Wes Piper’s two-point conversion rush failed, but Greely went into the half with a comfortable 36-6 advantage.

While the Rangers had a 223-122 advantage in first half yardage and had forced two turnovers, they knew they still had work to do.

“We knew it wasn’t over,” said McCarron. “We knew if we could put up 36 points in a half, so could they. We knew we had to lock it down. We didn’t want to be the team that lost after being ahead 36-6.”

Mt. Ararat showed its heart by taking the ball to start the second half and marching 47 yards in nine plays and 4:10 to end Greely’s 28-0 run.

An eight-yard burst by Doughty got things started. After Farrell ran for six yards, he gained four more, then Doughty picked up five and on third-and-1, Farrell ran for four yards and a first down at the Rangers’ 20. After Doughty ran for seven yards, he picked up six more to set up first-and-goal at the 7. Doughty then ran for one yard before Farrell did the rest, bulling in from the 6 with 7:44 remaining in the third quarter. Bailey’s two-point conversion pass was no good, but the Eagles had crept back to 36-12.

Greely then immediately countered by driving 66 yards in nine plays and 4:02.

Wes Piper was held to one yard on first down, then a holding penalty set up second-and-17, but Luke Piper kept the ball for seven yards and after an incomplete pass, on fourth-and-10, Luke Piper found Justice, who juggled, then caught the ball, good for 18 yards and a first down at the 49. After Padgett kept the ball for four yards, Luke Piper launched a bomb down the left side and Kyles went up and got it before stepping out of bounds at the Mt. Ararat 12, a 35-yard connection.

“It’s my favorite thing when they throw the ball to me,” Kyles said. “When they call the ‘Go Ball,’ I get so excited.”

McCarron ran for a yard, then Wes Piper gained two on an option pitch. On third-and-7, Padgett found Kyles just in front of the end zone on the right side and Kyles got his foot down, then crossed the goal line for a 9-yard TD reception with 3:40 left in the quarter. Padgett kept the ball and scored on the two-point conversion to make it 44-12.

“The message at halftime was the job’s not finished, don’t be happy until it’s over,” Padgett said.

The Eagles then chewed up the rest of the frame and several minutes of the fourth period to march for a touchdown to keep hope alive.

Starting at its 20 after a touchback, Mt. Ararat got a four-yard run from Doughty, a four-yard run from Farrell, then a six-yard pickup from Doughty to move the chains. After Farrell gained five yards, Doughty picked up six more for a first down at the 45. Doughty then ran for a yard and picked up four more on the final play of the quarter.

The fourth period began with the Eagles facing third-and-5 at midfield and Farrell picked up the first down with a 19-yard burst. After Doughty gained six yards, Farrell picked up 15 more to the Rangers’ 10. Farrell then ran for a yard and picked up six more, but on third-and-goal, Wes Piper brought him down for a four-yard loss. Piper knocked the ball free in the process and McCarron recovered, but Farrell was ruled down before he coughed up the ball.

Mt. Ararat was able to salvage the drive, however, as on fourth-and-goal, Bailey threw to Farrell for a 7-yard TD with 8:45 left. Bailey then found senior Philip Edelblut for a two-point conversion pass and just like that, it was a three possession game, 44-20.

Then, the Eagles got the ball right back, as sophomore Abel Lajoie recovered the ensuing onside kick at the Mt. Ararat 45.

The Eagles weren’t able to close the gap, however.

After McCarron dropped Farrell for a one-yard loss, Farrell ran for seven yards, then he picked up three, setting up fourth-and-1, but Wes Piper forced a fumble and senior Luca Bianchi fell on it to give the Rangers the ball back at their 46.

And in eight plays and 4:05, Greely delivered the knockout blow.

Wes Piper ran for 10 yards on first down, then Padgett fell on a bad snap for a loss of five yards. The Rangers got the five yards right back, as Mt. Ararat jumped offsides, then Allen broke free for 16 yards and a first down at the Eagles’ 28. After Luke Piper threw incomplete, Padgett lost a yard, then McCarron was dropped for a three-yard loss by Doughty and Reyes, but on fourth-and-14, Greely converted again, as Padgett threw the ball up in the direction of Wes Piper and Piper outleaped a defender to come down with the ball at the 3. Padgett then capped the drive with a 3-yard rush with 2:47 remaining. The two-point conversion pass was incomplete, but the Rangers had a stranglehold on the contest, up, 50-20.

And Greely wasn’t quite done scoring either.

A 36-yard Farrell return gave the Eagles the ball at midfield, but after a holding penalty cost Mt. Ararat 10 yards, Bailey threw over the middle, where McCarron (who else?) was waiting for his third interception of the day. Again, McCarron had nothing but open turf in front of him and he returned the ball for a 45-yard pick-six with only 2:24 on the clock.

“I just happened to be right there and I took it all the way,” said McCarron, who has average size and weight, but plays like a behemoth. “I always say it’s not about how big you are, but what’s in your brain. You just need to watch the play and read the play. It’s just about being in the right place. If you’re in the right place, it’s easy to make the play, no matter how big you are.”

“That’s the best game I’ve seen Ben play,” Padgett said. “He won it for us. Those two pick-sixes were great.”

The Rangers put all seniors on the field for the Eagles’ final possession, which began at their 44.

After Doughty ran for three yards, Edelblut gained 11 for a first down at Greely’s 42. Edelblut then ran for three yards and five more and on the game’s final play, Farrell gained four yards.

And fittingly, was tackled by McCarron as the horn sounded, and at 1:06 p.m., the Rangers rushed the field to celebrate their 58-20 victory.

“This means so much to me, the seniors and the whole team,” McCarron said. “I remember going an entire season not winning a single game. Losing last year in the state championship game really stayed with us. It made everyone push that much harder. That drive got us here and led us to the win today. Seeing the seniors lose in the state championship game last November, we wanted to come back and finish it for them. I think some of them were here watching today. We finished it and I’m so happy.

“Greely had never won a championship and we finally have one. If you look in our gym, we have all the state championship (banners) up there. So many sports, but none for football. We all wanted to get that so badly. I’m so happy with this ending.”

“It’s an amazing feeling, especially after losing last year,” Wes Piper said. “I’m very proud to be on this team. It means everything to get back here and win the Gold Ball. It was just Ranger football and we just executed. It means the world to win it as a senior.”

“This is the best feeling I’ve ever had, it’s awesome,” said Padgett. “The brotherhood went hard every play and got it done. It was just a great team win. We’ll be in the history books and that’s a good feeling.”

“This means so much,” Kyles said. “We put so much work into the offseason and this season. It’s such an honor to win it and bring it home for our community, families and friends. We prepared great. Our defense was locked down all week. We just shut down their offense and it resulted in this.”

“We knew this game would be tough,” added King. “Mt. Ararat is well-coached and they have good players. We knew we had to be competitive and we’ve been competitive all season. We lost our first game when we made a lot of mistakes and turned the ball over. Since then, we had our foot on the gas.

“It makes the sleepless nights worth it, but I can’t take too much credit. I have a great coaching staff around me. They have a lot of sleepless nights too. They do a fantastic job and I have a ton of trust in them. It’s not always pretty, but it feels sweet. I’m going to enjoy this one and sleep in tomorrow.”

Greely finished with 343 yards of offense, didn’t turn the ball over and overcame five penalties for 38 yards.

Padgett bowed out by rushing for 20 yards on nine carries with two touchdowns and completing 6-of-8 passes for 74 yards and three TDs.

Luke Piper went 4-of-8 throwing for 109 yards and caught a 10-yard touchdown pass.

Wes Piper gained 86 yards on seven rushes, completed a pass for 14 yards and caught a ball for 29 yards.

Allen ran eight times for 40 yards with a touchdown.

McCarron will be immortalized for his performance on defense, but he also ran five times for 6 yards and caught two passes for 8 yards and a score.

Kyles finished with four key receptions for 103 yards and a TD.

Justice caught three balls for 47 yards.

Mt. Ararat finished with 274 yards of offense, but turned the ball over four times and was flagged three times for 20 yards.

Farrell was the center of attention and didn’t disappoint, rushing for 126 yards on 23 carries, scoring twice, also catching a 7-yard TD pass.

“Dash is a great running back,” said McCarron. We knew he’d have some great runs. We knew we had to stay up and stay disciplined.”

Doughty tallied 89 yards on 20 rushes.

Bailey finished 2-of-8 passing for 16 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

Edelblut ran three times for 19 yards.

Ramsay had a 15-yard rush and a 9-yard reception.

“Greely is a good football team and you know something, our team’s a pretty good team, too,” said True. “Just today wasn’t our day. Too many mistakes to overcome when you have a great team like that, but it wasn’t from, like I told those guys, it wasn’t from lack of effort. It wasn’t from lack of giving everything they had out on that field.”

The Unforgettables

Greely has 11 seniors on the roster. That group didn’t just return the Rangers to stand-alone status, it led them to the pinnacle and their contributions will long be hailed.

“I love every single one of the seniors,” said Kyles. “They make practice fun and the games great. It was awesome to play with them.”

“This senior class was sophomores when we began and a lot of them played that first season when we went 0-7, but they never gave up,” King said. “The seniors went 0-7, they were on a 6-4 team that lost a state championship and now they’re 9-1 and won a state championship. They came in and got in the weight room. They make our life easy as coaches. They dedicate themselves to this game and their teammates. There’s fantastic leadership in that senior class. Andrew Padgett was a captain since he was a sophomore. Wes is a great leader for us. They’ll all be sorely missed for sure.”

Don’t think for a minute that the Rangers are content with one Gold Ball.

With the likes of Allen, Justice, Kyles and Luke Piper returning and several younger players ready to step into bigger roles, the sky’s the limit again in 2025.

“We’ll be fine next year too,” said Padgett. “I believe in the guys coming back.”

“We’ll keep working this offseason and be locked in next season and maybe we can bring it home again,” Kyles said.

“I think it’s only up from here,” added King. “Our middle school teams are getting bigger.

“Everyone wants to win a state championship.”

Times Record staff writer Cooper Sullivan contributed to this story.

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