The pandemonium was just seconds away.

Above, a loyal and rabid fan base — all clad in white — roared in approval from the bleachers at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, their craving for a football state championship about to be satisfied for the first time in 21 seasons.

Halfback Aaron Champagne remembers everything about Nov. 18, 2006, when the Lawrence football team beat Gorham 14-13 to win the Class A state championship.

“I just remember looking at all my teammates’ faces and seeing how happy everyone was,” he said. “I remember looking in the stands and seeing our fans just go crazy. And then I remember holding that Gold Ball over my head, realizing all of our dreams had come true. It still gives me goosebumps to this day.”

On Saturday, Lawrence will try to win its first Class A state championship since 2006. The Bulldogs (11-0) face defending Class A state champ Cheverus (11-0) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Lawrence has won four state championships, one in Class A.

The first Class A title still is cherished by the ones who made history.

“Winning a state championship is something you don’t ever forget,” said David Wallace, a linebacker/fullback on the 2006 team who resides in Clinton. “It was unbelievable. You could the feel the stadium. It was crazy. People were yelling and screaming. You couldn’t hear yourself talk.”

Players from that team recall with ease the excitement that engulfed Fitzpatrick Stadium well before kickoff.

“I remember walking on to that field and seeing a sea of white in our stands,” said Isaiah Underwood, a defensive tackle on the 2006 squad that held opponents to a minuscule 4.7 points a game. “The Gorham crowd was in front of us. I was like ‘Oh my God, what are we doing?’ But we were ready. We were a bunch of animals. It was crazy.”

Chasing a championship

The Bulldogs had a ball-swarming, tough-hitting defense that held opponents to seven or fewer points in nine of their 12 games.

Champagne rushed for two touchdowns in the first half to help the Bulldogs take a 14-7 lead at the half in the state title game before things got interesting.

Gorham seemed poised to pull even when quarterback Mark Clements threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Justin Villacci just seven seconds into the fourth quarter.

“Every snap was so crucial in that game,” said Lawrence quarterback and defensive back Jack Hersom, who attends Husson University. “It was so tight. It was so nerve-racking.”

The momentum, however, was about to dramatically shift.

An untouched Champagne blocked the extra-point attempt on a well-designed play that Hersom installed that week.

“We designed a block that week and practiced it a few times,” he said. “Wayne (Morrill) was kind of responsible to make an opening for Aaron to get through. Wayne was a powerful kid, and Aaron was explosive. We knew he could hit the hole at the right time. It all timed up pretty well. Aaron got in there and blocked it with the front of his body.

“That was a big play as it turned out. It allowed us to keep the lead.”

The Bulldogs never relinquished it and ran out the clock after Nielsen missed a 47-yard field goal attempt with 3:55 left to play.

Champagne said he remembers the blocked extra-point attempt well.

“I had a wide-open seam to get to the kicker,” said Champagne, who works for a construction company in Milford, Mass., after graduating from Worcester Polytechnic Institute last spring. “It was a middle rush, and Wayne cleared out the offensive guard. I had a wide-open hole, and I was pretty much right there.”

Run to the postseason

Lawrence had few, if any, regrets during the regular season and its incredible playoff run.

The Bulldogs opened with shutouts of Skowhegan and Edward Little. Their first test came in Week 6, when they played fellow unbeaten Bangor.

Mark Ashland kicked a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter to give Lawrence a 3-0 victory.

“That game was crazy,” Underwood said.

The Lawrence defense had four shutouts that season.

Wallace, defensive end Bryan Slaney, linebacker Jon Doyon, and defensive backs Mike and Tom Hersom were among the numerous players who made an impact that fall.

Lawrence closed the regular season with victories over Mt. Ararat, Cony and Messalonskee, outscoring them by a combined 103-18.

The Bulldogs then edged Messalonskee 21-12 in the opening round of the Pine Tree Conference Class A playoffs to set up yet another showdown with Bangor, this one at Keyes Field.

Champagne rushed for 106 yards and the Bulldogs prevailed 19-5 before an estimated 6,100 spectators.

“We sealed home-field advantage, and we knew we’d be at Keyes Field in front of our fans,” Aaron Champagne said. “You just tried to block out all the distractions. You had to think it was just another game when really it wasn’t. We had to block all the stuff out, the parades, the pep rally.

“I remember holding that Eastern Maine trophy. I remember the excitement looking forward to the state game.”

Prepping for Gorham

Gorham ran the double wing offense, a scheme Lawrence was very familiar with.

“We knew it’d be a tight game because of that kind of running offense,” John Hersom said. “But we saw the double wing quite a few times that season with Skowhegan and Messalonskee. We thought we had a pretty good handle on how teams ran that offense. We felt we had a good feeling with our defense that we could contain them.”

It rained throughout that week, forcing the Bulldogs to practice on the school’s soccer fields. Then, two days before the state game, the team boarded a bus to Orono, where they would practice indoors at the University of Maine.

Hersom said it was then he knew the Bulldogs were on the cusp of something special.

“We made arrangements to rent the new bubble at UMaine, and we practiced inside for two hours,” he said. “That was a quality practice. I remember feeling pretty charged up after practice and charged up on the bus. I felt solid with how we looked. I sensed the team was really focused and excited and looking forward to the opportunity. I’m hoping we can relive that feeling. This is all still fresh in my head.”

It is for most of the players who helped bring a Class A football state championship to Fairfield.

“It was so awesome to do that for the community,” Jack Hersom said. “It’s something I won’t forget.”

Added Aaron Champagne: “Right away when we hit the field that season we knew we had something special. We were aiming for one goal and one goal only.”

So, too, is the Lawrence football team of today, which is hoping for another magical Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Bill Stewart – 621-5640

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