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PORTLAND — The Lawrence High School football team stood silently on its sideline, the celebratory cheers from Cheverus fans heard loud and clear at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Slowly yet mercifully, the final seconds of a difficult-to-absorb 49-7 loss to Cheverus in the Class A state championship game ticked away Saturday before about 7,500 spectators.

“It was the worst I’ve ever felt about football,” Lawrence senior quarterback Alex Leathers said. “It’s tough.”

Donald Goodrich scored five touchdowns — four rushing and one on a kickoff return — and Brent Green rushed for a game-high 179 yards as Cheverus capped an undefeated season with its second consecutive Class A championship.

The Stags (12-0) capitalized on five Lawrence turnovers, converting four into touchdowns, and left little doubt who is the top team in Class A.

“They definitely were the better team (Saturday),” Lawrence coach John Hersom said. “They didn’t give us much opportunity to get things going.”

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Cheverus scored the most points in a Class A state championship game since 1985, when it beat Lewiston 65-13.

The Stags put the game away with two first-quarter touchdowns followed by a momentum-killing, 92-yard kickoff return by Goodrich midway through in the second.

Lawrence (11-1) trailed 21-0 early in the second quarter before junior Anthony Sementelli cut into the deficit with a 52-yard touchdown run a little more than five minutes into the second quarter.

However, Goodrich returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, and Hersom said it was tough to get the kids back after that.

Added Goodrich: “It kind of demoralized them.”

Sementelli rushed for a team-high 56 yards to lead Lawrence.

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Cheverus out-gained Lawrence 509-167.

“We felt really happy with the way our kids came together this year,” Hersom said. “We battled through some adversity and we have a lot to be proud of. With only nine seniors we’ll certainly try to bounce back and have some success we anticipate having.”

Bill Stewart — 621-5640

[email protected]

 

Bill Stewart has been the sports editor at the Morning Sentinel and Kennebec Journal since 2014. During his tenure as sports editor, the papers have received national recognition from the Associated Press...

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