There was no shortage of memorable moment on the high school gridiron this decade. Here’s our top 10:
- MCI wins state game on last play. With 3 seconds left in the 2016 Class D state championship game at Fitzpatrick Stadium, MCI lined up for what the Huskies hoped would be the game-winning 37-yard field goal from Devon Varney. Only holder Eli Bussell dropped the snap, but ran into Maine high school football history, scoring the winning touchdown on the final play. The play capped a comeback for the Huskies, who trailed 14-0 at the half and seemed on the verge of losing the state game for the third straight season.
- The Lisbon-Winthrop/Monmouth regional championship finish. When Nate Scott scored the go-ahead touchdown with 16 seconds left, it looked like Winthrop/Monmouth was bound for a 2016 Class D state finals matchup with MCI. A Tyler Halls to Kurtis Bolton 55-yard pass play stunned the Ramblers and set Lisbon at the 1-yard line with 4.1 seconds left. Noah Francis scored the winning touchdown with 0.8 seconds to play.
Lisbon players and fans celebrate after Noah Francis scored from a yard out as time expired to stun Winthrop/Monmouth in the 2016 Class D South championship game at Maxwell Field in Winthrop. Kennebec Journal file photo by Joe Phelan
3. Nokomis punt return for state game win. Neither the Fryeburg nor Nokomis defense gave much during the 2018 Class C state championship game, and Fryeburg led 12-7 with just over four minutes to play. Nokomis senior Tyler Pelletier caught a punt at his own 32-yard line, found a seam down the right sideline, and ran 68 yards for the game-winning touchdown, and the Warriors first football title.
4. Jordan Roddy scores on final play to win playoff game at Lawrence. It was fourth down and 10 from the Lawrence 20, and Cony had seconds left in its season. Quarterback Taylor Heath took the snap and rolled right to buy time before heaving his pass to the end zone. With two defenders surrounding him, Roddy leapt and made the catch for the touchdown. Still down a point, Cony went for two and the win. They got it when Roddy, lined up a s wildcat quarterback, took the snap and reached the left pylon before the Bulldogs defense, giving the Rams the win.
5. Cony drives 99 yards to win state game. With 4:45 left in the 2013 Class B state championship game at the University of Maine’s Alfond Stadium, Cony took over at its own 1-yard line, 99 yards from a gold ball. With exactly one minute left, quarterback Ben Lucas connected with Jonathan Saban for a 25-yard touchdown pass, and the Rams had a 30-23 win over Kennebunk. After the drive began with back-to-back incomplete passes, Lucas hit Saban for 14 yards. A few plays later, a Kennebunk pass interference penalty gave Cony the ball near midfield. Lucas completed four passes on the drive, all to Saban, who made the game-winning touchdown catch as he crossed the goal line.
6. MCI pulls off trick play in state game. The play was called “Bullseye,” and it pretty much sewed up the 2017 Class C state title for the Huskies. Ahead 14-13 late in the second quarter and on Cape Elizabeth’s 6-yard line, MCI set the play in motion. Seven Huskies lined up on the left side of the field, leaving just quarterback Ryan Friend behind center David Young, flanked by backs Pedro Matos and Andrew Whitaker. Cape jumped offsides, moving the ball to the 3, where the Huskies lined up in the formation again. Friend tossed a pass to Whitaker for the touchdown and a 21-13 lead. MCI went on to win 30-13, claiming a second straight state title.
7. Madison snaps Winslow’s 25-game win streak. The Black Raiders were coming off back-to-back Class C state titles, and had opened the 2016 season with three straight wins when they played at also undefeated Madison in late September. Madison opened a 21-0 lead before Winslow stormed back to tie the game in the second half. The host Bulldogs had the ball inside the Winslow 10-yard line three times in the second half, but didn’t capitalize until quarterback Evan Bess scored with 1:31 to play. The Bulldogs held off Winslow’s final push, and became the first team in two and a half seasons to beat the Black Raiders.
8. Gardiner upsets Cony in OT. Going into the 2017 meeting between these old rivals, Cony had won five straight in the series and eight of nine. With the score tied 7-7 after four quarters, Cony had the ball first in overtime, but stalled when Gardiner’s Matt Boynton intercepted a Rams pass. Then Collin Foye’s 10-yard touchdown run gave the Tigers the win, and the Boot.
9. Lawrence rallies to beat Cony in playoffs. A few years before Cony pulled off the late come-from-behind win at Lawrence, the Bulldogs did it at Cony. It was the 2014 Pine Tree Conference semifinals, and Cony led 27-20 late in the fourth quarter. Cole Robinson capped the 84-yard scoring drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to pull Lawrence within a point with 1:08 to play. On the 2-point conversion, Lawrence lined Robinson up as a wildcat quarterback, and he threw a perfect pass to a wide-open Seth Powers for the lead.
10. Winslow and Old Town have a coin flip to determine top seed in Class C North playoffs in 2015. The Black Raiders and Coyotes each finished the 2015 regular-season undefeated in Class C North. Because they played identical schedules, none of the tie breakers normally used to determine playoff seeding worked. So the top seed in the regional playoffs was determined in the fairest way possible. With a coin toss. Moments after Winslow beat Waterville to end the regular season, coaches from Old Town and Winslow met with Mike Burnham from the Maine Principals’ Association. Old Town won the toss and home field throughout the playoffs. Winslow got the last laugh, however, winning the regional final at Old Town to earn a spot in the state final. The Black Raiders went on to win their second consecutive state title.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
