Lawrence running back Parker Higgins (32) rushes for a first down and more against Messalonskee during a Class B North quarterfinal game on Oct. 29 in Fairfield. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel

FAIRFIELD — A promising season for the Lawrence football team was suddenly on shaky ground. The Bulldogs were knocked back by a 46-7 loss to Thornton Academy, but what really hurt were the injuries that were building. Quarterback Andrew Trombley was out. So was fullback Matt Trombley. And guard Storer Boyden.

Looking around, running back Parker Higgins couldn’t believe it.

“In a two- or three-week span, everyone was just dropping like flies,” he said.

The call came to Higgins, already a featured back in the Lawrence offense, to put even more on his shoulders, and the junior was ready. Higgins has run 87 times for 1,013 yards and 13 touchdowns in the four games since the Thornton loss, leading the Bulldogs to the B North final and the brink of the program’s first state championship appearance since the Class A final in 2012.

“He’s been a big contributor, and he’ll do anything he can for this team,” center Cameron Littlefield said. “He’s proved it, week after week. He continues to put on a show.”

Lawrence has gone 3-1 in those four games, including 2-0 in the playoffs with wins over Messalonskee and Cony.

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“It’s come at an important time,” coach John Hersom said. “He’s kind of like a throwback. He’s one of those guys that loves to work, loves to do good things on the football field. We’re certainly happy to have him.”

The man behind the yards, however, doesn’t like to talk too much about his own performance. He prefers to talk about Lawrence’s rock-solid line blocking in front of him. Or the coaches who call the plays he often turns into 20-, 30- or 40-yard gains.

Lawrence running back Parker Higgins sprints to the end zone on his way to a touchdown against Cony during a Class B North semifinal football game Nov. 5 in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

“I try to stay humble and block that out for the most part,” Higgins said. “It does feel good, looking at that and seeing how I’ve helped the team get the win and how I’ve helped them produce for that game.”

Higgins said he’s loved the game since he started playing in kindergarten, and came into this season, his first of contact football since he was a freshman, looking to make an impact.

“I’ve been working hard the past couple of years, and I saw big things for myself,” he said. “I always have. I think a lot of other people saw big things for me, and it’s really just come together.”

It was hard to see this, though. The offense fell on his shoulder pads after the injuries, and even as opponents knew the ball would be going to him, he flourished. He ran 23 times for 225 yards and two touchdowns against Cony in a 28-14 loss, one that saw Andrew Trombley knocked out during the second quarter. With Trombley still out, he ran 24 times for 287 yards and six touchdowns in a wild 42-38 win over Messalonskee that gave Lawrence a home playoff game.

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He tormented the Eagles again in the playoff opener, going for 225 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries. Finally, in the rematch against Cony, he helped Lawrence overcome a 55-13 disparity in offensive plays run in the first half by gaining 276 yards on 25 carries, one of which went 74 yards for a touchdown.

When he gets the ball, defenses face a unique challenge. Higgins runs hard, and often needs multiple guys to take him down around the line of scrimmage, but he’s also got the speed to hit a hole and outrun the defense.

“He’s shifty,” Hersom said. “He’s not real quick … (but) he is deceiving. When he does change direction, he does do it quickly.”

“I do have a variety of moves,” Higgins said. “My stiff arm is probably my favorite move.”

Higgins has the mental tools to go with the physical ones.

“(It’s) his speed and vision,” Littlefield said. “He’ll get through the line, where the hole is, and he’ll just cut back and be gone.”

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“He has very good vision,” Hersom said. “If he kind of sees defenders in pursuit, he kind of knows when to change his direction. That feeling of being comfortable to do it, and the time to do it, is a skill he has.”

Higgins said that aspect of football, the instinctive side, has always come naturally.

“Vision and patience are things most people don’t notice, but that’s a big part,” he said. “You don’t just hit the holes at 100 miles an hour. You’ve got to wait for it to open up and be patient. … It’s kind of natural instinct. You’re kind of born with it.”

Lawrence will need to see it again Friday against Windham. But so far, Higgins has been ready when his team has needed him.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” he said. “We’ve been practicing hard. We’ll be ready.”

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