SACO — Jack Webb stopped by a Thornton Academy football practice last week. A 2018 graduate of the school, Webb went on to play college football, first at Sacred Heart before finishing his career at the University of Maine.

“He gave us a talk before Noble (the Trojans’ opponent in last week’s regional final). That really meant something, because I remember watching him play,” said Henry Mahoney, a captain and two-way lineman for the Golden Trojans.

Webb’s message to the team: “Focus on Noble this week. Don’t focus on anything in the future. Focus on the present. Win this game, then you can focus on Portland,” Mahoney said.

Now it’s time to focus on Portland. As appreciated as Webb’s reminder was, the Trojans were on top of it. It’s been that way for more than a decade now.

Saturday’s Class A championship game at Fitzpatrick Stadium will be the 12th Class A state final since the 2012 season. Counting Saturday, the Trojans have been there for nine of them. Only once in those dozen seasons did the Trojans go back-to-back seasons without reaching the Class A title game.

Saturday’s game is Thornton’s sixth consecutive state final.

“You feel like you’ve got to make the state championship every year. Definitely a lot of pressure, but our coaches do a great job of taking it week by week,” said Wyatt Benoit, the Trojans’ quarterback.

It’s not as if the Trojans have been overpoweringly dominant. They’ve won back-to-back Gold Balls just once during this run, in 2014 and 2015. That said, Thornton is the preseason favorite pretty much every August.

Other teams have had their runs. Oxford Hills played in back-to-back championship games in 2021 and 2022. Bonny Eagle has three Gold Balls over this stretch. Scarborough had a dominant 2017, winning its only Class A crown. Portland, Thornton’s opponent for the second straight season, will be playing in its fifth Class A final since 2015, and the Bulldogs also reached the state championship game in Class B in 2022.

Biddeford won four Class A titles in five years in the early 1990s. South Portland won four in an eight-season stretch that same decade.

But Thornton is constant, at least since 2012. Prior to that state title a dozen years ago, the Trojans had gone 24 years without even making the championship game – their most recent state final win and appearance was in 1988. So, what happened in 2012?

Longtime Coach Kevin Kezal has some ideas.

“We finally got over the hump. I took over in 2000, and we were close several times. For a variety of reasons, we just couldn’t do it,” Kezal said.

Thornton Academy Coach Kevin Kezal talks with Brennan Tabor during practice Wedesday. Kezal took over at Thornton Academy in 2000 and has lead the Trojans to six straight Class A state finals. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

The youth football program that began in 2003 is thriving, Kezal said. The first group of players that program produced were juniors at Thornton in 2007. Since then, the Trojans have won 85% of their games, Kezal said. There’s also stability in the coaching staff, he said.

According to the Maine Principals’ Association, Thornton’s enrollment is 1,345 students, making it the second-largest high school in the state behind Lewiston (1,505). That certainly helps, but it’s not the clear-cut factor in success many think it is. Lewiston hasn’t been to a state championship game since 1987. Bangor (enrollment 1,102) hasn’t been since 2010. Sanford (enrollment 1,090) hasn’t been since 1998. Enrollment is a balm of depth when you’re putting in the rest of the work.

That’s the biggest factor in the program’s success, Kezal said. The players have institutionalized it.

“Our kids kind of grow up being successful. We’ve got a great community, great support and great facilities. I think you put it all together, I think it makes it pretty special,” Kezal said. “The kids do a great job of just planning every week and getting themselves ready. They know what’s important. You watch our kids. They’re pretty low key. They’re not going to have a lot of rah rah stuff before games. We just kind of go about our business and get ready. They know what’s important.”

They know their success breeds jealousy and contempt and accusations of recruiting that rise in volume with every win they collect. They don’t expect everyone to cheer for them.

“It feels awesome, having all the fans come out and knowing how much support we really have. Obviously, there’s a target on our back, but it feels good. We’re a very competitive school, and we love the pressure and we love the big games,” Benoit said. “We don’t care what social media has to say. In reality, we know what we can do and all the hard work we put in.”

A Thornton Academy player runs down the field as sunset light illuminates the bleachers during their practice Wednesday. The Trojans face Portland in the Class A state championship game on Saturday, their sixth straight appearance in the state final. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

It’s doubtful many teenagers in 2024 are listening to a 30-year old Pearl Jam song, but their attitude toward the backlash to their success is a reminder of some of the band’s lyrics: “This is not for you. Never was for you.”

“We don’t care about all the noise. We just focus on ourselves. We play our best football. It doesn’t matter what the opponent is,” Mahoney said. “There’s always the expectation that you’ve sacrificed something to be here. When you sacrifice something, that means to work hard to be present. Be in the moment, and enjoy it.”

Worrying about what’s said about you takes away focus that should be on Portland.

“They’re a dynamite team. Coach (Sean) Green and his staff do a great job. Athletes all over the place. Big and physical up front. We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Kezal said.

You keep doing the work, and suddenly more than a decade has gone by.