BANGOR — The Winslow football team has been an unstoppable machine for much of this season. A Week 4 loss to John Bapst was the lone stain on the Black Raiders’ stellar résumé.
The Black Raiders have spent the last seven weeks since that defeat preparing for another shot at the Crusaders, and on the very same field Saturday, Winslow got revenge.
Winslow rushed for 330 yards and scored five unanswered touchdowns to earn a 42-14 victory in the Class D North title game at Cameron Stadium. The win sends the Black Raiders to the state title game against South champ Winthrop (10-0) next Saturday at Don Roux Field in Lewiston.
“It’s what we’ve wanted ever since the beginning of the year,” said Winslow’s Ibrahim al-Subaihawi, who had a sack and a fumble recovery. “We worked our way toward it, and we’ve finally gotten to that position, thanks to our hard work.”
On the opening drive, John Bapst’s Thomas Curtis looked to be contained in the backfield on third-and-long but escaped and ran for a first down. Four plays later, on fourth-and-3, Aiden Ouellette hit Curtis for a 40-yard touchdown pass and then ran in for the 2-point try to give the top-seeded Crusaders (9-1) an 8-0 lead.
No. 2 Winslow (9-1) answered in two plays, as Liem Fortin scored from a yard out after Michael Loubier’s 67-yard run on the Black Raiders’ opening play. Bapst then drove 63 yards on nine plays to make it 14-6, but Winslow answered again, as Hassan Hobbi ran 57 yards for a score. Fortin’s 2-point run tied it at 14.
Winslow forced a turnover on downs midway through the second quarter, and Broddik Bimpson’s 1-yard run with 1:25 left in the half gave the Black Raiders a 21-14 lead.
After the teams exchanged three-and-outs to open the second half, Hobbi scored from the 5 with 1:02 remaining in the third quarter.
“Early on, I thought we were in a pretty good place, but then they captured the momentum right before half,” said John Bapst coach Dan O’Connell. “When we got the stop, I thought we were going to mount a comeback, but they raised their intensity level and made a couple of adjustments and thwarted what we were getting.”
Winslow’s fourth touchdown seemed to deflate John Bapst. Just two plays later, al-Subaihawi picked a backward lateral out of the air and took it to the 9-yard line. Hobbi (18 carries, 160 yards, three TDs) ran for a touchdown on the next play.
Bimpson scored from 8 yards out with 2:59 remaining to round out the scoring.
“We settled in in the second half,” said Winslow coach Wes Littlefield, whose defense had six sacks. “The kids had responsibilities that they couldn’t keep in the first half, but we got the lead, and then we went into the second half and locked down. It was a really good effort.”
Winslow’s running game was methodical. Sure, the Black Raiders had big plays such as the runs by Loubier and Hobbi in the first quarter, but for the most part, Winslow relied on shorter gains to move the sticks as the double-wing offense wore down John Bapst.
Winslow welcomed back one of its key players, offensive lineman Ben Thomas, who had been injured for much of the season. The standout guard’s return in the interior, Hobbi said, made an enormous difference.
“That felt amazing (to run behind him again); I’ve been waiting for that,” Hobbi said. “We didn’t even know he was going to be able to play, so that was a big morale boost that probably helped us win the game.”
Ouellette completed 10 of 15 passes for 117 yards while rushing for 90 yards on 13 carries. He and 10 other Bapst seniors entered a program that had not posted a winning season since 2014 as freshmen and finished their careers with the program’s best record since the 2008 squad went 11-1 and won the Class C title.
“It’s a group of kids that you dream of coaching,” O’Connell said. “They gave everything to this program, and I’m glad that they had such a great experience when they were here. You ask kids to sacrifice, and this is a group that sacrificed. We love them, and we’re proud of them.”
Up next for Winslow is a matchup with Winthrop in the state championship game. The Black Raiders are seeking their 12th state title in the modern era and their first since 2015, while the Ramblers will look for their seventh Gold Ball, but first since 2000.
“They’re a great football team, and they’re well-coached,” Littlefield said. “It’s super exciting for our team to be there, and we’re looking forward to it.”
