PORTLAND — Sam Johnson’s self-evaluation of his football playing career at Westbrook is blunt. He was a backup wide receiver, Johnson said, on a run-heavy team.

“I learned the value of team. It’s a lot of fun to be a small part of something bigger than yourself,” Johnson said.

Sam Johnson the Westbrook coach, though, is the exact right guy at the right time for the Blue Blazes. Johnson the coach is now the first football coach in Westbrook history to lead his team to a state championship, with a 40-20 win over Cony on Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

It’s not that Johnson’s Blue Blazes beat Cony in the Class B state championship as Saturday afternoon morphed into Saturday night. It’s that, after going through the season winning close game after close game, particularly in the South playoffs, Westbrook won going away.

Cony was undefeated, winning nine of 10 games by at least 32 points. The Rams’ season-low output entering the game was 39 points. Against that type of offensive juggernaut, the Blue Blazes played with confidence that was unwavering.

That was instilled by Johnson, when he was named head coach four years ago.

One of the first things Johnson did as head coach, said senior linebacker Tony Bongomin, was circle the date of the state championship game on the calendar.

“We kind of knew what type of mentality he had,” said Bongomin, whose 87-yard pick-six in the second quarter gave Westbrook a 6-0 lead.

Circling Gold Ball Day wasn’t hubris. For Johnson, it was motivating a team that had never come close to such a moment. It was daring them to believe it was possible. It was convincing them Westbrook could play football in November, and practice when it’s getting dark early, and miss basketball tryouts because they’re still in helmets and shoulder pads.

“We’re going to dream big, and then we’re going to dream even bigger. I asked these kids, ‘What are we trying to do?’ If we want to do it, let’s do it,” Johnson said.

Bongomin’s interception was of the big plays of the game, and it was because he was well-coached, he said. He knew how to read Cony quarterback Parker Morin, knew the receiver would come across the middle. Knew right where to be to intercept the pass. That was Johnson working through him.

“We love him. It’s like we’re brothers,” Bongomin said.

Jeff Guerette was Johnson’s coach at Westbrook. Now a principal at the high school, Guerette said Johnson’s self-assessment of his physical talent is accurate. It also ignores his intangibles, which are off the charts.

“He’s one of those character guys who helps build a program. We kind of knew he had a presence, He was a high-personality guy and a lot of fun to coach,” Guerette said. “All across town, everyone knows who he is. Whether you play football or not, he connects with everyone. He teaches kids the right way.”

As Johnson conducted postgame interviews Saturday, senior quarterback Gio Staples came up behind him and gave his coach a huge hug.

“This is the best coach in the state of Maine!” Staples yelled to whoever would listen. “I love you, Coach! I love you, Coach.”

His players are resilient and smart, Johnson said. They’ve grown academically and athletically. He choked up a little, trying to express the emotions he felt.

“We spend a lot of time together. A lot of tough times together as a team,” Johnson said. “One of the players said to me earlier, ‘Coach, I spend more time with you than I do my family.’ That’s the reality of sports, right?”

Another reality of sports is this: Sometimes, the exact right coach comes along at the exact right time, and coaxes something that has never been done of out the team. That’s why, four years after Johnson first circled championship Saturday on the calendar, the Blue Blazes were bring home the Gold Ball.