BANGOR, Maine — While it may not have been the game-winning play, by most reckoning, it was the play of the game.
Just under four minutes into Friday night’s Pine Tree Conference Class A championship football game at Cameron Stadium, the Bangor Rams’ defensive unit was on its heels as Brunswick used a 39-yard halfback option pass completion to set up a first-and-goal at the Rams’ 4-yard line.
Three running plays and 90 seconds later, both teams faced a critical juncture. The visiting Dragons were lining up for a 4th-and-goal at the Bangor’s 1.
“They made a great play to get down that far and we couldn’t let them score because if they had, that could’ve potentially been the difference in the game,” said Rams’ defensive end Josiah Hartley. “We had to turn it around and make a big stop. It was a momentum-setter.
“We were thinking they’d probably give it to their fullback because he’s been their money guy all year.”
Instead, the call was a quarterback keeper up the middle. Brunswick’s Stefan Jensen started forward, but found his progress blocked by his own center, who was being pushed back. He then tried to spin around him to the right, but rather than open space, he found a mini wall of red and the waiting hands, arms, and torsos of Ram defenders Hartley and defensive backs Nic Cota, Nate Lewis, and Joe Seccareccia.
“We knew they’d try to run it up the middle because they said all week they were going to try and jam it down our throats,” said Bangor defensive tackle Tommy Augustine. “On that play, Andrew Logan and I pinched right at the center and he [Jensen] had nowhere to go before four guys tackled him.”
Jensen was totally enveloped and hauled down for no gain.
“Once we read it, we had an immense bunch of red shirts on the ballcarrier,” said Cota. “It brought us, the sideline and the crowd up. The emotion was amazing.”
It was as deflating for the Dragons as it was elating for the Rams.
“It was a design wedge play with three or four guys going right into that spot, but I’ll be damned if their three or four guys pushed ours back,” said Brunswick coach Don Cooper, whose uncle is legendary Lawrence High football coach Pete Cooper. “That was the big momentum play of the game. That would have been huge for us.”
Bangor wouldn’t score, but did move the ball out to its own 32 to get some breathing room.
“I think if we had scored, it would’ve completely changed the momentum,” said Jensen.
But momentum was Bangor’s and the Rams used it to score on their second possession and charge on to a 24-7 victory.
“It was huge. When we stopped them on that goal-line stand, we knew it was our game,” said Lewis. “I didn’t notice a big change in their effort, but that’s got to take something out of you.”
Bangor coach Mark Hackett echoed Lewis’ sentiment.
“A lot of people thought they were more physical than we were and that set the tempo for the game,” Hackett said. “It’s so emotionally draining when you get down that close and you don’t get it in. I think you carry it the whole game because it’s points you let get away.”
Cota said it further proves a popular saying about defense.
“To shut them down on the first drive… Defense wins championships,” he said. “In this game, it won us an Eastern Maine championship and that play started the game.”