DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — The John Bapst of Bangor football team had just landed a body blow on a Foxcroft Academy defense unfamiliar with backing up.
A touchdown with 38 seconds left before halftime of Saturday’s LTC Class C football final not only produced a 7-7 tie but gave the Crusaders a dose of hope in their uphill battle against an opponent that had outscored its previous 10 opponents by 440 points.
But Foxcroft’s Don Boyer vanquished that hope in an instant, his 66-yard touchdown sprint just 19 seconds later sparking the Ponies to a 33-7 victory and their first Eastern Maine championship since 2009.
Foxcroft (10-1) will play for the state crown next Saturday in Portland against 10-1 Winslow, which defeated Dirigo of Dixfield 17-6 in the Western C final.
“We’ve been working hard at this for so long, years and years of our lives,” said Boyer, who finished the game with 266 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries. “It really means so much to have our chance to go down there and play for a gold ball.”
Boyer’s game-changer came just after John Bapst drove 79 yards to tie the game on a 2-yard, fourth-down touchdown pass over the middle from Austin Spencer to Andrew Catlin.
“Honestly, it was a flip of the coin whether I wanted us to take a knee in that situation,” said Foxcroft coach Danny White. “I knew I didn’t want to throw the ball, but I felt like what the heck, let’s take a shot and run it. We were able to stay on our blocks long enough to get Donnie in the open field, and once he was in the open field he made a couple of kids miss and then found daylight and ran hard to the goal line.
“You don’t run the play thinking you’re going to score but you run the play to give yourself a shot at something. It was a very fortunate play for us.”
Boyer took the first-down handoff at the Foxcroft 34 and followed his younger brother, sophomore fullback Peter Boyer, through a hole on the right side of the line forged by senior tackle Louis LaFache and senior guard Cody Levensalor.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior worked his way toward the right sideline, broke a tackle by Spencer at the 30 and outraced Catlin to the end zone to give Foxcroft back the lead and restore its momentum.
“Playing on Oakes Field for all of us seniors means so much, we weren’t going to let them have anything easy. Coming back and scoring after they scored was big,” said Boyer. “After I found that seam I saw the end zone and I wanted to get there as fast as I could.”
The touchdown gave Foxcroft a 13-7 lead but was just the beginning for the Ponies, who outscored John Bapst 20-0 after intermission while limiting the Crusaders to minus-6 yards of offense.
“It definitely gave us a lot of momentum going into halftime, and it helped us break their momentum, for sure,” said LaFache. “Our defense really stepped up in the second half. We needed to, because we knew we wanted to make it to states.”
John Bapst (9-2) recovered a Foxcroft fumble at midfield on the first play after the second-half kickoff but went backward, with Foxcroft regaining possession at the Crusaders’ 32 when Kolby Kendall recovered a mishandled fourth-down punt snap.
Foxcroft needed just two runs of 19 and 13 yards by Boyer — again behind Levensalor and LaFache — to extend its lead to 19-7 with 9:11 left in the third quarter.
A fourth-down interception by John Bapst’s Josh Baker at the Foxcroft 1 ended the Ponies’ next possession, but the Crusaders soon were forced to punt from their end zone.
Foxcroft took over at the John Bapst 23, and two more runs by Boyer — for 12 yards and then 11 yards to the end zone — gave the Ponies a 26-7 cushion with 2:26 left in the period.
Alex Stevens added Foxcroft’s final score on a 6-yard run with 8:40 left in the game, and he also led the defense with 12 tackles as the Ponies held John Bapst to 105 total yards.
Foxcroft scored on its first possession of the game, albeit in a less than routine manner.
As Don Boyer approached the first-down marker on a second-and-16 run he fumbled, only to have teammate Ryan Rebar make the recovery and race 56 yards down the right sideline to give the Ponies a quick 7-0 lead.
John Bapst countered late in the second quarter with its most productive possession of the day, but as the Crusaders scored they also left time on the clock and Boyer and his mates took full advantage.
“They built on that big play, and in the second half they basically decided they were the best team in this league and that they were going to a state championship game,” said John Bapst coach Dan O’Connell. “When that team puts its mind to something they’re going to accomplish it and I wish them the best of luck next week.”
Foxcroft buys another title.
Buys? They are all local kids that doesn even make sense..
You just don’t get it.
No you’re right I do not understand your post. Fill us in with your wisdom please.
I’m at a much higher level than you it probably wouldn’t be possible.
Yep, all of those Asian kids in the dorms on the hill are awesome football players.
Im guessing sarcasm and I agree… Yes the school has money, yes Adidas sponsors them but there is not outside recruitment process. Local kids who work hard in the off season. Just because they have more funds while other school systems are rotting into the ground doesn’t mean they “buy” titles.
Why the heck is Winslow class C?
Because they are under the Class C cutoff?
There was no shame in walking off the field wearing purple today! Its been a great 4 year run as a Crusader parent and we are PROUD of our boys! While we were sad to see it come to end in Foxcroft once again, we wish the Ponies success in the State game!
very nice post, without any doubt you are proud of your boys as we all are. It’s nice to see someone who suffers an athletic defeat with class and integrity.
Total class team and comment and nothing else expected from someone associated with such a great school as John Bapst. We are very lucky to have one of the best private schools in the country in our backyard. Good job Crusaders, you will be back.
No one that has played HS football will make disrespectful comments regarding either team. They are taught respect on the field and it lasts them a lifetime.
“one of the best private schools in the country in our backyard” – Are you talking about Foxcroft or Bapst?
No offense…. but whats up with the big F&^%ing point swings in Maine HS Football today. One team beats a team by 40, then by 50… then loses to a team they were were rated to win by 30. Football is beautiful because it is unscripted but these crazy point swings are not normal by any mark in football history. Playoffs are 14-7….. D coaches need to step it up BOB Lucy style.
why not play the state game in bangor and these teams could save some gas money and meet in the middle? The MPA continues to have their head shoved up their rectum when it comes to not being flexible with state championships. Have a few sites available and pick the ones that would help lower expenses for schools and fans.
I agree with you, but there would be too many contracts broken if this happened. The MPA has a deal with the City of Portland to hold all three games there and a TV deal with WABI that gives them exclusive live coverage.
As a devoted Stearns Minutemen fan and a now a resident of Dover Foxcroft, I say congratulations. It’s a great feeling when your winning but you have one more to go. Your not done yet. Go to Portland and represent your familys, your town and you school by leaving it all on the field. Play it like its the last game you will ever play. Because for most of you seniors it is last game you will ever play. Win or lose no one can say a thing to you. Good luck guys and bring the gold home to the LTC were it belongs. Good luck.
As the father of a son who played in 4 of those 5 EM title games for Bapst, I can tell you hard work, dedication and great coaching is the reason teams like Bapst and FA keep returning to top year after year…….Good Luck FA….and Congrats to Dan O’Connell and the Bapst Football Family on another great season!!!!!…ps the butt references are classless and the McDonalds dude really needs to see someone about his pent up anger!!!!