PORTLAND, Maine — Joe Fitzpatrick rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries as the Cheverus Stags defeated Bangor 28-14 in an Eastern Maine Class A football showdown at Boulos Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The win improves Cheverus to 6-1 and likely means coach John Wolfgram’s club will earn a first-round bye in the Eastern A playoffs scheduled to begin in two weekends.
Bangor fell to 5-2 and currently ranks third in the division behind Cheverus and 6-1 Windham. The Rams have their homecoming game Friday against Oxford Hills of South Paris remaining before entering postseason play.
“Cheverus is a very good football team, the best in the state, I think,” said Bangor coach Mark Hackett. “We’re close. We’re coming. I’m confident we can play with the top teams in the playoffs.”
Portland High School, which entered the weekend with two losses, defeated Lewiston 55-6 on Friday night but earlier in the day announced it had forfeited its 42-14 victory over Deering of Portland on Sept.12 after discovering it had used an ineligible player during the game.
Portland and Deering are now both 4-3.
Fitzpatrick singularly outgained a Bangor offense that managed just 102 total yards, but the Rams jumped out to a 7-0 lead with 3:26 left in the first quarter on a 13-yard touchdown run by Nick Graham and the extra-point kick by Brennan Corliss.
Cheverus needed just 51 seconds and three plays after the subsequent kickoff to tie the game, using a long pass play to set up a 17-yard scoring run by Fitzpatrick with 2:35 remaining in the period. Patrick Mourmouras added the game-tying extra-point kick.
The Stags went to the air again to take the lead for good at 14-7 with 27 seconds to go in the first quarter on a 32-yard pass from Isaac Dunn to Liam LaFountain.
The Cheverus defense stopped Bangor cold during the second quarter, holding the Rams to minus-9 yards in the period.
The Stags also built their lead to 21-7 before halftime on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Dunn to Zordan Holman with 2:08 remaining before intermission.
Bangor churned out a 17-play, 79-yard march over an 8-minute, 31-second span of the third quarter to pull within 21-14 on a 1-yard dive by Dane Johnson with 47 seconds left in the period.
The Rams then recovered a Fitzpatrick fumble at the Bangor 32 in the fourth quarter but couldn’t take advantage of the turnover and had to punt.
Cheverus then scored an insurance touchdown to cap off a 77-yard possession, with Fitzpatrick scoring from 1 yard out with 5:33 to go in the game for his 19th rushing score of the season.