March 29, 2024
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Doehler, Scots thump Bulldogs

PORTLAND – The mottoes are many for any high school athletic team.

But the reality of Bonny Eagle’s barely decade-old football program was spelled out in a single word on a poster held up by the Scots after their 34-14 victory over Lawrence of Fairfield in Saturday’s Class A state final at Fitzpatrick Stadium – dynasty.

Led by quarterback Nate Doehler, the Standish team scored four touchdowns in its first five possessions to take a 27-0 halftime lead, withstood off some inspired play by the 2006 state champions after intermission to win its third state title in the last four years.

“Any time you can win championships four years apart it shows the strength of your program,” said 10th-year Bonny Eagle coach Kevin Cooper, a Lawrence grad who also led Bonny Eagle to state titles in 2004 and 2005. “There’s a lot of work involved to build a quality high school program, so to be in the state championship and win three out of four, I’m very proud of that for the strength of our program.”

The win capped off an undefeated season for Bonny Eagle, 12-0 this fall and 43-3 over its four-year run. Lawrence, which had its 22-game win streak ended by the Scots, finished 11-1.

Doehler symbolized both the relative youth and current strength of the Bonny Eagle program. In just his third year of football, the former soccer player rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 157 yards and another score from the Scots’ spread formation.

“He definitely had a great game,” said Lawrence coach John Hersom. “He’s very athletic, and he put the ball on the money quite a few times. He just executed to perfection today.”

Most of Doehler’s production came in the first half when Bonny Eagle outgained Lawrence 281-54 in total yards.

Junior running back Josh Ruby added 72 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Scots.

“It is a deceptive offense, especially when they have a quarterback like that in the shotgun to open up all those opportunities,” Hersom said. “It’s a difficult offense to defend. We thought we could maybe cover their guys a little better and stand up against the run a little better, but it didn’t work out.”

Bonny Eagle’s defense, meanwhile, took away Lawrence’s offensive balance by limiting quarterback Jack Hersom to a 3-of-16 passing day for 28 yards with one TD and three interceptions. Nick Nelson, the Bulldogs’ leading receiver, managed just one catch for minus-1 yard.

“We wanted to keep Jack Hersom in the pocket,” said Cooper. “We didn’t want to let him out on the corner where he has such great vision to see multiple receivers. We wanted to keep him in the pocket as much as possible and make him have to throw over some of our big guys, and we wanted to make sure we jammed Nick Nelson at the line because he’s a fantastic receiver, because to allow him to be able to run loose down the field is not a recipe for success.”

Doehler rushed five times and passed once during a six-play, 69-yard drive by Bonny Eagle on its first possession, with a 38-yard keeper by Doehler giving the Scots a 7-0 lead.

Ruby capped a 58-yard drive with an 8-yard TD run on Bonny Eagle’s next possession. A 36-yard pass over the middle from Doehler to tight end Travis Dunn set up the score.

Doehler returned an interception 30 yards to the Lawrence 35 on the Bulldogs’ next series, and scored two plays later on a 29-yard run to push the lead to 20-0 early in the second quarter.

Doehler later found senior wideout Ricky Hoyt open over the middle on a quick slant pattern, and Hoyt then cut back to the outside and down the right sideline to complete an 81-yard play that gave Bonny Eagle its 27-0 cushion with 2:39 left until halftime

“It’s been a good play for us all year long,” said Cooper. “Ricky’s got great hands and great speed. He just caught it, and Lawrence was playing a cover-two so the safety was more in the middle so he got back outside the safety and was able to outrun the Lawrence DBs to the end zone.”

Lawrence tailback Devon Costigan gained 93 of his team-high 120 rushing yards after intermission, including a 1-yard scoring run with 5:28 left in the third quarter that was set up by an interception at the Bonny Eagle 15 by teammate Nick Lee.

A fumble recovery by Joe Rainey at the Scots’ 26 midway through the fourth quarter set up an 18-yard TD pass from Hersom to John Flynn to close the gap to 27-14, but Ruby answered with a 9-yard run with 3:17 left.

SCOTS 34, BULLDOGS 14

Bonny Eagle (12-0) 13 14 0 7 – 34

Lawrence (11-1) 0 0 7 7 – 14

BE – Doehler 38 run (Doehler kick)

BE – Ruby 8 run (pass failed)

BE – Doehler 29 run (Doehler kick)

BE – Hoyt 81 pass from Doehler (Doehler)

L – Costigan 1 run (Dearborn kick)

L – Flynn 18 pass from Hersom (Dearborn kick)

BE – Ruby 9 run (Doehler kick)

Bonny Eagle Lawrence

First downs 16 7

Rushing att.-yards 47-246 34-154

Passing comp.-att. 5-12 3-16

Passing yards 157 28

Total yards 403 182

Punts-avg. 4-30.5 1-39.0

Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-2

Intercepted by 3 3

Penalties-yards 10-66 1-5

Rushing

Bonny Eagle: Doehler 23-126, Ruby 18-70, Onesti 6-50; Lawrence: Costigan 15-120, Champagne 15-49, Underwood 2-4, Hersom 2-(minus 19)

Passing

Bonny Eagle: Doehler 5-12-3-157; Lawrence: Hersom 3-16-3-28

Receiving

Bonny Eagle: Dunn 4-76, Hoyt 1-81; Lawrence: Flynn 1-18, Underwood 1-11, Nelson 1-(minus 1)

A-7,500 (est.)


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