DETERMINATION , RESILIENCE DEFINES FOOTBALL CHAMPS
The record book tells us that the Thornton Academy football team won the 2023 state championship with a come-from-behind 24 - 14 win over Portland , earning the school ’ s sixth title since 2012 . In the game , junior quarterback Wyartt Beniot ran for two touchdowns and a Brady Kezal interception late in the game sealed the win for the Golden Trojans .
" The perseverance and belief the team had made this team really special .”
What you won ’ t read about in the record books is the character of this team and its ability to overcome challenges .
With 19 starters from last season lost to graduation , TA fielded a young team that lacked the experience and swagger of past state champions . After an 0-2 start , there was even talk that 2023 might be a rebuilding year for coach Kevin Kezal and his staff .
“ I was confident in the ability of our team , but worried about the inconsistency ,” says senior captain Brady Kezal . “ We had some great moments during those games , but were unable to consistently play at the high level needed to win games . There ’ s an old saying that you can ’ t measure the heart of a champion . The Trojans improved each week to finish the year at 5 - 4 . Heading into the playoffs , Thornton had its sights on the gold ball .
“ The energy at practice was always high and the team and I never lost confidence ,” says senior captain Liam Hieger . “ As the playoffs started everyone was 0-0 and that ’ s when we needed to play our best football .”
Thornton opened the playoffs with a lopsided 45-0 win over Sanford , followed by a convincing 21-13 victory over Bonny Eagle to set the stage for the state title game against
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