Portland . The Bulldogs had edged TA with a late touchdown in the season ’ s first game , but this was a different Trojan team .
Portland led 7 - 3 at the half , but Thornton roared back with three touchdowns in the second half and shut down the Bulldogs offense for the win and state championship .
“ The feeling was amazing , unlike anything else I ’ ve experienced before ,” says senior captain Sam Nelson .
After going into practice day in and day out , getting a little bit better every day and tuning out all the noise from everyone , we knew what we accomplished was worth it in the end . All of our hard work finally paid off . It ’ s still hard to fully comprehend what we were able to achieve .”
“ I give the kids a lot of credit ,” says Coach Kezal . “ They went out every day and worked hard to get better . They never lost faith .” What made this team special was the ability for everyone to show up everyday and compete their hardest ,” says Brady Kezal . “ The perseverance and belief the team had made this team really special .”
Above : TA Football was honored by Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail ’ 88 and the City Council in February . Those in attendance gave the team a standing ovation as they entered the Auditorium at City Hall . Mayor MacPhail read the names of all players on the roster as part of her congratulatory remarks .
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