In addition to the opportunistic Paulin ’ s first quarter heroics , Thornton Academy ’ s ability to score on big plays throughout the contest proved to be too much for a talented Viking team to handle . Despite having the ball for only short stretches of time in the first half , the Golden Trojans nevertheless sprinted to a 21-point lead at the intermission by answering stalled Viking drives with quick scores of their own . Senior Anthony Jones ran for the first of his two touchdowns on Thornton Academy ’ s second offensive play of the game . His 59-yard jet sweep resulted in a 14-0 lead , and Oxford Hills would never be closer for the balance of the day . A 36-yard scamper by junior Isaiah Jones and a two-yard plunge by quarterback Jack Emerson late in the half resulted in the Golden Trojans carrying a 28-7 lead into the locker room .
Despite Oxford Hills ’ repeated attempts to close the gap in the second half , the Golden Trojans answered with two additional scoring plays to keep the Vikings at an arm ’ s length . Anthony Jones answered a Vikings scoring drive by converting a 63-yard run into his second touchdown of the day . Midway through the final quarter , junior running back Hayden Whitney capped the Thornton Academy scoring with a touchdown run of his own .
The formula for success on championship game day was very different than that used by the Golden Trojans in their regular season match-up with the Vikings . Establishing dominance on the edge offensively and creating opportunities for Thornton to take advantage of its advantage in team speed were part of the script . “ It was totally opposite from the first time when we had to ground it out ,” observed Coach Kezal . “ We made some changes in our blocking schemes , and the players adjusted accordingly .” The plan worked as Thornton Academy ’ s backs and receivers dashed for 354 rushing yards and posted the most points allowed by the Vikings during the season .
In addition to capturing the Gold Ball trophy symbolic of Maine football excellence , several Thornton Academy football players and coaches earned individual accolades following the season . The Golden Trojans occupied 18 spots on the Class A Coaches All-State Team . Paulin , Emerson , Ruff , Isaiah Jones , and Seth Beyea were all named to the prestigious Maine Sunday Telegram All-State Team . Emerson , who will vie for a position at quarterback at the University of Maine next fall , was a semifinalist for the James J . Fitzpatrick Trophy while teammates Beyea and Ruff were finalists for the Gaziano Lineman of the Year honors . Ten Golden Trojan senior players were named to the SMAA All-Academic Team . Thornton Academy offensive coordinator Steve Stinson was selected as the recipient of the Guy Lajeuenesse Award as being the top assistant coach in Class A .
For the 24 seniors on the Thornton Academy football team , the victory was particularly gratifying . After losing the 2020 fall season due to restrictions prompted by the coronavirus pandemic , the opportunity to play a full year without interruption or challenges was never fully guaranteed . “ I was really proud of how these seniors worked ,” noted Coach Kezal . “ They had the belief and the attitude that they were going to have a senior year and put us in a position to be successful .” Kezal added , “ The pandemic was hanging over our head throughout the year , but we were very fortunate to be healthy for the last two games of the year .”
The state championship victory in November provided the exclamation point on a memorable 2021 campaign that began with double sessions in the heat of August . Senior Mason Paulin best captured the emotion and excitement of the moment . “ It was incredible ,” observed Paulin . “ It is a dream .”
Thornton Academy lines up for the opening kickoff of the Class A State Championship Game .
Teammates and coaches celebrate after beating Oxford Hills 42-27 . 7