FREEPORT — The Freeport High School football team capped off a season of Class E football with a state title, defeating the Dirigo Cougars, 28-13, on Saturday for the state title.
Falcons running back Caden Benedict paced the offense with a pair of momentum shifting touchdown runs of 80 and 48 yards, respectively.
Freeport finished the season 9-1 after going 1-7 the previous season in Class C. The one year move to Class E, a nine-team league started in 2017 for programs struggling with numbers and competition, gave the Falcons a title to build from.
“Class E was great for us,” said Freeport coach Paul St. Pierre. “ We won more games this year than we had in the five years previous. We just physically couldn’t compete in the other classes, so I think what Class E did for us and the other programs is just provide us the opportunity to play football at a competitive level, a safe level.”
St. Pierre reflected on the work that went into the championship season,
Freeport’s Adam Ulrickson (22) is tackled by Dirigo’s Alex Gorham during Saturday’s State Class E championship game in Freeport. (Andree Kehn / Sun Journal)
while acknowledging it has the ability to revive interest in the program.
“It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of different people,” said St. Pierre. “Parents, coaches, and players. Not just this season, but years passed. It’s just a culmination of a lot of hard work for a lot of years, by a lot of people.”
“We’re really hoping that all the kids that are eligible will come back and we’re hoping that some of the kids in our school that quit will see ‘OK this is doable’ and they’ll come back,” he added.”
Both teams struggled to solve the opposing defense in the opening quarter. The Cougars had the most threatening drive midway through the quarter. With Dirigo on the Falcon 30-yard line, the Freeport line held strong on a fourth down attempt, led by defensive tackle Treyvon Murhammer.
“ I just followed coaches plan, clog up the middle,” said Murhammer. It’s what I’ve been doing all year.”
Momentum shifted 7:07 into the second quarter. After Dirigo missed a 20-yard field goal attempt, Benedict put the Falcons on the board. The Freeport running back broke through the line and found room outside for an 80-yard score and 6-0 lead.
After a Dirigo three-and-out, the Falcons punished the Cougars on their next possession. Starting on the Dirigo 43-yard line, the Falcons once again went to Benedict, who picked up a first down on a pair of carries. Adam Ulrickson did the rest for the Falcons, finding the end zone on a toss play that was good for 38 yards and a 14-0 advantage.
Pressure on Dirigo quarterback Cole Brown led to a fumble on the next possession. Aiden Michaud jumped on the bouncing ball just before it went out of bounds, setting up the Falcon offense on the Dirigo 17-yard line. Ulrickson tallied his second touchdown of the game on a 4-yard score with 1:48 left in the half to give Freeport a 22-0 lead.
Cougar rally
The Cougars fought back after the break, changing the pace with quick back Alex Gorham and the imposing Liam Burnette. Gorham capped off four-minute, 58-yard drive with a 4-yard score to get Dirigo on the board, 22-7.
Benedict called his own number and play on the Falcons’ next score. With a fourth-down-and-five near midfield, Benedict stepped in front of punter Tre Morris for a direct snap. Benedict ran around the edge of the line and went into the end zone untouched for a 48-yard score.
“We’ve been practicing it,” said Benedict. “It’s actually like an option and the punt man is supposed to come with me. We practiced that for the past three weeks. That wasn’t actually a called play. I just yelled out to our long snapper.”
“We trust our players. We set them in the right positions. We practice this stuff all year and we kind of tell them if you see something, you’re on the field. We trust you guys,” said St. Pierre. “Trust your instincts.”
The Cougars added a score from Burnette, a bruising 2-yard carry, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback for the visitors as Freeport held on for the 28-13 win and state championship.
“It’s insane, we’ve been working so hard for this,” said Benedict, moments before stepping on a bus for a victory lap around town. “This group has been together since first grade. We’ve had some rough patches, but we’ve been working so hard for this it’s just amazing to feel this type of feeling.”
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