SACO — Days before the 2017 Class A South football semifinal against defending state champion Bonny Eagle, Thornton Academy Coach Kevin Kezal walked up to sophomore Kobe Gaudette and told him he would be making his first varsity start at quarterback.

“He just said, ‘All right,'” said Kezal.

Inside? “I was super nervous,” said Gaudette. “I was just a little sophomore. I barely played varsity, a little bit at cornerback. I didn’t get to experience it that much until that game. There was a lot of stress.”

But Gaudette, who also had missed about half of his freshman season because of health issues, responded with a strong game and the Trojans defeated Bonny Eagle. The next week, however, eventual state champ Scarborough overran the Trojans, 49-7.

That was the last time Gaudette, now a 6-foot, 165-pound senior, or the Trojans lost a game. Thornton Academy will bring a 22-game winning streak into the Class A state championship game Saturday against – fittingly – Bonny Eagle at 11 a.m. at Portland’s Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Over the last two years, Gaudette has proven to be more then just a fill-in. This year, he has completed 49 of 85 passes for 1,058 yards with 12 touchdowns and only one interception. He also has rushed for 537 yards and seven touchdowns, has 23 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery on defense, and plays on special teams.

“He’s a winner,” said Thornton senior linebacker Cole Paulin. “He knows what it takes to win, and he does it.”

As practice rolled to an end Tuesday night, the Trojans were running offensive plays. When one of the backs moved too early, Gaudette was the first one to start sprinting to the end zone – if you go offsides in practice, you run sprints – and the rest of the offense quickly followed.

“We usually don’t jump offsides,” said Gaudette, who grew up idolizing former Thornton quarterback Austin McCrum, now a junior at Bowdoin College. “We’ve got to get in gear. It’s state week. We’ve got to be locked in. We can’t make mistakes like that this week.

“If they don’t know the drill, I’m going to tell them: ‘You jump offsides, we run.'”

Kezal said there is no question he is the leader of the team. “The kids believe in him,” he said.

Gaudette credited last year’s seniors with showing him how to lead. “Lot of good leaders last year and we carried it over to this season,” he said. “They were great leaders and mentors.”

But Gaudette has a quality that all the best players share.

“Nothing ever fazes him,” said Kezal. “He’s just very level-headed and doesn’t get too excited. Nothing changes the way he approaches things. And that’s just the way he’s always been.”

Kezal pointed to the Marshwood game, a 28-27 victory on Sept. 14, as an example of how Gaudette keeps his cool. He didn’t play well early on. Then he led the Trojans to a comeback win. “He comes back and makes plays for us,” said Kezal.

Gaudette also plays basketball and lacrosse. But football, which he has played since second grade, is his favorite sport. And he has always been a quarterback.

Jack Rogers, a senior offensive lineman who has played with Gaudette since they began playing football, is not surprised at his success.

“He’s been good his entire life,” said Rogers.

But Rogers and Paulin often see a side of Gaudette that others don’t. “He’s a goofball,” said Rogers. “Always smiling, always laughing.”

“Hanging out outside of football, he’s a good guy,” said Paulin. “Everyone likes to hang out with him.”

Rogers had no doubts that Gaudette was nervous before his first varsity start. “It was Bonny Eagle,” he said.

But Gaudette didn’t show it, completing 9 of 12 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown in Thornton’s 28-24 win. And the team’s success since he became the starter indicates he was the right choice to step in.

“His track record speaks for itself,” said Paulin.

Unlike 2018, when the Trojans outscored opponents 554-90 behind the stellar play of Anthony Bracamonte, Thornton had some tight games this year. The Trojans had one-point wins over Marshwood and Scarborough (both 28-27) and defeated Bonny Eagle 21-14 on Oct. 5.

The close games are fine with Gaudette.

“I think that last year was fun, but this year, it’s a different perspective,” he said. “Having tight games and actually getting that blood pumping in the fourth quarter, it’s a lot more fun. It feels like you’re earning it and working a lot harder for it.

“I think that will make this year so much better if we can accomplish our goal.”

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