PORTLAND—There was no letdown and Portland’s football team didn’t get caught looking ahead to the Battle of the Bridge either.

But it did take the Bulldogs awhile to get rolling Friday evening when they hosted Gorham in the penultimate game of the regular season at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

After a scoreless first quarter, Portland, which solved nemesis Marshwood a week ago, got its offense going in the second period and broke the ice on a 1-yard touchdown run from bruising senior running back Andrew Brewer. The two-point conversion failed and after Gorham answered with a scoring drive which culminated with a 15-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Izak Young to junior Aidan Lee, the ensuing extra point made it 7-6.

Undaunted, the Bulldogs marched right back, driving 83 yards to go on top to stay, as Brewer scored on a 12-yard run and junior Reegan Buck added the two-point conversion rush.

Portland then got some breathing room late in the half, driving 69 yards and going ahead, 22-7, at the half, thanks to a 15-yard TD pass from senior quarterback Kennedy Charles to Buck and a two-point conversion rush from junior Hunter Temple.

Temple then started the second half with a electric 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and after forcing a fumble, the Bulldogs went on top, 38-7, on a 28-yard Buck TD scamper.

Gorham answered with a little trickery, as junior Caden Smith threw a 27-yard halfback back to Young for a score, but Portland countered, as sophomore Louis Thurston threw a 24-yard TD pass to senior Remijo Wani and sophomore Aidan McGowan put the cherry on the sundae with an 84-yard touchdown scamper that produced a 50-13 victory.

Three different Bulldogs gained 100 yards or more as Portland won its third game in a row, improved to 4-3 on the season and in the process, dropped the Rams to 1-6.

“For the sake of respecting our opponent, we did view this as a little bit of a trap game,” said Bulldogs coach Jason McLeod. “We got the job done and it’s on to South Portland now.”

Play ball

While much of Friday night’s slate was wiped out by bad weather or poor field conditions, Portland was eager to take the field against Gorham after hitting its stride the past few weeks.

The Bulldogs opened with a 21-14 win at Kennebunk (in a game played in Biddeford), then lost at home to powerhouse Leavitt (42-8), at Bonny Eagle (12-8) and at home to Class A favorite Oxford Hills (28-16), but turned things around with a 30-12 victory at Biddeford and a 40-8 home win over Marshwood, in a rematch of last year’s disappointing regional final.

Gorham started with home losses to Cape Elizabeth (48-26) and South Portland (36-13), then lost to Biddeford (50-28), Westbrook (46-8) and Kennebunk (21-0) before getting in the win column last week against Noble (35-14).

Last year, Portland won at Gorham, 35-8.

This time around, on a relatively warm night (62 degrees at kickoff) on which the drizzle refused to depart until the second half, the Bulldogs got a tougher test than many expected before hitting their stride.

Gorham got the ball first and started at its 40 after a squib kickoff. The Rams picked up an initial first down, as Young ran for two yards, then tough-to-tackle senior Cody Sellick burst up the middle for 14 to the Portland 46. After Sellick caught a pass, but lost a yard, Young connected with junior Gabe Michaud for eight, setting up third-and-3. Gorham then had a false start and Young’s throw over the middle was intercepted by Brewer, who returned it to the Bulldogs’ 48.

Portland drove into Rams’ territory, but couldn’t score.

Buck found a hole on the right and raced all the way to the Gorham 30, but Brewer was dropped for a one-yard loss by Sellick, then junior Bode Bragdon dropped Brewer for a four-yard loss. After Temple gained seven yards back on a sweep to the right, Buck only gained three yards on fourth-and-8 and the Rams took over on downs at their 25.

This time, Gorham went three-and-out, as Young lost two yards, scrambled for one, then threw incomplete.

On the ensuing punt, the Rams were called for unnecessary roughness and Portland had great field position, at the Gorham 43, but the Bulldogs couldn’t capitalize again, as Charles threw incomplete, he tossed a shovel pass to Buck for no gain, then Buck ran for five yards. After bobbling the snap on the ensuing punt, Brewer unleashed a beauty of a kick and pinned Gorham at its 4.

The Rams didn’t help themselves, as they moved early, costing themselves two yards, but after Sellick ran for three yards, Gorham introduced a little trickery, as Smith took a pitch in the end zone and threw to Michaud for 18 yards and a first down at the 23. After Sellick ran for two yards, Young threw incomplete under pressure, then only gained three yards on third-and-8, forcing a punt. After another false start penalty, Smith punted and the Bulldogs took over at their 43 with 1:42 to go in the opening stanza.

Portland then drove 57 yards for the game’s first points, chewing up the rest of the first quarter and nearly the first three minutes of the second, needing nine plays to strike paydirt.

Brewer got things started with a five-yard burst up the middle. Buck then got free to the right again and gained 23 yards all the way to the Rams’ 29. On the final play of the first period, Buck ran for six yards and on the first play of the second, Brewer gained two more. On third-and-2 from the 21, Buck moved the chains with a three-yard pickup. Charles then tried to hit Wani in the end zone and while the pass fell incomplete, pass interference was called on Gorham, setting up first-and-goal from the 9. It took three more plays, but the Bulldogs found the end zone, as Buck ran for two yards, Brewer gained six to the 1, then Brewer bulled in with 9:09 left in the first half. Buck’s two-point conversion rush was stopped just short, but Portland had a 6-0 lead.

But not for long.

The Rams got good field position when they took over at their 38 after a short kickoff and promptly drove 62 yards in four plays and 1:36 to go on top. Smith moved the chains with a 21-yard rush to the left, setting up first down at the Bulldogs’ 41. After a pass to Michaud for no gain, Young found wide open junior Luke Lovley over the middle for 26 yards, then he threw a beautiful ball to the back left corner of the end zone where Lee hauled it in for the touchdown. Michaud’s extra point with 7:24 to go in the first half made it 7-6 Gorham.

That score awakened the Bulldogs, who, after a penalty on the ensuing kickoff, needed just five plays and 2:18 to march 83 yards to take the lead for good.

After Charles kept the ball for the first time and gained three yards, Buck got free again to the right and after breaking multiple tackles, gained 40 yards to the Rams’ 40. Brewer then got free and cut back and wasn’t brought down until he reached the 17, a gain of 23. After Temple picked up five more, Brewer did the rest, bouncing off a tackler and scoring from 12-yards out with 4:57 on the clock. On the ensuing two-point conversion, Buck scored on the ground to make it 14-7.

Gorham got great field position again, as Sellick returned the ensuing kickoff 28 yards to the Portland 48, but after an incomplete pass, Young lost a yard on a bad exchange, then he threw incomplete.

After just a 20-yard Rams’ punt, the Bulldogs began at their 31 with 3:51 left before halftime and drove 69 yards in eight plays and 3:10 for their third straight score.

Sellick dropped Brewer for a one-yard loss on first down, but on a deep pass from Charles to McGowan which fell incomplete, pass interference was called again, setting up first down at the 45. Charles then hit Wani for nine yards and Brewer found a big hole up the middle, good for 20 more. After Sellick dropped Buck for a three-yard loss, Charles scrambled for 11, then Brewer picked up another first down, gaining three yards to the 15. On the next play, Charles went to the air and found Buck in the back right corner of the end zone and with 41 seconds to go before halftime, after Temple added the two-point conversion rush, Portland was up, 22-7.

“It was rainy and foggy, it just wasn’t a great day and we came out sluggish, but when they went on top 7-6, that’s when we realized we had to wake up and turn it on and get going,” Buck said.

Gorham tried to answer before the break, starting from its 31, as Sellick ran for 16 yards and Young hit Michaud for 17 more to the Bulldogs’ 30. After throwing incomplete twice, Young found Lovley for 20 yards, but he was stopped at the 10 as the horn sounded and Portland held a two-score lead at the half.

The Bulldogs, who had a 241-155 edge in first half yardage, then began the third period with a flourish.

Temple bobbled the kickoff initially, then scooped up the ball at the 6, ran to his left, found running room and took off down the sideline, outracing the pursuit all the way to the end zone for a 94-yard touchdown.

“The ball was moving around and it slipped out of my hands, then I picked it up, saw a hole and took it,” Temple said. “(Senior) Romano McIlwain had a great block. That really helped me.”

After a delay of game penalty, Charles hit Wani in the back of the end zone for the two-point conversion and a 30-7 advantage just 17 seconds into the second half.

Gorham tried to answer, starting from its 39, but after Sellick ran for two yards, Young threw incomplete and while he connected with Lovley for 12 yards and an apparent first down, Lovley lost the ball, junior Brayden Wales recovered and returned the ball to the Rams’ 28.

One play later, with 10:24 left in third quarter, Buck burst through a big hole on the left and scored from 28-yards out. Brewer added the two-point rush to make it 38-7.

“Portland’s the best team in the league and you can’t come out in the second half and give up 14 points in two minutes,” lamented Rams’ second-year coach Sam Morrison.

Gorham needed just two plays to answer, as Young ran for 40 yards down the left sideline, then pitched to Smith, who stopped and threw back to a wide open Young for a stunning 27-yard touchdown. Smith’s two-point conversion rush was stopped short, but with 9:55 on the clock, the Rams were back within 38-13.

The Bulldogs began their next drive with sophomore Louis Thurston under center and they would march 71 yards in nine plays and 3:22 for yet another score.

After Buck ran for eight yards, then was shaken up and left the contest, Thurston threw incomplete, but Brewer moved the chains with a five-yard rush before Brewer gained 14 more to the Gorham 46. After an incomplete pass, Temple ran for six, then on third-and-4, Brewer broke a couple tackles and moved the chains to the 24. After Brewer was held to no gain, Thurston dropped back to pass and hit Wani on a post pattern for a 24-yard TD with 6:25 left in the frame. This time, the two-point conversion pass failed, but the score was now 44-13.

Sellick had another nice kickoff return to set the Rams up at the Bulldogs’ 46, but after a four-yard run by sophomore Patrick Downey, a two-yard pickup by Young and a two-yard run by Sellick, Gorham lost five yards to a false start penalty and on fourth-and-7, had to punt.

Portland was pinned at its 4, but was still able to march to a touchdown which induced a mercy rule running clock.

After a penalty moved the ball back to the 2, Brewer gained 14 yards to get the Bulldogs out of the shadow of their end zone. McGowan then did the rest, bursting through a big hole and leaving the defense in his wake en route to an 84-yard score. Portland took a knee on the ensuing two-point conversion, but the lead was 50-13.

Gorham started the fourth quarter at the Bulldogs’ 45, but couldn’t take advantage, as Downey was held to no gain, then he ran for two yards, as did freshman Camden Martell, before Downey only picked up two yards on fourth-and-6, giving Portland the ball back at its 39.

The Bulldogs’ final full possession saw McGowan run for 16 yards and a first down at the Rams’ 45, then senior McIlwain lost a yard, as did junior Ben Saunders. Senior Jason Pabitek then got consecutive carries, gaining six yards, before being held to five on fourth-and-6, giving the ball back to Gorham.

With time winding down, Martell ran for four yards, sophomore Casey Skolfield picked up three yards, then Skolfield was held to no gain. Freshman Atticus Whitten came on to punt, but Pabitek blocked it.

Portland then took a knee and that brought the curtain down on the 50-13 victory.

“Everything after the first quarter was perfect,” Buck said. “We came out slow, then it went according to plan.”

“They give us a little trouble with things they were doing on both sides of the ball, so once we adjusted and just slowed our brains down a little bit and did what we were supposed to do, good things happened,” McLeod said.

The Bulldogs finished with 459 yards of offense, didn’t turn the ball over and only were flagged three times for 17 yards.

Buck gained 137 yards and scored a touchdown on 11 carries. He also caught two passes for 15 yards and another score.

Brewer finished with 115 rushing yards and two TDs on 16 attempts.

McGowan only ran twice, but he had 100 yards as well and scored a touchdown.

“The linemen played great this week,” said Buck.

“We have a lot of athletes who can touch the ball and do good things with it,” McLeod said. “We asked those kids to touch the ball for us tonight in different ways and they did big things.”

Charles only ran twice, for 14 yards, and completed 3-of-4 passes for 24 yards and a touchdown.

Thurston went 1-of-3 passing for 24 yards and a score.

Wani caught two passes for 33 yards and a TD.

Temple ran three times for 18 yards.

Gorham, meanwhile, produced 250 yards of offense, but turned the ball over twice and was flagged seven times for 56 yards.

Young completed 8-of-16 passes for 95 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also caught a touchdown pass for 27 yards and ran seven times for 46 yards.

Smith ran once for 21 yards and threw twice, completing both, for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Sellick carried six times for 39 yards.

“Cody is my workhorse,” said Morrison. “We’re riding him senior year. I say he only gets tackled when he trips.”

“I think (Sellick) and (Smith) are very talented and (Young) is tough as quarterback,” McLeod said. “They’re dangerous when they get the ball in their hands.”

Michaud caught four passes for 43 yards.

Lovley had three receptions for 56 yards.

Lee caught one pass for a 15-yard TD.

“We don’t quit,” Morrison said. “We play 48 minutes and that’s all I can ask every week. We have four seniors. We have some key juniors who are new to football. We’re starting freshmen on both sides of the ball. It’s week seven and these guys have 300, 400 snaps under their belt.”

Bridge time

Gorham closes the regular season at 1-6 Deering next Friday.

“If we win, I think we’ll be the seven seed,” Morrison said. “Playoffs start now for us, so if we win next week, we’re in.”

Portland, meanwhile, visits South Portland (which is 4-2 entering Saturday morning’s contest at Scarborough) Friday night.

“That’s a big motivation game next week,” Buck said. “We’re having great practices every day, every week. We just have to keep that going and keep our mentality right.”

“We realized we weren’t playing high-level football, but now, we think we’re the best team and we think we can beat anyone,” said Temple.

“We want to play our best ball in November, it’s as simple as that,” McLeod added. “We’re finding our identity and we’re flexible too. We can ask our kids to do different things week after week. The Battle of the Bridge is always a big deal for us and that’s how we’re going to treat it.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports

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