WINDHAM — Halfback Kyle Houser returned after a three-game absence because of mononucleosis to give Windham a spark. His 39-yard run early in the fourth quarter set up the Eagles’ go-ahead score.
That put the Eagles (6-2) up by four, and they held Cheverus off the rest of the way for a 19-15 win in a Class A North football game between playoff- bound teams Friday night.
Windham secured the No. 2 ranking in Class A North and will get a bye in next weekend’s quarterfinal round of the playoffs. Cheverus (5-3) was also playing for that coveted bye, but four lost fumbles in the second half and a roughing-the-kicker penalty that allowed the Eagles to keep possession and run out the clock proved its undoing.
“I felt great,” said Houser about his return.
“I missed playing with my boys. We’ve overcome injuries all season. To come out and beat a good Cheverus team was big. It gives us a bye and more time to prepare for the playoffs,” he said.
Windham quarterback Desmond Leslie scored two touchdowns and passed for a third.
The score was 13-13 at halftime. Neither team could do much for most of the third quarter until a 65-yard punt by Isaac Dunn of Cheverus was downed on the Windham 1. On third down, defensive tackle Frank Curran dropped Houser in the end zone for a safety to give Cheverus a 15-13 lead with 3:47 left in the quarter.
Cheverus got the ball on the free kick, but halfback Tre Fletcher, who scored on a 35-yard run in the first quarter, fumbled with the Eagles recovering.
Windham then drove 81 yards in eight plays overlapping the third and fourth quarters. The big play was Houser’s run. The Eagles were pushed back on a blocking-in-the-back penalty, but Leslie ran for 10 yards on the next play and two plays later, Houser got a first down at the 5.
Leslie scored on the next play to put Windham ahead. A 2-point conversion pass failed.
Cheverus then moved down the field through the air as Dunn, the quarterback, took advantage of open receivers in the flat. After a 20-yard completion to Jack Casale on the sideline, Dunn passed to Fletcher for 15 yards, to Kenny Drelich for 14 yards and to Drelich again for 16 yards, all in the flat.
But it went for naught as Cheverus coughed it up a fourth and final time, losing a fumble at the Windham 15.
Then, after holding Windham with a chance to get the ball back in good field position, the Stags were called for roughing the punter.
A 20-yard run by Houser sealed it.
“That was a battle,” said Windham Coach Matt Perkins.
“We’re two physical teams. Cheverus has come a long way and they wanted it as much as we did. We’ve had some real good battles with them.
“My guys have faced adversity with all the injuries. To battle through that and get to 6-2, I’m very proud of them.”
Houser carried 14 times for 125 yards.
Along with scoring the go-ahead touchdown, Leslie also scored on a 3-yard run with 1:11 left in the first quarter that, with Robert Inniss’ point after, tied the game at 7.
Early in the second quarter, Leslie passed to a wide-open Mitchell Eskilson for a 56-yard score that made it 13-7. Cheverus tied it on Justin Johnston’s 2-yard run 1:40 before halftime.
Dunn was 9 of 13 passing for 120 yards.
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