Ayooooooooob

By Friday afternoon, I'd narrowed my game choice down to TA/Bonny Eagle and Leavitt/Hermon. Four very good teams. I'd already seen TA and Leavitt, so that didn't narrow it down and both games were roughly the same distance from my house. But the drive to Turner is mostly back roads and the drive to Standish is mostly highway, so down to Standish I went.

You know the hype for this one. Two of the 5 stingiest defenses in the state. First and second in the Varsity Maine poll. First and second in the Power Rankings, but in a different order. Bitter rivals. Add in Senior Night, and the Bonny Eagle faithful were ready to go.

As you might imagine, the Thornton Academy crowd was also hyped, so much so that they started singing the National Anthem, which led the Bonny Eagle crowd to sing the National Anthem (or maybe BE started), but regardless, maybe it was a delay in the PA system, but the Thornton Academy choir was slightly behind the Bonny Eagle choir. It was weird.

It was also the last time Bonny Eagle led.

We were scoreless after 1 period (with TA in the Red Zone), then Connor Ayoob scored on the first play of the second. Bonny Eagle answered with a kick return to the 5 and then Lucas Klehn punched it in on 4th and 1 to tie it. Thornton Academy then rolled off a long drive where Bonny just couldn't get their defense off the field. They'd pick up 13 on 3rd and 12. Nine yards on 3rd and 8. Noah Fullerton threw a TD pass to Will Edborg on 3rd and 14. It was one of those drives. Then Bonny Eagle had a 60 yard TD strike from Colin Moran erased by a flag at the end of the half that would have tied the game.

Bonny Eagle fumbled the second half kickoff, leading to a Dominic Hussey score and what could have been Bonny Eagle driving to score in a tied game is a 21-7 TA lead.

Bonny Eagle would make it interesting. Moran twice threw a TD pass on 4th and long. But Connor Ayoob took over. He had 3 TDs and went for 305 yards as Thornton Academy scored 42 points on a defense that had only given up 45 all year.

The playoff rematch will be fascinating.

After the game, I spoke to Connor Ayoob.

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Michael Hoffer was there to write it up.

TA rides the Ayoob Express to emphatic win at Bonny Eagle

STANDISH—Thornton Academy senior captain Connor Ayoob has produced his share of memorable performances so far this autumn. Friday evening, however, on the road, against a powerhouse, undefeated team, with homefield advantage for the playoffs hanging in the balance, Ayoob authored his piece de resistance. A 40-carry, 304-yard masterpiece that

Hoffer's High School SportsMichael Hoffer

Turns out I went to the wrong game.

Leavitt won on what appears to be a...controversial call by the Peter Webb All-Stars.

The win moves Thornton Academy to the top of the Power Rankings.

Well, the win and I figured out a better way to factor in the New Hampshire games, which gave a boost to everyone who played a game against a NH team.

Elsewhere

Colby Raymond's 3 TDs helped fuel a 40-point(!?!) quarter for Stearns...Bryson Walker ran for 3 scores and threw for a fourth as Telstar rolled...Max Duplisea's 28 yard FG helped Westbrook escape Gorham...Parker Reny threw 2 TD passes as SoPo rolled...Cordell Jones ran for 4 TDs and threw another as Portland raced out to a 27-0 lead over Exeter...Cameron Pulkkinen's 98-yard TD run sealed things for Oxford Hills...Wes Gallant's 4 TDs led OOB to their third straight unbeaten regular season...Marshwood recovered 2 onside kicks in the first quarter against Sanford...Austin West's 2 rushing touchdowns paced Kennebunk to a comfortable win over Biddeford...Truls Wenli had 2 TDs as Fryeburg cruised by Brunswick...Abram Wintersteen hauled in 131 yards in his return from injury as Falmouth crushed Cheverus...Freeport answered Trevor Crosby's 88-yard pick-6 with 20 unanswered points to beat Dirigo...Joey Foley had 4 TDs, including an 89-yard kick return as Deering crushed Lewiston...Zac Cota's 3 TDs helped Bangor blank Edward Little...Parker Morin threw for 4 scores and added one with his legs as Cony crushed Gardiner.

I've cured the soccer and field hockey scores, which means that the Fall Rankings are updated.

Here's boys soccer.

And now that we're in the post season, that means it's time for Gold Ball Odds!

That's Boys soccer B North, not including the prelim games (it's very late and I have to work in the morning).

Fall Gold Ball Odds

What are the odds your team can win it all?

Maine Basketball RankingsLucas McNelly

Girls D isn't working yet, nor is football. Again, it's late and I have to be at work in...oh no.

Boothbay has withdrawn from the football playoffs.

If you get into the comments on Facebook, which are reliably terrible, Boothbay's had a number of injury issues that have left them short-handed. That's part of it. Add the drive of an hour and a half each way, the open question of whether or not the arcade will be open, and the fact that OOB won the first matchup in Boothbay 60-0. It makes sense.

The other thing you see a lot in the comments is why doesn't Traip, the 5th seed, get Boothbay's spot and a date with OOB? Well, they already lost 50-12 to them, so it probably doesn't matter, but several years ago the MPA made the decision that a team withdrawing wouldn't move everyone else up. Honestly I don't know the reasoning behind it, but that's the current rule.

So OOB will advance to the Regional Final.

Marc Calnan's got a basketball scoop.

Piscataquis players can play for Dexter, so this could be a boost for a reliably strong Dexter program.

As expected, he's figuring it out.

The sky is the limit.