SACO — On Saturday, the Thornton Academy football team received an unexpected and shocking exit from the Maine Western Class A Playoffs at the hands of Cheverus High School.

Even with the lost hopes of championship glory, the defeat did not take away from what was another strong season by the maroon and gold.

The Trojans finished with a record of 9-1, only one win shy of its record one season ago, when Thornton Academy lost in the Western Maine Final to Bonny Eagle, meaning in the past two seasons, the Trojans have enjoyed a record of 19-2.

Thornton Academy also enjoyed its fifth straight “Battle of the Bridge” victory over Biddeford, defeating the Tigers, 42-7.

There was the prolific offense that made scoreboards light up quicker than pinball machines. Thornton Academy finished the season averaging 39 points per game offensively.

It would make sense, as there were plenty of weapons to use. Fullback Zach Sheehan scored 12 rushing touchdowns on the season, 10 of which were scored in the first four games. Fellow running back Peter Remmes also made his mark in the ground game, scoring nine touchdowns.

The Trojans were also effective through the air. Wide receiver Tim Grose snagged 10 touchdown receptions, while tight end Dimitri Skinsacos had finished close behind with eight.

But at the controls was quarterback Steve Trask, whose touchdown numbers surpassed his teammates. Trask finished the season with 24 total touchdowns (17 passing, seven rushing).

Trask’s presence could not be ignored throughout the season, as opposing defenses did their best to shut him down to no avail. In fact, his presence may have been too important, as he suffered a concussion on the second series of the Cheverus game. With Trask gone, the offense suffered and could only score seven points against the Stags.

“I think it took the wind out of our sail for a bit,” Thornton Academy head coach Kevin Kezal said after the game. “We kind of got over it, we just made a couple of huge mistakes in the second half.”

Thornton Academy also boasted a strong defense for almost the entire season. Before the Cheverus game, the most points the Trojans had allowed in a game was 14 on two different occasions to Massabesic.

Until Saturday, it had only allowed an average of six points per game. That was, until they met Spencer Cooke, Evan Jendrasko and Peter Gwilym of Cheverus, who ran for a combined 284 yards on the way to scoring 36 points.

The Trojans even had a top kicking game with Alex Howard, who finished with 51 points on the season.

It appears an era could possibly be over with the end of the 2009 season. Trask, Sheehan, Remmes and Grose will all graduate, with Skinsacos being the only returnee. Can the Trojans repeat the success of the past two seasons in 2010?

Tune in next September.

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535 ext. 317.