The Thornton Academy football team deserves all of the accolades coming its way.

For the past two seasons, the Golden Trojans were on the outside looking in when it came to the Class A state title game, thanks to Cheverus. The Stags won the past two state titles, rolling to 34 straight wins. The Golden Trojans were always the bridesmaid, but never the bride, as they couldn’t get past Cheverus in the playoffs or beat them in the regular season.

Last season, the Golden Trojans came so close, leading at halftime of the Western Maine Class A title game. But a few untimely mistakes and a questionable referee call derailed Thornton’s chances of reaching the state title game, which Cheverus went on to win against Lawrence.

This season, Thornton looked primed to get over that Cheverus hump. It started the season at 6-0 and headed into a mid-October showdown with the Stags in Saco. It was a test to see if Thornton could finally surpass its Goliath. The Trojans failed and lost 28-14.

So, when Saturday’s Western Maine Class A title game came around, it was understandable that many pundits picked the Stags to repeat as Western Maine champs. After all, Thornton hadn’t proved it could beat Cheverus, so why would anything be different this time around, right?

While everyone was prepared for the status quo to  continue Saturday, the Golden Trojans didn’t get that memo.

Thornton out hit, out ran and simply out played Cheverus as it dominated defensively and offensively en route to a 20-13 Western Maine title win on Cheverus’ home field.

The boys from Saco obviously came to play as each tackle seemed a little more crisp, each run through the hole seemed a little harder and each play seemed a little better for TA.

David LaPauloue made one of the most important plays of the game when he blocked a point after attempt in the third quarter that would’ve tied the game at 14-14. Instead, Thornton got the ball back up 14-13 before Andrew Libby eventually sealed the game with his third touchdown run of the contest in the fourth quarter.

Cheverus had one last chance to tie or win the game late in the fourth, but the TA defense rose to the occasion, played like a champion, and kept Cheverus from the end zone.

The Golden Trojans looked like a team that had had enough of losing to the Stags. Thornton had beaten every other team in Class A. Sometimes in sports there is always that one team that gets into another’s mind, that wreaks havoc with its abilities and seems to be a proverbial wall blocking the team from its goal.

It’s fair to say that Cheverus was that roadblock for Thornton Academy, and it’s also fair to say that it has now been smoothly paved into an interstate heading toward success.

Thornton Academy hasn’t reached its ultimate goal of winning the state title. That chance will come this Saturday when it takes on 11-0 Lawrence out of Eastern Maine.

What is has done, however, is gotten the proverbial monkey off of its back. Thornton hasn’t played in a state title game since 1988, and none of the young men on its current team were alive when that history happened.

Don’t be surprised if these Trojans make history of their own Saturday and bring home another gold ball to Saco. After beating Cheverus, anything can happen.

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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.