FAIRFIELD —Thornton Academy finally took down a feared Cheverus football team that ran the table for years. But the state title isn’t theirs just yet, as they still have to face the Eastern Class A powerhouse Lawrence Bulldogs (11-0) for the state title.

“We came into our season expecting big things, as we have 20 seniors on the team. Most of those seniors played as juniors a season before against Cheverus in the state game,” said Lawrence head coach John Hersom. “We knew we had some pretty good depth and some positions were already solidified so we knew what we had coming in.”

The Bulldogs have been one of the most dominant teams in the recent decade, consistently putting together teams that made title runs. Over the last seven years, the Bulldogs have won the Eastern Class A title four times and the state title once, in 2006 over Gorham 14-13.

“I give all the credit to our success to the players,” said Hersom. “I’ve been here seven years and we have had some great results, but the players deserve all the credit. We have been to four state games during my time here and we have been very fortunate that we’re getting the results we are.”

Lawrence pounded opponents this season by having a point margin of 25 or more eight times during the season and playoffs. They never scored under 21 points in a game during the regular season and had four games of 40 points or more. When Lawrence scores, they score in bunches.

“The team really knows how to prepare. They have really bought into the philosophy that we respect our opponent regardless of their record, and we hone in on what we need to do to prepare to be successful. We always preach win in practice and the good things will take care of themselves on Friday nights,” said Hersom.

The success of the potent Lawrence offense comes from its speedy running game. Where the Bulldogs lack in size, they make up in speed and technique. Spencer Carey is a three-year starter at quarterback who leads the offense on the field and in the locker room. Anthony Sementelli is the leading rusher who has compiled almost 1,000 yards this season on the ground. He is an important piece for a team that features a run-first offense.

Defensively, the Bulldogs held opponents to single digits in points in six of the 11 games played. They never allowed any opponent to score more than 20 points on them during the season. They rely heavily on their speed on defense, challenging offenses to run through their swarm tackling. One key player on defense is Luke Lawrence, who plays linebacker for the Bulldogs.

Lawrence is not a team to sleep on. The Bulldogs may be outmatched in size, but their numbers show they can gameplan around any team.

“We don’t have great size, and we’re a little concerned about matching up against a team like Thornton, who does have far more size than we do. But a lot of the things we hear about ourselves coming from other opponents is that we are extremely quick and aggressive. We play our positions well and know our assignments and some of that makes up for the size disadvantage,” said Hersom.

Lawrence prides itself on a rich tradition that the community gets behind. All around town, signs were up for the Bulldogs, wishing them good luck in Portland this weekend.

“We have a really tight community and program where we anticipate getting the results we have. This program has been built on that tradition and it’s something our players and team strive for,” said Hersom.

—Contact Nate Fowler at 282-1535, Ext. 323.