SOUTH PORTLAND — Thornton Academy won the Class A state championship last season, but that means nothing this year. South Portland proved as much, as the Red Riots out-played and ultimately out-scored the Trojans in a 26-13 victory in an SMAA football opener at Martin Memorial Field on Friday night.

“Give South Portland credit. They out-played us,” said Thornton head coach Kevin Kezal. “We knew they were a good team. It’s not like we were looking past them.”

The Red Riots drove 79 yards and scored on their first drive, capped off by a 25-yard touchdown pass from Duncan Preston to Jaren Muller.

Thornton’s Andrew Libby took the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to the South Portland 42-yard line, but came up injured on the play, and did not return to the game. Kezal didn’t comment on the severity of the injury, or speculate if Libby will miss the Trojans’ next game.

“When any team loses one of their best players, it’s certainly a blow,” said South Portland head coach Steve Stinson.

Jesse Meikle took over for Libby as the Trojans’ primary running back, and was able to drive Thornton down to the Red Riot 5-yard line in four carries, highlighted by a 30-yard scamper. The Trojans failed to score, however, as sophomore quarterback Austin McCrum threw incomplete passes on third and fourth downs.

Preston led the Red Riots on another touchdown drive, hitting Joey DiBiase on a check-down for a 70-yard touchdown.

After Thornton failed to get the ball into South Portland territory, the Red Riots put together another scoring drive, capped off by a Preston touchdown pass to Jordan Susi. After missing extra points after their first two scores, the Red Riots went for two, but Preston was stopped shy of the goal line, making it 18-0.

McCrum led a touchdown drive for the Trojans late in the first half, hitting Cody Lynn on a 28-yard touchdown pass to cap it off.

The Trojans got the ball to start the second half, but didn’t have possession for long, as McCrum was picked off by Jackson Haynes three plays in.

Thornton forced the Red Riots to punt for the first time in the game, but the Trojans ensuing possession ended in a turnover on downs when Meikle was stopped on 4th-and-inches.

Jack Grondin stopped South Portland’s next drive with an interception,  but Thornton couldn’t score after getting inside the red zone. A bad snap and two incomplete passes gave the ball back to the Red Riots at their own 10-yard line.

Greg Ruff intercepted a Preston pass on South Portland’s next possession, and McCrum connected with Carter Davis for a 25-yard touchdown pass two plays later, cutting the deficit to 18-13.

That was as close as the Trojans got, as Preston threw another touchdown pass, this time to Susi for 19 yards.

“He’s a heck of a player. He’s 200 pounds. He runs well,” Kezal said of Preston.

The Trojans attempted a comeback, but a turnover on downs and another interception sealed the upset for the Red Riots.

“To come out and get rewarded on the first Friday night of the fall against the defending-state champs does nothing but improve morale,” said Stinson.

Kezal was ready to move past the loss after the game, knowing he has a long season ahead of him.

“One game does not make a season,” he said.

—Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.