PORTLAND — The top-seeded Wells football team cruised past Foxcroft Academy 48-0 to wrap up an undefeated season and a Class D state championship at Fitzpatrick Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Despite a slow start, the Warriors caught fire late in the first, and would go on to score six rushing touchdowns and seven overall to power their way to their second straight title.

“The difference was what we did in the summer time, what we did in the offseason and the ability to just keep going,” said Wells’ Nolan Potter, who led the Warriors with over 150 yards of rushing and two scores. “We had the endurance to keep playing at a high level and we were able to outplay them in the end. We’ve been a second half team all year, it sucks in the summer but this is when it’s all worth it and it pays off.”

Wells head coach Tim Roche felt that the momentum shift was thanks to a new approach, rather than an adjustment to the scheme.

“It wasn’t really an adjustment, I think the kids just said, ‘this is what we need to do, let’s run belly right down at them.’ We just started running belly at them and Nolan starts going, going, going and then you have to keep out off it,” said Roche. “It’s tough to stop that stuff, I wouldn’t want to defend us … we have a lot of threats.”

Potter got Wells on the board with just under four minutes left in the first on a 30-yard rush up the middle. Tyler Bridge would later haul in a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Michael Wrigley to make it 14-0 after one.

Wrigley’s legs then took over for Wells, as he scored three rushing touchdowns in the second quarter along with 29 yards to make it 34-0 at the half.

Potter would score on a 15-yard rush on the opening drive of the third, and Chad Fitzpatrick added a 1-yard score to extend the lead to 48-0 heading into the fourth. The Warriors would go on to close out the final quarter, and secure the title.

The Wells seniors came up big, scoring all seven touchdowns as well as collecting four interceptions on the day. Bridge had two, while Potter and Christian Saulnier added one each.

“This is a great group of seniors — a lot of them were first-year starters but they wanted it bad and it shows,” said Potter after the win. “I couldn’t be more proud of them … I’m so proud to be in this class and to go out on top is unreal.”

Roche was also proud of his senior leadership, and the impact they made on the program over the past four years.

“Those are the kids that drive your program, they are the leaders. Kids like Sean McCormack-Kuhman and Nolan Potter are in tears right now, and those are the things as a coach that makes you feel great. Knowing how much it means to them,” said Roche.

After losing 19 seniors to graduation last year, many wondered if the Warriors would be able to repeat their 2016 success. Roche felt that the players’ hard work paid off, and hopes to see a new group of leaders step up in 2018.

“I think when you lose 19, you aren’t really expecting this. It’s the kids — they work so hard to get here and it’s so great to watch that,” said Roche. “We talk too much about coaching, it comes down to what these kids want to do. This was a hard-working group and they wanted to win.”

— Associate Sports Editor Alex Sponseller can be reached at asponseller@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 323.