Brunswick running back Mitch Lienert runs for a touchdown against Lawrence during the Class B North Regional title game Friday night at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. (Rich Abrahamson / Kennebec Journal)

BRUNSWICK — When the Brunswick High School football team advanced to the State Class B Championship in 2018, running back Owen Richardson was only able to watch, sidelined throughout most of the season with a broken collarbone and helpless as the Dragons fell to Marshwood, 49-0.

Next Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, Richardson will be front and center.

The senior rushed for 301 yards and a pair of scores as the Dragons cruised to a 42-14 Class B North Regional Final victory over third-seeded Lawrence on Friday, sending Brunswick to its fifth State Class B title game in the past six seasons.

Brunswick will face Class B South champ Marshwood again, which defeated Kennebunk, 32-6, on Saturday. It will be the fourth state final meeting in six years betweens the Dragons and Hawks.

“It means everything,” said Richardson after celebrating with his teammates and coaches. “Everybody on my team has worked so hard to get to this point. Being on the sidelines last year, not being able to help my teammates, it hurt a lot. I am very happy to be able to help my team on Saturday. It means everything to us, going into school, getting waves and boosting school spirit.”

Brunswick players celebrate their 42-14 victory over Lawrence in Brunswick on Friday. (Rich Abrahamson / Kennebec Journal)

After the Dragons were bit right out of the gate by a 90-yard kickoff return by Lawrence returner Paul Morneau for a 7-0 Bulldog lead, the Dragons marched 80 yards on six plays. Richardson busted off a 37-yard run, and Cody Larson finished the quick drive with a 4-yard TD burst.

Throughout the season, Cam Folsom has provided the point-after kicks for the Dragons. This time around, Brunswick coach Dan Cooper decided to leave his offense on the field, with Richardson busting through the line for the 2-point conversion and an 8-7 Dragon lead.

“We knew (Morneau) was a great player and he made a great return there,” said Cooper. “We realized it is a four-quarter game, and if we played well we would begin to separate. We wanted to take momentum away from them. We went for two there after that first touchdown, and we wanted to turn the tide and take the lead. We did.”

“Our coaches did a miraculous job in not letting us get down after that kickoff return, and we capitalized on not putting our heads down,” Richardson added.

Lawrence’s first offensive series produced just six yards, forcing a punt. Richardson made quick work of Brunswick’s second drive, finding a hole on the first play and sprinting 64 yards to paydirt. Cam Hathaway put in the conversion for a 16-7 Dragon advantage just 3:59 into the game.

“When you have speed on your team, it is the ultimate separator,” Cooper said after his Dragons upped their lead to 22-7 when quarterback Noah Goddard bounced off the Lawrence defensive line on a quarterback sneak and sprinted outside to the pylon.

Not lost on Cooper was the ability to play on Bowdoin College’s Whittier Field as the high school field in Brunswick was unplayable due to this week’s icy weather.

“We played here all season, and it is an awesome place to play football,” the Brunswick coach said.

Richardson’s second touchdown run — from 14-yards out — upped Brunswick’s edge to 28-7 early in the second quarter. In all, the senior ran for 246 yards in the opening half on just 12 carries, crediting his line for providing holes to run through.

“I know that my linemen, where everybody doubted them coming into the season, have worked so hard this season. I am so proud of them,” Richardson said.

Lawrence didn’t go into the halftime intermission quietly. A Brunswick punt pinned the Bulldogs at their own one-yard line with 2:24 on the clock. A run by Matthew Trombley gave the visitors some room. Quarterback Dylan Coombs’ high, fluttering pass was caught by receiver Chris Dow for a 48-yard gain, and two plays later, Coombs found Nic Blaisdell on a screen pass, with the tight end turning it into a 29-yard touchdown to draw the Bulldogs to 28-14 at the break.

Second-half possession

Brunswick relied on its quick-strike offense throughout its undefeated season. But in the second half against Lawrence (9-2), the Dragons turned to a ball-control attack to wear the Bulldogs down.

The Dragons opened the second half with an 80-yard, 12-play drive that ate up six minutes of the play clock. Brunswick converted a pair of short third downs to keep the drive alive, and on fourth down, Goddard threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Chandler Coombs for a 36-14 lead.

“Skowhegan came back on us, and Lawrence came back on us late in the first half tonight. We wanted to leave no doubt and separate,” said Cooper. “Kudos to Lawrence, We had to make a lot of third- and fourth-down conversions to keep the ball.”

“When we do pass, no one is expecting it with the running backs that we have,” said Goddard (3-of-7, 42 yards, TD) of his touchdown pass. “Watching those running backs do their thing is awesome for me.”

Lawrence fumbled away its first snap of the second half, with Goddard, who also had a first-half interception, recovering at the Bulldog 43-yard line. Mitch Lienert quickly made the Bulldogs pay, finding a giant opening and sprinting 43 yards for a 42-14 Brunswick lead with 5:37 left in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs lost another fumble on their second possession of the half, and the Dragons ran 5:42 off the clock before a game-clinching eight-minute drive closed things out. Brunswick possessed the ball for nearly 20 minutes in the second half.

“We locked up on defense, and that was all that we could do,” said Goddard. “Our success on offense was the result of great play calling. We converted on short yardage and didn’t score right away, allowing us to maintain possession.”

Lienert finished with 117 yards on 12 carries, while Larson chipped in 75 yards on nine lugs. Brunswick rushed for 542 yards on 58 carries.

Morneau led the Bulldogs with 48 yards on nine rushes, while Dylan Coombs was 8-of-16 for 169 passing yards. Nickerson hauled in four passes for 65 yards, with Blaisdell chipping in two receptions for 50 yards and a score.

No. 1 Brunswick 42, No. 3 Lawrence 14

Class B North Regional Football Final

Friday at Bowdoin College’s Whittier Field

Lawrence — 7 7 0 0 — 14

Brunswick — 22 6 14 0 — 42

First quarter

L — Paul Morneau 90 kickoff return (Zach Nickerson kick), 11:48.

B — Cody Larson 4 run (Owen Richardson run), 9:36.

B — Owen Richardson 64 run (Cam Hathaway run), 8:01.

B — Noah Goddard 1 run (run failed), 1:21.

Second quarter

B — Owen Richardson 14 run (kick failed), 10:06.

L — Nic Blaisdell 29 pass from Dylan Coombs (Zach Nickerson kick), :53.

Third quarter

B — Chandler Coombs 23 pass from Noah Goddard (Cam Hathaway run), 5:59.

B — Mitch Lienert 43 run (run failed), 5:37.

Records — Brunswick 11-0, Lawrence 9-2.

Up next for the Dragons — Saturday, Nov. 23 in State Class B Championship against Marshwood at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, time TBA.