Cheverus 6

Bonny Eagle 41

Amid the hype and hoopla of the first game of the 2007 football season, Bonny Eagle’s Nate Doehler threw for three touchdowns and scored two on the ground to defeat the Cheverus Stags, 41-6 in Western Class A action.

The Scots took control of the game immediately after they won the opening coin toss. Ricky Hoyt caught the kick off on the 10-yard line, and sprinted 90 yards downfield to put Bonny Eagle up 6-0. They converted the extra point to put the score to 7-0 after only a few seconds.

“We work awful hard on our special teams,” said Bonny Eagle head coach Kevin Cooper. “The kids that are on those teams during practice, they really have to get after it. So it was nice to see those kids rewarded with such a big play right off the bat.”

Cheverus, needing to respond, came back to march down the field on big runs from tailback Topher Pochebit, rushing 35 yards on the Stags’ first possession. Cheverus quarterback Vinnie Ciampi then scored on a short QB keeper. The Stags didn’t hit the extra point, so Bonny Eagle remained in the lead, 7-6. This was the closest the score would be for the rest of the game.

“The score is not very indicative of how well Cheverus played,” said Cooper. “They were very aggressive, and we really had to battle in order to get the win.”

Bonny Eagle made the score 13-6 at the end of the first quarter on Doehler’s first rushing touchdown, a seven-yard sweep.

Bonny Eagle’s defense shut down the Stags’ offense on the following possession, and after a turnover on downs, Doehler connected with Travis Dunn for his first touchdown throw of the young season.

The Bonny Eagle defense soon struck again, recovering a fumble and giving the Scots control of the ball. Doehler responded by throwing his second touchdown pass of the game, a 43-yard bomb to John Onesti. The extra point put the score at 27-6 in favor of Bonny Eagle.

“I think Nate would even say he didn’t have the best preseason, so for him to have this good a game is great, and that’s what we needed,” said Cooper. “For him to spread it around, you know, he had multiple options. So you see him hit Travis Dunn for a touchdown, and then you see him hit John Onesti for a touchdown. The more weapons we can put on the field, the better our offense is going to be.”

“Bonny Eagle played well,” said Cheverus head coach John Wolfgram. “They played very well, and deserved to win.”

Onesti scored in the third quarter on Doehler’s third touchdown pass, bringing the score up to 34-6. Onesti had two touchdown receptions for a combined 59 yards. The final touchdown of the game came after Josh Speerin intercepted a Vinnie Ciampi throw, and Doehler followed up with his second score on the ground, a 13-yard rush to bring the score to 41-6.

Stepping up for Cheverus on offense were tailbacks Topher Pochebit, who rushed for 57 yards, Nate Wiley, who rushed for 50 yards, and John Savasuk, who rushed for 70 yards.

After the victory, Cooper respectfully dismissed the numerous outlets that pick the Bonny Eagle Scots as the top football team in Maine. “Twelve wins is what gets us a gold ball,” said Cooper.

“Most people that are part of a football organization really understand that the preseason picks don’t mean a whole lot,” Cooper explains. “We certainly were flattered that we’re thought so highly of. We’d certainly rather be thought of as a great football team rather than a poor one, but we’re not resting on those laurels at all. We know we have to go out and work if we want to accomplish our goals.”

Bonny Eagle will be on the road against Windham for their next game, scheduled for Sept. 7, while Cheverus will be home against South Portland Sept. 8.