LEWISTON — Who needs lunch and dinner?
Jeff Keene probably lost both six minutes into Saturday night’s Eastern Class A football semifinal. The Lewiston High School senior also might have saved the Blue Devils’ season in the process.
Keene overcame a 20-yard deficit to take down Jordan Rysdham of Brunswick and deny the Dragons a sure touchdown.
The only problem: Keene hit the water-logged ground at Don Roux Field on the side of his body that already was home to a cracked rib.
Thankfully for Keene, he made the tackle near Lewiston’s sideline. Somehow, he stumbled to safety.
Five minutes later he was still perched on one knee — and still vomiting.
“I don’t remember much about it. I guess it gave me the momentum I needed,” Keene said, almost with a straight face. “I was good to go after that, although I couldn’t really breathe normally for most of the first half.”
Maybe that explains why Keene threw an interception on a halfback option pass shortly before halftime.
But we’d be splitting hairs, big time, if we ended the story there.
Keene had a pretty good night for somebody working on an empty stomach and an oxygen deficit.
He rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns, grabbed a 9-yard reception, intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble, powering Lewiston to a 20-7 victory over Brunswick.
Lewiston (8-2) earned its first berth in the Pine Tree Conference championship game since 2002. The Devils will play at Bangor on Friday night.
“Jeff talks a lot lately about ‘playing in a panic.’ When you’re a senior, every game, every carry could be your last,” said Lewiston coach Bill County. “That’s how he played tonight.”
Keene’s tackle at the end of the 50-yard Rysdham ramble was somewhat lost in the shuffle of a second-half Lewiston offensive flurry.
It was County’s immediate choice for play of the game, however costly it could have been.
“For the next 10 minutes we were in ‘Jeff, are you OK?’ mode,” County said. “Then he just kind of looked up and said, ‘I’m going to play, Coach.’ “
Keene bounced back with a solo shot on fullback Keith Kitchens to end Brunswick’s next series, silencing Kitchens for no gain on third-and-3.
Playing with a flak jacket since suffering the injury last month, Keene showed no reservations about sacrificing his body on either of his interceptions.
He stretched out, ribs prone, to step in front of Garrett Erb and deny Ezra Drehobl’s prayer on a fake punt.
On the Dragons’ next possession, Drehobl looked for Rysdham in more conventional fashion over the middle, only to have Keene take the proper angle and win the jump ball.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had any interceptions except when we play Brunswick for some reason,” Keene said. “I had a pick-six (touchdown return) another time, and now two tonight.”
All that, and it was still scoreless at the half. But Keene was merely catching his breath.
He ran 25 yards for the Blue Devils’ first score, capping a 10-play, 80-yard drive out of the locker room.
“His style, he makes that inside move and just breaks it outside,” County said. “(Fullback) Joe McKinnon, with the work he does on those trap and belly plays, kind of makes that possible.”
Keene scooped up a Kitchens fumble to set up Lewiston’s second touchdown.
“Our game against Edward Little (a 26-7 loss two weeks ago), I couldn’t really do much as a defensive back (because of the injury),” Keene said. “The past couple weeks I’ve wanted to do whatever I can to play my role.”
In the fourth quarter, Keene’s 16-yard jaunt converted third-and-13 and set up his second score from 5 yards out.
Keene’s panic theme hit home with County when he looked at the scoreboard while walking off the field at halftime.
“You really do become like a family. I know only one team goes all the way, but you really just want to walk away knowing you have at least one more week together,” said the coach.
The family will make at least one more two-hour trip north. Keene, though wounded, is sure to play.
“We’ve been together since the FLY league in elementary school,” he said. “You don’t want to play your last game at home.”
There is one good thing about home, of course.
It’s where Keene was able to fully enjoy a well-deserved — and necessary — postgame meal Saturday night.
koakes@sunjournal.com
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