Two Class D championship runs showed Oak Hill the value of regular-season losses as teachable moments and motivators.
The Raiders were knocked off by Old Orchard Beach and Winthrop in 2013 and Dirigo in 2014 before hoisting championship gold.
Now Oak Hill enters the Class D South title game undefeated, at home, against a Lisbon team that has dominated four consecutive opponents since dropping a 27-18 decision at Oak Hill in October. The Greyhounds mildly resemble the Raiders of yesteryear, heavy with sophomores and juniors at key positions, controlling the clock and reveling in the fact that they’re not flush with star power.
And don’t think that Oak Hill head coach/Lisbon alum Stacen Doucette hasn’t noticed.
“Midway through the year they went back to old-school physical football. I think they did that the week before we played them,” Doucette said. “They have gotten better and better at that, with a little trick here and there to expand on that. I think it has made them a better team. They eat up the clock. They play keep-away better than any team. It kinds of reminds me of the old Boothbay teams (of the 1990s).”
Oak Hill (9-0) and Lisbon (7-2) meet at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The winner will face the North champion, Maine Central Institute, at the University of Maine next Friday, Nov. 20.
Separated by about eight miles of travel time on Routes 126 and 9, Oak Hill and Lisbon meet for the eighth time since 2012. The Raiders have won every regular-season game and each previous playoff rematch, including a 7-6 head-knocker in last year’s regional title game.
“I just think they’ve had some really good leadership over there lately,” Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan. “They’re used to making that play, and when you’re used to making it, you look for it.”
Lisbon led this season’s previous meeting 6-0 in the second quarter until a sack and forced fumble by Connor Elwell set up a long touchdown return by Steven Gilbert.
The Raiders also recovered a loose ball at the goal line in the fourth quarter to escape with the lead in the 2014 final at Lisbon.
“Last game they turned the ball over to us and stopped us. We fumbled to them and they returned it for a touchdown,” Mynahan said. “They take advantage of their situations and we don’t, and maybe a lot of that has to do with having a young team, too.”
Led by junior quarterback Tyler Halls and junior fullback Noah Francis, Lisbon’s offense also features three juniors and two sophomores on the line.
Tyrese Joseph and Henry Adams are the top receivers for Halls, who has completed 67 percent of his passes while accounting for six total touchdowns in the Greyhounds’ playoff wins over Boothbay and Dirigo.
Lisbon relied heavily on Francis and Halls to churn out short gains in the regular-season clash, ultimately running more than twice as many plays as did Oak Hill.
“I think the game is going to be won in the offensive and defensive lines,” Doucette said. “They were young up there. They’re physical. When you play a whole season, you’re not young anymore.”
Oak Hill is weakened slightly in the trenches by a knee injury to Brendon Tervo, but seniors Garrett Gile and Austin Goucher are three-year starters.
So is Dalton Therrien, who has been impeccable in his second season at quarterback with 1,936 total yards, 28 combined touchdowns and no turnovers.
“He is a playmaker,” Doucette said. “There’s no substitute for speed. We try to put him in situations where he can be successful.”
Levi Buteau (587 yards) and Cruz Poirier (454) complement Therrien out of the backfield. Jonah Martin (22 receptions, 369 yards, 6 touchdowns) leads a receiving corps in which Connor Nilsson, Colby Spencer, Darryn Bailey and Gilbert are equal threats.
Blake Berube, Kurtis Bolton, Lucas Francis, Jared Glover and Tanton Mattson headline a Lisbon defense that hasn’t allowed a first-half touchdown on its current winning streak.
“We try to bend a little bit but not break, and it’s worked pretty well for us, but Oak Hill is a different character team altogether,” Mynahan said. “They throw that ball and they have the opportunity to break any game open because of their offensive power.”
Oak Hill enters the game with heavy hearts after the sudden death of longtime youth football coach Steve Labbe, 47, on Sunday.
“The seniors know this is their last home game, and I think it’s special. It’s good for the community,” Doucette said. “The community is in a little bit of pain this week. I think it’s going to help with the healing process. I think everybody that was special to Steve will be here.”
koakes@sunjournal.com
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