By Michael Hoffer
MaxPreps.com
It took a good chunk of the year, but the Windham Eagles are living up to preseason expectations.
Friday night, the Eagles found themselves down by 14 points on three different occasions to visiting Cheverus, but a relentless effort, a pair of huge special teams plays and tenacious defense down the stretch allowed them to rally for a 34-28 victory. The win likely locks up a home playoff date in two weeks.
Windham lost to Deering and Bonny Eagle to start the year, but hasn't stumbled since. Cheverus, meanwhile, fell at home to Bonny Eagle in its opener, then ran off five straight victories, including upset wins over South Portland, Gorham and Massabesic.
The Stags took a 7-0 lead just 16 seconds into the game when sophomore William Walsh scored on a 1-yard run, two plays after Windham fumbled on the opening kickoff. A Matt Place 39-yard scamper made it 14-0 with 8:04 to play in the opening quarter.
The Eagles righted the ship and got on the board on the first of four TD runs by Jack Mallis to make it a 14-7 game after one. A 10-yard Peter Gwilym to Andrew Poston scoring pass put Cheverus on top 21-7 early in the second, but another Mallis scoring burst made it a 21-14 contest at the break.
The Stags got another huge break to start the second half when Windham fumbled deep in its territory. One play later, Walsh broke free for a 20-yard TD run to make it 28-14, but little did anyone know that Cheverus wouldn't score again and that the game was about to turn.
After the Eagles got back to 28-21 on a Mallis run, senior David Ingraham delivered the play of the game, blocking a punt and falling on it in the end zone to tie the score.
“It was amazing,” Ingraham said. “No one was there to block me. We did what we needed to do and got in the holes. I was right there to block it and recover it in the end zone.”
“The block was huge,” Windham coach Matt Perkins added. “We work on that a lot. We almost had one earlier. We adjusted a shade there and it seemed to work.”
With 1:30 left in the third, Mallis ran 45-yards to paydirt and the Eagles were on top to stay, 34-28. Cheverus embarked on a long drive in the fourth period, which ate up over eight minutes, but the Stags fell short and Windham held on to improve to 5-2 on the season, dropping Cheverus to 5-2 as well.
In other notable action, Deering remained unbeaten by fighting off South Portland's upset bid, 27-7. Bonny Eagle got back in the win column by blanking host Portland 40-0. Thornton Academy stayed perfect by crushing Kennebunk 49-7. Marshwood essentially ended Biddeford's playoff hopes with a 28-20 triumph. Massabesic continued to cruise with a 34-12 victory at Scarborough.
The latest Western A Crabtree Points standings have the top eight in the following order:
1) Deering 7-0
2) Thornton Academy 7-0
3) Cheverus 5-2
4) Windham 5-2
5) Bonny Eagle 5-2
6) Massabesic 5-2
7) Marshwood 4-3
8) Gorham 4-3
Windham expects to finish even higher in the final accounting.
“This will put us in third spot,” Perkins said. “We have to take care of business next week against Westbrook. Knowing our style, we won't make it look easy. We have to work for it.”
Speaking of next week, the regular season comes to a close with several compelling rivalry games.
In the SMAA, undefeated Thornton Academy hosts Biddeford, Cheverus welcomes Deering, South Portland plays host to Portland, Gorham welcomes Bonny Eagle and Marshwood meets Noble.
The playoffs begin Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 with the quarterfinals.
Michael Hoffer is the sports editor of The Forecaster, a family of weekly newspapers based in Falmouth, Maine. He may be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
