On Friday, Portland faced Bangor in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The Portland Bulldogs simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Bangor Rams 35-7 on the road. Considering the Bulldogs have won five games by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Portland's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Louis Thurston led the charge by rushing for 59 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing for 81 yards and a touchdown. Portland also got a significant boost from Cordell Jones, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 107 yards.
Another reason for the win was Portland's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. In that department, Colin Kelly was the leader with two. He also set a new season high mark in total tackles with six.
The win (which was Portland's third in a row) raised their record to 5-1. As for Bangor, their defeat was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-5.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Portland will square off against Thornton Academy at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Thornton Academy knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past four contests -- so hopefully Portland likes a good challenge. As for Bangor, they will take on Winnacunnet at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
