Maine high school football has created some intense rivalries over the years, but none is bigger than Thornton Academy vs Bonny Eagle in Class A South. The stage is set for Saturday at Hill Stadium for a regular-season rematch between two 9-1 teams. This game will determine who advances to the Class-A state championship game. This is also the second time the teams will meet this season after Thornton Academy walked away with a win, 42-21 win last month; the Trojans’ win also ended Bonny Eagle’s undefeated season. A true grudge match that will determine the cream of the crop in Class-A South.

The Road to the Semi-Final

The Trojans continued to roll and extended their winning streak by dominating the South Portland Red Riots this past Friday,  35-12. The offense continued to hum as Connor Ayoob got into the end zone multiple times, and the Thornton defense limited big plays from receivers Alex Horton and Darius Johnson.
Meanwhile, Bonny Eagle ran through Noble in their part of the bracket, rushing for 241 yards in a 27-12 victory. The Scots were led by Colby McCormack, who ran for 143 yards on 16 attempts. The defense came alive as well, creating four turnovers on the Knights’ offense. Both teams are at the peak of their powers heading into Saturday’s 1 o’clock kickoff.

Key Storylines:

The big storylines heading into the semi-final are based around the Scots’ defense, and they can make the adjustments necessary in the run department. Despite being knotted at 14 in their regular-season matchup at the end of the first half, the Trojans outscored the Scots 28-7 the rest of the way. By the end of it, Connor Ayoob carried the ball 40 times for 304 yards, and head coach Kevin Cooper admitted difficulties in stopping the Trojans’ run game.
This is a character game for the Scots, though, after a disappointing playoff exit last year, the Scots showed they were ready to win in the trenches and make it ugly on their opponents. Exhibit A was Noble. They look to carry that momentum into this rematch against the Trojans.

What to Know and Watch

Both these defenses are elite. Coming into this game, the Scots are allowing 10.8 points per game. The Trojans are averaging 11.3 points per game. If the Trojans can win the time of possession battle, they can wear out the Bonny Eagles’ defense and force the offense to come from behind. The main matchup is to look at running backs Connor Ayoob and Colby McCormack. These two will get bulk carries for both teams; whoever has more rushing yards by the end of the game will give you a pretty good insight into who won.

Stakes + Conclusion:

The Trojans have been on a beyond impressive run throughout the 2010s and 2020s so far; they want to keep this momentum going for this year and years to come; it’s more than bragging rights. However, the Scots have been the thorn in the side for years, not afraid to go into the Hill on a cold November day and win a shootout. This is about proving who is the real top dog of Class-A South in Maine. Regardless, we are all in for a treat. When these two teams meet in high stakes, it’s bound to be an intense, dramatic, heart-stopping game that will go down to the wire. For the Trojans, this is about sustaining excellence, proving that they are the class of the conference once again. For Bonny Eagle, it’s redemption and for proof that they will be a representative in this conference year in and year out once again.