Game 1: Leavitt 26, Cape Elizabeth 7
The Hornets dominated the line of scrimmage in the second half, out-gaining the Capers by a margin of 200 yards to 49 and dominating time of possession.
Leavitt started quickly, too, recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff to set up a 21-yard run by Nate Coombs. Later, Coombs covered the same distance on a pass from Tyler Chicoine to open a 14-0 lead.
After a defensive stand that allowed the Hornets to maintain a 14-7 margin at the half, Leavitt turned to Conor O’Malley and its bruising offensive line to put it away. O’Malley rushed for 65 of his team-high 98 yards after the break. Billy Bedard and Nate Rousseau each added a second-half touchdown.
Game 2: Leavitt 14, Yarmouth 7
The Hornets’ biggest scare of the season came under a host of bizarre circumstances. First, the game was expected to be played at Deering High School in Portland before Yarmouth’s new turf surface was deemed ready. The game was moved to Thursday night in deference to the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, only to be rained out. Friday’s kickoff time was 5 p.m. in hopes of finishing the game before sunset, and more heavy rain fell during much of the contest.
Yarmouth took advantage of Leavitt’s flat start to build a 7-6 halftime. Matt Woodbury’s fumble recovery in Hornet territory led to a Thomas Lord TD and Ben Still’s extra point. Leavitt answered quickly with a Coombs 2-yard score, but the ensuing kick failed.
Leavitt wore down the Clippers, though, limiting the hosts to 133 total yards and eventually taking the lead on a Nate Rousseau TD with 10 minutes to go. Levi Morin and Clay Rowland picked off passes to preserve the victory.
Game 3: Leavitt 52, Gray-New Gloucester 0
The Hornets kicked off a streak of four mid-season maulings with a Homecoming rout of the Patriots. Leavitt limited Gray-NG to one first down in the first half while rambling to a 38-0 advantage.
O’Malley, Rousseau and Coombs all scored touchdowns for Leavitt. Chicoine connected with Sam Green and Mitchel Davis for scores through the air. O’Malley and Matt Roddy each had a first-half fumble recovery for the Hornets’ defense, which held the Patriots to 24 yards before intermission.
Game 4: Leavitt 62, Poland 0
The Hornets’ aerial attack enjoyed one of its best nights of the season, with Chicoine collecting 190 yards and four touchdowns. Coombs caught two and Sam Green and Nate Rousseau each added another.
Leavitt allowed only 71 yards of Poland offense while extending its scoreless streak to 10 quarters. Zach Rollins provided the defensive highlight with a 23-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown. The Knights’ deepest drive of the night only reached the Leavitt 35, where Nick Nason knocked down a pass on fourth down.
Game 5: Leavitt 62, Lake Region 0
You would have to thumb through the entire history book, but it’s unlikely that any team in Maine high school history ever won consecutive games by this identically lopsided score.
It could have been worse. Leavitt had two touchdowns called back due to penalties, and the second half was played with a running clock.
The Hornets rolled up 690 yards while allowing 40. Chicoine continued his midseason aerial assault with 225 yards, including touchdown passes to Green and Adam Poulin. O’Malley and Coombs each topped the century mark on the ground and combined for three scores.
Game 6: Leavitt 61, Mountain Valley 0
The Hornets again raced into the 60-something bracket, racking up 609 yards. Seven different Leavitt players scored, including two touchdowns each from O’Malley and Bedard.
It marked the first regular-season revival of this geographic rivalry in more than a decade. Mountain Valley held the most recent bragging rights after beating Leavitt in the 2010 Class B state championship game.
Poulin and Morin picked off passes for Leavitt, which permitted only three first downs and 52 total yards by the Falcons.
Game 7: Leavitt 34, Wells 12
O’Malley was sidelined early with an injury, but Rousseau erupted for 121 yards in a reserve role, and the Hornets passed their first serious test in more than a month.
Leavitt’s streak of 19 scoreless quarters ended when Wells drove to a touchdown run by Michael Curtis after an ill-fated fake punt by the Hornets. Before that, though, TD runs by Poulin and Coombs secured a 14-6 halftime lead.
Rousseau rushed for three second-half touchdowns and the Hornets’ defense sacked Warriors quarterback Nate Booth four times.
Game 8: Leavitt 25, Spruce Mountain 6
There were 10 turnovers in a surprisingly messy game between the top two teams in Western C, but the Hornets forced six of them and systematically pulled away to the win in Livermore Falls.
Rousseau rushed 31 times for 158 yards and two second-quarter touchdowns, answering an early strike from Peter Theriault to Matt Vigue and giving the Hornets a 14-6 halftime cushion.
After an apparent Phoenix touchdown was wiped out by a holding penalty, Leavitt punter Davis barely scrambled for a first down when he muffed the snap deep in Spruce territory. That led to a 14-yard TD run by Bedard. Coombs rushed for another score in the fourth quarter. Leavitt held Spruce star Vigue to 17 rushing yards on a dozen carries.
Game 9: Leavitt 21, Cape Elizabeth 9
The bye week was good medicine for O’Malley, who returned from his leg injury to run for a 78-yard TD immediately following a Leavitt fumble recovery and help the Hornets’ halt a two-game losing streak in the postseason.
Bedard had a touchdown rushing and another throwing to Coombs for Leavitt, which served up a shutout until Davis took an intentional safety with six minutes left. Cape tacked on a touchdown before Leavitt recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock.
In addition to the drive-killing scoop, Leavitt held Cape to 47 yards in the first half.
Game 10: Leavitt 48, Spruce Mountain 21
Again, the Phoenix scored first. Again, the Hornets scored often. This time it was good for their fourth regional championship in five seasons and sixth since 1995.
Spruce trailed only 21-14 at the half before two interceptions by Rowland in the third quarter, leading to touchdowns by O’Malley, Coombs and Bedard. Coombs gained 161 all-purpose yards.
Roddy chipped in a fumble recovery, leading to one of three unanswered first-half TDs for Leavitt.
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