High schools Saturday: Kennebunk football stuns Cheverus with late TD
Kennebunk pulls out a hard‑fought 21‑17 win over Cheverus in a Class B South football matchup that played out in Portland on Saturday.
The Rams, whose record is now 2‑1, took the lead twice in the second half, but the Stags, 1‑2, kept the pressure on until the final minutes. The game saw five lead changes after the break, with the final touchdown coming from an 82‑yard play by senior running back Bradley Farrell on a pass from quarterback Giovanni D’Elia with 1:58 left on the clock.
The only score of the first half was a 39‑yard field goal by Cheverus’ Jackson Holmes, less than two minutes into the contest. Cheverus went ahead 17‑14 with 7:50 remaining in the second half when Colton Jewett connected with AJ Lauture for a 25‑yard touchdown pass. The Stags forced a fourth‑and‑3 on the ensuing drive, elected to punt, and gave the Rams a chance to take control from their own 16‑yard line.
D’Elia quickly rolled out, finding Farrell wide open behind the Cheverus defense. The junior back hauled the ball near midfield and sprinted it in, giving Kennebunk a 21‑17 advantage that would prove decisive.
Kennebunk had the first score of the second half after Peter Landenberger returned the opening kickoff to the Cheverus 32‑yard line. An 18‑yard pass from D’Elia to Ethan White, followed by a 27‑yard throw on fourth‑and‑8, kept the drive alive. Landenberger capped the drive with a three‑yard touchdown run.
Cheverus answered quickly when Will Baker rushed for a one‑yard touchdown. With eight seconds left in the third quarter, a face‑mask penalty on the Cheverus defense gave the Rams a fresh set of downs. Ethan White took the ball on the ensuing play and ran it in from 55 yards away, putting Kennebunk back in front and sealing the win.
The game showcased several standout performances. D’Elia finished with a game‑high 262 passing yards, while Farrell recorded 108 rushing yards on 13 carries. White contributed a 55‑yard rushing touchdown and two more first‑half yardage gains.
Cheverus’ offense was limited to 226 total yards and three turnovers, while Kennebunk’s defense forced four sacks and a forced fumble.
With the victory, Kennebunk moves to 2‑1 on the season, and Cheverus remains 1‑2. The Rams’ triumph comes ahead of their next matchup in the Class B South schedule, where they’ll seek to build momentum toward the postseason.
