Leavitt knocks off Oxford Hills in battle of state champions

The Class C state title winners a year ago held home court against the reigning Class A champs in an instant classic on Saturday.

There were a lot of questions heading into Saturday night’s showdown between the Oxford Hills and Leavitt, the reigning Class A and Class C state football champions respectively. When the Hornets received the opening kickoff, they didn’t waste much time showing Maine that the small school in Turner could play with anyone. 

Noah Carpenter, Leavitt’s quarterback and the 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year, took a run up the middle on the third play of the night for a 55-yard touchdown to give Leavitt the lead, one that it wouldn’t relinquish on its way to a 21-14 victory. 

Leavitt continued its undefeated season at 4-0, while Oxford Hills fell to 3-1. 

It was a battle of stars all over. One of the showdowns within the game was the quarterback battle. Maine high school football fans knew how good Carpenter was from last year’s performance, but Brady Truman played only a couple of games last season in relief of Eli Soehren. 

Truman struggled early on Saturday night. 

In his first drive, Truman led the Vikings to just-outside the red zone before throwing an interception to Landon Daigle on an outstanding defensive play. 

With momentum and a packed crowd behind them, the Hornets marched right back down the field behind run after run from Carpenter and Will Keach. With 11:11 left in the first half, Keach ran in a 17-yard touchdown to put Leavitt ahead 14-0. 

Oxford Hills needed an answer and quickly, but Leavitt continued its incredible start with an interception on Oxford Hills’ first play of the ensuing drive, this time by Brandon Bilodeau at midfield. 

Both teams traded punts back and forth for much of the second quarter as each program settled into the madness of Maine’s game of the week, possibly of the year. 

Truman, with a short field in front of him after a punt put Oxford Hills at Leavitt’s 42-yard line, ran the ball a couple of times and then passed to Nick Binette for a six-yard score with just 37 seconds remaining in the first half. The extra point was made and the Vikings trailed 14-7 and looked poised to go into the half with momentum and ready to receive the kickoff after the break. 

That was until Keach returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield. 30 seconds was more than enough time for Carpenter, who kicked off a 26-yard run and then connected with Aiden Turcotte up the right sideline for a 29-yard touchdown pass with eight seconds left. 

Instead of down just a touchdown, Oxford Hills went into the locker room trailing 21-7. 

Carpenter ended the first half with 144 total yards and two scores, while Oxford Hills mustered 114 total yards as a team, creating the difference in the half. 

Whatever happened in the first half was old news for Oxford Hills and Truman, who quickly shook off the cobwebs and put on a ruthless drive to begin the third quarter. 

Truman was five-for-five through the air for 59 yards, capping the drive off with a 25-yard score to Brayden Murch to cut the deficit to 21-14. 

On Oxford Hills’ second drive of the second half, defensive lineman Jace Negley sacked Truman for six yards late in the drive, followed a couple of plays later by an interception by Carpenter, who plays safety on defense for the Hornets. 

The interception lit a spark under the Hornets. Leavitt couldn’t find the end zone again, but the Hornets’ defense survived a 11-play drive at the end of the game, forcing a final incompletion on fourth down with 91 seconds to play. 

Carpenter finished the game with 156 total yards. Truman threw for 164 yards.