Durham, n.h.
The Cardinals weren’t listening.
Stevens defeated the high-powered Lakers in the D-III championship game, 46-20, at the University of New Hampshire’s Wildcat Stadium on Saturday, securing the football program’s first state title since 1968 and the athletic department’s first team championship since 1989. For the Cardinals, many of whom said they used the long title drought as extra motivation, it was a dream come true. For others, like the couple of hundred supporters who made the early-morning trek to UNH, it was a weight lifted off their shoulders.
“They’ve done everything I’ve asked from the start of the season until today,” Silva said, his team finishing the year 9-2. “I just love these guys. I’m so proud of them for what they’ve done. You saw our fans. They travel with us no matter where we go: two hours to Somersworth, two hours here.
“I love the city of Claremont,” Silva added. “I love Stevens High School. It’s just so nice to give them a championship after it’s been that long.”
The Cardinals scored 32 straight points after the first quarter and added an insurance touchdown with 45 seconds remaining. Stevens outscored the Lakers, 30-6, in a second half that wasn’t close by any measure. But sophomore quarterback Henri Bourque didn’t let himself get comfortable, even with the lopsided score late in the game.
“I’m not one that (gets ahead of myself) until the clock hits zero,” he said, “because I’ve been there before.”
Bourque once again led the offense, completing 12 of 17 passes for 198 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Cardinals. Senior running back Richard Bell ran for 117 yards and three TDs. Parker Smith, Bourque’s favorite target this season, caught nine passes for 150 yards and a score. Zach O’Brien also caught a TD pass.
“We had seven turnovers the first time we played them,” Bell said, holding the D-III trophy close to his chest. “We have such a balanced team; that’s why people have trouble stopping us.”
Both teams scored on their opening drives, but a two-point conversion completion from Bourque to O’Brien put the Cardinals up, 8-7, early in the first quarter. Teams exchanged touchdowns in the second, with another Bourque two-point conversion pass to Bell that put the Cardinals up 16-14 at the half. Stevens was five-for-six on two-point conversions in the victory.
Smith was responsible for the game-winning touchdown. The senior wide receiver made a short-yardage catch from Bourque before shaking off a tackle and making a defender in the ILM secondary miss before running 61 yards down the left sideline to put Stevens ahead, 22-14. Smith caught the two-point conversion pass to give the Cardinals all the offense they needed.
Bell finished off a 4-minute, 13-second drive in the third quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run up the middle to give Stevens a 32-14 lead with 2:14 left to play. Junior offensive lineman Aiden Cahill charged out of the pile to midfield, pumping his fists and screaming at a jubilant Stevens sideline.
“We don’t have a huge-sized line, but I think we get underestimated,” Silva said. “We have some physical guys out there. We can hit people, we can throw the ball as you saw today, but we can run the ball when we have to. I think we’ve had that balance.
“We can come out of the huddle with the same personnel and run the ball, run spread. (InterLakes) can, too. They’re a dangerous team.”
Senior InterLakes-Moultonborough quarterback Ryan Kelly finished the game 14-for-25 passing for 250 yards and one touchdown. Andrew Brothers, the Lakers’ power running back, was limited to only 42 yards and two TDs. Penalties — nine of them, for 134 yards in losses — also hurt the Lakers, who lost their second consecutive division championship after falling to Newport last season. InterLakes could only muster 70 rushing yards on 25 carries out of 310 total yards of offense.
The Cardinals will have a much different look next season. Offensive stars Bell, Smith and O’Brien all graduate, and Bourque will need to find new weapons in what could be a much different team. But for the group of 10 seniors, the championship is a mission accomplished.
“I’ve had this dream since I was in third grade,” Smith said. “You can do anything you want in this world with brothers and teammates. With the group of guys that we have, anything is possible. … This is the hardest working group of kids I know.
“We haven’t had a championship since 1968,” he added. “Everyone in our community believed in us.”
Smith was asked if Saturday’s win was the kind of thing he would remember 15 years from now. He responded with a smile.
“How long am I going go to live?” he asked. “I’m going to remember this forever.”
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.