Freeport Prevails Over Dirigo 35-13 on Senior Night
FREEPORT — After Freeport quarterback Andrew Thomas threw an interception late in the first half, he knew the second half had to look different for the Falcons.
“Coach came over to me with the iPad, showed me what I did wrong,” Thomas said after Freeport’s 35-13 win over Dirigo. “I made the wrong read, but he was there. Everyone was there to support me. This is a great team, everyone just tried to lift me up. It was amazing.”
Dirigo’s Trevor Crosby intercepted that pass from Thomas and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the second quarter to cut Freeport’s lead to 15-13 at halftime. However, the Falcons took control in the second half, scoring 20 unanswered points.
“I personally struggled in the first half, threw two interceptions in one half,” Thomas admitted. “Our defense came up clutch, and after the half we just exploded and never stopped scoring.”
The Freeport offense was sparked early in the second half by a spectacular one-handed catch by Sam Walker, who hauled in a 35-yard gain to the Dirigo 10-yard line. Thomas took care of the rest on the very next play, running into the end zone to extend the Falcons’ lead to 22-13.
“(Sam’s) a very emotional player, loves the game, and him and I have a very fun relationship,” Freeport coach Paul St. Pierre said. “Sometimes when he gets upset, he plays better, so I find ways to motivate him throughout the game. I think I did, and he responded extremely well. I’m proud of him for making it. He’s going to remember that catch for probably the rest of his life.”
Sam Willard, who finished the night with 10 carries for 119 yards and two touchdowns (3 and 24 yards), called Walker’s catch “inspirational” and “just what we needed” to ignite the offense in the second half. Willard’s second touchdown gave Freeport a 29-13 lead with 3:32 left in the game.
“I just want to give a big shout-out to our linemen for the blocking,” Willard said. “They made it possible for me to get into that end zone, and all props go to them.”
Senior lineman Dietrich Schultz capped the scoring with his first career touchdown, a 2-yard run following a 9-yard gain on the previous play, with 1:47 remaining to put the game away.
Back and Forth First Half
Dirigo struck first on a 1-yard run by Tanner Bradeen, giving the Cougars a 7-0 lead midway through the opening quarter. Freeport answered four minutes later with Keigan Haveran’s 18-yard touchdown run, tying the score at 7-7.
Willard then gave the Falcons the lead with a 3-yard run. On the 2-point conversion, Thomas found Drew Pound in the end zone to make it 15-7 early in the second quarter. Dirigo’s Crosby responded with an 88-yard interception return, closing the gap to 15-13.
Dirigo attempted a 2-point conversion to tie the game but their pass was intercepted by Freeport’s defense.
“I think (Trevor’s) up to eight interceptions this year, [he’s returned] two or three to the house,” Dirigo coach Joshua Newhall said. “He’s incredibly smart, he calls probably 80% of our defense, and just reads and reacts. I can’t say enough nice things about the kid, I think he’s underrated… that’s just next level. He’s got wheels.”
Postseason Up Next
Dirigo’s roster has dwindled from 30 players at the start of the season, notably losing junior Hudson Lufkin—a two-way standout at quarterback and linebacker and one of the best players in Class D—to an ACL tear. Senior Brady Philbrick moved from receiver to replace Lufkin at quarterback.
“Brady went into a tough situation,” Newhall said. “Anybody stepping in after Hudson, it’s a tough spot. He hadn’t played quarterback for us, and I think tonight was tough. We had a hard time with some reads, but he ran the ball well. He threw a couple good balls, we dropped a couple balls that normally we wouldn’t drop. I think that playoff version of him will be a little different than what we saw tonight.”
Despite the loss, Dirigo (5-3) may secure the second seed in the Class D South playoffs, granting them a first-round bye and a home game in the semifinals. Freeport (5-3), on the other hand, could end up as the fifth seed and face a road game in next week’s quarterfinals.
Statistical Leaders
- Freeport: Sam Willard (10 carries, 119 yards, 2 TDs), Andrew Thomas (13 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD; 7-of-11 passing, 81 yards), Keigan Haveran (TD reception; 5 carries, 39 yards)
- Dirigo: Brady Philbrick (8-of-14 passing, 75 yards; 9 carries, 46 yards), Tanner Bradeen (4 carries, 13 yards, 1 TD), Caiden Skidgell (2 catches, 33 yards)
They Said It
Freeport coach Paul St. Pierre: “(Dirigo is) a great town, great program, and they fought hard. It could have been a whole different game if we were up at their place. I’m just very lucky that we were able to lock them down in the second half and get the win against a very good program.”
Dirigo coach Joshua Newhall: “Statistically, I think we’re one of the top defenses in turnovers, even statewide; it puts us at 18 interceptions this season. They bought into the culture early, they bought into what we wanted to do defensively, and we generate turnovers, we generate fumbles, we generate interceptions, we create pressure.”
Paul St. Pierre on his team: “This is a great team. I know we’ve had some losses. We’ve had other seasons where we’ve had better records, but these kids are just phenomenal. They’re a great group of kids. This has been one of the most fun seasons I’ve ever had. They come to work every single week, working hard. They watch film, they’re dedicated, they’re loyal, they work hard every day. I’m so proud to get this resolved on Senior Night. They all chipped in, whether it’s on the field, off the field. In games and practice, they’re doing all the right things, and I hope it carries over into their life. Who knows, 10, 20 years down the road, maybe they’re coaching, maybe they’re fathers of players.”
https://www.sunjournal.com/2025/10/24/freeport-football-surges-past-dirigo-in-second-half/