The Maine Central Institute (MCI) Huskies football team ended up on the losing end in the state championship game the last two seasons. It looked like it would be more of the same at halftime of the class D state championship game on Saturday evening at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.
Eli Bussell capped of an improbable comeback with a 27 yard touchdown run as time expired to give the Huskies a 20-14 victory over Lisbon and MCI their first state title since 1974.
The Huskies (12-0) were set up for a game winning field goal attempt from Devon Varney. Bussell dropped the snap, picked it up and ran down the right side of the field and into the end zone.
Josh Buker made the dramatic finish possible. Buker threw for 196 yards and ran for 122 more. The best play may have been when Buker kept the ball on an option play from the Lisbon 22 yard line and flipped it to Bussell at the four yard line and Bussell ran it the rest of the way in. Varney kicked the extra point to even the score at 14 with 3:47 remaining.
Tyler Halls scored two touchdowns in the first half for the Greyhounds. Halls finished with 116 yards on 17 carries. Buker connected with Adam Bertrand from 56 yards for a third quarter score for MCI. Lisbon finishes the season 8-2.
