PORTLAND – As stressful series go, Lisbon High School’s final scoring march Saturday in the Class C football championship doesn’t rate immediate comparisons to The Drive of 1997.

The Greyhounds were one point and 96 yards in the hole that frosty afternoon, after all. This time, the scoreboard said they were in control.

Lisbon knew better.

“We felt that if we didn’t go for it and try to make something happen at that time,” said Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan, “we were going to lose the game.”

Thirteen tense and cleverly chosen plays later, it was time to start applying fingerprints and kisses to the Gold Ball. Lisbon converted three third downs and one fourth down, swallowing up nearly seven minutes to finish off Foxcroft, 30-14, for its second straight state title.

After seeing a blocked punt and a fumbled squib kick lead to two Foxcroft touchdowns and evaporate most of its hard-earned 20-0 lead, Lisbon attacked 62 yards of artificial turf with the brazenness of burglars.

Nobody would have known it from the Greyhounds’ relatively unchallenged march through the Campbell Conference this season, but apparently desperation becomes them.

“We stole their fire,” said fullback Ryan Giusto.

“They made some plays to get momentum,” added tailback Dan Willis, “but we took it right back.”

Well, not immediately. Brad Bellemare and Jon Geiger combined to corral Willis for a two-yard pickup on first down. Next, Evan Worthing stopped Mike Unterkoefler’s quarterback keeper for no gain.

On third-and-8, Zach Bubar made his third catch of the day and the one that might have stopped the Ponies from completing one of the most unthinkable comebacks ever in a state final. Unterkoefler spotted Bubar behind the secondary for a 30-yard gain down the Lisbon sideline.

Next in the parade of heroes: Joe Stevens. The senior flanker and scat back initially made a 9-yard grab in the right flat on second-and-14, gaining back what Lisbon previously lost on a false start penalty.

Unterkoefler found Stevens again on third-and-5, this time for 10 yards along the left side, advancing Lisbon to the Foxcroft 15.

Consecutive three-yard pushes by Giusto, Unterkoefler and Willis left the Greyhounds with fourth down and a chain link at the 5. Unterkoefler barreled ahead for a yard and a fresh set of downs.

Willis lost a yard on first-and-goal. Giusto gained it back, plus one to grow on, to set up third-and-goal from the 3.

The right side of Lisbon’s out-sized offensive line created a vacuum for Willis on the next play, and the senior punctuated his team’s tour of Fitzpatrick Stadium with a dive into the end zone that channeled Walter Payton.

With that flourish, the Greyhounds hit a peak that has escaped almost every high school team in Maine history. It eluded even the resilient team that drove the length of Keyes Field at Lawrence High School to a state crown nine years ago.

Twelve games, twelve wins.

“That’s amazing,” Willis said. “We have a pretty storied program, and with a 12-0 season we accomplished something that hadn’t been done in at least 50 years of trying.”