TURNER — The final score and the yardage numbers scream of another Leavitt football rout, and the Hornets looked every bit the defending Class B champions in a 55-14 Homecoming bashing of Belfast before more than 2,000 fans Saturday night at Libby Field.

Leavitt found itself in an honest-to-goodness game, though. If you don’t believe it, ask Jordan Hersom this morning.

The junior quarterback had run for one touchdown, thrown for another and believed he was on his way to a first-quarter hat trick when a 5-foot-5, 140-pound tank named Baxter Smith leveled him on an option carry in the open field.

Hersom writhed in immediate agony, rolled over … and then was glad he didn’t partake in too many of the county fair-style concession stands in pre-game.

“I didn’t see him coming at all. All of a sudden there was a helmet in my chest,” Hersom said. “I couldn’t breathe, and I threw up four or five times. I was all set after that.”

And so were the Hornets (3-0), who had already pretty much staked their claim to a 15th consecutive victory.

Jason Fisher finished that drive with a 35-yard touchdown run while Hersom recuperated on the sideline.

Hersom returned to engineer three more scoring drives, with a Devin Long kick return touchdown mixed in for good measure, to build a 47-6 disparity at the half.

“We said all week with these guys that they’re a physical team and it’s a proud football town,” Leavitt coach Mike Hathaway said. “They’re not going to come up here and lay down.”

But Leavitt was too deep, too quick, too talented and too much for the Lions (1-2).

The Hornets rolled up 529 of their 552 total yards on the ground, with Hersom (nine carries, 143 yards) leading three backs in triple digits.

Long added 126 yards, including an 87-yard explosion to set up his own 9-yard TD. Fisher chipped in 101 yards and a score. Jake Ouellette lugged it eight times for 67 yards and reached the end zone twice.

Leavitt’s average gain behind the offensive line of Jesse Pelletier, Zach Frost, Max Cloutier, Jake Posik, James Morin and tight end Jack Griffin went for 16 yards.

Lucas Witham caught Hersom’s TD pass, Leavitt’s lone completion of the night.

“When we lost a few guys last year to graduation, we knew coming into it that we had other guys that we just didn’t have to use last year,” Fisher said. “Now we’re coming into it and stepping up. A lot of it comes up front. Winning the line scrimmage helps with the offense and defense.”

Yes, let’s not forget the defense. Leavitt sacked Belfast quarterback Brad Reed six times, with Dylan Moore and Pelletier combining for four of those.

Hersom and Christian McBreairty had interceptions.

“We knew coming into the game that they like to run the option. We tried to focus on that,” Hersom said. “They actually did a good job executing a couple of those for big yards.”

Belfast’s misdirection fooled the Hornets early in the second quarter, springing Lani Eversage for a 71-yard touchdown run and making it 28-6.

Long’s 72-yard return of the ensuing kick provided a prompt response.

“We played well. It was a good half of football,” Hathaway said. “It’s good to be able to spread the ball around. We need to be more than one or two guys. When you can get everyone the ball, it makes it a lot tougher to defend us.

“Overall I like where we are, and if we keep getting better we’ll be in good shape.”

Eversage, who led Belfast with 96 yards rushing, caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Reed in the closing seconds.

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