LEWISTON — Kris Gagne punishes guys who are trying to score touchdowns. He has gashed defenses on behalf of backs such as Ronnie Turner and Andrew Pulk who frequent the end zone.

Pounding his own cleats upon paydirt is the stuff of Gagne’s foggy football fantasies. Which is precisely why the 5-foot-10, 220-pound senior probably still was cradling a certain souvenir when he received his visit from Mr. Sandman late Friday night.

Gagne scooped up Jake Hall’s fumble and scampered 11 uncontested yards to glory late in the third quarter at Don Roux Field, applying the wrapping paper to Lewiston’s 26-0 opening night Pine Tree Conference Class A victory over Oxford Hills.

Pulk’s second sack of the night pried the ball from the end of quarterback Hall’s half-cocked arm. Gagne, who was on the scene and ready to pounce if Hall squirmed away from his classmate, laid his eyes on the leather and felt those pupils grow round as the near-full moon overhead.

“Lineman’s dream,” Gagne said when asked if he’d ever scored a touchdown while wearing pads. “No. Never. In the schoolyard. I didn’t believe it. I thought they would call it an incomplete pass. Then I saw a flag and I thought, oh, it’s not going to count.”

That infraction against Oxford Hills was promptly declined, and Gagne and Lewiston could catch their breath and relish the signature play of a smothering defensive effort.

The Blue Devils sacked Hall four times. Hall punted 10 times but never completed a pass. Subtracting Nate Dubois’ brilliance (22 rushes, 132 yards) from the equation, Lewiston limited the rest of Oxford Hills’ offense to a net minus-2 yards.

Lewiston coach Bill County, himself a former high school and college lineman, couldn’t help but smile as he watched Gagne walk away from the post-game huddle with the football glued to his rib cage.

“Defensively it was just as I expected. We’re pretty quick to the ball,” County said. “I was a little unsure what to expect from (Oxford Hills) tonight, because their two scrimmages just like ours were played in the rain. And last year they came out, spread the field and threw the ball all around.”

Gagne also led an offensive front five with seniors Bradley Esty, Jake Tanguay and Monte Scott and junior Ben Wigant that provided the time and space for Lewiston’s balanced offense to shine.

Ronnie Turner completed 6-of-16 for 135 yards through the air. He rushed for first-half touchdowns of 1 and 6 yards.

Pulk (14 carries, 76 yards) carried the load in the backfield after Jeff Keene (8 for 61) left with an apparent left knee injury. Sophomore Jeff Turcotte — no relation to the University of Maine’s Jared, but touted as next in the line of succession of Lewiston’s outstanding backs — tacked on an electrifying 49-yard TD scamper with two minutes left.

Oxford Hills earned ample respect after a winless and draining 2008 campaign in which the Vikings surrendered more than 40 points per game.

“We’re happy. We made a huge step defensively tonight,” said Oxford Hills coach Nate Danforth. “Last year it would have been a lot worse. The kids fought right to the fourth quarter.”

Asher White sacked Turner twice. Dubois forced a fourth-quarter fumble that George Turner recovered for the Vikings.

“Nate, Jake and Asher, those guys never came off the field,” Danforth said. “We have some other seniors who need to step up and be leaders who aren’t right now. Maybe we weren’t in as good a shape as we could have been. Some of our kids were dragging.”

Turner’s touchdowns punctuated Lewiston drives of 79 and 70 yards. Blais’ 36-yard grab from Turner keyed the first series. Keene’s 25-yard scamper set up the second.

Oxford Hills’ best scoring opportunity came at the end of the first half after Dubois’ runs of 28 and 12 yards moved the Vikings to the Lewiston 22 with five seconds left. Nick Weekes knocked down Hall’s bid for Eli Dolloff in the end zone at the horn.

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