MEREDITH - Pat Sanborn stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for the men in stripes to decide the fate of his football team's season. An extended arm to Sanborn's left would mean Winnisquam's season was still alive. To the right, and it was all over.

What was the result? Well, Sanborn's body language said it all.

The senior running back's head dropped, his chin pressed tightly to his chest - a disappointed gesture he'd demonstrate again shortly thereafter while gazing down at the Division VI runner-up plaque.

"They knew we were going to run the ball and they played a great game against us," Sanborn said of top-seeded Inter-Lakes, which capped off its undefeated 11-0 season in D-VI with a 6-0 blanking of the Bears yesterday. "We played hard, we played tough, we left it all out there."

The Bears' go-to guy, Sanborn consistently provided Winnisquam with the big play at the right time all season. Whether it was short yardage, long yardage or even a touchdown, Sanborn was clutch. Yesterday, however, was a different story. But by no fault or from a lack of trying by the brawny back. The Inter-Lakes defense was simply that good.

"This was a great defensive game," Inter-Lakes Coach Paul Lavigne said. "Our defense's ability to bend but not break was evident today."

Sanborn finished the tightly-contested game with 102 yards on 18 carries and noted that when he and the rest of the Bears look back on this game "we'll keep our heads high and know we played a good game." But there might also be a pair of moments he will personally look back on and say: what if?

The first came with less than five minutes remaining in the game. After starting the drive deep inside their own territory - a common trend for their offense all day - the Bears worked the ball across midfield with a mix of power from Sanborn and speed from junior Kyle Pratt.

Faced with a fourth-and-2 on the Inter-Lakes 42-yard line, the Bears gave the ball to Sanborn, who blasted into the line before being taken down. The spot, while a questionable one from the Winnisquam sideline, came up about six inches short of the first down. The Bears turned the ball over on downs, and with 4:26 to play the Lakers took over.

"A first down there and who knows what happens," said Winnisquam Coach Pat Riberdy, whose team came into yesterday's game averaging more than 33 points per game. "It was a big surprise (to be shut out)."

The Bears would get one more shot, however. Winnisquam's defense, led by Sanborn, Cody Smart, CJ Kevlin and Justin Dorr, forced Inter-Lakes's leading rusher Kevin Brady (33 carries for 143 yards, TD) and the Lakers offense into a quick three-and-out, leaving the Bears offense with 2:54 to march 77 yards to pay dirt.

It looked like they might do just that when they reached the 50 with 1:45 remaining. But after totaling just 6 yards on its next three plays, Winnisquam faced yet another fourth down. Out of timeouts and 55.3 seconds showing on the clock, the Bears lined up on fourth-and-4 with their season on the line. And there was no doubt who the ball was going to.

Faking a quick pass to the left, quarterback Derick Jenness spun around and hit Sanborn with a screen pass to the right. Sanborn caught the ball and bulled his way toward the 40, which would be enough for the first down. With a gang of Lakers draped across him, Sanborn fell forward, but not far enough. After a swift deliberation, the officials deemed it wasn't good enough for a new set of downs - all but clinching the Lakers' first football title.

"We knew that was what they were going to do," Lavigne said. "He's a great runner and you know you're going to give up 100 yards. It's just a matter of keeping him at 100 and not 200."

Sanborn finished with 102 yesterday. Had Inter-Lakes yielded him 103, maybe it would have been the Bears eventually celebrating their first football championship.

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