After Exeter pulled even on quarterback Michael Caron’s 10-yard pass to Sam Dulac and John Adams’s PAT with 1:23 to play, Londonderry took possession on its own 35-yard line with 1:14 on the clock. After a holding penalty negated an apparent touchdown, the Lancers (8-3) threw an incomplete pass before sending Thompson on the field.

“I knew it was good,” Thompson said. “I saw (Sam Odgen’s) hold, I visualized everything and it was just perfect. Psyched. There’s no other word.”

Londonderry coach Jimmy Lauzon said the goal was to get to at least the Exeter 25-yard line on the final drive to give Thompson a chance at a game-winning kick.

“We’re very lucky to have him and he came up big,” Lauzon said.

Halfback Daniel Batstone had three touchdown runs for Exeter (2, 3 and 1 yard). The Blue Hawks (11-1) trailed 21-0 after one quarter and 21-7 at halftime before Batstone scored twice in the third quarter to help tie the game, 21-21.

“Back to Exeter football (in the second half),” Exeter coach Bill Ball said. “Felt like we could move (the ball). Also, we came out a little more determined, I’ll say that. If you’re going to play in this program, you gotta be able to grind.”

Ogden, Londonderry’s starting quarterback, had two TD runs and tossed a 49-yard TD pass to Ethan Wheeler. The Lancers also scored on Jordan Ball’s 1-yard run.

Ogden’s 3-yard TD run plus Thompson’s PAT handed the Lancers a 28-21 lead with 6:56 to play, but Caron’s TD pass to Dulac capped a 13-play, 62-yard drive.

“Tough game,” Ball said. “Kind of a tale of two halves. Can’t say enough about this Exeter team. Wish it was a better fate for them.”

Londonderry will play fourth-seeded Pinkerton (10-2) in this coming Saturday’s Division I championship game. The Astros beat the Lancers 38-15 during the regular season. It will be Londonderry’s fourth straight appearance in the title game.

“They’re a great team with some great players,” Lauzon said. “They got the best of us the first time around. We’ll let the players enjoy this, but as coaches we’re going right to work on Pinkerton.”

Key players• Ogden’s rushing TDs came from 3 yards and 2 yards. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 58 yards on Londonderry’s final drive. One of the incompletions came on a spike. The other was when he threw the ball out of the end zone on first down to give Thompson time to attempt the game-winning field goal.

• Batstone ran for 112 yards and three TDs on 22 carries.

Key plays• It appeared Mason Paquette would be tackled after catching a short pass on Londonderry’s final drive, but he rolled off the defender and turned the reception into a 30-yard gain that put the ball on Exeter’s 6-yard line.

• Exeter trailed 21-0, but began to mount a comeback when it stopped Londonderry on a fourth-and-one play from the Exeter 48-yard line. The Blue Hawks then drove 52 yards in seven plays and got on the scoreboard when Batstone found the end zone from 2 yards away.