Spartans top Patriots in Golden Horseshoe Bowl
The Saint Paul Patriots senior football team, shown celebrating their Niagara championship, lost 21-3 to Lorne Park in the Golden Horseshoe Bowl Tuesday in Ottawa. Photo by PETER METHNER.
The Saint Paul Patriots senior football team’s magical post-season run came to a snowy end Tuesday at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa.
Playing against the Lorne Park Spartans in the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations’ (OFSAA) Golden Horseshoe Bowl, the Patriots fell 21-3 and saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end.
“It has been a great year and it’s the best group of guys that I could ever ask for,” Saint Paul slotback/defensive end Patrick Griffi said.
The six foot, 210-pounder saw his high school football career come to an end with the loss.
“It’s definitely sad, but there’s also a little feeling of joy because of all that we came through and all that we accomplished together.”
Saint Paul coach Mark Antonelli saw that sadness in the graduating 12B players.
“They were upset because it was their last moment, but to be able to win three out of four championships is pretty good,” Antonelli said. “Not everyone can bat a thousand.”
Saint Paul defeated Notre Dame to win the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association (NCAA) title and then edged A.N. Myer in the Niagara final before dumping Westmount in the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association Bowl.
“Coming out and playing a team that had won five of the last six OFSAA championships (bowls) was a good test for us and we will sit back and reflect,” Antonelli said. “I think all these kids are hungry and it was nice for them to taste this atmosphere.
“They are going to be hungry to try and get back and do it again.”
Will Schmahl, Jemar Graham, Griffi and Carlos Calderon are among the key players Saint Paul will lose to graduation, but key returning players include Grade 11 quarterback Devon Schiller-Cleveland and linebacker/fullback Jarrel Pappin. Pappin was the NCAA league’s defensive MVP.
“There’s some Grade 12 that may choose to leave but as of right now, it seems like they are all coming back,” Antonelli said. “We have a nice crop of juniors coming up and we are going to be in nice shape next year.”
On Tuesday, Lorne Park scored a TD on its first possession and the Patriots responded with a field goal on their first set of downs. Leading 7-3 at the half, the Spartans took control of the game in the third quarter with a pair of punt returns for touchdowns.
“Our defence didn’t get on the field until three minutes left in the third quarter,” Antonelli said. “That was pretty much the game because in those conditions it is hard to do much offensively.”
Antonelli singled out the play of Schmahl, Griffi and Marley McCray.
“It was physical,” Antonelli said. “We played them in exhibition and we knew what we were getting into with these guys.”
Griffi felt the game was lost in the trenches.
“It was a hard-hitting game and ultimately it just came down to our line not playing good enough,” he said. “Their O (offensive) line played well and they just made plays over us.”
The game was scheduled for 10 a.m., but started an hour late to allow plows a chance to remove 2-3 centimetres of snow off the field.
“It was pretty wild to see,” Antonelli said.
It was also wild for Antonelli to see the excitement of the Saint Paul players who were getting a rare chance to play in a Canadian Football League Stadium.
“When they were walking around during warmups, they were looking at the stands,” he said. “There weren’t a lot of fans, but a lot of them were talking about how hyped they would be if there was a sellout crowd.
“They were pretty in awe, they were relishing the moment and they were having a good time with it.”
STATS PACK
Spartans 21 Patriots 3
Mick and Angelo’s/Johnny Rocco’s Player of the Game: Saint Paul’s Will Schmahl with an interception.
For the Saint Paul Patriots: Nicholas Abbruscato, 15-yard field goal; Schmahl, pick; Devon Schiller-Cleveland, 8-19 passing for 80 yards; Carlos Calderon, five carries for 25 yards; Matthew Paul, two receptions for 42 yards; Zack Lundy, 5.5 tackles; Marley McCray, five tackles.
For the Lorne Park Spartans: Liam Bowman, two punt return TDs and one rushing major.
