Marauders cruise into football semifinals
There were no messages being sent when the visiting A.N. Myer Marauders senior football team closed out the Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Tier 1 football regular season with a 36-0 victory over the Greater Fort Erie Gryphons.
The Marauders (6-0) didn’t care if they send a message to the rest of the league that they are unbeatable.
“I know they had a couple of guys out and our guys sensed that and it was all about execution,” Myer head coach Dave Buchanan said. “That’s all it has been about all year. We’re not worrying about who is in front of us because when we start thinking about that too much, it bites us in the butt.”
The Gryphons, for their part, weren’t concerned about maybe putting a few doubts in the head of the Marauders heading into the playoffs.
“We had some guys banged up and they could have played but I kept them out,” GFESS head coach Dave Sauer said. “I wasn’t going to risk it. Unless we scored 25 points in the first half, we were going to be in second no matter what.”
The Gryphons sat out their starting quarterback and, in hindsight, wished they would have sat out running back Keegan Mitchell. He is probably gone for the season after suffering a shoulder injury.
“That was the stuff we were trying to avoid today and it happened,” Sauer said. “That’s why we kept some big players out for us today.”
Greater Fort Erie finished in second place with a 4-2 record. Friday’s game was not the team’s best performance.
“We have lots of talent but mentally we cannot give that team that many opportunities and we did,” Sauer said. “They will not make mistakes and they will hurt you when you make them. That’s what happened today.”
Buchanan is anything but overconfident heading into the playoffs.
“This team (GFESS) can give us a go and Sir Winston played us tough the first time.”
He likes how his team is trending heading into the playoffs.
“We had a couple of injuries that really hurt, but guys have stepped up and we are evolving into a tougher team than we have been in the past.”
That toughness has been displayed in recent practices.
“This week was a great week of practice and, to be honest, one of our practices this week was more physical than this game,” Buchanan said.
He credits his 12B players for that toughness.
“Unfortunately for them and us, they have lost in some big games and it is haunting them a bit,” Buchanan said. “I try to get that out of their heads because they worry about it so much.
“But what they are doing, is stepping up and reminding guys each week to practice hard.”
One of those 12Bs is Trent Hunter, who had a pair of majors and a fumble recovery Friday night.
“I came back mainly for football and sports in general,” the 18-year-old said. “I came back to get a scholarship, get more looks from universities and to get bigger and stronger for university next year.”
The 5-foot-11, 180 pounder feels he had done a good job at achieving those personal goals. But he’s also big into team goals.
“I want to win for the team and for Myer,” he said.
Hunter has tasted defeat in the Niagara final the past two seasons, but feels there is a different vibe around the team this year.
“We are very close in the changeroom and everything , we are good friends and we hang out outside of school,” he said. “There is no drama on the team, we practice hard and we’re a good unit.”
Hunter expects that to pay dividends if things get tough.
“It is really going to help us out in the final game if there’s any adversity,” he said.
STATS PACK
Marauders 35 Gryphons 0
Johnny Rocco’s/Mick and Angelo’s/Cracker Jacks Player of the Game: A.N. Myer’s Trent Hunter with a 70-yard punt return TD, a 40-yard TD catch from Willy Jackman and a fumble recovery.
For the A.N. Myer Marauders: Hunter, two TDs; 40-yard TD pass from Jackman to Winfield Organ; seven-yard TD pas to Ethan Carmichael from Jackman; 62-yard TD pass Drake Somerville to Quinten Douglas; single point on missed field goal by Chris Bechkos; fumble recoveries by Alex Walters and Spencer Lelievre.
For the Greater Fort Erie Gryphons: No scoring.
