Spears self implode
What could have been a celebratory evening for the Niagara Spears turned into a night of frustration, anger and disappointment.
The Spears were celebrating their 20th anniversary Saturday night at Kiwanis Field and were looking for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive in the U18 AAA division of the Ontario Summer Football League.
Instead, the Spears dropped an ugly 25-8 decision to the previously winless Oakville Titans in undisciplined effort that saw the Spears whistled down for seven unnecessary roughness penalties and also have a player ejected following a skirmish on the sidelines.
Spears head coach Brian Duguay was understandably incensed after the game and let his team have it in the post-game cool down in the zone.
“It’s very frustrating. We talked about it every week. We talk about it after every game, after every practice. It’s an emotional game but we let our emotions take over. You can’t get into situations like we did into at the very beginning,” Duguay said. “We lost a player because the player was . . . I used a word you can’t print but that was selfish.
“That wasn’t a team game.”
Things got off to a rocky start with the teams sniping at each other before the opening whistle and carried all the way through to the end of the game while they were shaking hands. The Titans were also called for seven unnecessary roughness or objectionable conduct penalties while a parent was ejected from the stands by officials.
“They let their raw emotions take over. They’re too good of football players (for that),” Duguay lamented.
Worse, the lack of discipline affected the Spears performance.
“We couldn’t get into any rhythm, we couldn’t do anything to get things going because everyone is still mentally on a negative,” Duguay said. “When you’re thinking negative all the time and you have that negative concept, you’re not in the game. You’re not playing up to your potential. You’re letting them dictate.”
The Spears have a week off before getting back to action Friday, July 12 at Burlington.
“Now we’re going to be in the second division so we’re still fighting,” Duguay said. “I have to look at the schedule and the standings. I was really hoping we would walk away with the W here and next week we walk away with the W and that would have put us at 4-4 and in good fighting position.”
Duguay was so frustrated he even questioned his future.
“Today was our 20th anniversary and I’ve been coaching for 40 some odd years and I’m ready to call it because they don’t want to play the game and that frustrates me,” he said. “I’m really, really ashamed that we played like that on the day we had. Twenty years and this is what we came out with.”
STATS PACK
Titans 25 Spears 8
Niagara Spears: Keshaun Johnston 80-yard TD; Ethan Hampshire convert; Matthew Murray 7-19 for 138 yards, 80-yard TD pass; Elijah Jama 51 yards rushing; Nick Jubenville 5 solo tackles, 5 assist tackles, 1 tackle for a loss; Cole Stewart 5 solo tackles, 4 assist tackles, 1 solo sack; Devon Dulmage 4 solo tackles, 3 assist tackles; Jacob Shannon interception.
Oakville Titans: Bauer Bryony, TD; Aiden Cinder TD; Marcus Repair 2 field goals, two converts, rouge; Four points scored on two safeties.
Up next: The Spears have a week off before getting back to action Friday, July 12 at Burlington.
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