Redcoats, Golden Eagles sit atop Tier 2
The Governor Simcoe Redcoats and Thorold Golden Eagles are at the top of the pile through two weeks of play in the Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Tier 2 senior football league.
Both teams improved to 2-0 with wins Friday. The Redcoats pounded the Stamford Hornets (0-2) 45-0 and the Golden Eagles grounded the Eden Flyers (1-1) by a 33-14 margin.
REDCOATS 45 HORNETS 0
The visiting Redcoats were too much for the Hornets Friday.
“The team played really well on both sides of the ball. We executed the game plan and after a great week of practice we had the opportunity of getting a lot of players into the game,” Simcoe head coach Jamie Brophy said. “We are looking forward to a great game next week versus Eden. We had contributions from a number of different players and saw some really good development from a number of new players.”
Helping Simcoe record the win were: Noah Budgell with a two-yard rushing touchdown; Cole Harpwood with an 18-yard rushing major; Ed Palumbo with a three-yard rushing touchdown; Carter Small with a 18-yard TD run, 100-yard punt return for a major and a two-point convert on a pass from Budgell; Sawyer Cotton with a 10-yard TD run; Austin Wojchewski with a 50-yard field goal; Calum Moores with two interceptions; and, Dwight Vassel and Mehki Chambers with single interceptions.
No information was available from Stamford.
GOLDEN EAGLES 33 FLYERS 14
The Golden Eagles improved to 2-0 at home with the victory.
“We moved the ball well all game. Our O-Line played very well which allowed us to move the ball,” Thorold head coach Duane Kemp said. “On defence, our D coordinator Griffin Stapley had the D very well-prepared and we did a nice job of containing the Eden backfield. Similar to last week, it was nice to get everyone in for meaningful reps. Lots of room for growth but we are very happy with the start to the season.”
Playing well for Thorold were: Kaleb Locatelli with a 40-yard TD pass to Tyrese Gibson; Gibson with an 18-yard TD run; Isaac Hiebert with a five- yard TD run; Locatelli with a five-yard TD run; Tyrel Walters with a two-point convert reception from Blake Sider; Sider with 55 yards passing; Locatelli with 75 yards passing; Braeden Genest with 75 yards rushing; Garet MacPherson with a 25-yard field goal and two converts; Carson DeRoos with an interception and fumble recovery; tackles for losses by Rasaam Hooshmand, Lucas Smith, Mark Toussaint, and Kole Stevens; and, Jack Imerese with a pass breakup.
Scoring for Eden late in the game were a pair of Grade 9 players. Jacob Bergen scored on a 70-yard run and Isiah Benjamin caught a 65-yard pass from Graham Reid.
“We have great numbers this year but that also means a lot of players who are new to football. I made the decision that we would go with two complete platoons early in the season along with special teams to get as many players involved as possible so it’s going to take some time,” Eden head coach Bob Krzeczkowski said.
SPARTANS 50 SAINTS 0
The Westlane Spartans senior football team evened its NRHSAA Tier 2 football record at 1-1 with a 51-0 blanking of the visiting St. Catharines Collegiate Saints (0-2) Thursday.
Westlane scored on its first three drives and never looked back.
“The kids played well. It feels good to get the W. The win is a result of having a good week of practice. Collegiate never quit and played hard the entire game,” Westlane head coach Dean Mazzone said.
Sparking the Spartans to the victory were: Noah del Mundo who caught a 50-yard TD pass from Kian Gregory; Ethan Callender who caught a 75-yard TD pass and ran 45 yards for another major; Jack Slade who caught a 43-yard TD pass; Gavin Bailey who caught a 19-yard TD pass from Pruthvi Patel; Matt Bowan who had a 64-yard rushing major; and, the entire defence which played well.
The Spartans are at Stamford next Friday at 1 p.m.
“Despite a one-sided result on the scoreboard, our play improved week over week. Valuable experience gained today will serve us well in future games,” Collegiate head coach Nathan Greene said. “The consistent effort will pay dividends. We just need to stay the course.”
Leading the way for the Saints were: Tyson Clavel with 58 yards rushing and 2-12 passing for nine yards; Jacob Gough with six carries for 18 yards; Roman Typer with five rushes for eight yards; Colin McMillan with three rushes for 15 yards; and, Lucas Hamilton and Aaron Goertzen who played well defensively.
