Marauders a different team
The A.N. Myer Marauders senior football defeated West Niagara 45-0 to advance to the NRHSAA Tier 1 football final. PETER METHNER PHOTO.
The A.N. Myer Marauders senior football team rolled into the Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Tier 1 championship game Thursday night with a 45-0 dismantling of the visiting West Niagara Wolfpack in the semifinals.
Myer will meet the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs in the final Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Myer. With their semifinal victories, Myer and Churchill have advanced to the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association semifinals Nov. 14 at A.N. Myer.
The Marauders left no doubt they would be returning to the championship game, putting up 314 yards of net offence in the first half against the Wolfpack while building a 31-0 lead.
“I think we competed hard,” Myer head coach Dave Buchanan said.
He felt the key point in his team’s year came in a pre-season jamboree at Queen’s against Holy Cross (not the St. Catharines one).
“It was one of the worst games I’ve seen our team play in a long time. We were undisciplined, we were missing assignments and there were a lot of things that I thought were not signs of a winning football team,” he said. “We are a different team now than we were then and that is because of attention from coaches to players to everybody to make sure that didn’t repeat itself.”
That newfound approach is evident on the field.
“I think we have a lot of opportunity on this team and it is a very good team. Each game we got better and better and today you saw that,” Buchanan said. “That team (West Niagara) is always competitive and hats off to their coaches who always get them to a competitive place. The score doesn’t always indicate how tough the game is too.”
That toughness was in evidence by some of Myer’s bigger players — in both size and importance — leaving the game with injuries.
“They played hard all the way to the end. We have a couple of injuries and hopefully they are not too bad. It is part of football and I get it.”
Earning player of the game honours for the Marauders was defensive back Joey Paonessa who recorded a pair of interceptions.
“He is a Grade 11 who has been asked to step in. We had our starting halfback out and he has stepped in and done it a couple of times this year,” Buchanan said. “He has played really, really well as a Grade 11. He followed his assignments, got two picks and he deserves player of the game.”
Buchanan likes what Paonessa brings to the field.
“He’s a gritty kid. He is not a big boy but he plays hard, he has a bit of an edge to him and he is coachable.”
The 5-foot-7, 150-pounder knew he would have to step in when Myer’s starter suffered a concussion in the last game.
“I was feeling pretty good. We played them already and we knew they were going to get better,” the 16-year-old said. “I just wanted to show up for the team.”
He is excited to be able to contribute on the field in his Grade 11 year.
“It’s great to be able to play in front of all the fans with everyone screaming your name. It’s crazy and I love it.”
Paonessa feels Myer’s discipline is what makes it a good team.
“Discipline is a big thing and we practise every day for two hours.”
He agrees the game versus Holy Cross was a key moment.
“He told us we had to lock in for the boys and now we are better.”
Paonessa is proud to be called gritty by his coach.
“If I get injured, I get up.”
West Niagara head coach Zack Silverthorne pointed to one main factor for his team’s demise.
“We can’t match their speed and that’s what it comes down to. We played OK and then all of a sudden you can’t catch up,” he said. “Our whole year has lacked a home run hitter. We nickel and dime and I think we threw four picks tonight. We are green at the quarterback but we are way better than what we were in our first match with them. But we don’t practice all summer and that shows.”
Despite not having a great record, Silverthorne was happy with his team’s season.
“We had a couple of losses by one score and we had a bunch of penalties but I loved the effort. We had good participation, good attendance, our junior program is coming along nicely and they are in the finals next week. We are getting better and we have beefed up the coaching staff. We are doing everything we can out in the west.”
One thing that needs to still happen is for the Wolfpack to start winning one-score games.
“For whatever reason, we are finding a way to lose as opposed to finding a way to win. We need to win a tight one.”
STATS PACK
Marauders 45 Wolfpack 0
Cat’s Caboose Player of the Game: Myer’s Joey Paonessa with two interceptions.
For the A.N. Myer Marauders: 90-yard TD pass from Noah Walters to Jonny Colcuc; seven-yard TD run by Aaron Falconer; 16-yard TD pass from Walters to Jarred Cappa; one-yard TD run by Walters; one-yard TD pass from Walters to Travis Boland; three-yard TD pass from Thomas Somerville to Johnny Baka; 33-yard field goal by Alessio Pingue; interceptions by Joey Paonessa (2), Boland and Luca Valvo.
For the West Niagara Wolfpack: Sack by Jacob Shaver.
Game stats: First downs: ANM 19, WN 7. Net offensive yards: ANM 393, WN 119. Turnovers: ANM 0, WN 5. Penalties: ANM 7 for 65 yards, WN 6 for 55 yards.
Up next: Myer hosts Churchill in the championship game Thursday at 3 p.m.
