Big Mac attack too much for Reds
Austin MacRae was in midseason form for the Saint Michael Mustangs in their season opener Thursday.
The 16-year-old, Grade 11 quarterback ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Mustangs defeated the Denis Morris 36-14 to open the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association senior boys football season at DM.
“It’s a confidence boost in the first game, I think,” MacRae said. “It’s like we keep rolling from here.
“We wanted to come in today and move the ball around and get players used to playing the game at a fast pace and get down our plays because we started late but I think we’re working well.”
MacRae was equally dangerous throwing or running.
“I like to make something out of nothing. If I’m reading the field and I can’t see anything, I like to take off and use my legs and also like to sling the ball and get it to different players,” he said.
MacRae led the Niagara Spears junior varsity squad to a Tier 2 Ontario Summer Football League championship this summer and feels that experience will carry over to the high school level.
“It helped me a lot. I feel I learned a lot at the Spears, to read the field more and trust my arm more and read coverages on defence,” MacRae said.
Mustangs coach Brian Carter loves MacRae’s skill set.
“He’s unbelievable because it keeps the defence honest. It’s three threats for one guy and then you have the other guys who can catch and run with the ball too so you have multiple options,” Carter said.
The Mustangs jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead after one quarter and led 22-0 at the half and as the offence clicked from the opening snap.
“We have a lot of different weapons we can use which is nice and that keeps teams off balance a little bit so that’s a huge asset for sure,” Carter said. “We just need to stay healthy and keep everyone healthy as a team and I think we’ll be a hard team to play against.”
Carter feels there is still room for improvement, particularly on defence.
“This (opener) is by far the most frustrating game as players and coaches because everyone’s emotions are high. You’re so excited to play and there’s a lot of moving pieces in football people don’t really appreciate between equipment and the players and the positions and special teams. It’s very tough but we made it through the first game and every game we’ll be typically a little better team to play against offensively.
“Defensively, we have a lot of young guys, new guys, so we have to sort out who can play and figure out what the game is. We have to clean up some silly little things.”
DM coach Steve Roach appreciated his team’s work ethic and feels the best is yet to come.
“I asked my guys to play hard for four quarters, keep moving their feet, and they did that,” Roach said. “The motto this season is Roll Reds. We’ve got a lot of energy and we’re going to keep working. We’ve got a lot of pieces that we’re going to keep working on and I think good things are going to happen for us.”
STATS PACK
Mustangs 36 Reds 14
Cat’s Caboose Player of the Game: Saint Michael quarterback Austin MacRae who ran for two touchdowns and threw for another.
Saint Michael Mustangs: MacRae 2 touchdowns; Luka Bielich Dermott touchdown; Luke Cuthbert touchdown; Jake Salvatore touchdown; Max Marinas 5 coverts, single.
Denis Morris Reds: Nate Chmielewski fumble recovery for touchdown; Lincoln Marsh-Hall touchdown; Luca Marcone two converts.
Up next: Denis Morris visits Holy Cross Friday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. Saint Michael plays host to Blessed Trinity Thursday, Sept. 28 at Noon.
Dear reader. If you liked this story or one of the 5,300 other stories found on our website, please consider hitting the Support Us button on the right-hand side of our home page and making a PayPal contribution to our website. Your support would be much appreciated. If you are a business owner, please consider advertising on our site. Our rates are reasonable and we provide plenty of exposure for your business. Contact bpotrecz@outlook.com for more information.
