Golden Eagles advance to final
Evan Ferguson was all over the field for the Thorold Golden Eagles Friday afternoon.
The Grade 12B player ran for a touchdown, played on special teams and defence, and even added a single with a punt through the end zone.
Ferguson’s efforts helped lead the Golden Eagles past the Grimsby Eagles 25-0 in a Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Tier 2 semifinal football game played at Sir Winston Churchill.
The Golden Eagles now advance to the Tier 2 championship final versus the Governor Simcoe Redcoats next Thursday.
“We are 7-0 and we’re just ready for the championship,” Ferguson said. “We’re going to try and hopefully go all the way.
“I’ve only been in one championship game (2016) and I hope to make it two.”
Ferguson, who scored Thorold’s first touchdown on an eight-yard sweep in the first quarter, gave props to his teammates for a solid effort from start to finish.
“I think it came down to heart, whoever wanted it more, and it just turned out our team wanted it a lot more,” he said.
Ferguson recently started playing on both sides of the ball.
“I started the season on offence and for the past couple of games they put me on defence to test it out to see how it is and it’s been pretty good,” he said.
Thorold head coach Duane Kemp loves Ferguson’s adaptability.
“With Julian Race doing a great job at running back as well, we have a nice two-headed monster so it allows each guy to get a little bit of a break and it also gives him (Ferguson) a chance play a little bit of D,” Kemp said. “It’s always good to see the field from the other side.”
Kemp was thrilled with both his club’s execution and effort.
“Very pleased,” he said. “Our starts haven’t always been the best, but I felt we really manned-up for today.
“I’m proud of our guys. They played hard and played disciplined and worked their butts off. They deserved it.”
The Eagles, who captured the Tier 2 championship last season, could never get untracked on either side of the ball.
“For whatever reason, we were flat,” Grimsby coach Zach Silverthorne said. “They were flat on the bench and offensively and defensively. We started to wake up near the end of the second quarter, but we don’t know why (they were flat).
“They beat us to the punch. They were more gritty and they blocked a lot better and our best players weren’t our best players.”
Silverthorne said the loss points out how difficult it can be to win every season.
“Last year we bring the program back and go 8-1 and win the whole thing. That’s a Cinderella story. This year it’s a little more humbling.
“The guys have had a taste of both ends. We’re not quitting. We’re coming back next year.”
Kemp can’t wait for next week.
“The Redcoats are coming,” he smiled. “It’s always going to be tough to beat a team for a third time. We know what they bring and they know what we bring.
“We’re where we want to be but we haven’t finished the job yet.”
Stats Pack
Golden Eagles 25 Eagles 0
Johnny Rocco’s/Mick and Angelo’s Star of the Game: Thorold’s Evan Ferguson with a touchdown, several good runs, and a single.
Thorold Golden Eagles: Ferguson TD, single; Julian Race rushing TD, Koby Jeffrey TD reception; Victor Garcia 3 converts, 1 field goal; Jacob Turner, Caleb Turner interceptions; Blake Suntz fumble recovery.
Grimsby Eagles: No scoring. Mike Farmer interception.
Through the air: Thorold quarterback Yvan Canlas, 2-for-9 with one TD pass and two interceptions; Grimsby quarterback Justin Dawe-Meyers 3-for-8 with two interceptions.
Up next: Tier 2 championship final versus the Governor Simcoe Redcoats next Thursday at 1 p.m. The game will be played in Thorold, field permitting.
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