Marauders roll into football semifinals
The A.N. Marauders senior football team (5-0) completed another undefeated Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Tier 1 regular season with a 45-7 victory over the Greater Fort Erie Gryphons (3-2).
Contributing to the A.N. Myer victory were: Dallas Bone, 45-yard TD reception from Ryan James and a 33-yard field goal; Jerry Nyambiya, 10-yard TD run; Mateo Corritore, one-yard TD run and five-yard TD reception from James; 35-yard TD pass from James to Winfield Organ, James, one-yard TD run; Chris Beckos, interception; and, Devon Naylor, fumble recovery.
For the Gryphons, Riley Borelli recorded the lone major on a 60-yard pass from Donovan Morgan.
“Myer is a big, strong and athletic team and they are coached well,” GFESS head coach Dave Sauer said. “They were better than us on offence and defence and they overwhelm you as the game goes on.”
The game was scoreless after the first quarter and then the Marauders capitalized on a couple of Gryphons mistakes.
“They are too good to give them opportunities,” he said.
Next up for the Gryphons is a semifinal game versus the Westlane Spartans.
“The last two years all of our games have been close hard-hitting games,” Sauer said. “I am positive Wednesday will be the same.”
The Gryphons are looking forward to the game.
“We have created a rivalry already,” Sauer said. “Jason (Babony) and Brad (Martin) do a great job together and I am sure we will have our hands full.”
The Marauders will enter Thursday’s home playoff game versus Sir Winston Churchill on a roll, showing no signs they are ready to relinquish their crown as NRHSAA champions. During the regular season, they outscored their opposition 259-13 and averaging almost 52 points per game.
“The biggest struggle when you are winning like we are winning is trying to keep them motivated or focused,” Myer head coach Dave Buchanan said. “They are aware of the prize and they are a pretty determined team.
“Losing last year (in Niagara final to Notre Dame) obviously stung and this group lost two years ago in the junior final.”
Buchanan describes his squad as being in a pretty good place.
“There’s some mistakes happening because we are getting a little bit lazy but practices are going fine,” he said. “We are working hard in practice, we have good numbers and that helps to keep them on task.”
Probably the biggest challenge for Buchanan and his coaching staff is to make the players aware of not looking too far ahead.
“That’s just human nature, and we can’t look past Sir Winston this week or whoever we play in the final,” he said.
People talking to Buchanan are already assuming a Niagara final between A.N. Myer and Notre Dame — a pretty solid assumption bases on the two teams’ play this season — but he’s having none of it.
“You can’t do that,” he said. “That’s the reason we played Nelson in our first game of the year, to see where we are at because that’s the standard you kind of have to live up to.”
“I bet you Notre Dame is going through a similar thing.”
In discussing the evolution of his team since the start of the season, Buchanan feels the Marauders are little bit crisper and have answered some of the questions they had at the beginning of the season.
“You have a lineup in your head that you start with and you see how the kids answer the bell,” he said. “You think you have a problem here and no the kid is good and then you think you are set somewhere else and it’s not that way.”
Buchanan feels there has been a lot more teaching going on this year, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“Those boys have stepped up,” he said.
NRHSAA Final Tier 1 standings: A.N. Myer 5-0; Westlane 4-1; Greater Fort Erie 3-2; Sir Winston Churchill 2-3; Centennial 1-4; Grimsby 0-5.
NRHSAA Tier 1 playoff schedule: Wednesday: Greater Fort Erie at Westlane (waiting confirmation from refs), Kalar Road, 3 p.m. Thursday: Sir Winston Churchill at A.N. Myer, 7 p.m.
NRHSAA Tier 2 standings: Thorold 5-0; Governor Simcoe 3-2; Eden 2-3; St. Catharines Collegiate 0-5.
NRHSAA Tier 2 schedule: Thursday: Eden at Governor Simcoe and St. Catharines Collegiate at Thorold, both games at 3 p.m.
PATRIOTS 45 GATORS 7
The Saint Paul Patriots improved to 3-2 in Niagara Catholic Athletic Association senior football action last Friday with a 45-7 victory over the Lakeshore Catholic Gators (0-5).
“It was nice to get a win like that as we have been in tight and adverse games all season, but we need to clean up our penalties to be successful moving forward,” Saint Paul coach Mark Antonelli said. “Next week is a huge game against Blessed Trinity for second place and the boys are excited.
“They have not forgotten about last year and don’t need any more motivation to get up for it.”
Blessed Trinity knocked Saint Paul out of the playoffs last season.
Contributing to the Saint Paul victory over Lakeshore were: Jarrell Papin, one-yard TD run; Enzy Youyoute, 50-yard fumble recovery return for a major; Carlos Calderon, 65-yard TD run; Rielly Sexton, 20-yard interception return for a major; Patrick Griffi, 18-yard TD run; and, Devon Schiller-Cleveland, 50-yard TD run.
“Patrick Griffi and Rielly Sexton played outstanding on defence, neutralizing the mobility of Lakeshore’s quarterback,” Antonelli said.
Lakeshore’s score came on a one-yard QB keeper by Isaiah Mackey. Nathaniel Riel added the convert.
NCAA standings: Notre Dame 5-0; Blessed Trinity 4-1; Saint Paul 3-2; Saint Michael and Saint Francis 2-3; Denis Morris 2-4; Lakeshore Catholic 0-5.
NCAA schedule: Thursday: Saint Michael at Saint Francis, Kiwanis Field, 6:30 p.m. Friday: Saint Paul at Blessed Trinity, 3 p.m.; Notre Dame at Lakeshore Catholic, 3 p.m.
