Patriots blank Phoenix; Mustangs beat Lakeshore
Saint Paul blanked St Francis 30-0 Monday in NCAA senior football action. Photos by William Vanderland.
All the Saint Paul Patriots senior football team can do is take care of business on the field.
While they await the appeal of an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations’ ruling that they have forfeited the chance to play for a championship because of using two ineligible players in an exhibition game versus Lorne Park, the Patriots remain undefeated in Niagara Catholic Athletic Association play. A 30-0 victory Monday over St. Francis pushed the team’s record to 3-0 while St. Francis fell to 2-1.
A meeting is scheduled in two weeks in a boardroom, but the Patriots’ thoughts are elsewhere.
“We try not to focus on that,” Saint Paul head coach Rick Oreskovich said. “You saw in the game today how many mistakes we made and how many penalties we had.”
Oreskovich was unhappy with how undisciplined his team was against St. Francis.
“We have a lot of talent, a lot of strength and some pretty good players, but every time we got a drive going it was snuffed out by a mistake or penalty,” he said. “You can’t do that and as the season goes on, you have to get better at not making those mistakes.”
One player who doesn’t make many mistakes is 12B middle linebacker/running back Jarrel Pappin.
“When Jarrel comes to the field he gives a 100 per cent,” Oreskovich said. “He runs hard, he’s powerful, he can be a game changer on defence and he wants the ball in his hands on offence.”
The Patriots are even trying to make more use of Pappin as a receiver.
“He is a basketball player and he’s got good hands,” Oreskovich said. “He doesn’t have great quickness but he has power and when he catches the ball he is tough to tackle.”
The 18-year-old has had plenty of interest from university scouts but returned to upgrade his marks in one class.
“I have to grind through that one course and I have a tutor to help me,” the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder said.
One area he doesn’t need to upgrade is his play on the field but he’s working on that too.
“I want to help my team win this year and focus on school,” he said. “I want to tuck the ball and run with it at running back and make tackles at linebacker on defence.”
Pappin agrees with his coach that the Patriots can’t worry about what is happening with the appeal process.
“As of right now we are trying to set the record straight for every school that even if we don’t go on, that we are still the top team in the league and we want to prove it.”
Playing defending champion Saint Paul was a great test for the previously unbeaten Phoenix.
“We have to play harder and tougher,” St. Francis head coach Jim Whittard said.
The Phoenix trailed 16-0 at the half but Whittard felt the score could have been much closer.
“I think it could have been 12-7 at halftime and we could have been in a football game, but there were a few issues in the first half that I don’t want to get into,” he said. “But we can’t make mistakes.”
He still likes how his team is trending.
“I love what I see happening and we have a lot of potential moving forward.”
MUSTANGS 32 GATORS 0
The Saint Michael Mustangs improved to 1-2 in NCAA play Monday with a 30-0 shutout of the Lakeshore Catholic Gators (0-2).
“We have seen a lot of growth in the kids over the last three games,” Saint Michael head coach Brian Carter said. “Players are beginning to understand their assignments and the physicality needed to be victorious.”
Carter credited kicker Noah Wilson, who booted three field goals in the first half from more than 30 yards out, with keeping the Mustangs’ confidence up.
“We will get back to work tomorrow (Tuesday) and get ready for Blessed Trinity on Friday,” he said.
Also scoring for Saint Michael were: Carson Gilbert on a one-yard run; Matt Wedler on a 25-yard run; and, Hunter Keagan on a 35-yard TD pass from Jared Schleuter.
STATS PACK
Patriots 30 Phoenix 0
Johnny Rocco’s/Mick and Angelo’s/Cracker Jacks Player of the Game: Saint Paul’s Jarrel Pappin with a five-yard TD run and a strong game at middle linebacker.
For the Saint Paul Patriots: Pappin, five-yard TD run; Marley McCray eight-yard and 13-yard TD runs; Enzey Youyoute, 12-yard TD run; two-point safety with tackle in end zone; Rielly Sexton, three sacks; David Shannon, sack; Kyle Narsansky, sack.
For the St. Francis Phoenix: Sacade Kasamba, interception; Che Jayawardena, interception.
Game stats: First downs: Saint Paul 17, St. Francis 5. Net offence: Saint Paul 289, St. Francis 31. Turnovers: Saint Paul 5, St. Francis 1. Penalties: Saint Paul 18 for 100 yards, St. Francis 9 for 80 yards.
