Patriots heading to Ottawa for OFSAA Bowl

The Saint Paul Patriots won the SOSSA Bowl Tuesday with a 36-23 victory over the Westmount Warriors at Saint Paul. Photo by PETER METHNER

Carlos Calderon’s victory lap has lived up to its name.

The 12B linebacker and running back saw his Saint Paul Patriots senior football team push its winning streak to eight games with a 36-23 victory over the Westmount Wildcats Tuesday in the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association Bowl at Saint Paul.

The 18-year-old had a pair of touchdowns to help Saint Paul advance to an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Bowl game Tuesday in Ottawa.

“We have come a long way from where we started, losing to Notre Dame in Week 1 and Denis Morris in Week 2,” the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder said. “It really shows that things can change if you show perseverance and all that stuff.”

Calderon never doubted his team had the abilities to win a SOSSA championship.

“I saw the talent we had from Day 1,” he said. “One day we locked the changeroom and started screaming at each other and we said that we had way too much potential to put it to waste.

“From there, everyone started working, coming to practice and things started to click.”

Tuesday’s victory is what Calderon envisioned when he moved to Saint Paul from Saint Michael.

“We should have won last year, but this year I knew we were going to win.”

Calderon attached plenty of importance to winning in his final year of high school.

“I am probably done football after this and I want that high.”

Calderon did say he plans to continue playing with the Niagara Spears next summer and may try his luck in the Canadian Junior Football League.

Saint Paul head coach Rick Oreskovich has been a big fan of Calderon’s for a long time, coaching him since Calderon was eight.

“He’s a great player and he is as tough as nails,” he said. “He is a dependable kind of kid and he brings a lot to our team with his physicality.

“With him and Jarrel (Pappin) in the backfield, they can run all day.”

Saint Paul completely dominated Westmount in the first half, building a 28-3 lead and holding a 259-31 advantage in net yards. The Patriots had 12 first downs in the first half while the Wildcats had four, including three on penalties.

“We executed quite well,” Oreskovich said. “Our quarterback played well, our receivers caught balls, our running backs ran great and our offensive line blocked well.

“We were able to open some holes and get some big gains.”

The defence dominated until the Patriots were ahead 35-3 and Saint Paul decided to give its backups some playing time. The move didn’t work out as the Wildcats scored two quick touchdowns and added another with the defensive starters back on the field.

“They were a little cold and I don’t think they were as mentally prepared as they were in the first two quarters, and we laid back thinking we would stop them,” Oreskovich said. “They weren’t stopping them and then they went down and scored on our first team as well.”

It was a lesson learned by Saint Paul.

“You have to be careful when you play teams and it’s not over until it’s over,” Oreskovich said.

The Patriots now move on to play the Lorne Park Spartans Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Ottawa in an OFSAA Bowl game.

“This is a bit of a rivalry game as we traditionally have played them each year in the preseason,” Saint Paul coach Mark Antonelli said.

Lorne Park defeated Saint Paul 28-0 in preseason play, but Saint Paul is much-improved from the start of the season.

“They are big, highly skilled and athletic as well and we will be in tough,” Antonelli said. “They have a big, mobile quarterback with a big arm.”

The Patriots are ranked 27th in national rankings by Canadian Football Chat and Lorne Park is rated 36th. It has been a rapid rise for the Patriots, who were unranked until defeating Notre Dame in the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association championship game.

“We have beat some good opponents and now we have another one that we have to worry about,” Oreskovich said. “We’re not going to rest until we meet our next opponent in Ottawa and we’ll do our best against them as well.”

Westmount beat the Westdale Warriors 24-23 to win the Hamilton Wentworth Interscholastic Athletic Conference senior football championship and then knocked off McKinnon Park 22-20 in the SOSSA Bowl semifinals.

The Wildcats went 4-0 in league play, outscoring their opposition 143-27, beat Dundas Valley 38-6 in quarter-finals, Sir Allan MacNab 13-10 in the semifinals and Saltfleet 10-6 in finals of the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board finals.

“We played terribly in the first half and they played very well,” Westmount head coach Tom Pain said. “They are big, strong and fast and kudos to them.

“They are well-coached and we were over-matched, but I am happy how we responded in the second half.”

The Wildcats outscored the Patriots 20-1 from late in the third quarter on and seemed to have all the momentum as the game came to an end.

“They play a lot of guys both ways and they were getting tired, but they also put some of their backups in and we kept going and got some momentum,” Pain said. “Momentum is hard to get back once you have given it away. Another quarter would have been nice, but you only get four.”

STATS PACK

Patriots 36 Wildcats 23

Mick and Angelo’s/Johnny Rocco’s Player of the Game: Saint Paul’s Carlos Calderon with a strong game at linebacker and two short TD runs.

For the Saint Paul Patriots: Calderon, 14 carries for 90 yards, including TD runs of one and two yards, and two catches for 16 yards; Jarrel Pappin, 12 carries for 136 yards, including a one-yard TD run, and two catches for six yards; Patrick Griffi, four carries for 42 yards, including four-yard TD run; Rielly Sexton, 21-yard TD reception and 24-yard run; Devon Schiller-Cleveland, 10-12 passing for 106 yards and a TD pass; Ryan DiLella, two catches for 33 yards; Enzey Youyoute, two interceptions and a 13-yard run; Matthew Paul, two catches for 19 yards; and, Nicholas Abbruscato, single point on missed field goal.

For the Westdale Wildcats: Kyle Nalepa, 17 carries for 78 yards, including TD runs of one and two yards; Nate Bullock, seven carries for 154 yards, including an 85-yard TD run; 19-yard field goal by Thomas Turner; Justin Gray, two sacks and a fumble recovery; Evan McIntosh, sack.

Game stats: First downs: Saint Paul 19, Westdale 12. Net offence (pass-run=total) Saint Paul 106-251=357, Westdale 6-224=230. Turnovers: Saint Paul 1, Westdale 4. Penalties: Saint Paul 10 for 100 yards, Westdale 5 for 25 yards.

Up next: Saint Paul plays Lorne Park in one of the OFSAA Bowl games Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Ottawa.