Peewee Generals heading to championship game
The Niagara Generals peewee (under-12) football team is heading to the Ontario Summer Football League championship game following a dominating 52-0 victory over Scarborough Thunder in the semifinals.
“This was definitely one of the hardest games of our season to date,” Niagara head coach Kent Wakem said. “Scarborough held us to 22-0 at the half and made our athletes earn every yard down the field.”
The Generals’ offensive line was matched up against the Thunder’s very large five-man defensive line and to its credit, held up very well.
“It was a great lesson for our players in the benefits of sustained offensive drives and how much they assist both our defensive players and clock management,” he said. “This game was definitely won on both sides of the ball and while we did have some hiccups, our players have synergized very well this year.”
Niagara’s defence was a big part of the victory.
“Our players didn’t miss a beat. Quick four and out defensive play and multiple turnovers assisted our offence with good field position and kept Scarborough’s defence on their heels,” Wakem said. “The team-first attitude of our players has developed very well this season and is showing in how they perform on the field.”
Sparking the offence were: Luis Corredor-Reyes with two majors; Mark Hazzouri, Lox Raducanu and Spencer MacRae with TDs; and, Hazzouri with five two-point converts.
On defence: Isaiah Benjamin had an interception return for a touchdown; Spencer MacRae turned a fumble recovery into a major; Abraham Hiebert had a pick; John Lonschek-McGillen had two fumble recoveries; and Aidan Weltz had a fumble recovery and a defended pass.
The Generals move on to play London in the championship game.
“We are looking forward to the rematch against the London Mustangs next week in the provincial championship game hosted in Sarnia,” Wakem said. “London defeated the Generals in Week 6 and they are a strong adversary but we know our Generals have the ability to come out on top. Generals, command the field.”
BANTAM GENERALS
The Niagara Generals bantam (under-14) football team saw its OSFL season come to an end with a 29-6 loss to the Guelph Gryphons in quarter-final action at Guelph University.
Niagara finished the regular season at 3-3 and were in tough against second-place Guelph, which boasted a formidable offensive attack.
The Generals’ defence hung tough and held Guelph to two offensive touchdowns by containing the passing and running games and continuously putting pressure on the quarterback. Niagara’s turnovers resulted in 15 points for Guelph and the offence struggled to sustain drives and get into a rhythm.
The offensive highlight was provided by Andreas Hercules, who admirably filled in for injured running Marco Angellini by rushing for more than 150 yards.
The team’s inaugural season in the OSFL was a huge success. The defence was stellar and the action on both sides of the ball exceeded expectations.
The team will return to action when the fall season starts up in mid-August.
