Phoenix past litmus test
Heading into Friday’s Niagara Catholic Athletic Association senior football game against the visiting Saint Michael Mustangs, Saint Francis head coach Mark Johnson said he was looking to see how his team stacked up.
After a hard-fought 17-14 loss to Saint Michael, Johnson had his answer.
“We stand in the middle of the pack and I think that we can play with any team. It’s getting rid of the mistakes. With having some green guys on offence and having guys going both ways on offence and defence, especially the guys on the line, it hurts us a little bit,” he said. “I was saying in there (dressing room) that we need to show up for practice. If we can eliminate the mistakes and work on our execution, we can use the tools that we have.”
Heading into the season, Johnson thought he would have a competitive squad coming off a season where the junior team won the NCAA final and lost the Niagara final 28-14 to A.N. Myer.
“The core group on offence is in Grade 10 and 11 still which is great. It is just trying to get the big guys going and getting them to understand the game is important. Once they start to understand the blocking schemes and everything that will improve a lot more too.”
The championship run at the junior level was a crucial building block for Phoenix football.
“It was super important to bring that with them. Losing in this way is kind of difficult but it is a great way for them to learn and understand what they have to do to really win in this league,” Johnson said. “We have two more games left and we have a chance to win both of them. If we do that, we will see what happens in the playoffs.”
Given the age of many players on the team, the Phoenix’s better days are ahead.
“The only thing we are missing is some of the bigger guys. With a smaller school, it is tougher to get some of the bigger guys out and there’s a few of them that haven’t come out who were here last year.”
The Phoenix fell to 2-2 with the loss while the Mustangs improved to 3-1.
Saint Michael head coach Brian Carter was happy with the win but not the antics of some of his players.
“If we are going to continue to be undisciplined at some point it is going to be the difference in the game,” he said. “We had a first down and goal from the one-yard line and we have a silly penalty that drops us back. It almost meant the game.”
It hasn’t been a season-long problem for the squad.
“We have an excitable group that is passionate and a lot of times they misinterpret their passion at unfortunately the wrong times that translates into a penalty,” Carter said.
Despite that he is happy where his team is at at this point in the season.
“We have one loss and we are moving forward. We have a bye week and then we have Notre Dame. That should be a battle”
STATS PACK
Mustangs 17 Phoenix 14
Cat’s Caboose Player of the Game: Saint Michael’s quarterback Austin McRae who rallied his team from a 14-7 second-half deficit.
For the Saint Michael Mustangs: Connor Cavey, 14-yard TD reception from McRae and an interception; 25-yard TD pass from McRae to Lucas Nalezinski; interception by Blake Priestman; game-winning 19-yard field goal by Max Marinas.
For the Saint Francis Phoenix: 55-yard TS pass from Cameron Mepham to Sadiekie Hayden; 13-yard TD pass from Mepham to Trent Dobson; sack by Carter Dmytrow.
