Varsity Spears edged by Ravens

The Essex Ravens head coach was not happy when his kicker booted the ball in the direction of Niagara Spears player Jayden Gurzi-MacDonald Saturday night at Kiwanis Field.

After the 16-year-old returned the kick 30 yards, the coach loudly reminded his player that they had talked about not kicking the ball to Gurzi-MacDonald.

The Grade 12 student at Blessed Trinity had a strong game Saturday against the visiting Ravens rushing for 152 yards and a TD but it wasn’t enough as the varsity Spears fell to 1-4 in Ontario Summer Football League with an 18-8 loss.

Gurzi-MacDonald’s heroics were no surprise to Spears head coach Brian Duguay, who first called him up from the junior varsity squad at the end of last season.

“We saw it then that he is a special player,” he said. “He is very dynamic and he is going to be a very good ball player at the next level. This season at the high school level, the coaches are going to have to watch out for him. He has got some moves like today when he just jumped sideways and made a couple of guys miss.”

The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder was summoned to play running back last season when the varsity Spears were short a couple of running backs.

“They called me and I just did the best that I could.”

That taste of varsity ball has been helpful this season.

“It was good because I knew what to expect and the competition I would have once I started playing with the older guys. You are able to adjust more.”

Gurzi-MacDonald is working hard on his game.

“I am just trying to get better in any way that I can. I soak in all the knowledge I can because I still have a lot more that I need to learn.”

This year, he made Team Ontario for the second time. He leaves July 4 for training camp in Aurora and then the team flies out to Edmonton on July 7 to compete in the Canada Cup.

“It is an amazing experience. It is my last year doing it so I won’t probably get to have an experience like this again. I am going to soak it all in, do the best I can and try and bring home a gold.”

He agrees it is tough to leave the Spears to play for Team Ontario but he’s not worried how the team will do.

“They will be OK without me and we will come back better.”

He is confident in his team.

“We have done well but we could definitely do better.We have a lot of potential but I don’t think that we have really showed it yet. I think tonight was a statement. I like our running game but I am a little biased because I am a running back.”

The turning point in the game for the Spears Saturday came in the second half with the Ravens holding a narrow 11-8 lead at the end of the third quarter. Niagara surrendered an interception at the Essex 38-yard line and then gifted the Ravens with 45 penalty yards to set up a one-yard TD run that made the score 18-8.

“That was the whole game. We fought hard and the guys really put it out there and then within 15 seconds it was out of reach,” Duguay said.

It was a tough loss in what has been a tough season for the Spears ever since they had four starting offensive linemen go down early with injuries.

“The guys who stepped in are doing well but when you lose four at the very beginning it is tough.”

One lineman returned Saturday, two more are back in the next two weeks while the fourth is done for the season with a torn ACL.

Duguay has not lost faith in his team.

“I believe in these guys. I have seen them come out and fight. That was a good team and we held them to 18-8 and we moved the ball,” he said. “We just have to get more confidence in what we can do. On this team, when something goes wrong, it goes wrong fast.”

STATS PACK

Ravens 18 Spears 8

BPSN Player of the Game: Jayden Gurzi-MacDonald with 152 yards rushing and a one-yard TD run and a 30-yard kick return.

For the Niagara Spears: TD run by Jayden Gurzi-MacDonald; two-point convert on pass from Jackson Stewart to Jack Wilson; fumble recovery by Cole Haan; sack, three solo tackles, two assisted tackles and one tackle for a loss by Jacob Shannon; sack, three solo tackles and two assisted tackles by Jacob Ranger; and, four solo tackles and four assisted tackles by Cole Stewart.

For the Essex Ravens: 50-yard punt return for TD by Keyanni Elliott; one-yard TD on QB keeper by Nicholas Dimovski; 28-yard field goal, single point on punt and interception by Kevin Rakowska; sack by Matteo Trifon; interception by Kage Neff; fumble recovery by Finn Caplin.

Game stats: Net offence: Niagara 212, Essex 274. First downs Niagara 11, Essex 13. Turnovers Niagara 5, Essex 1. Penalties Niagara 9 for 57 yards, Essex 12 for 71 yards.

Up next: The Spears are at the London Junior Mustangs next Saturday.