Varsity Spears kick off season
The Niagara Spears Varsity football team is optimistic heading into league play this weekend.
“I think we have a good team,” head coach Brian Duguay said. “We have good players that came out this year, we have big offensive and defensive lines and we have good quarterbacks.”
That quarterbacking corps includes Ethan Reid (St. Francis), Devon Schiller-Cleveland (St. Paul) and Ryan James (A.N. Myer).
“Whichever way we go at quarterback, we’re excellent,” he said. “Each of them brings something different to the table.
“It’s one of those problems that every coach would love to have.”
The Spears are also loaded in the backfield. Josh Lisi (University of Toronto/A.N. Myer) will be playing at slotback and the team’s running backs include Chase Bowden (Stamford/Westlane), Jeremiah Nyambiya (A.N. Myer) and John Serrano (Holy Cross).
Key receivers for the Spears this season are Darcy MacIsaac (Stamford/Westlane), Winfield Organ (A.N. Myer), Kyle Wilson (A.N. Myer), Hunter Cropper (Notre Dame) and Owen Tofano (Notre Dame).
“We are going to have a nice mix or pass and run, it is going to be a balanced attack and if one aspect of the game is working we will be able to stick to that aspect,” Duguay said. ‘We’re not going to be tied to being a passing team or a running team.”
The Spears’ offensive line features centre Ty Bennett (Westlane), Tyrone Webber (Denis Morris), Gerrid Holton (Notre Dame), Chris Falvo (Jean Vanier) and Brendan Newbold (Churchill).
“We have a big offensive line and it is going to do really well,” Duguay said.
He has been impressed with Bennett.
“He came out after having a nice high school season and he has really picked it up this year. He is going to be a leader this year.”
Niagara also has a lot of talent on the defensive line including Colin Howe (Greater Fort Erie), Jesse Murphy (St. Paul), William Bonner (Eden) and Jacob Kohut (Blessed Trinity).
“He (Kohut) has been our surprise this year,” Duguay said.
Among the team’s group of strong linebackers are Zack Melnyk (Notre Dame), Christian Kuriata (A.N. Myer) and Joe Fusek (Governor Simcoe).
In the defensive backfield, among the key players are Owen Jones (Blessed Trinity), Curtis Neilson (Churchill), Daniel Clarke (Churchill) and Matt Wedler (Saint Michael).
“We have a nice group and they are playing well together,” Duguay said. “They are communicating and they are hustling.”
The Spears boast a lot of depth through most of the positions with the exception of offensive line where they only have seven players.
“We have one key injury right now and it’s an ankle injury from last year,” said Duguay, referring to Centennial’s Sam Gielfeldt. “He came in and sprained his ankle so we are giving him a couple of weeks to heal.”
The Spears will be chasing down the usual top teams this season.
“It’s going to be London, Essex, Cambridge and Hamilton,” Duguay said. “Our division is strong.”
Niagara is at Guelph tonight and Essex May 18 before opening at home May 25 (8 p.m. at Kiwanis Field) versus Kingston.
Duguay is OK with opening the season with two road games.
“We are going to Essex and it is going to be a team builder on the way up,” he said. “I’m not saying that Guelph is weak or anything but usually our first game is against Essex and that’s a playoff game right away.
“You hit that peak and you try to maintain it for seven or eight games. It’s hard.”
