Westlane gives Myer a test
Myer’s Jeremiah Nyambiya (1) scored five touchdowns Friday to lead the A.N. Myer Marauders to a 42-22 win over the Westlane Spartans in the NRHSAA Tier 1 senior football championship game.
A funny thing happened Friday night on the way to another blowout win by the A.N. Myer Marauders senior football team.
Ahead 35-0 versus the Westlane Spartans and with a net yardage advantage of 255-46 with 7:46 left in the second quarter, it looked like the Marauders could put it on auto pilot and cruise to victory in the Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Tier 1 championship game.
But the Spartans had other ideas and, by early in the third quarter, Westlane had cut the lead to 35-22. With the Marauders at minus 12 net yards on their first three possessions of the second half, Westlane had the ball at the Myer 22-yard line and was poised to make it a one-possession game. Myer’s Christian Kuriata then stepped up with his team’s biggest play of the season, picking off a pass and returning it 25 yards to midfield. From then on, Myer settled down and was able to emerge with a 42-22 decision that was much closer than the final scored indicated.
“Christian Kuriata is a great kid who works really hard and doesn’t miss a workout,” Myer head coach Dave Buchanan said. “For it to happen to that kid is awesome and it was huge. They were driving and we made a play.”
It was a play that was badly needed.
“I’ve got to give them credit,” Buchanan said. “We went up 35-0 and it looked like we were on that route to another Myer blowout, but those kids have character over there.
“It’s the same city, we’re not that far away and I am really proud of that team. Their coaching staff has pumped them up and got them going.”
The Spartans continued to play hard despite the lopsided score.
“I can’t say enough about how they fought back,” Buchanan said. “A lot of teams that we face after 35-0, they are done. They have a good team that’s together, they fought together and there was no give up.”
The game was a good one for the Marauders to play as November football rolls around.
“We had mistakes and I wish we didn’t get scored on, but we needed that adversity and we needed that punch in the mouth,” Buchanan said. “They did a good job and they got momentum. I told the boys that when a team starts to believe, no one is invincible and no one is unbeatable.”
Buchanan likes what the game says about both teams and Tier 1 NRHSAA football.
“There’s a lot of good things in there for our two teams and the league going forward,” he said. “Westlane and Stamford together have shown two schools can do good things and we will have competition in the future. The next time we play them next year, they will be coming after us.”
Westlane head coach Jason Babony wished his team would have come after Myer sooner Friday night.
“Our kids really didn’t respond in the first quarter, but they came back in the second quarter and we showed some character,” he said.
They not only showed character, but they showed they belonged in the game versus Myer.
“That was our goal in the first game (regular season) and the second game and unfortunately, it was ugly in the first quarter and ugly in the first game,” Babony said. “We were hoping to hang with them and our kids did well tonight.”
Babony felt his team needed to believe in itself to be successful.
“We started to get some real good confidence with our physicality and they were riding the wave,” he said. “They did well to carry it through to the end of the game.”
Babony felt the combined Westlane/Stamford football program took another step in its progression in its second year of existence.
“The goal was to make it to the finals and I think that is going to look good Niagara-wise,” Babony said.
Looking good for the Marauders Friday was running back Jeremiah Nyambiya, who rushed for five majors.
“He’s a special player,” Buchanan said. “He’s not that big of a kid, but he runs with heart. He’s a true running back and he doesn’t give up on any run, almost to a fault.”
Buchanan would like to see him give up on occasion to avoid taking a pounding.
“I see him get hit when he’s exposed at times, but at the end of the day, he’s trying to score on every play.”
The 17-year-old didn’t score on every play Friday, but his five touchdowns were a career best.
“It feels tremendous,” the Grade 12 student said. “I had a little breakdown at the beginning of the game and after that I had to pull myself together because I couldn’t let the team down.”
After taking a penalty during a key point in the game, Nyambiya left the bench area and settled himself down.
“It was emotions,” he said. “I used to play for Westlane and I really wanted to beat them. Then the score got really close and there was too much going through my mind.
“I had to get away for a bit and cool down.”
The 5-foot-6, 165-pounder is planning to return for his 12B year with an eye to playing at the post secondary level.
“I going to stay back and get a little bigger so I can go right into university ball.”
He has no plans to change this running style.
“I like fighting for yards man,” he said. “Every inch counts.”
STATS PACK
Marauders 42 Spartans 22
Mick and Angelo’s/Johnny Rocco’s Player of the Game: A.N. Myer’s Jeremiah Nyambiya with five touchdowns.
For the A.N. Myer Marauders: Nyambiya, TD runs of five, two, 52, 3 and 39 yards; 17-yard TD pass Ryan James to Winfield Organ; Jorge Rodriguez, two interceptions; Cedric Robinson and Christian Kuriata, interceptions.
For the Westlane Spartans: Mike Osborne, five-yard TD run; Isiah Benjamin, 15-yard interception return for a TD; Chase Bowden, seven-yard TD run; Ben Deblois, fumble recovery, Nic Surla and Josh Bigelow, sacks.
Game stats: First downs: ANM 18 , Westlane 9. Net offence: ANM 327, Westlane 162. Turnovers: ANM 2, Westlane 5. Penalties: ANM 15 for 141 yards, Westlane 8 for 65 yards.
