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By Dan Plouffe
They were up against the opponent that gave them the most trouble all year, but there was no stopping the St. Peter Knights on Nov. 8 at snowy TD Place. The Knights completed an undefeated season and returned to their throne on top of the local high school football league with a 20-0 victory over the St. Patrick Irish in the national capital ‘AAA/AAAA’ final.
“It’s a great feeling. We’re really excited,” says Knights defensive back Josh Earle, who helped the team to its first shutout of the year. “It just all came together. We got lots of turnovers. Our defence got it done.”
St. Peter led just 6-0 at halftime, but found some openings in the later stages. Quinton Soares ran most of the way for a 28-yard touchdown, and Pascal Roy-Lapensée found Jacob Lacombe wide open for another TD to ensure a new set of Knights champions were crowned.
The victory came a year St. Peter experienced an unfamiliar city finals loss to the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Lancers (who fell to the Irish in this season’s semi-finals by four points – a reverse of last year’s semi-final scoreline between the two.)
“We’d won the five in a row, and then losing last year… Nobody steps on the field to lose. You want to win,” notes St. Peter coach Jim Mick. “There’s a lot of hours put into this, and I’m really happy for the kids.”
Irish program jumps forward
For St. Pat’s, who’d owned a tradition of strong Tier 2 entries in recent years, reaching the finals at the top level and providing a good challenge to the perennial powerhouse Knights represented a significant step forward.
“We came up a little short, but the bigger picture is we had a helluva season,” highlights Irish coach Chris Bromfield. “I’m proud of these guys, and I’m confident we’ll be back next season.”
This season was Bromfield’s fifth coaching at his alma mater, alongside many other experienced volunteers from all ends of the city.
“It’s just a community effort,” signals the former University of Ottawa Gee-Gees player. “I know what it’s like to go to St. Pat’s and have ambitions to play at that next level. I want that for them. There’s so much that you gain for it. Explaining it to teachers and having them relay it to the kids and have all of us working on the same page has got the program to where it is.”
Lions win ‘A/AA’ crown over Jaguars
The St. Pete’s vs St. Pat’s contest was the final matchup of championship day, which also saw the St. Mark Lions hold off the St. Joseph Jaguars 10-9 to win the ‘A/AA’ final for schools with smaller student populations.
Organizers saluted the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group – who provided the Ottawa Redblacks home venue for the same cost as any other field in the city – for their outstanding support of high school sports.
“How many of these kids are actually going to play in a stadium like this? It’s a great experience. And to win it here is even better,” smiles Mick, whose team will now play in an OFSAA bowl game against the Golden Horseshoe league champion in Hamilton on Nov. 27 – two days before the Vanier Cup. “To see those smiles on the kids’ faces, that’s what it’s all about.”