HIGH ACHIEVERS: Best-ever football season ends with OFSAA Bowl Series loss for St. Joseph Jaguars

By Martin Cleary

The St. Joseph Catholic High School Jaguars finally made it to the OFSAA Bowl Series on Wednesday, but they had an abrupt welcoming from a provincial powerhouse.

After posting a come-from-behind, last-minute goal-line stand victory over defending champion St. Matthew Tigers in the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association championship game, the Jaguars couldn’t handle the consistent all-around play of the Frontenac Falcons from Kingston.

Behind the skilled quarterbacking of Jet Zakrzewski, who also was part of his team’s impressive defence, the Falcons defeated the Jaguars 27-7 in the National Capital Bowl at Acumen Stadium in Windsor.

It was the 10th time Frontenac has won an OFSAA Bowl Series game since 2001. The Falcons returned to the National Capital Bowl this season and won it for a record seventh time, after capturing the Eastern Bowl titles in 2022 and 2021. Frontenac, which also won an unnamed bowl game in 2014, has been the National Capital Bowl runner-up on three occasions.

By comparison, the Jaguars were experiencing their first OFSAA Bowl Series game. They came close to having a provincial final matchup twice in the past, but lost regional play-in games to Crestwood and Moira and missed qualifying for OFSAA.

The three-day OFSAA Bowl Series concluded Wednesday as 18 regional high school football champions played nine games in their version of a provincial championship.

Zakrzewski often found receivers wide open in the Jaguars’ defence and completed 19 of 24 passes for 330 yards. He also ran the ball on designated plays or through scrambling for 60 yards and 11 carries.

After the Falcons’ Cameron Owen kicked a pair of field goals from 22 yards and 17 yards for a 6-0 halftime lead, Zakrzewski threw three touchdown passes in the second half.

Zakrzewski, who has committed to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues for 2023-24 season, connected with Jake Playter, nine yards, Sam Stymest, eight yards, and Blake Buchanan, 16 yards, for touchdowns. Owen completed the assignment with three converts.

The Jaguars’ offence was slow to develop, but picked up some momentum late in the second quarter before an Ashton St. Germain interception in the final minute left St. Joseph on the doorstep of the red zone.

St. Joseph moved the ball sharply on its first two plays to open the third quarter, but a lost fumble by running back Josh Dada was good news for Frontenac. An impressive nine-play, 66-yard drive by Zakrzewski set up the Playter touchdown for a 12-0 lead.

Playter was a favourite target for Zakrzewski on the cold and windy day as he caught eight passes for 178 yards.

The Jaguars, who had five turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble and once on downs), started the fourth quarter with their most complete drive, going 95 yards in eight plays for a David Auger touchdown.

St. Germain tossed an 11-yard pass to Auger for the six-point score. Liana Langiano kicked an historic convert.

After the game, OFSAA officials told St. Joseph head coach Blaine Scatcherd they believe Langiano was the first girl to score a point in the history of the Bowl Series, which goes back to 1982.

Langiano and backup quarterback Maia Peters play for the St. Joseph girls’ tackle football program and made the boys’ team because of their gridiron skills.

“Obviously, it’s disappointing,” Scatcherd said in a phone interview as the team took the nine-hour bus ride back to Ottawa. “We played hard, we battled, but there were opportunities missed.

“We moved the ball on offence, but we couldn’t finish. We’d get down into their end, but get nothing and had a couple of interceptions. Turnovers hurt us a little.”

Poised senior quarterback St. Germain was successful on 24 of his 40 passes for 261 yards. He worked well with senior receiver Patricio Cuetara, who gained 175 yards through 12 catches. The Jaguars will graduate 30 seniors this year and Scatcherd said eight or more have the ability to play at the university level.

Linebacker Jack Grimes, who had some strong tackles and pass break ups, was named the Jaguars’ player of the game. Frank Kalala Kapotela also showed well as a linebacker.

Jett Hudson was solid along the offensive line and Grade 11 receiver Felix Pelletier made some key catches to keep drives alive.

“I told the boys that in a couple of weeks we can look back at a lot of positives,” Scatcherd explained. “We did something that no other St. Joseph team has done before. This was our first OFSAA and that’s special.

“The way we won (the NCSSAA title) with a comeback being down two scores, stopping them on the goal line, after they beat us the year before … I’ll remember that the rest of my life.

“Our leadership was second to none. We’re a group of dedicated players. There were a lot of positives. It just didn’t end quite the way we wanted.”

Read More: St. Joseph holds off St. Matthew at goal line on last play to complete NCSSAA football final comeback