St. Mark Lions spoil St. Joseph’s quest for NCSSAA football three-peat in double-OT thriller

By Isabella Disley

There couldn’t possibly be anything better for a high school football player than winning the championship in double-overtime in their senior year. Or could there be?

“My favourite memory would be growing up with all the guys throughout high school,” reflects St. Mark Lions defensive back Sean Rennie.

Rennie’s rather philosophical response spoke strongly to the brotherhood behind the Lions’ reascension to the top of the national capital high school football league this season.

On Tuesday at a chilly and windy Carleton University TAAG Park, St. Mark completed an undefeated season with a dramatic 20-17 double-OT victory over the two-time defending-champion St. Joseph Jaguars.

It was a rematch of last year’s city final, when St. Joseph downed St. Mark decisively 16-2 to deny the Lions their first city title since 2021.

“We lost every single year I’ve played senior, so it’s really amazing to win this season,” highlights Rennie, who began playing football in Grade 8 at St. Mark. “Everyone was psyched for this game. We all wanted to win so badly, so we’re all really happy.”

The Lions’ season began in the August heat and ended with games surrounded by snowbanks. Through it all, the players developed a strong bond, indicates Lions senior receiver Kohlman McIntyre.

“All the hard work they put in the summer, and then coming into training camp and then all practices, we had a goal in mind, going 8-0, undefeated season, and we accomplished that,” McIntyre recounts.

“We’ve been working at this for a long time, and all four years we came up short. Last year, we played the same team, and we got blown out, so it feels good coming out on top today and getting the job done.”

When he first decided to give football a try in Grade 9, McIntyre hadn’t envisioned the type of journey he was about to embark upon.

“I used to play hockey, and then I stepped on a football field, scored three touchdowns, my first game, and I decided, you know what? I’m done with hockey, and pursued football,” smiles the city champ who also played for the U18 Cornwall Wildcats in the Ontario Summer Football League.

Jaguars flex champion pedigree to force Lions to OT

Despite the consecutive crowns, St. Joseph entered the city final as the underdogs on the basis of their 22-7 regular season defeat to St. Mark just under a month ago in a “Thursday Night Lights” game at TD Place.

That was the Jaguars’ lone loss of the year, and they were keen for another shot at the Lions after both rivals withstood strong challenges in the semi-finals (St. Mark beat Holy Trinity 12-7 and St. Joseph topped Mer-Bleue 25-20).

“If we want to beat them, if we want it, we’ve got to take it. They’re not just going to lie down and give it to us,” Lions head coach Andy Castellarin told his team before the game. “And they definitely did not lie down today. They made us work for everything.”

St. Joseph got on the board first with an early field goal, but St. Mark responded with a touchdown to go into halftime up 7-3. Lions kicker Abbas Gedeon hit a field goal to extend the lead to 10-3 just before the end of the third quarter, but the Jaguars responded with the required touchdown to send the game to overtime.

The well-matched warriors exchanged converted touchdowns in the first OT to continue the deadlock at 17-17. The pressure was on the Lions’ defence after they only counted a field goal with their next possession, but their defensive line came up with the game-winning tackle, setting the pride free to storm the field in celebration.

“It came down to the wire, but we did it,” exhaled Lions senior defensive back Dante Di Nardo, who played hockey his whole life until Grade 9 when he first tried football, which he now hopes to pursue at the post-secondary level.

“It’s been a long journey,” he adds.

St. Mark’s coach Castellarin celebrates city title in 25th season

Castellarin says team camaraderie was a special strength of his Lions.

“They’re very close,” he illustrates. “We only have four Grade 12s, and they’re a young team, and to be able to rely on those four Grade 12s to pull these guys through, and see everybody get along, whether you’re in grade nine or you’re in grade 12, they’re like a group of brothers, and a very special group for sure.”

Adding a little extra icing on the cake for Castellarin was the fact this year’s championship came as he celebrated his 25th year with St. Mark.

“It means everything,” Castellarin underlines. “The community around us, the school, and football mean so much to St. Mark. It’s been an unbelievable feeling. It’s just great to be able to say, ‘Hey, we’re champions again.’”

The Lions will now head on to play in the OFSAA provincial bowl series at Alumni Stadium in Guelph. There, they’ll face the winners of the Lake Ontario league, Oshawa’s Paul Dwyer, in the National Capital Bowl on Nov. 25 at 11 a.m.

It will be this generation of Lions’ first opportunity to play in OFSAA provincial competition.

“I’ve never been before, since I’ve never won, so I hope it’ll be a lot of fun,” Rennie notes. “I’m super excited to go to OFSAA, and I really hope we win.”

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