Week 10: November 6-7: Semi-Finals

SUSSEX - Sussex Regional High Sonics, led by a stingy defensive unit that has allowed just 21 points in eight games, have earned a spot in the New Brunswick High School Football League's 10-man division final in just their second season.

Sonics, coming off a 7-0 record during the regular season, defeated the visiting Mathieu-Martin Matadors 25-0 in a semifinal game here Saturday afternoon.

Sonics have recorded six shutout victories in eight games.

St. Stephen Spartans beat the Harbour View Vikings of Saint John 40-8 in the other semifinal in St. Stephen.

Spartans and Sonics will meet for the 10-man division championship on Saturday at noon at Rocky Stone Memorial Field in Moncton. Sonics beat the Spartans 10-0 in the opening game of the season two months ago.

Sonics won just one game in the 12-man league last year, when there was no 10-man division.

Sonics were led to victory by their defence, which forced three fumbles, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, three interceptions and three quarterback sacks. Josh Gullison had two interceptions, recovered a fumble for a 38-yard touchdown run and stripped the ball from a Matadors ball carrier for another long gain. He was also in on several key tackles.

Trevor Seymour, on a two-yard run, and Robert Dunfield, on a nine-yard pass from quarterback Aaron Tabor, also had touchdowns for the Sonics, who led 4-0 at halftime. Tabor also kicked a 33-yard field goal.

Sonics head coach George Parisella said the defence relies on its depth to wear down opponents.

"They were awesome and they've had an awesome season," Parisella said. "Those guys have been playing football together for a few years and they work well together.

"We're fortunate enough to have a good group of subs and the level of play doesn't drop off when they get in the game," the coach said. "It keeps everyone fresh.

"Our offence has been strong, but it's the defence that has led the way most of the year."

Meanwhile, Moncton High Purple Knights and Harrison Trimble Trojans will meet in the 12-man division final, scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

Purple Knights beat the Fredericton High Black Kats 17-6 and Trojans downed the Saint John High Greyhounds 20-14 in semifinal games Friday night.

Moncton High defeated Trimble 31-0 and 13-12 in their regular season meetings this season.

Purple Knights, Trojans to clash
Moncton teams reach N.B. High School Football League championship game

It's a dream matchup of age-old rivals and Moncton High Purple Knights defensive halfback Jordan Bedard couldn't be happier.

Purple Knights advanced to the New Brunswick High School Football League championship game by beating the Fredericton High Black Kats 17-6 last night at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

Purple Knights will meet Harrison Trimble Trojans, who defeated the Saint John High Greyhounds 20-14 in last night's other semifinal at Millidgeville Field in Saint John, in the league final next Saturday afternoon. Game time is 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone.

Knights and Trojans haven't clashed for the provincial title in 26 years. Trimble downed Moncton High 22-20 in the 1983 final.

"It's amazing," said Bedard, a Grade 12 student who hauled in two key interceptions for the Knights. "It's going to like the Homecoming Game times 10."

Purple Knights won both meetings against the Trojans during the regular season. They won 31-0 and 13-12 and Jordan is expecting the provincial final to be more like the second meeting than the first.

"Both teams are going to be ready and it's going to be intense," Bedard said. "It's always intense when Moncton High and Trimble play, but this time it's in the final so it's going to be an extra special game for both teams."

Last night, Moncton High and Fredericton High defences dominated the opening half.

Bedard returned an interception 35 yards late in the second quarter to set up a 20-yard field goal by Lucas Constantine to give Moncton High a 3-0 lead at halftime.

Both offences moved the ball consistently in the second half and much of Moncton High's attack came from powerful running back Marc McDougall.

The 18-year-old stalwart plowed his way up the middle for some lengthy gains, many which came after resilient second efforts with several Black Kats on his back.

"We played the same kind of game we played all year long," Bedard said. "We all stuck to our positions and did our jobs. That's how we've always done it.

"Marc was incredible again, just like he has been all year. Whenever we needed a first down, he got the ball and came through for us."

McDougall ran for a 13-yard touchdown and quarterback Dylan Rogers followed McDougall's blocking for a 15-yard major. Constantine kicked both converts.

Kafi Bubar had Fredericton High's lone touchdown on a third-down gamble on Moncton High's two-yard line on the opening drive of the second half. The convert attempt was blocked.

From that point, the Knights reeled off a series of big plays, including another interception by Bedard, a interception by Aaron Branch, a 35-yard kickoff return by Matt Toogood and a couple of fierce defensive stands that forced the Kats to turn the ball over on downs.

"It was a great team effort," Bedard said. "We got the big plays when we needed them. Everyone stepped up when they had to. Fredericton High played a great game and a very physical game. They've got a great team, but we found a way to win."

Black Kats receiver Ryan Murphy, who was his team's most dangerous weapon with several outstanding catches in the second half, said his team "played hard all of the way, but it wasn't meant to be.

"We took some bad penalties in the second half and we didn't take advantage of our chances in the red zone."

Meanwhile, Trojans coach Mark Teed said he and his players are looking forward to playing the Purple Knights in next Saturday's final.

"Just playing in the provincial final is exciting, but Trimble and Moncton High bring the excitement to another level," Teed said.

Steve Fox, Matt Seely and John Toogood each had touchdowns for the Trojans, who trailed 7-6 at halftime. Fox added a two-point convert.

Alex Peabody and Matt Doucet had majors for the Greyhounds while Alex Quinn kicked a pair of converts.

"(Trimble has) a great tall receiver and he (Fox) was just sitting in holes behind the linebackers, it was a nicely designed offence like that," Greyhounds coach Dave Grandy said.

Trojans took their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter on a drive that started on their own 35-yard line. Toogood scored the go-ahead major with less than four minutes left in regulation time.

"Saint John's running attack is pretty vicious, so we made some adjustments after halftime to slow it down. Our defence has been the heart and soul of our club all year and they really stepped it up in the second half," said Teed, whose Trojans only managed two wins in the regular season.

Teed said the Trojans defence kept his team in the game until the offence found its stride.

"Our defence stood tall," Teed said. "The wind was a factor and we were able to have the wind on our side in the fourth quarter. We got 11 points in four minutes with the wind and the defence gave us ball in good shape."

The provincial 10-man division semifinals will be played today. Mathieu-Martin Matadors visit the Sussex High Sonics and the St. Stephen Spartans host the Harbour View Vikings. Both games are scheduled for 1 p.m.

SAINT JOHN - The Harrison Trimble Trojans are on their way to a storybook finish for their high school football season.

After starting the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association 12-man campaign with three losses the Trojans battled to secure a playoff spot and dropped defending champions the Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders 10-7 in quarterfinal action last week.

Now, after dealing another upset to the Saint John Greyhounds in a 20-14 semifinal victory Friday night at Millidgeville Field, the Trojans will play in the championship game for the first time since 2001.

"Starting the season with three losses it would have been really easy for a team to fold up the tent and quit at that point, but these guys kept coming back trying to get better every game," Trojans head coach Mark Teed said.

But surrendering isn't in the Trojans playbook and that was the story Friday night, as the team battled back from a 14-6 deficit in the third quarter under frigid conditions to keep their season alive.

Saint John struck first when Alex Peabody found a seam and carried the ball in for a touchdown early in the second quarter. Alex Quinn was good on the convert as the Greyhounds took a 7-0 lead with 8:08 remaining in the half.

The Trojans responded in their next offensive series, driving from their 43-yard line with carries from Brett Robart and Justin Nickerson. Steve Fox, a pivotal cog in the Trojans' offence, reeled in a 10-yard pass from quarterback John Toogood to set up inside the Greyhounds 5-yard line.

Matt Seely punched it through but the extra point attempt failed as Saint John held a 7-6 advantage heading into the second half.

The Greyhounds marched down the field in the third quarter using running gains from Matt Doucet, Sean Slader and Peabody. Doucet completed the drive on a 25-yard pass-and-run play from quarterback Dallas Ballard that was converted by Quinn for a 14-6 lead.

Enter the smooth-handed Fox, who reeled in a couple of key passes up the middle to set the Trojans within striking distance. A short drive from McArty gave the Trojans a first down and a Saint John penalty set them on the Greyhounds doorstep, where Toogood punched it through on a quarterback sneak.

Fox received a wide pass for a two-point conversion as Harrison Trimble tied it up 14-14 with 6:17 left in the game.

"They've got a great tall receiver and he (Fox) was just sitting in holes behind the linebackers, it was a nicely designed offence like that," Greyhounds coach Dave Grandy said.

The Trojans defence stopped the Greyhounds from getting anywhere in their next series. Starting from the Saint John 35-yard line, the Trojans eventually stole the lead on another quarterback sneak by Toogood with just under four minutes left in the game.

"Our boys fought hard to the final whistle, we didn't quit but we just came out a little short," Grandy said.

The Greyhounds rallied in the closing minutes but couldn't get within striking distance as the Trojans defence staved off both running and aerial attacks.

"Saint John's running attack is pretty vicious, so we made some adjustments after halftime to slow it down. Our defence has been the heart and soul of our club all year and they really stepped it up in the second half," said Teed, who's Trojans only managed two wins in the regular season.

"These guys put in a lot of hard work this year so to come up short is pretty tough," Grandy said after giving his team a final address in their end zone after the match.

"We left some points on the board early in the first half, we fumbled on the five-yard line and missed a field goal so there's potentially 10 points that we didn't capitalize on.

"But (Harrison Trimble) are a big physical team with a skilled quarterback and I wish them all the best in the final next weekend."

The Trojans will face rivals the Moncton High Purple Knights to battle for the Ed Skiffington Trophy next Saturday. The Purple Knights advanced by dropping Fredericton High 17-6 in semifinal action Friday night in Moncton.

Harrison Trimble Trojans are approaching tonight's New Brunswick High School Football League semifinal game like a business trip.

"We're going to Saint John to take care of business," head coach Mark Teed said yesterday. "If we take care of business, we'll have more business next weekend in Moncton and that would make us all very happy."

Trojans, fresh off their opening round upset victory over the three-time provincial champion Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders, visit the Saint John High Greyhounds tonight. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Millidgeville Field.

Moncton High Purple Knights host the Fredericton High Black Kats in the other semifinal tonight. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field. Semifinal winners will advance to the championship game on Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone.

Trojans won just two of their six regular season games in the Eastern Conference while the Greyhounds were 5-2 in the Western Conference, but Teed doesn't believe his team should be called underdogs.

"Just based on the standings, I can see how people would take us lightly, but there's a lot more to our season than just wins and losses," said Teed, in his third season as head coach of the Trojans.

"You have to look at the scores of those games and how we lost," he said. "We were in every game except the one Moncton High blew us out. We had a chance to win the rest of those games.

"Now that we're starting to play up to our potential, we've earned the right to play in this big semifinal game. Now, we want to make the most of that opportunity."

Teed credited his coaching staff for preparing the Trojans for their playoff run.

"We've got 11 coaches and all of them, but one played for this team," said Teed, who was a member of the Trojans from 1994-97. "They all know what it takes to win and to succeed at this level.

"They all did a lot of one-on-one time with our players. Even when things were not going so well this year, they continued to work hard with the players and the players have responded in a big way."

Teed has talked to other coaches and viewed video tape of the Greyhounds, but he doesn't know much about the Saint John High squad.

"I know they have a very physical and fast team so we're preparing for a tough test," he said.

Meanwhile, the provincial 10-man league semifinals are scheduled for tomorrow at 1 p.m. Mathieu-Martin Matadors visit the undefeated Sussex Sonics and the St. Stephen Spartans host the Harbour View Vikings of Saint John.

The championship game is scheduled for Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

Hogs devour big-boy buffet

They are the linemen. Football's big boys.

The young men in the trenches take the body shots, grind open holes for fleet-footed teammates and smile quietly in the shadows when the spotlight shifts to those popular weapons on offence.

Often, they accomplish their tasks with little or no fanfare.

But each year, the Saint John Greyhounds coaching staff rewards their towers of power with what's come to be known as the Lineman Luncheon - a bonding and morale-boosting dining event so eagerly anticipated, the boys begin to lick their lips in preparation for an annual all-you-can eat buffet the moment training camp begins.

"It is basically a free-for-all," said fourth-year senior Adam Stewart, a six-foot-four, 240-pound centre. "We are a bunch of linemen and when they say, 'free food', we say, 'OK'."

Consumption is so great, at times, it impacts the performance at practice later in the day. "There can be some puking," Stewart said.

As the season unfolds though, the performance of the big men is critical to the success of the Greyhounds, whose main goal is a provincial 12-man division football title in the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association.

And while the top scorers generate the publicity, the recognition of free grub for grunt work is appreciated by those wearing the XL and XXL jerseys.

"We are just a bunch of Hoggies," said five-foot-11, 235-pound senior tackle and guard Curtis Green. "We look forward to this all season."

While quarterbacks are rated by passing yards and touchdown throws, the lineman chow down with an eye on their own standards - the record for most pizza slices eaten.

The long-standing mark is 28 (not including appetizers, salad and pasta) but Rane Griffin gave it a run with 17 pieces late last week.

"All of the linemen are close," said Green, a second-year player who took up the sport after he was encouraged by fellow senior Justin Nathan, another prominent member of the Hogs.

"I think we are the hardest working group of players on a football team."

As the tradition of the lineman's meal evolves, another is gaining steam as well - the Greyhounds success in the post-season and their annual potential for a provincial title.

In the past four regular seasons, the Greyhounds are 20-4, and only the Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders have won more games at the 12-man level in that period.

Last season, Saint John, backed by a strong line on both sides of the ball, advanced to the provincial final, before losing 33-14 to the Highlanders.

"It was a real heartbreaker when you get that close," Stewart said.

This year, the Greyhounds went 5-2 in the regular season but have won four straight after two narrow setbacks to Oromocto and Hampton evened their record at 2-2 in mid-season.

Since then, they have outscored opposition 141-33.

"We really stepped it up at practice after those two losses," Green said.

Friday, the Hounds host Harrison Trimble at 7 p.m. at Millidgeville Field where a win will lift them to the provincial final again - against either Moncton or Fredericton.

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SEMIFINAL SATURDAY: The 10-man division semifinals are slated for Saturday with No. 1 seeded Sussex entertaining Mathieu-Martin of Moncton at 1 p.m. and St. Stephen hosting Harbour View, also at 1 p.m.

Earlier in the season, Sussex shaded Mathieu-Martin 21-14 in the closest game of the season for the 7-0 Sonics, who have outscored their opponents 198-21 this season.

"We felt we left some points on the field that game but at the same time, it showed even though we went 7-0, we are not invincible," said Sussex quarterback Aaron Tabor. "We have to come to play."

The Spartans defeated Harbour view 69-6 on Sept. 19. St. Stephen head coach Neil Grant is expecting a much tighter affair in the 10-man semifinal.

"The regular season was the regular season," Grant said. "We treat every game like our competition is the best team we can play."

St. Stephen has the best points for-against ratio (plus-222) in the province this year but Grant knows it will take a team effort to slow the Harbour View attack

While senior runner Brett Saunders is a key for the Vikings, there is more to prepare for, Grant said.

"We never look at one individual," he said.

"We just see the colour of their jerseys. We are going to play Spartan football. We are committed to running our offence and stopping the other team's offence."

Last weekend, Harbour View advanced with a 30-21 victory over Rothesay in the quarter-final. Mathieu-Martin shaded Kennebecasis Valley 14-13 in the other quarter-final.

The championship game goes Nov. 14 in Moncton.

Kevin Barrett is a sports reporter with the Telegraph-Journal. His Varsity View column appears Thursdays during the school athletic calendar. He can be reached at barrett.kevin@telegraphjournal.com.

Purple Knights ready to face Black Kats
N.B. High School Football League semifinal game set for tomorrow

Moncton High Purple Knights centre Corey Lirette believes all of the extra work done by the offensive line during the last year has been worth it.

Purple Knights host the Fredericton Black Kats in a New Brunswick High School Football League semifinal game tomorrow night. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

During a break at practice yesterday, Lirette said the disappointment of losing in the opening round of last year's playoffs motivated the Purple Knights to work harder this season.

"We should have gone farther last year because we had a good team," the Grade 12 student said.

"The offensive line has been working hard as a unit and less as individuals this year," he said. "We've worked hard on understanding the playbook better, doing extra drills to improve our footwork and getting quicker.

"We talked a lot as a unit over the winter about how we wanted to improve. A lot of us went to extra camps during the summer, too. It's all helped us become a better O-line and we've become a better overall team, too. We all want to keep getting better."

Harrison Trimble Trojans, coming off their upset win over the first-place Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders, visit the Saint John High Greyhounds in tomorrow night's other provincial semifinal. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Millidgeville Field.

Semifinal winners will meet in the championship game Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

Moncton High's offensive line, which features four Grade 12 players and one in Grade 11, was efficient and powerful in its 24-0 quarter-final win over Riverview High last Saturday afternoon.

The line courageously stood its ground as quarterback Dylan Rogers controlled an attack that improved as the game progressed and featured long gains through the air and on the ground.

"The offensive line sticks together," Lirette said. "We'll have to stick together for another tough game (against Fredericton High).

"They've been a powerhouse for a long time and we have a lot of respect for them," the 18-year-old lineman said. "We also think we can prove that we have one of those top teams, too. The best way for us to prove it is to stick together and have another good game."

Purple Knights head coach John Allanach said he doesn't know much about the Black Kats, but added his players will be well-prepared.

"We know Fredericton has a big, strong, athletic team," the coach said. "We just have to play to our strengths. Our guys know what they have to do and they'll be ready for a tough game."

Purple Knights finished in a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-1-2 record while the Black Kats were fourth in the Western Conference at 3-4.

Knights outscored opponents 127-61 and the Black Kats, who upset the first-place Oromocto High Blues in their quarter-final, outscored their's 154-75.

Meanwhile, the Trojans were fourth in the Eastern Conference at 2-4 and they outscored opponents 112-90. Greyhounds were second in the Western Conference with a 5-2 slate and they scored opponents 176-79.

Semifinals in the provincial 10-man league will be played Saturday.

Mathieu-Martin Matadors visit the first-place Sussex Sonics, who have won seven straight games, and the St. Stephen Spartans host the Harbour View Vikings of Saint John. Both games are scheduled for 1 p.m.

Matadors are coming off a quarter-final victory last Saturday against the Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders. Sonics beat the Matadors 21-14 in their only meeting this season.

The championship game will be played Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.