Junior Ravens take EOSSAA football crown
The St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School Junior Boys’ Ravens football team welcomed the Carleton Place High School Bears on Fri., Nov. 3, for the EOSSAA Championship. The Ravens got off to a slow start but recouped and took the game 33-13 to win the EOSSAA Championship. The team members are: (not in order) Dakota Aubin, Charlie Aylward, Brock Ballantyne, Vincent Baron, Adam Cousineau, Nick DeGrace, Marshall Drevonik, James Dunlop, Duncan Emack, Aiden Harps, Connor Johnson, Maverick Labrie, Jacob Lamothe, Owen Latimer, Nick Laviolette, Jeremy Leroux, Jaiden Longval, Will Menard, Alex Parisien, Josh Parker, Matthew Piche, Kaleb Rockburn, Ben Sauve, John Van Delst, Jacob Verspeek, Ethan Warnock, Payton Sheridan, Michael Schell, Max Morrison and Kobey Young. Junior Coaches: Nicholas Longval, Dan Lapierre and Trent Young. Courtesy photo
Jeff Moore
Record Staff
RUSSELL—The St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School Junior Boys’ Ravens football team welcomed the Carleton Place High School Bears on Fri., Nov. 3, for the EOSSAA Championship. The Ravens finished the regular campaign in first place and were playing the only team to have beaten them this season. The Ravens also held a win over the Bears after a home and home. The Junior Boys played a six-on-six format with a slightly smaller playing field.
Ravens 33 Bears 13
The Ravens got off to a rather slow start fumbling the ball a few times in the first quarter and the Bears took advantage scoring the game’s first touchdown. The Ravens tried an onside kick to get even with the Bears but that didn’t work as the Bears recovered the ball.
The Ravens turned things around in the second quarter with sheer determination and took a one-touchdown lead into the first half.
Rallying together, led by QB Aidan Harps, the Ravens started to really pull ahead. Big runs by the running backs Brock Balantyne, Maverick Labrie, Charlie Aylward and quarterbacks Aiden Harps and James Dunlop put the Ravens in excellent field position to score a few more touchdowns. Key blocking by Josh Parker, Connor Johnson, Will Menard and Ben Sauve helped the running backs gain big yards.
The Raven’s defense was diligent allowing only one more touchdown during the second half. Big tackles were made on defence by Peyton Sheridan, Jaiden Longval, Nick Laviolette, Mike Schell, Jacob Verspeek, Vinny Baron and Matt Piche.
Unfortunately for the Bears that wasn’t enough for them to overtake the damage already done by the Ravens’ offence.
The Ravens went on to take the game 33-13 claiming the EOSSAA Championship. According to Assistant Coach Nick Longval, “The Bears could not stop QB Aidan Harps from scoring four touchdowns or tight end Will Menard from scoring another. The Ravens’ high-powered offence matched with their stellar defence ensured that when that game was over that they would be the champions.”
