Sports
November 20, 2008 08:21 PM
John Cudmore
Newmarket’s Huron Heights Warriors showed there is no defence against a fast start.
Scoring two touchdowns before the four-minute mark, the Warriors pushed around Markham’s Brother Andre Cardinals early and almost at will en route to a 42-6 win Saturday in the York Region Athletic Association senior boys Tier 1 football final at North York’s Esther Shiner Stadium.
The Warriors had terrific field position from the outset as Brother Andre went to its trick bag right away, with an on-side kickoff.
The play backfired and Huron Heights quickly drove 40 yards in five plays, capped by a two-yard run from Connor Anderson for the first of his five touchdowns in the game.
One minute later, and feeding off a 35-yard Joel Belerique interception return of a DJ Frank pass to the three-yard line, Anderson scored from three yards and the Warriors were ahead 14-0 with the game still just 3-1/2 minutes old.
“That quick start was huge,” said Warriors head coach Al Rover, after his club secured its fourth straight YRAA title. “We have had a hard time getting started in games so that was enormous.”
Richard Beckstead drew praise from his coach for the key block on the opening kickoff.
“That just set a great tone for us,” said Rover.
Even after the Cardinals’ Frank engineered a long drive capped by a Kyle Brothers one-yard touchdown plunge to open the second quarter, the Warriors took advantage of yet another on-side kick attempt.
This time it was a drive of 45 yards with Anderson scampering 10 yards into the end zone. Blake Marshall rounded out the scoring in the first half, hauling in a 10-yard pass from quarterback Troy McCusker on the final play for a 26-6 Huron lead.
“It was an opening statement from them,” said Brother Andre head coach Rick Maloney. “They kicked our butts, what else can I say?
“They made some tremendous plays. They came to play and many things went their way.”
For Huron Heights, which will face the St. Michael’s Kerry Blues in a Metro Bowl semifinal on Nov. 27 at Esther Shiner Stadium, the victory atoned for a 26-26 tie when the teams met in the opening week of the season. It was a result in which the Cardinals scored two late touchdowns and left a lasting impression with members of the Warriors.
In junior, King City’s Connor Anderson had two touchdowns as the Lions erupted for 16 points in the second quarter on the way to a 22-0 victory over Brother Andre and a berth in the junior Metro Bowl semifinal.
In Tier 2, Andrew Roberts scored a pair of touchdowns and Brendan Gaunce had a touchdown and two field goals among 17 points to power the Markham Marauders to a 49-0 rout of the Newmarket Raiders.