New Brunswick High School Football League- 2005 Archive

New Brunswick High School Football League
In the News

Week 10- Nov. 11-12
Finals

Daily Gleaner | Mike Power
As published on page C3 on November 15, 2005

McIntyre provided plenty of inspiration for Black Kats in their title quest

CHAMPIONS OF THE GRIDIRON

(The Daily Gleaner/ David Smith Photo)
Among those shown here hoisting the Ed Skiffington Trophy and the NBIAA banner acknowledging provincial high school football champions are a group of Fredericton High School Black Kats including Bobby McIntyre, left, and Derek Madsen, right, following Saturday's emotional 26-9 win over Oromocto High School Blues in the league championship game. It was learned following the game that McIntyre had played with a broken fibula. He had two interceptions on the day and keyed what was a stingy Kats' defence

Mike Power
Schoolyard

Terry McIntyre had a secret, a secret he couldn't tell no matter how proud he was, when interviewed for a story in this very paper midway through last week.
McIntyre was featured for his work in local minor football circles as a prelude to Saturday's provincial high school football final.
He was quick to point out how proud he was of the Capital Area Minor Football Association's contribution to a game featuring minor alumni on both the Oromocto High School and Fredericton High School teams.
But as for his secret source of pride, and no doubt concern, he had to keep that quiet. Quiet, that is, until a minute remained in the final and the Black Kats had all but lifted the Ed Skiffington Trophy, emblematic of the provincial high school football championship, after beating the Blues 26-9.
That's when McIntyre came over to me to tell me his secret. "My son, Bobby, played this whole game on a broken leg," he said.
I was astounded, and displaying my well-honed reporter instincts, I replied with a sharp insightful question.
"Huh?" I said. "A what? Did you say a leg? Really?"
Well, Edward R. Murrow wouldn't have been proud but who could blame me? After all, Bobby McIntyre had just been one of the stars of the game, two interceptions and a bunch of other stuff.
But I did find out what Terry McIntyre was talking about once I picked my jaw up off the ground.
It seems Bobby had been injured against Leo Hayes in the final game of the regular season. He was pulled down from the side and the torque of the tackle snapped his fibula. Ouch!
I wanted to know if McIntyre, the son, had taken some kind of freezing agent, morphine or some such thing. No, his father told me, just Ibuprofen.
"He's one tough little guy," said Terry McIntyre beaming with pride.
Yes he is. I catch a cold and I'm home for three days.
"I didn't play last week," Bobby McIntyre said after the game. "And I couldn't stand watching from the sidelines anymore."
So he used the emotion, the adrenaline and yes the Ibuprofen, sucked it up and went out to play the final game of his high school career because he will graduate in the spring of next year.
"This is the game of my life," McIntyre said fighting back tears of joy no doubt in advance of some tears of pain that would follow when the adrenaline left his system some hours in the future.
"I played the game of my life. I'll probably never play like that again. It was the most beautiful game I've ever played and I'm just ecstatic."
The only time it was obvious was after his second interception of the game around the Oromocto 40-yard line. He went down and stayed down for a while. When he got up, he limped a bit, but was soon back in the game.
"I landed right on the fracture," he said, and again I add, OUCH! "I hurt for five seconds but when I knew we had the ball, the pain went away."

As for the game itself, the first meeting at the summit of the sport by two of the three local teams, there is no question the best two teams played and no question the best team won.
FHS did more of the little things that win games. They were good and yes they were lucky, but you have to be good before lucky matters.
I predicted a six-point difference between the teams and there were just three points separating them with 1:55 to play. That FHS eventually won 26-9 was a shame because 12-9 would have fit the day so much better.
It's kind of like a team lifting its goalie in a 2-1-hockey game and giving up two empty net goals.
The game didn't measure up to last year's classic between FHS and Bernice MacNaughton High School, unless you are from FHS in which case I'm sure it felt far better.
But in terms of a story and a memory, well, as a writer it's always good to have drama and pathos, not so much if you are a player I'm sure.
The luckiest ones are the FHS players who lost with pride and dignity last year but came back to win this year.
Oromocto High School's football players were the ones who walked off with nothing but pride and dignity to take with them this year. Perhaps they can use it to plant a seed like FHS did last year.
And what the heck was this guy thinking? Friday night in Moncton, at the high school football awards banquet, the OHS coaching staff was named coaching staff of the year. As they came up for the award, the presenter, a league officer, gleefully informed those gathered that nobody had ever won the award and the provincial championship.
So, umm, congratulations and here's the kiss of death. Good luck tomorrow, not that it matters, I guess.
To his credit OHS skipper Rob Wilson saw the humour in the moment.

Daily Gleaner | Football
As published on page C1 on November 14, 2005

McIntyre epitomizes Kats' resolve
FHS 26 OHS 9

KAT ON THE PROWL

(The Daily Gleaner/David Smith Photo)
Defensive back Bobby McIntyre, left, of the Fredericton High School Black Kats steps in front of intended receiver Jeremy Bigger of the Oromocto High School Blues for one of his two interceptions during Saturday's provincial high school football league final at FHS Field. McIntyre, who was playing with a broken fibula, helped the Kats capture the Ed Skiffington Trophy with a 26-9 victory over their long-time rivals

By MIKE POWER
mpower@dailygleaner.com

After Bobby McIntyre's second interception of the day, he got up slowly, and appeared to be milking the moment in front of a large group of Oromocto High School fans.
That might have been what the fans thought. But they would have perhaps been a tad more sympathetic if they had known the truth.
The truth is that McIntyre of the Fredericton High School Black Kats played the entire provincial football final game Saturday with a broken leg.
Not only did he play, but he played well, witness the two picks, as the Black Kats returned to the top of the provincial high school football mountain with a 26-9 win over the OHS Blues at FHS Field.
"That will rank high in my memories of this sport," said FHS coach Larry Wisniewski of McIntyre's effort.
"That was one of the turning points of the game when he made his interceptions. They were emotional lifts for the team in a very tough football game, a game that was decided by heart and courage."
The win gives the Black Kats the Ed Skiffington Trophy for the second time in three years and 11th time since 1986.
Despite a broken fibula suffered in the Kats' final regular season game, McIntyre was an integral part of a Black Kats defence that all but grounded the potent offence of the Blues.
"I couldn't stand the thought of watching this from the sidelines," McIntyre said choking back his emotion. "As the game got closer, the leg felt better and better, the adrenaline kicked in and I was able to focus on playing the game."
The Blues were held to just 144 total yards of offence and although they got their one touchdown-and a two point convert through the air, it was the only dent the passing game put in the Black Kats all day.Brian VonRichter's passing arm had been a central weapon for the Blues all season but he was held to 55 yards through the air, completing only four of 15 attempts and being intercepted three times.
That left the Blues to try to win the game on the ground, and they came close. In fact, this game was tied 9-9 with nine minutes to play. OHS running back Kyle Roesler carried 18 times for 79 yards, good but not good enough against a gritty Fredericton defence led by McIntyre, one among several key defensive cogs on this day.
Kats took control of what had been an evenly played game going into the final quarter, scoring 17 points over the final eight minutes. Fourteen of those points in the final 2:21.
The OHS defence did its part most of the way before finally failing in the closing minutes. The Blues kept the Kats to 199 yards of total offence, much of it coming late in the day. Derek Madsen was the workhorse running the ball with 15 carries resulting in 68 yards. His longest run was a 27-yard touchdown gallop with less than a minute to play.
FHS quarterback Andrew Hickey also stepped up to put his mark on the win. Hickey's passing didn't play much of a role as he was just two of 10 for 21 yards and picked off twice. His running, however, was perhaps the difference in the game as he ran for 64 yards on eight carries scoring two touchdowns.
The Kats built a 9-0 lead over the first 18 minutes. They scored a touchdown in the first quarter on a nine-yard run by Hickey, however, Justin Conn missed the convert though.
Midway though the second quarter FHS added a field goal on a Conn kick from 21-yards out.
Both those scores came as a result of failed laterals by the Blues that instead hit the turf and became free balls recovered by quick as a cat Kats.
But FHS also made mistakes and let the Blues back into the game with a minute to play in the half.
With OHS on its own 36-yard line, the Blues worked a hook and ladder gimmick play for a major gain. That was bad but worse for FHS were a pair of flags including an objectionable conduct penalty that placed the ball on the Kats' 14-yard line.
It opened the door for a 12 yard VonRichter to Jeremy Bigger strike for a touchdown. Those two then hooked up for a two-point convert to send the teams to the half with FHS now only up 9-8.
OHS completed the comeback with 29 seconds left in the third quarter when Jory Smith's 30-yard field punt was wide but through the end zone for a single point.
OHS appeared to have momentum but the Kats dug deep and hit back and eventually took control.
"They had thrown every thing they had at us at that point," Hickey said. "We knew we had something left though. We knew we could still get it done."
Starting at their own 35-yard line, the Kats launched an 11-play, four-minute drive to set up a 15-yard field goal by Conn with 8:20 to play.
"The turning point came when Andrew Hickey fumbled the ball (on the drive), but picked it up and ran a broken play for a big gain instead of it being a turnover," McIntyre said.
"That was maybe the difference between two great teams in a close game." OHS coach Rob Wilson agreed that was the beginning of the end.
"They went on that two snap and fumbled. We would have had the ball, tie game, eight or nine minutes left. It was huge," Wilson said.
"Right there, if anything drove Fredericton to the win it was right there, and we just ran out of steam."
It was all FHS would need.
OHS would get the ball four more times combining to move forward 15 yards in total and losing the ball on a punt, two interceptions and a turnover on downs.
While that was going on the Black Kats offence supplied 14 nail in the coffin points on a 10-yard touchdown run by Hickey and a 27-yard ramble to the end zone by Madsen to finally slam the door tightly shut.
"Anybody that was here knows this was a game much closer than the score," Wilson summed up. "At the end we got forced into a position where we had to take gambles and a very good (FHS) team won those gambles and won the game. We had a good day, they had a great day."

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D5 on November 14, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL
Black Kats nab provincial grid title

(Photo submitted)
The Fredericton High School Black Kats captured the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association 12-Man Division Championship on Saturday.

Telegraph-Journal

The Fredericton High School Black Kats captured their second provincial 12-man football championship in three years with a 26-9 win at home over the Oromocto Blues in the Ed Skiffington Trophy game on Saturday.
Quarterback Andrew Hickey had two touchdowns and Justin Conn added two field goals for the Black Kats, who lost 13-9 to the MacNaughton Highlanders in last year's championship game.
It's the 11th title in school history for FHS, while OHS is still looking for its first banner. The Blues have come up short in the final in three of the past nine seasons.
"Neither team would say they executed particularly well, but it was really a good football game on an emotional level. The kids know each other and they pretty much knew what to expect from each other," said Kats coach Larry Wisniewski.
Conn split the uprights to break a 9-9 tie in the third quarter and the FHS defence took it from there. Hickey ran for his second TD late in the fourth quarter and Derek Madsen tacked on another to round out the scoring.
Brian Von Richter found Jeremy Biggar from 12 yards out for the lone OHS major and the duo connected again for a two-point conversion. Jory Smith punted a single to tie it late in the third quarter.
"Both teams wanted to play very hard, both did and it became a game of courage and heart. We were lucky enough to come out with the championship," said Wisniewski.
Two players from each school were recognized with major awards earlier in the week.
Fredericton's Andrew Hubbard was named the Western Conference's most outstanding player and teammate Dylan Sullivan got the nod as outstanding offensive lineman.
Oromocto's Kyle Roesler was named outstanding offensive player and Curtis Fox received the outstanding defensive lineman award. Oromocto's coaches, led by Rob Wilson, were recognized with the coaching staff of the year award.
Dave Breen of the Hampton Huskies was named outstanding defensive player, rounding out the major award winners.
Joining Hickey and Hubbard on the offensive all-star team are teammates Dylan Sullivan, Ben Thompson and Derek Madsen. Oromocto's Jeremy Biggar and Jory Smith were also named all-stars, joining Roesler.
Other offensive all-stars are Piers Doiron and Joel Seale of the Saint John Greyhounds, Keith Judge of the Huskies and Patrick Casey of the Leo Hayes Lions.
Conn, recognized for his efforts at linebacker, earned a spot on the defensive all-stars, along with fellow Black Kats John Alexander, Zach Piers and Bobby McIntyre.
Mike McCarthy, Ryan Soles and Matt Flemming represent Leo Hayes on the defensive all-stars. Eric Smith and Curtis Fox got the nod from OHS, as did Phil Dobson and Brandon Humphrey of the Greyhounds. Breen rounds out the defensive all-stars.
In the Eastern Conference, Randy LeBlanc of the Tantramar Titans was named player of the year. Shea Lenehan of the Riverview Royals and Nicholas Kukkonen of the Harrison Trimble Trojans tied for the offensive player of the year award and Josh Davies of MacNaughton got the nod as defensive player of the year.
Royals Jeff Crossman (offensive) and Chad Anderson (defensive) swept the linemen awards.
Riverview, led by rookie head coach Mark Lenehan, also picked up the coaching staff of the year award, while the L'Odyss�e Olympiens were presented with a fair play award after their 0-6 debut season.
Riverview also led the Eastern Conference with nine all-stars. Crossman, Lenehan, Sterling Keirstead and Greg Diamond made the offensive team while Anderson, Andy Stultz, Tom Budd, Mike Miller and Kyle MacEachern got the nod on defense.
MacNaughton placed Shawn Moores, Mike Earle and Jordan Richard on the offensive team while Kukkonen, Tyler Gillcash and Donovan Boucher represent Harrison Trimble. Stephen Bohan and Randy LeBlanc of Tantramar, Scott LeBlanc of L'Odyss�e and Brendan Saunders of the Moncton Purple Knights round out the offensive all-stars.
On the defensive side of the ball, Harrison Trimble's Corey Gillcash, Alderic Keith, Justin Wright and Matt Kenny were recognized, as were Lucas Wilson, Kylan Estabrooks and Jeff Bird of Tantramar. Rounding out the defensive all-stars are Josh Davies and Bryce Wade of MacNaughton, Marc Daigle of L'Odyss�e and Jordan Beyea of Moncton.
Tom Lutes of Riverview and Mike McCarthy of Leo Hayes received the Bill Glendinning Award for sportsmanship and academics.

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D1 on November 12, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Crusaders retain gridiron crown
KVHS caps second straight undefeated 10-man football season with second-half explosion

(Cindy Wilson/Associated Press)
Kennebecasis Valley High School Crusaders Matthew Noftell screams encouragement to his team in the final minutes of the game.

By Nathan White
Telegraph-Journal

Jamie Barefoot proved that he's the best 10-man high school football player in New Brunswick and teammate Colin Flynn-Breen wasn't too shabby either as the Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders won their second straight provincial championship with a 41-14 win over the St. Stephen Spartans Friday.
Barefoot, who received the 10-man division's most outstanding player award on Wednesday, and Flynn-Breen were an unstoppable combination as the Crusaders battled back from a 14-13 halftime deficit.
Both schools had vocal support as fans on the hill at Simonds High School took turns drowning each other out with fight songs and megaphones, but KVHS had the edge on the field and completed its second straight undefeated season.
Flynn-Breen found a seam and chugged in for a 65-yard rushing touchdown early in the third quarter and Barefoot added a long run of his own to make it 26-14. Barefoot then delivered on defence with the game still in doubt in the fourth quarter, intercepting a rainbow from St. Stephen quarterback Matt Sode and returning it 16 yards to set up Flynn-Breen's fourth TD rumble of the day. Barefoot added a second major and KVHS tacked on a safety to round out the scoring.
"It's amazing, there's no words to describe it," said Flynn-Breen during a raucous victory celebration that included dancing, hugging, team pictures and an impromptu on-field ho-down led by banjo-playing Crusader Ben Reinhart. "We knew what we could do. We just had to come out and perform."
Barefoot and Flynn-Breen said the Crusaders coaching staff, led by Rob Martel, challenged them to raise their game in the second half.
"The coaches talked about us having to step it up in the second half," said Barefoot. "Our defence was really bad in the first half, so we had to step it up."
"We knew they were going to come out hard," said Flynn-Breen. "We just had to come out harder and play smash-mouth football."
St. Stephen had been battling, slowly working its way up the field with first downs when Barefoot closed the door with his interception.
"I was watching the quarterback. I saw his eyes going to that side and I saw the guy cut up," said Barefoot. "I was able to see it almost in slow motion. It was a good pass, but I was just able to get there before him."
His team winning the Nick Desilets Memorial Trophy capped an incredibly successful year for Barefoot, who had never played organized football before this season. Primarily a basketball player, he said he never expected to achieve so much in just one year.
"When I first started, I figured if I could get on the field, I'd be happy. I just wanted to play," he said. "To have a season like this, with such great people around, was just great. I couldn't have imagined this."
St. Stephen wasn't expected to be in the final, much less win it. Sode, who was named the division's outstanding offensive player, said he was proud of the way his team battled after a strong playoff run put them in the final against the powerhouse Crusaders.
"We fought hard all game, we played our game and did what we could," he said. "It would have been nice to win it, but we had a pretty good season."

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on November 11, 2005

Blues revved and ready for grid showdown

KEEP HIM OFF BALANCE:

(THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
Kyle Roesler (34), of the Oromocto High School Blues is tripped up by Aaron Gordon, of the SJHS Hounds, during Saturday's game at MacKenzie Field. The Fredericton High School Black Kats will have to successfully contain Roesler if they hope to win the New Brunswick High School Football League championship Saturday at FHS Field. Game time is 1 p.m

By MIKE POWER
mpower@dailygleaner.com

Try as they might the Oromocto High School Blues can't portray tomorrow's New Brunswick High School Football League championship game as just another game.
The Blues will travel 15 minutes down the highway to visit the Fredericton High School Black Kats for a one game showdown to decide the championship in the first ever Ed Skiffington Trophy game between two local teams. Game time at FHS field is 1 p.m.
"It is just another football game in a way," said OHS coach Rob Wilson. "And then again it's the biggest game most of our kids have ever played. But we want to keep the focus on doing what we have done the last few weeks and not trying to do too much."
And of course it also pits the two long time regional rivals against each other, and yes there is a rivalry, not approaching the historical and sometimes ugly competition between the hockey teams from the two schools.
"It's more a case of having a lot of respect for each other," said Blues receiver/running back Eric Smith. "We know each other well. It gets pretty hot when we play, but for the most part it's more respecting each other than not liking each other."
The Blues are 0-for-2 in championship appearances. The Black Kats, of course, are perennial contenders.
"We're very aware of what they can do," said Wilson. "We've been giving it all a lot of thought, we know what the keys to their team are and they know us just as well. In that way it's different from the usual playoff game where you're up against a team you may not even have played this season."
These teams went head-to-head. In fact, the Blues' only loss in a season in which they've gone 7-1 was a 16-0 loss to the Kats on a cold, rainy Oct. 8.
"We're not thinking about that game at all," said OHS running back Kyle Roesler. "That was a regular season game and this is playoffs. It's a totally different mindset. This is a much bigger game. We are just going out there with a clean slate to show them what we're made of."
The Black Kats are also 7-1, with their lone loss coming in their season opener, 1-0 at the hands of the Hampton Huskies. Roesler is expecting the game to come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
"That's the key," he said. "Whoever executes their game plan the best should win. "If you want to look back at that game we lost to them that's the one thing we can take away from it: that day we didn't execute, we made some mistakes that killed us.
"Now we have more experience, we're more confident. We've practiced a lot since then and we've got some guys in the lineup we didn't have the first time we played."
One of the biggest factors in Oromocto's confidence is the fact they beat a highly motivated tough as nails Saint John High School team in the semifinal last week.
"If anybody had any doubts I think they went away against (Saint John)," Roesler said. "That was as rough and intense a game as any of us have ever played, and we won it. We showed everybody that we're for real."
Roesler has blossomed into one of the best running backs in the province in his second seasoon with the Blues. He can expect to play a big part in the Blues' game plan and the Black Kats plan to defend.
"There's some pressure on me," Roesler said. "But on the other hand I only do what I do because of my teammates. If I make a bunch of yards on a carry it's more about the blocking of the guys in front of me than anything I do. In that way I don't think any one guy will win this game, it'll be a team effort."
Win or lose the Blues have been a big part of the school year so far at OHS.
"There's a lot of talk around the school," Roesler said. "That's great. A lot of people are excited."

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page c1 on November 10, 2005

High school football final testament to feeder system

STRONG FEEDER SYSTEM

(The Daily Gleaner/Dave Smith Photo)
Bobby McIntyre, right, of the Fredericton High School Black Kats is shown breaking up a pass during a provincial high school football league game. McIntyre is just one of many players who have graduated from the Capital Area Minor Football Association to become impact players at the high school level both at FHS and Oromocto High School. The two teams are vying for the provincial championship Saturday at FHS Field. The success of the minor program is due in great part to outgoing president Terry McIntyre, who just happens to be Bobby�s father.

By BILL HUNT
bhunt@dailygleaner.com

Terry McIntyre will be a proud parent Saturday afternoon, no matter what happens.
His youngest son Bobby will suit up with the Fredericton High School Black Kats when they pursue the New Brunswick High School Football League championship Saturday.
But in a sense, they�re all his boys.
�I personally know almost every kid on both teams,� said McIntyre, whose 10-year stint as president of the Capital Area Minor Football Association officially ends next month.
�I wish them all well. Even though my son is on the Black Kats, I have to sit back and take a broader view of things.�
Most of the Black Kats and the Oromocto High School Blues, the team the Kats will battle for supremacy in provincial pigskin circles at FHS Field at 1 p.m., are products of the Capital Area Minor Football Association, the organization over which McIntyre has presided for the past decade.
He�s the man who spearheaded the expansion of the program into Oromocto in 1996. Many of the kids who were at the grassroots of the program then will be front and centre in The Jungle -- that�s what they call FHS Field on game days -- Saturday.
He�ll be just another parent on the side hill overlooking the field Saturday. It�s fitting perhaps, in that he�ll get a good overview of the whole thing.
�In 1996, we started a squirt flag football league, mainly because Bobby didn�t have anywhere to play,� Terry remembers.
�He bugged me for a year. The team I coached that year had Bobby, Andrew Hickey, Andrew Hubbard and Steve Soucy.�
All are keys if the Kats hope to nail down the provincial championship Saturday.
Hickey, of course, is the quarterback; Hubbard a key wide receiver and kick return specialist; McIntyre a wide receiver and Soucy a key offensive lineman.
�I taught those guys everything they know,� he said, tongue planted firmly in cheek.
Despite their vast football experience, none have ever won a championship -- a drought they hope to end against the Blues Saturday. And while Terry hopes for a happy ending for number 6 -- Bobby -- he feels good for all of them.
�We�re quite proud of the fact that the two teams are from here and, on average, 80 per-cent of the kids from the two teams came out of our system,� he said. �But I don�t measure our success by how many championships we have or how many the high school has. It�s a feather in the hat. But if I got into it and measured my success by that, I probably got into it for the wrong reasons.
I got into it for some kids to have some fun, respect themselves and respect others and those higher goals.�
FHS running back Derek Madsen considers the Saturday showcase a dream matchup.

MADSEN

�It�s been kind of like our dream to end the rivalry,� said Madsen in the moments after the Black Kats dismantled the defending champion Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders of Moncton last Saturday.
�In JV (junior varsity) we had the finals in the Capital Area, and they beat us in a close game. So this will be the once and for all final game to prove that we�re number one.�
McIntyre remembers that game well. It was an 11-0 victory for the bantam Blues that day. The best of both teams have blended together on Capital Area elite teams in the spring.
The Kats won the head-to-head meeting in the regular season, a 16-0 mudslide on Thanksgiving Weekend.
�I hope they get to play on a relatively dry field on a relatively dry day,
so they can display their skills.�
McIntyre predicts a spirited, but sportsmanlike contest. He believes it will be close.
�This one could conceivably go into overtime,� he said. �I don�t think it�s going to be high scoring,�
He won�t pick a winner. �They know one another extremely well,� he said. �There are some guys who are friends with one another even though they�re on opposing teams. That causes me great joy. The game is a violent one, but you�re less apt to cheap shot someone who is a friend of yours.�
They�re all McIntyre�s friends. �Even though my son is on the Black Kats, I�ve got a lot of kids on that Oromocto team I have great affection for,� he said. �I�ve known some of these kids for six, seven and eight years and I�ve watched them in their triumphs and in their sorrows.�
He�ll watch -- and feel for -- both Saturday.

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D1 on November 10, 2005

Football Award Winners

The New Brunswick High School Football League announced its all-star teams and major award winners for the 10-man division on Wednesday night. Players from Harbour View, Kennebecasis Valley, Rothesay, St. Malachy's, St. Stephen and Simonds high schools were honoured.

NBHSFL 10 Man Major Award Winners

Most Outstanding Player: Jamie Barefoot, KVHS
Most Outstanding Offensive Player: Matt Sode, SSHS
Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Lee Maloney, SHS
Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Tyler Pace, RHS
Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman: Jourden McLeod, RHS
Coaching Staff of the Year: RHS (head coach Bob Cote)

NBHSFL 10 Man Offensive All-Star Team

Sean Gormley, KVHS, QB
Justin Mousek, RHS, RB
Simon Pearn, RHS, QB
Matt Sode, SSHS, QB
Colin Flynn-Breen, KVHS, RB
Joel Wilcox, SSHS, RB
Jamie Barefoot, KVHS, WR
Ryan Crouse, KVHS, WR
Tim Denton, SHS, WR
Brett Hooper, SSHS, WR
Tyler Pace, RHS, OL

NBHSFL 10 Man Defensive All-Star Team

Mike Curwin, HVHS, LB
Colin English, KVHS, LB
Devon Hanson, SHS, LB
Chika Ikejiani, KVHS, LB
John Lamos, KVHS, LB
Lee Maloney, SHS, LB
Mike McSorley, SSHS, LB
Zack Nixon, SSHS, LB
Dave Thompson, RHS, LB
Chris Wilkes, SMHS, LB
Aaron Wilson, HVHS, DB
Steve Richard, SMHS, S
Matt Armstrong, RHS, DL
Andrew Russell, KVHS, DL

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D1 on November 10, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL
Another provincial grid championship would be music to Crusaders' ears
Ben Reinhart will have his banjo on hand if KVHS completes second straight unbeaten season

(Cindy Wilson/Telegraph-Journal)
Ben Reinhart started a tradition last season which goes hand in hand with winning at Kennebecasis Valley High School.

By Nathan White
Telegraph-Journal

Ben Reinhart hopes to play a victory song on Friday afternoon.
Reinhart, 17, is an offensive lineman and linebacker for the Kennebecasis Valley High School Crusaders football team.
He and his KVHS teammates (8-0) host the St. Stephen Spartans (6-3) at 1 o'clock Friday afternoon to do battle for the Nick Desilets Memorial Trophy, symbolic of New Brunswick 10-man high school football supremacy.
The only other Week 10 game is set for Saturday, also at 1 p.m., as the Oromocto Blues travel to Fredericton to take on the Black Kats for the Ed Skiffington Trophy, the top prize on the 12-man circuit.
The Crusaders will be looking to pluck their second straight provincial championship banner and, if successful, Reinhart will pluck out a tune on his banjo. It's a post-game tradition he started as a rookie last season and the Crusaders haven't lost a game since.
"Ever since last year, about three or four games in, after we won I always brought the banjo and we had a ho-down," explained Reinhart, who has been playing both banjo and high school football for about two years.
"It's a good time to party and celebrate."
"He's really good," said teammate Ryan Crouse, a receiver/cornerback who is also a Grade 12 student.
"There's not too many banjo players in Quispamsis so I'd say he's top-notch in Quispam."
But Crouse said Reinhart is an even better at playing football than he is at playing banjo.
"I'd have to say football because he stops points getting on the board and helps put points on the board," said Crouse.
Reinhart said he's not sure which he likes better, but he knows he likes to do both on the same day, because that means another KVHS win.
"It's a combined passion," he said.
With the Spartans on a four-game winning streak and coming off an upset victory over the second-seeded Rothesay High Redhawks, Reinhart knows he and his teammates will have to earn this ho-down. After starting the season 2-3, St. Stephen has picked up four straight wins and hasn't lost since Oct. 8.
"It's going to be a tough game to play," said Reinhart.
"Since we last played them (a 40-7 KVHS win in Week 4), I think they've improved so much it's hard to even tell what they're going to be like."
"Their quarterback (Matt Sode) is fast and he's got a pretty accurate pass," added Crouse, the team's only four-year veteran. "They're going to come after us. It's going to be our toughest challenge in the last two years."
If the Crusaders rise to that challenge and win a second straight provincial title, it will be music to their ears.

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D1 on November 10, 2005

Spartans' star QB stays humble
Matt Sode has blossomed in just his first season at quarterback and second year overall

(Chuck Brown/Telegraph-Journal)
Matt Sode will lead the St. Stephen High Spartans into Friday's championship game against KVHS at 1 p.m.

By Chuck Brown
Telegraph-Journal

Even the brash, all-jerk Terrell Owens would have trouble coming up with original touchdown celebrations if he saw the end zone as much as St. Stephen Spartans quarterback Matt Sode does.
Sode has passed, run and kicked his way onto the scoreboard all season, running the Spartans' offence all the way to Friday's provincial championship game against the host Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders at 1 p.m.
But even while ringing up points on the ground, with his arm or with his kicking leg, and being named the league's most outstanding offensive player and all-star at the awards banquet on Wednesday night, Sode remains soft-spoken and humble, a good team guy.
"All our guys are pretty much the same way, just toss the ball back to the referee. They don't need to do any dances or anything," said Spartans coach Tom Hart.
"That's a reason we've made it this far. It's not because we have the best football players but we think we have probably the best football team."
Sode, a Grade 11 student who was a receiver with the Spartans last year - his first season in football - was a reluctant quarterback early on. "I wasn't even sure if I was going to play quarterback this year," he said.
The Spartans coaching staff recognized that Sode - who also plays hockey, soccer and rugby - had QB potential and groomed him to lead the offence.
"We needed somebody there that would have leadership skills, a lot of athleticism and good decision making," Hart said. "He's shown all that, he's done all that."
Sode has had some huge games, including three touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown, six extra points and one punt for a single in a 60-6 win over the St. Malachy's Saints on Oct. 15.
"This is only his second year and he looks like he's been doing it for years now," Hart said.
But Sode counts last week's 21-14 semi-final win over Rothesay as the highlight of the season so far. He scored a rushing touchdown and kicked an extra point in that game but it was the win and the chance to play for the Nick Desilets Memorial Trophy that made that game special.
"For sure, it's Spartan history," Sode said of St. Stephen's first appearance in the championship.
The Crusaders are tough and they beat St. Stephen 40-7 on Oct. 1. Sode did the scoring in that loss with a touchdown and an extra point. He's looking for more from himself and his team in the rematch.
"It's going to be a tough game but if we play well I think we can pull it off," Sode said.

Daily Gleaner | David Ritchie
As published on page C3 on November 9, 2005

Did you know? Blues have historical post-season advantage over Kats

It only seems appropriate that in their 20th anniversary season, the Fredericton High School Black Kats are playing for the Ed Skiffington Trophy, emblematic of high school football supremacy in the province.
The fact they're facing their long-time rival, Oromocto High School Blues, is an added bonus. There's a playoff history between them too, adding to the intrigue.
Almost from the day a determined group calling itself Parents for Football finally managed to get the sport introduced into the school after years of fighting with the administration of the day, FHS has either been top Kat or pretty darn close when it comes to the gridiron in N.B. high school football.
They won only a pair of games in that inaugural season back in 1985, but since year two, the Kats dominance has been such that they've commanded the Skiffington Trophy 10 times in 19 seasons including a stretch of six years in a row from 1988-93.
Harrison Trimble of Moncton might have been as dominant in the 70's and early 80's but that was before the big boys came out to play.
You think back to that first championship in 1986 when the Kats beat a game Tantramar High Titans by two points in the Mud Bowl at College Field, losing the very next year in sub-zero climes to the same Titans at Raceway Field.
There's memories of a receiver-turned quarterback named Sean Hickey running and gunning and leading the Kats to a provincial title against a favoured Tantramar team in Sackville in the fall of 1989, paving the way for a young quarterback named Allison Brooks to hook up with Simon Pacey on a last minute TD pass and victory against Simonds High in the fall of 1990 at College Field.
Interesting that both Hickey and Brooks would wind up playing university ball at Mount Allison University. Hickey, in fact, would be the quarterback of record leading the Mounties all the way to the Vanier Cup final at Toronto SkyDome in the fall of 1991. He had a touchdown pass as Mount A lost 25-18 to Sir Wilfrid Laurier that day. If you haven't noticed, Mounties haven't won much since.
Another Hickey - this time a running back - would help fuel the Kats' juggernaut in the early 90's, winning two more titles before losing 15-7 to Harrison Trimble in the championship game of 1994. David Hickey would go on to earn all-star status each of his three seasons with the Kats and later would continue his all-star calibre play at St. Francis Xavier University, playing there five seasons.
The Hickey name is significant because as we prepare to watch the 2005 version of the Kats playing the Blues Saturday afternoon at FHS Field, there's another Hickey making his presence felt in the Kats' backfield.
He's the Grade 11 quarterback Andrew Hickey, who, like his brother before him, has made a successful transition from wide receiver to quarterback. And like his other brother David, he wears No. 5. Kats' coach Larry Wisniewski has words of praise for Hickey's ability to grasp the nuances of the position in his first season at the controls. Much like Sean before him.
Hickey had a rushing touchdown and contributed another in the air as the Kats avenged last year's championship game loss to Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders of Moncton in semifinal play last Saturday at FHS Field. Final score was 31-0. Kats were 48-8 winners over Tantramar High the previous weekend at FHS Field.
A ways up highway seven, the Blues were involved in a dogfight with a surprise Saint John Greyhounds team before emerging a 16-6 winner. As has been the case through much of this season, veterans such as all-star receiver Eric Smith and running back Kyle Roesler were the key cogs to the Blues' success. The previous week, veteran QB Brian Von Richter played a leading role in a 39-0 thrashing over Harrison Trimble.
And so it has come down to this, the first time these two schools will strap 'em on against one another for a championship.
But it's not the first time they've met in the post-season. In fact, from humble beginnings when the Blues once lost by 88 points to FHS and playoff games in 1993 and 1994, they've actually got the upper hand in post-season play against their rivals.
The Blues are making their third ever appearance in the final - they've yet to win - and in both previous appearances, they toppled the Black Kats along the way.
There was the team coached by a former FHS coach - Mike DeMello - in 1997 which found a way to stymie the Kats' offence on a miserable day to the tune of 7-1 in semifinal action. Blues then had to make the trek to Sackville the following Saturday where they lost 49-21 to Tantrmar.
What made that OHS edition particularly compelling was the fact they didn't even field a team the previous season after having lost each of their six games in 1995.
They didn't make the post-season in 1998 but they followed that with a 5-1 record in 1999, earning the second seed from the west. It just so happened they met FHS at OHS field in the quarter-final and thanks in part to a bizarre finish, won 16-15 to advance against Simonds against whom they lost, 42-0.
Blues finished 5-1-1 the following season and after beating Leo Hayes 13-0 in quarter-final play, upset the top seed Black Kats 21-17 in the semifinal round to advance against Harrison Trimble in the final. Alas, they lost 56-7 at OHS.
David Ritchie can be contacted at dritchie@dailygleaner.com or by calling 458-6484. His weekly column appears Wednesdays.

Daily Gleaner | Mike Power
As published on page C3 on November 8, 2005

Slight edge to Kats over Blues in what should be dynamic finale to football season

So it will be long time rivals Oromocto High School and Fredericton High School facing each other for the provincial high school football championship Saturday at FHS Field.
They have been the two best teams all season. Both are 7-1 going into the final. Oromocto's lone loss was to FHS. The Black Kats lost 1-0 to Hampton in their season opener and are 7-0 since.
Who will win this collision of the best teams in the province?
Well, it should be quite a game. You can't say it will be a war, not this close to Remembrance Day, because only war is war. Football is football.
An OHS-FHS final is a winning hand for the local minor football system. I'm sure Capital Area Minor Football Association president Terry McIntyre will be on the sideline beaming with pride knowing the role his organization played in supplying many players for both teams. If you see him on game day, give him a pat on the back for a job well done.
But back to the question of who will win. Let me preface the following by saying I'm no football expert, I just happen to have seen both teams a few times this season and that gives me the right to have an opinion just like many of you.
I'm also a big fan of both teams. I have a lot of respect for both teams from the coaches on down. I also enjoy dealing with both groups.
Anyway, enough of that. Let's break down the keys for both teams keeping in mind each and every one of those mentioned has the ability to make me look silly on game day.
At quarterback I like Brian VonRichter of OHS over Andrew Hickey by virtue of experience. Hickey took over the pivot job this year. VonRichter has been there through his minor football. Running the ball? Advantage FHS. I'll take the inside-outside duo of Derek Madsen and Andrew Hubbard over OHS workhorse Kyle Roesler because two are better than one and Hubbard is a real threat as a receiver as well.
Catching the ball, I like the Oromocto's double trouble of Jeremy Bigger and Eric Smith over the FHS committee of the catch.
At the offensive line position, give the nod to FHS. In the kicking game, again, FHS is better.
Regarding the defensive line, I'll take Oromocto. Linebackers? It's a tie, and in the secondary, I'll go with Fredericton.
That leaves coaching, and given the number of provincial championship rings on the FHS coaching staff (do they get rings?), I have to take the group that includes the likes of Larry Wisniewski, Donny Davis, Gary Norcott et al.
One other major factor is roster depth at all positions and key positions in particular. This favours FHS, not just because of the old thing about FHS being a big school with so many kids yadda yadda yadda. More to the point, the Blues have lost bodies off their roster for a variety of reasons over the last month and are thin at some places.
Going into last week's semifinals, I liked the Black Kats to beat OHS in a potential final game by as many as 15 points. After watching the Blues battle in their semifinal battle with a tough as nails Saint John High team, I have to think again.
So if you are looking at the line, Las Vegas isn't involved here. I would say it will still be a win by FHS with the spread being about six points. But if it rains hard, it's FHS by 10 in the mud because of the the Andrew Hubbard factor.
Note to my editor: feel free to put a dotted line around the above part of my column to make it easier to clip and put on bulletin boards or clip and make into a paper airplane.
I have to say what a great job the folks at OHS did last week in the game with Saint John. If you missed it, they had the head referee wired with a mobile microphone so he could announce his calls, just like the big leagues.
Mike Power can be contacted at mpower@dailygleaner.com. His weekly column appears on Tuesdays.

Week 9- Nov. 4-5
Semi-Finals

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on November 7, 2005

Blues earn it the ol' fashioned way

WELL GROUNDED

(The Daily Gleaner/David Smith Photo)
That's all-purpose running back Kyle Roesler of the Oromocto High School Blues attempting to run through the tackle of Saint John Greyhounds' Steve Craig (22) during Saturday's provincial high school football league semifinal at OHS Field. Roesler and the Blues were 16-6 winners, earning an appointment against FHS Black Kats in the league championship game for the Ed Skiffington Trophy scheduled Saturday at FHS Field.

By MIKE POWER
mpower@dailygleaner.com

The Oromocto High School Blues earned their chance to play for the Ed Skiffington Trophy the hard way.
The Blues earned their ticket to Saturday's provincial high school football final against Fredericton High Schol with blood, sweat and bruises.
This past Saturday in semifinal action, OHS beat the Saint John Greyhounds 16-6 at OHS Field in an old-fashioned football game featuring stinging hits. It was a battle.
"It was a very unusual football game," said visibly relieved OHS coach Rob Wilson moments after the final whistle. "It was really classic football. They (Saint John) came here ready for us. They are so big and strong and they hit us with everything they had." It was the degree of obvious respect between the teams during the game and after that set this one above the ordinary.
"They (Saint John) are a great team," said Blues defensive lineman Curtis Fox. "Our hats are off to them. They hit us harder today than any team has this season. They pounded us and we pounded them. Then they would offer you a hand back to your feet. It was quite a game."
Indeed it was, and while a pair of second half touchdowns by the Blues decided the outcome on the scoreboard, the game was won primarily by the Blues stopping the Greyhounds four times on key third down conversion attempts. Each stop provided a dramatic reversal for SJHS and a lift for the home side.
"Those stops played a big role," said SJHS quarterback Nick Bonner. "If we could have converted on third down, even a couple of times, this would have had a different ending. That's my opinion anyway.
"But they made the stops, they played a great defensive game. We wanted it badly but so did they. We came out today thinking we could win this, but so did Oromocto. They have a great team and they earned the win today."
The score stood at 1-0 for OHS at halftime, the only point coming on a missed field goal attempt by Eric Smith of the Blues from 25 yards out with a minute remaining in the first quarter.
The first half was a collision of two determined defensive squads with OHS being a bit better by virtue of a couple of those third down stops. The most dramatic a third and one blast of the line by Fox that saw him wrap up running back Piers Doiron three feet behind the line with the Greyhounds on the Oromocto 40.
"Our defence was talking to each other," Fox said. "We're good at opening a hole in those situations. After that, it's a matter of hitting the hole and making the tackle."
One other major difference all day that had a major effect in the outcome was penalties. The 'Hounds were plagued by flags all day while the Blues were nabbed only a couple of times. The calls against Saint John were often badly timed reversing key gains on offence and keeping Oromocto drives alive. "It's a frustrating part of the game," Bonner said.
OHS finally put together a scoring drive six minutes into the second half. It started with another stop on third down of the 'Hounds giving the Blues the ball on the Saint John 50.Six play later quarterback Brian VonRichter hit Smith in the end zone on a 19-yard toss for the touchdown. Smith's convert went wide making it 7-0.
The Greyhounds picked themselves up and marched back down the field for a touchdown of their own, finishing a seven play drive with a one-yard plunge by Phil Dobson with 2:16 to go in the third quarter. With a missed convert the score stood 7-6.
The game and momentum turned on the ensuing kickoff though. Smith received the kick and burst through coverage for a 75-yard scoring dash that sucked the wind out of the Greyhounds sails.
"I broke with the ball and I could see my teammates ahead of me blocking," Smith said of the run. "I just ran they did all the work perfectly picking up the blocks, I went for the hole, then looked over my shoulder and saw them chasing me. I thought no way they're catching me."
The two-point convert catch by Bigger made the score 15-6. It would be enough for the win. The only scoring in the last quarter was on a missed field goal attempt by Smith that officials blew down mistakenly before Saint John could run the ball clear of the end zone. Given the choice of a do over kick by OHS or allowing the point, Saint John coach Wayne Tipper chose to leave the point on the board.
From there, the Blues strategy was simple when they had the ball. They put it in the hands of workhorse back Kyle Roesler who ran for 92 yards on 10 carries over the final 11 minutes, literally running out the clock.

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on November 7, 2005

Kats even score with Highlanders

CRUNCH TIME

(The Daily Gleaner/David Smith Photo)
Ian MacDonald (39), of the Fredericton High School Black Kats is stopped in his tracks by the tackle of Lucas Wickwire (33), of the Bernice MacNaughton High School Highlanders during Saturday's provincial high school football league semifinal at FHS Field. MacDonald had a pair of of touchdowns as FHS routed the Highlanders 31-0

By BILL HUNT
bhunt@dailygleaner.com

First, Dylan Sullivan buried the medal.
Then, he buried the memory.
Sullivan and his Fredericton High School Black Kats faced the Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders of Moncton in New Brunswick High School Football League semifinal play Saturday - one week earlier than last season, when the teams squared off for the provincial championship.
The Highlanders won the provincial championship in an epic battle that day, on a game that came down to the last play and a pass to the far right corner of the end zone that FHS receiver Hunter MacDonald couldn't corral.
Sullivan, the Black Kats huge offensive and defensive lineman, and wide receiver Andrew Hubbard each brought their second place medals from last year"s game. Just before the game started, they went to the spot where the ball fell in the end zone that day, and buried them.
"It was just a way to make sure all the guys remembered what happened," said Sullivan. "I think it was my idea, actually. It was kind of like the lucky loonie. That's what inspired us."
Then they went out and buried the Highlanders.
Sullivan helped blow holes that helped Black Kats running back Ian MacDonald score a pair of touchdowns on runs of nine and one yard, quarterback Andrew Hickey go untouched 19 yards on a quarterback keeper up the middle to score another; and running mate Derek Madsen rumble for 131 yards on 13 carries.
Oh, and Hubbard pulled down a 34-yard pass in the end zone for another touchhdown as the Black Kats steamrollered the Highlanders 31-0.
The Black Kats host the provincial final again next Saturday, this time against the rival Oromocto High School Blues.
OHS beat Saint John High School Greyhounds 16-6 Saturday, setting up a final showdown between two arch geographic rivals, each of whom finished the regular season with 5-1 records in the Western Conference.

LEADER OF THE PACK

(David Smith Photo)
Quarterback Andrew Hickey of FHS Black Kats delivers a pass during Saturday's high school football semifinal at FHS Field. Hickey had a big day as the Kats routed Bernice MacNaughton of Moncton 31-0

The Kats won the head-to-head regular season meeting 16-0. And while the Kats say they're looking forward to facing Oromocto next Saturday, this was a day for savouring their domination of the Highlanders.
"It feels great," said the soft spoken Sullivan. "Our whole team played tough. We were really fired up by some of the comments in the Moncton paper. They said they were going to hit us so hard in the first quarter that we were going to want to go home."
Ironic then, that Hickey could march the Kats down the field with such surgical precision on their first possession, moving them from the MacNaughton 43 to the 19 on three running plays and then, facing third and one, prance through a gaping hole untouched for a 19-yard TD to open the scoring.
"The turning point was probably the first drive, when they realized they couldn't really stop us," said Sullivan. "We were physically dominating them, and we had more intensity."
Hickey was more charitable. He felt the turning point wasn't until the third, when Hubbard latched onto his 34-yard aerial that, with the convert, made it 28-0. A 32 yard Justin Conn field goal completed the scoring.
"They had a couple of interceptions that gave them some momentum, but the first score of the second half really turned it around."
The fact is, it was all but officially over long before. It was still the first quarter, Kats up 7-0 when they stalled at midfield and kicked the ball away. Highlanders punt returner Wayne Crossman, the most dynamic of the Highlanders all day, recovered the punt and dashed up the right sideline. He appeared bound for paydirt until Kats' linebacker Justin Conn made a desperation dive that tripped him up at the 14.
On third and goal from the FHS seven a couple of plays later, they got another series when the Kats' David Kingston was called for pass interference against Highlanders receiver Jordan Richard in the end zone, setting up the Highlanders first and goal from the four.
An incomplete pass, illegal procedure call and a fumble gave the Kats the ball back on the 20. Three plays later - the biggest among them a 57 yard up the gut run by Madsen - MacDonald was in the end zone, the convert made it 14-0, the rest was window dressing.
"During the game, we really pounded them," said Madsen. "We wanted to prove to them that they couldn't come to our house for a second time to take us over."
"We had so many chances throughout the whole game to score, and we just couldn't capitalize," said a disconsolate Crossman. "We wanted to come in here and score points at least. But it didn't happen.

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D3 on November 7, 2005

FOOTBALL
St. Stephen earns date with KVHS

(Noel Chenier/Telegraph-Journal)
Ben Landry of the Seabees is snared by KVHS�s Jamie Barefoot to prevent a first down during first-half action in high school football action.

Telegraph-Journal

The defending champion Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders and second-seeded Rothesay Redhawks were on a collision course for the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association 10-man high school football championship game.
The only problem was, somebody forgot to tell the St. Stephen Spartans.
St. Stephen threw a wrench in Rothesay's plans as the Spartans and Redhawks clashed in a semifinal matchup on Friday night at Shamrock Park.
The Spartans (6-3) came away with a 21-14 win, earning themselves a date with host KVHS (8-0) in Saturday's Nick Desilets Memorial Trophy championship game at 1 p.m.
Matt Sode, Brett Hooper and Joel Wilcox ran for touchdowns, Sode added an extra point and Zack Nixon forced a safety for the Spartans, who led 12-6 at halftime.
The Crusaders, who haven't lost a game in two years, were an overwhelming favourite to beat the fourth-seeded Simonds Seabees in the other semifinal, and they did, 27-0.
Jamie Barefoot led KVHS with two TDs, Colin English and Colin Flynn-Breen had one each and Matthew Noftell kicked three converts.
In 12-man semifinal action, the Saint John Greyhounds put up a good fight but lost 16-6 to the Oromocto Blues.
Eric Smith scored both Oromocto TDs, including a 78-yard kickoff return just seconds after Saint John's Phil Dobson scored a TD to bring the Greyhounds within one late in the third quarter.
Brian von Richter connected with Jeremy Bigger for the two-point conversion on that major and Smith also kicked for two singles on missed field goal attempts to round out the scoring.
The Fredericton Black Kats were 31-0 winners over the defending champion MacNaughton Highlanders in a rematch of last year's 12-man final.
Fredericton (7-1) will host Oromocto (7-1) in the Ed Skiffington Trophy championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D1 on November 7, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Black Kats cross path of defending champions

(DAVID SMITH/CANADAEAST NEWS SERVICE)
David Kingston of the Fredericton High Black Kats breaks up a pass intended for
Jordan Richard of the MacNaughton Highlanders during New Brunswick High School Football League semifinal action Saturday in Fredericton.

Times & Transcript Staff

FREDERICTON - MacNaughton Highlanders' chase for their second straight New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division championship came to an end on Saturday.
Highlanders were blanked 31-0 by the Fredericton High Black Kats in a provincial semifinal here.
The game was a rematch of last year's provincial final - also at the FHS field - which MacNaughton won 13-9 for the school's first-ever New Brunswick football title.
Fredericton High will host the Oromocto High Blues in the provincial final on Saturday.
Oromocto High beat the Saint John High Greyhounds 16-6 in the other semifinal Saturday.
At Fredericton High, quarterback Andrew Hickey scored on a 19-yard touchdown run on the opening drive and the Black Kats never looked back.
Running back Ian MacDonald ran for a pair of touchdowns and Hickey also threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Hubbard, one of two Fredericton High veterans who buried their second-place medals from a year ago in the end zone right before the opening kickoff.
Black Kats grabbed the momentum early on.
It was still the first quarter, Fredericton High was up 7-0, when it stalled at midfield and kicked the ball away. Highlanders punt returner Wayne Crossman, the most dynamic of the Highlanders all day, recovered the punt and dashed up the right sideline. He appeared bound for paydirt until Black Kats linebacker Justin Conn made a desperation dive that tripped him up at the 14.
Facing third and seven from the FHS seven a couple of plays later, MacNaughton got another series when the Black Kats' David Kingston was called for pass interference against receiver Jordan Richard in the end zone, setting up the Highlanders first and goal from the four. An incomplete pass, an illegal procedure call and a fumble gave Fredericton High the ball back on the 20. Three plays later, MacDonald was in the end zone, the convert made it 14-0 and the rest was window dressing.
Black Kats built up a 21-0 halftime lead.
MacNaughton had a couple of chances late in the first half, getting to the 20 before one drive died. Defensive back Bryce Wade picked off passes on consecutive FHS series in the final minute of the half, but time, and the Black Kats defence, shut them down.
"They have a great defence, and it forces you to be on your best offensively," said MacNaughton head coach Ed Wasson, who said the Highlanders missed injured all-star running back Mike Earle.
"They cut down our screens, they did a lot of things well. We just didn't have enough weapons to push them around today."

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D1/D4 on November 3, 2005

N.B. High School Football Playoffs
Highlanders have revenge squarely on their minds
MacNaughton travels to Fredericton on Saturday to take on favoured Black Kats

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Josh Davies of the MacNaughton Highlanders works out in preparation for Saturday's provincial high school semifinal in Fredericton against the Black Kats.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

You don't have to remind the MacNaughton Highlanders of their last image of the Fredericton High Black Kats.
Just five weeks back, the Black Kats rolled into Moncton and thumped the Highlanders 41-8 in Week 4 of the New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division regular season.
The win marked revenge for Fredericton High, which lost to MacNaughton 13-9 in last year's provincial championship game in Fredericton.
"It was a tough one to lose for sure. We felt confident, but we had no idea what was coming at us. They flat out beat us," said Highlanders veteran linebacker Josh Davies, one of 12 players back from MacNaughton's first-ever New Brunswick championship squad last season.
"There's always revenge and they got there's on us and now we're on even terms. Now, we're going back up to their place and try to take what they had from us."
Highlanders get another crack at the Black Kats Saturday when they meet in a provincial semifinal at 1 p.m. at Fredericton High.
The other semifinal has the Oromocto High Blues hosting the upstart Saint John High Greyhounds, also Saturday at 1 p.m.
The winners meet in the provincial final the following weekend.
MacNaughton finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 3-3 regular season record. It blanked the Leo Hayes Lions 16-0 in a quarter-final last week.
Fredericton High came in first in the Western Conference at 5-1 its only loss came in a 1-0 setback to the Hampton High Huskies in its first game of the season. Black Kats have since reeled off six straight wins, including a 48-4 quarter-final victory over the Tantramar Titans last Saturday.
Fredericton High has an explosive offence, led by quarterback Andrew Hickey, and a stingy defence, which gave up just 15 points in six regular season games.
Highlanders are well aware.
"We like the fact we're underdogs. We want to come out and play them hard and leave everything on the field," Davies, a MacNaughton captain, said yesterday during a break in practice at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
"We're hoping to give them a good surprise in the first quarter. We need to come out and hit them hard and make them not want to play us anymore and hopefully carry that momentum through our defence to our offence."
Davies said the Highlanders are a different team than the Black Kats faced in the regular season.
"We had to smarten up as a team after that," the 17-year-old Grade 12 student said.
"I think our confidence has really boosted. Our defence had a rough go, but we shut out Leo Hayes last week and we've come together as a team, like a family."
Grade 11 rookie quarterback Eric Daigle will lead his MacNaughton offence into Fredericton High Saturday without running back Mike Earle, who's gone for the rest of the season with a separated shoulder.
Highlanders head coach Ed Wasson has other offensive weapons, including slotback Jordan Richard and running backs Wayne Crossman, Nick Mulligan and K.J. MacNeil.
"We've got nothing to lose. We need everyone's best effort and we hope they are overconfident," said Wasson, who will need a big effort from his defence, too.
"They are the type of team that is explosive and can score on any one play, so we have to be aware of that and stop the big plays. They have a couple of studs we've keyed and we're going to try to shut them down."

NB Telegraph-Journal | Minor Leagues
As published on page D5 on November 3, 2005

FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Seabees need major upset
Dethroning defending 10-man champs could prove an arduous task

(Cindy Wilson/Telegraph-Journal)
Chris Slade of Simonds High School (right) will be put to the test when the Seabees fac John Lamos (right) and the Kennebecasis Valley High Crusaders on Saturday in high school football playoff action

By Nathan White
Telegraph-Journal

It's not exactly David versus Goliath, but the Simonds High School Seabees are definitely the underdog in Saturday's New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association 10-man football semifinal.
The Seabees (4-4) visit the defending champion Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders (7-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday while the St. Stephen Spartans (5-3) travel to Shamrock Park to take on the Rothesay Redhawks (5-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in the other 10-man semi.
In Week 9 semifinal action on the 12-man circuit, the Saint John Greyhounds ((4-3) visit the Oromocto Blues (6-1) and the defending champion MacNaughton Highlanders (4-3) travel to Fredericton to take on the Black Kats (6-1). Both games are set for 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Crusaders won all of their games by at least two touchdowns on the way to their perfect record, not a bad way to follow up last year's undefeated season. And two of those wins came at the expense of Simonds, 33-8 in Week 2 and 42-18 in Week 3.
But that doesn't mean the Seabees are just going to lie down and watch KVHS steamroll to another 10-man title.
"We've played them twice already and they pretty well had their way with us," admitted Simonds coach Mike Upward. "[But] if you're not trying to win, you're trying to lose."
"They're going to try to murder us," said linebacker/safety Lee Maloney. "But we're bringing our guns too."
Maloney felt his team outplayed the Crusaders in the third quarter of the second game, which gives him hope that they can pull it all together on Saturday and pull off an upset.
"We know we can handle them," said Maloney. "We've just got to handle them for four quarters."
"Everybody's going into it with the right attitude," said Upward. "We'll give it our best shot and see what happens."
Considering many Crusaders players have known nothing but winning since donning the KVHS blue, overconfidence may be a factor that works in the Seabees' favour. Crusaders coach Rob Martel said his coaching staff is trying to make sure his team doesn't beat itself by not bringing its A game.
"It's easy for kids to get into that mindset where you just have to show up," said Martel. "We're really working hard on trying to keep up that [intensity] level."
Having to beat the same team three times in a season is always a challenge, no matter how heavily you're favoured, he said.
"It's always hard to beat teams consecutively," he said. "Nothing's going to be a cakewalk."
Third-year player Chika Ikejiani, who plays both offensive line and linebacker, was around when the Harbour View Vikings eliminated the Crusaders two years ago. He wants to make sure his final season doesn't end on a losing note.
"It was sad. We played a hard, hard game and came up a little short," he said.
But if they come up short this year, Ikejiani doesn't believe it will be because they didn't take Simonds seriously.
"We're pretty much down-to-earth," he said. "We realize that it's playoff time, you win or go home. Simonds is going to step it up, so we've got to be ready."

Daily Gleaner | Mike Power
As published on page C3 on November 1, 2005

Who would have thought possible a potential FHS vs. OHS final?

Funny how you just get used to things, you get an idea in your mind and things just come out of your mouth that way, or in this case out of my fingers.
When appraising the lay of the land for the high school football playoffs, I determined the Fredericton High School Black Kats couldn't host the provincial final game this season. It was obvious; they hosted it last year so this year the top seed in the eastern half of the province gets to host.
At least that's the way it usually works because one or two Moncton area teams are always among the league powers. Moncton High has won a truckload of titles and so has Harrison Trimble. Riverview was the top seed in the east after a solid regular season and Bernice MacNaughton High is the defending champion.
I never considered what the case would be if none of the Hub region teams survived to the last round. Heading into this weekend's final four semifinal round, only Bernice MacNaughton from the Moncton area is still in play.
Riverview, Trimble and Tantramar all fell by the wayside last week and Moncton High never even made the playoffs.
So, if the Black Kats aren't upset at home by MacNaughton Saturday, they will indeed host the second provincial final in a row. And all the beasts from the East will be at home getting their skates sharpened.
I don't want to jinx things but the other semifinal will also be in this area with Oromocto High School hosting Saint John High School. OHS is favoured to get by SJHS Could we see an OHS-FHS provincial final? Maybe, but MacNaughton and the Greyhounds will have a lot to say about that.
Wouldn't it be a feather in the cap of Terry McIntyre and the Capital Area Minor Football Association if both teams are in the final, featuring many of the CAMFA alumni ran the table for the final game?
That's all I want to say by way of tipping a cap to that group for already stocking the rosters of two of the four teams. We can talk more about it after the results are in this Saturday.
- Speaking of a job well done, congratulations to Eric Smith of the OHS football team. I interviewed him Thursday for a story about Saturday's game and he talked up the big job running back Kyle Roesler would be doing in the Blues quarter-final against Harrison Trimble.
- Come game time, there was Roesler standing on the sidelines resting a minor injury. He was injured all last week. Who was running the ball in workhorse fashion while Roesler rested? Eric Smith of course. Eric has a future as a coach.
-The dumbest thing I heard a coach say last weekend? At a high school playoff game on a cold muddy field a ball carrier slipped making a cut. "Stay on your feet!" yelled his coach. Good job there coach. I'm sure the kid meant to fall down face first in muddy water.
When coaches say stuff like that it's a sure sign they're running out of sensible things to say. Whenever I'm watching a game, any sport, and the coach starts getting on the referee most of the time I think "he (or she) is panicking."
It's a good sign of the beginning of the end for a team when the coach can only find the game official - or a kid who falls in the mud - to yell negative stuff at.

Week 8- Oct. 28-29
Quarter-Finals

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on October 31, 2005

Trimble feeling the Blues

BLUE WAVE

(THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
Eric Smith of the Oromocto High School Blues makes a move against would-be tackler Jordan Kenny of the Harrison High Trimble Trojans during N.B. High school football playoff action at OHS Field Saturday. Smith had two touchdowns as the Blues romped to a 39-0 whitewashing of the Moncton school.

By MIKE POWER
mpower@dailygleaner.com

At playoff time in the sport of football, if you can do what you do well while exploiting the weakness of you opponent, good things happen.
That's the recipe the Oromocto High School Blues used Saturday afternoon to easily knock off and knock out Harrison Trimble High School Trojans of Moncton by a 39-0 score.
By virtue of their lopsided win, the Blues advance to the semifinal stage of the provincial high school playdowns.Thanks to a 26-7 upset win by the Saint John High School Greyhounds over the Riverview Royals, the top seed from the East Conference, the Blues will now get to stay home and host the Greyhounds in Saturday's semifinal at 1 o'clock.
With the elimination of the Royals, the Blues, second in the west to FHS with a 5-1 record, inherit the second seed.
Saturday, the Blues pounced on Trimble mistakes with authority and scored on the ground and in the air from close in and from afar in an impressive show of both preparation and execution.
"We practiced all week on our blocking to get our passing and running down right," said Blues receiver Jeremy Bigger. "We knew we would be up against a tough defence. We saw some gaps in the (HTHS) secondary early in the game. With our blocking allowing us time and room, we were able to work those holes pretty well I think."
Pretty well indeed.
After some early problems - Blues quarterback Brian VonRichter was 0 for 4 with an interception on his first four tries to the air - the Blues lit up the Trojan secondary completing 13 of the next 20 pass attempts for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
"We were a bit surprised how muddy and slippery it was out here," Bigger said of a swampy OHS Field. "But once we got used to it, Brian was putting it right into our hands. We started doing what we were supposed to do and catching his passes."
Mixed with Oromocto's grinding ground game and stone cold solid defence, the Blues were quickly on their way to the win after a scoreless first quarter.
In fact, just one play into the second quarter they got on the scoreboard as VonRichter finished a 10 play drive with a 13 yard pass to Bigger in the end zone for six. Joey Smith shanked the convert on a muddy patch of the pasture.
Three plays after getting the ball back, defensive back Mitchell Carr picked off a Donovan Boucher pass to start a second Oromocto scoring drive at the Trimble 36. Smith made it 9-0 with a 25 yard field goal.
As the second quarter went along, the visitors could do no right and the home side no wrong, at least on this day.
Trimble tried a third and long conversion at the OHS 41 and failed. Two plays later VonRichter connected with Bigger on a 65-yard pass and run strike for another major score with 5:22 played in the quarter, Smith's convert was blocked.
Three minutes after that, OHS got a big punt return from Eric Smith and got another 15 yards from a face masking call against Trimble. They turned that set of circumstances into a one yard touchdown run by Kyle Roesler after an 18 yard pass from VonRichter to Bigger set up the play. This time Smith banged out the convert to send the teams to halftime with OHS up 22-0.
It should also be noted that most of this was being done without a big contribution by Roesler who led the Blues in rushing. Although he did come in to finish off the final touchdown drive of the half it was a rare appearance by the feature back who was resting a "minor injury to his arm," according to Blues coach Rob Wilson.
"It shows a side of this team a lot of people didn't think we had," Bigger said. "We have good depth, we have guys who can do the job, we're not just a one or two guy offence." Wilson couldn't have agreed more.
"It's a luxury we haven't had a lot in the past," he said. "Kyle could have played, if the game was close he would have played, but he had a little tweak so we were able to rest him and the guys who filled in did a great job."
The Blues continued to punish the Trojans mistakes in the second half. Bigger recovered a fumble on a Trimble punt return to set his team up at the Harrison Trimble 16.
Two plays later VonRichter worked the old hook and ladder play as he pitched a touchdown to Eric Smith after the quarterback ran into the grasp of the defensive line. Jory Smith hit the convert tom make it 29-0 5:15 into the half.
"We executed very well out there today," Wilson said. "They made a mistake and we turned it around on them putting points on the board. At the same time our guys listened to the game plan and did the job, by the second half I would say the whole thing was kind of steamrollering Harrison Trimble a bit."
Oromocto took advantage of another mistake by their visitors early in the fourth quarter as Carr picked off Boucher for the second time on the day.
"We had a healthy secondary for the first time this year," Wilson said. "We had two d-backs out there today nobody has even seen before. People thought we were weak out there but we were injured, now we're healthy."
Eric Smith rounded out the scoring with a seven yard touchdown run with 1:15 to go in the game, it came as a result of a Trimble fumble, Jory Smith converted to wrap up the scoring.

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on October 31, 2005

Kats' offence too much for Titans

NIMBLE BE QUICK

(THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
Andrew Hubbard (88), of the Fredericton High School Black Kats shows nifty footwork as he tries to avoid the tackle of Kylan Estabrooks of the Tantramar Titans during Saturday's provincial high school football league quarter-final game at FHS Field. Hubbard had a 94-yard touchdown as the Kats romped 48-8 to earn their way into the league semifinal against Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders of Moncton this Saturday at FHS Field.

By BRUCE HALLIHAN
bhalliha@dailygleaner.com

After going 3-0 away from home in the regular season, the Tantramar Titans came to the end of the road quickly Saturday.
Big plays propelled the Fredericton High School Black Kats to a 34-0 halftime lead en route to a 48-8 victory in provincial high school football league quarter-final action before 250 fans on a crisp fall afternoon.
The game wasn't as lopsided as the score would suggest. The Titans racked up 330 yards against the vaunted Kats defence - FHS surrendered just 15 points in six regular season games - but they couldn't match the Kats' offensive finish.
Saturday at 1 p.m., the Kats will host Moncton's Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders in a rematch of last year's final while the Oromocto High School Blues will host the visiting Saint John High Greyhounds in the other semifinal.
The turning point came early at FHS.
After Tantramar moved the ball 48 yards on its opening drive, the Kats were facing third and inches on its first series. Rather than punt from their own 40, FHS opted to go for it and Andrew Hickey, on a quarterback keeper, squirted through the wall of defenders and raced 70 yards to the end zone.
"Our defence struggled a little bit at the start," Hickey said. "Their offence was moving the ball, so that play helped us get rid of the nerves and give us the momentum. I don't know how I got through everybody. All I can say is our blocking was good and I bounced off tacklers until I found a hole."
Justin Conn missed his only convert in seven attempts, but he would hook up with Hickey for a huge play late in the first quarter. On second and seven from their own 48, Hickey zipped a pass to Conn cutting across the middle and he took it in for a 62-yard TD and a 13-0 lead.
Hickey, on another QB keeper, ran in for a three-yard TD to cap an 81-yard, seven-play drive and a 20-0 second quarter cushion.
Titans Grade 10 quarterback Joey Burns, who was 15-for-27 for 237 yards, moved his team to the FHS 14-yard line on the next series. On third and inches, the Titans gave the ball to running back Randy LeBlanc but FHS rookie defensive lineman Zach Piers burst through and compressed LeBlanc for a two-yard loss.
"Our first two quarters weren't that great defensively," Piers said, "but we stepped it up in the second half and got things under control. My play was a big stop, I guess, because it prevented them from getting points on the board and kept our guys fired up." The Kats took over on downs and struck right away. Hickey aired the ball out and hit Andrew Hubbard in full stride near midfield. He went 94 yards, untouched, to the end zone to make it 27-0.
"You either stand up and play like men or you fold the tent and go home," Titans head coach Dave Burns barked to his players.
The Kats kept coming, though. Chris Murray picked off a Burns' pass at midfield and returned it to the 14-yard line. Two plays later, Ian MacDonald ran it in from four yards out for a 34-0 lead.
"Our offence kept pushing and eventually we tired out their defence, I think," Hickey said.
With a minute to go before halftime, the Titans took advantage of a botched punt to start at the FHS 22. Burns hit Stephen Bohan at the three-yard line but the ball was jarred loose and the Kats recovered the fumble.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Kats capped a clock-eating, 10-play drive when Derek Madsen rambled the final 14 yards to make it 41-0. Backup back Ben Collins scored on a 19-yard run to up the lead to 48-0.
The Titans finally got on the board with two minutes remaining. Jeff Bird gathered in Burns' pass for a 78-yard gain to the FHS 18, then ran the ball the next two plays to get into the end zone. Burns connected with Bohan for the two-point convert and the 48-8 final.
"It wasn't a 48-8 football game," Titans coach Burns said. "I think we played them pretty straight up, but the big play hurt us. We'd stop them and stop them, but then they'd get the 80-yard touchdown or the quarterback sneak ... but I thought we grinded it out and moved the ball very well against them, probably the best anybody's moved the ball against them all season." Burns says the Titans will be heard from again.
"We're only graduating four players this year and we plan on being around next year," he said. "Our kids battled. They never quit a play. We certainly gained some valuable experience for next year against a very solid FHS team." Hickey finished 5-for-9 for 178 yards passing and ran the ball three times for 80 yards and two TDs. Madsen carried the ball 13 times for 126 yards while MacDonald chipped in with 60 yards on 11 carries. LeBlanc led the Titans' ground game with 75 yards on 16 carries.
The Highlanders, who beat the Kats 13-9 here in last year's thrilling final, knocked off the Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions 16-0 Friday night.
FHS hammered MacNaughton 41-8 in Moncton on Sept. 30, but Hickey and Piers say you've got to respect all opponents at this stage of the season.
"We're not taking them lightly, that's for sure," Hickey said. "They're a good team."
"I watched last year's final, just cheering the Black Kats on," Piers said. "It will be fun to be in the middle of it this year and to have homefield advantage again. But we'll have to practise hard this week. They've got a pretty good running game. We'll just have to keep contain on them. And we have to work on our pass coverage, which wasn't that great today."

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D4 on October 31, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL
Greyhounds roar back against Royals
Semifinalists determined in both 10-man and 12-man divisions

(Greg Agnew/Canadaeast News Service)
Joel Seale of the Greyhounds leaps over a number of Riverview defenders during action Saturday.

Telegraph-Journal

The Saint John High School Greyhounds are getting used to must-win situations.
After beating the Riverview Royals 26-7 in New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association 12-man football quarter-final action on Saturday, they've guaranteed themselves at least one more.
With the score 7-6 Riverview at halftime, the Greyhounds exploded for three touchdowns after the break. Phil Dobson rushed for a pair of TDs and quarterback Nick Bonner had the other and added a two-point conversion.
In the first half, Piers Doiron returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to give SJHS a 6-0 lead. Shea Lenehan responded with a rushing TD and Andrew Lewis added the point after for the Royals.
Two weeks ago, the Greyhounds needed to pull off a desperate last-minute victory to stay alive. Last week, they could only watch as other teams decided their playoff fate.
Saturday, they will have to win a road game against the Oromocto Blues, the team that got SJHS into the playoffs with a one-point win over the Hampton Huskies.
Oromocto beat the Harrison Trimble Trojans 39-0 Saturday to advance to a semifinal matchup against SJHS. In the other quarterfinals, the Fredericton Black Kats thumped the Tantramar Titans 48-8 and the defending champion MacNaughton Highlanders stayed alive with a 16-0 win over the Leo Hayes Lions.

(Greg Agnew/Canadaeast News Service)
Phil Dobson of the Saint John High Greyhounds rambled for two touchdowns in Saturday's win over the Riverview High Royals.

Fredericton will host MacNaughton in the other Saturday semifinal. Both games are set for 1 p.m.
On the 10-man circuit, both winning teams pitched shutouts in the quarterfinals. Matt Sode ran for a TD, passed for another to Kyle McCormick and added three extra points as the St. Stephen Spartans hammered the St. Malachy's Saints 51-0.
Brett Hooper had two rushing TDs, Joel Wilcox and Mike McSorley had one each and Brad Copping and Zach Nixon added majors on fumble recoveries.
Mike Ingersoll and Darcey McKinney contributed interceptions on defence for the Spartans.
In the other matchup, the Simonds Seabees got past the Harbour View Vikings 30-0.
Lee Maloney, Josh Davis and Chris Slade had rushing TDs and Steve Oickle caught a pass for the other Simonds major. Kyle Skerry converted all four TDs and Marshall Vail forced a safety in the fourth quarter to round out the scoring.
The Seabees now prepare for the defending champion Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders. Simonds will attempt to be the first team to beat the Crusaders all season as they visit KVHS at 1 p.m. Saturday. St.Stephen earned a Friday night date with the Rothesay Redhawks in the other 10-man semifinal. That game is set for 7 p.m. at Shamrock Park.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D1/D4 on October 31, 2005

N.B. High School Football Playoffs
Highlanders remain only Eastern club alive
Riverview, Harrison Trimble and Tantramar suffer quarter-final setbacks to Western teams

(GREG AGNEW/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Riverview Royals' running back Shea Lenehan tries to eke out extra yardage during one of his many runs Saturday against the Saint John High Greyhounds. With both teams sporting red uniforms, the Royals had to borrow jerseys from the Moncton Football Association so no confusion would arise.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

The New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division playoffs came to a sudden end for three of the four Eastern Conference teams on the weekend.
Riverview High Royals, Harrison Trimble Trojans and Tantramar Titans each lost their respective cross-over quarter-finals on Saturday.
The defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders, who blanked the Leo Hayes Lions 16-0 in the first quarter-final Friday night, are the only Eastern Conference team still alive in the playoffs.
MacNaughton meets the Fredericton High Black Kats in a provincial semifinal Saturday in Fredericton. It's a rematch of last year's New Brunswick championship game, which the Highlanders won 13-9.
Oromocto High Blues host the Saint John High Greyhounds in the other semifinal Saturday.
In Riverview Saturday, the Greyhounds came into town and upset the Eastern Conference champion Royals 26-7.
Saint John High scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half to get by Riverview High.
"We're absolutely gratified. Our young men went up there and played like champions," said Greyhounds head coach Wayne Tipper, whose team trailed 7-6 at halftime.
"We played a very physical game and I think our kids wore them down in the first half and then came out very strong in the second half."
Phil Dobson ran for a pair of touchdowns for Saint John High. Nick Bonner ran for another major and Piers Doiron returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the win.
Shea Lenehan scored on a 80-yard touchdown run for Riverview High. Andrew Lewis kicked the convert.
"You have to bring your A game to a playoff game and we just made uncharacteristic mistakes we normally didn't do," said Royals head coach Mark Lenehan, who highlighted the strong two-way play of receiver/safety Greg Diamond.
"I can't take anything away from Saint John. They played a clean, hard-hitting game and were well prepared and took advantage of our mistakes. But we're still happy with our year. We didn't have a lot of Grade 12s and this gave us a good base for next year."
In Fredericton, Western Conference champion Fredericton High went ahead 34-0 at halftime en route to a 48-8 victory over Tantramar.
The game wasn't as lopsided as the score would suggest. The Titans racked up 330 yards against the vaunted Black Kats defence - Fredericton High surrendered just 15 points in six regular season games - but they couldn't match the Black Kats' offensive finish.
Quarterback Andrew Hickey ran for two touchdowns and threw a pair of touchdown passes in the win.
Tantramar finally got on the board with two minutes remaining on a Jeff Bird touchdown run. Quarterback Joey Burns connected with Stephen Bohan for the two-point convert and the 48-8 final.
"It wasn't a 48-8 football game," Titans head coach Dave Burns said. "I think we played them pretty straight up, but the big play hurt us. We'd stop them and stop them, but then they'd get the 80-yard touchdown or the quarterback sneak ... but I thought we grinded it out and moved the ball very well against them, probably the best anybody's moved the ball against them all season."
Burns says the Titans will be heard from again.
"We're only graduating four players this year and we plan on being around next year," he said. "Our kids battled. They never quit a play. We certainly gained some valuable experience for next year against a very solid FHS team."
In Oromocto, Oromocto High blanked Harrison Trimble 39-0.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C3 on October 29, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Highlanders advance to semis

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Wayne Crossman of the MacNaughton Highlanders rushes past Mike McCarthy of the Leo Hayes Lions for a big gain during New Brunswick High School Football League playoff action last night at Rocky Stone Memorial Field in Moncton. Highlanders won 16-0 and qualified for the league semifinals.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

It was a win and they'll take it.
But the MacNaughton Highlanders know they'll have to be even better if they're to defend as New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division champions.
Highlanders opened the playoffs with a 16-0 victory over the Leo Hayes Lions in a cross-over quarter-final at Rocky Stone Memorial Field last night.
With the win, MacNaughton earned a ticket to a provincial semifinal next week.
"This is a good win and our rookies showed a lot of heart. We'll take it, but we know we're going to have to improve for next week," said Highlanders Grade 12 slotback Jordan Richard, who scored a pair of touchdowns in the victory.
"Our offence is going to have to improve, we played a pretty good game tonight, but it wasn't our best."
MacNaughton finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 3-3 record. Leo Hayes was third in the Western Conference, also at 3-3.
The other three cross-over quarter-finals are scheduled for today at 1 p.m.
The Eastern Conference champion Riverview High Royals host the Western Conference fourth-seeded Saint John High Greyhounds.
Also, the Eastern Conference third-seeded Harrison Trimble Trojans visit the Western Conference second-seeded Oromocto High Blues and the Eastern Conference fourth-seeded Tantramar Titans head to Fredericton High to meet the Western Conference champion Black Kats.
At Rocky Stone last night, MacNaughton's Andrew Spinney recorded an interception on the final play of the first quarter of a 0-0 game and the Highlanders had the momentum the rest of the night.
The interception led to a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eric Daigle to Richard the first of two on the evening - as MacNaughton took an early 7-0 lead.
"That was a turning point and a really big play. Our offence wasn't really doing too much then and that turned it around," said Richard, a member of last year's Highlanders team, which beat Fredericton High 13-9 in the provincial final.
"Our defence came through there and was solid all night. They pulled this out."
Both offences struggled to put points on the board. MacNaughton had two touchdowns negated by penalties, while Leo Hayes managed just one first down all night.
Leading 9-0 midway through the fourth quarter, the Highlanders added some insurance when Daigle and Richard hooked up again - this time on a 17-yard touchdown pass - as MacNaughton went ahead 16-0.
But just when it looked like this was a done deal, the Lions finally came to life with five minutes remaining.
It came on a lengthy punt return by Leo Hayes' Dan Mason, who brought his team into Highlanders territory for the first time in the second half.
Lions failed to score on that drive, but got even better field position with 2:15 left to play when Ben Cornford blocked a Wayne Crossman punt and gave the visitors the ball on the MacNaughton 12-yard line.
But just as soon as the drama started, it ended.
On the very next play, Matt Robertson intercepted Leo Hayes quarterback Pat Casey in the end zone to secure the Highlanders win.
Crossman punted for a pair of singles and Nick Mulligan kicked two converts for MacNaughton, which led 8-0 at the half.
"It was a big win for our defence and our offence chipped away at it," said Highlanders head coach Ed Wasson, whose team was without injured running back Mike Earle.
"The one advantage I think we have over other teams is that we have more weapons. We don't have just one running back. We can give the ball to other guys."
And as for the rest of the playoffs, Richard feels the defending champs have lots of potential.
"I think we definitely can go all the way again," the slotback said.
"We're going to have to have a really good week of practice and play a tough game next week, but I think we can do it."

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on October 28, 2005

Blues to take on a tall order

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

(TIMES & TRANSCRIPT /VIKTOR PIVOVAROV)
Oromocto Blues Eric Smith takes off on a 70-yard touchdown run in high school football action against Ecole L'Odyssee of Moncton earlier this season. The 5-1 Blues host Harrison Trimble Trojans in high school playoff action Saturday at 1 p.m. at OHS Field.

By MIKE POWER
mpower@dailygleaner.com

The Oromocto High School Blues know they have their work cut out for them when the New Brunswick High School Football League playoffs begin tomorrow.
The Blues took second place in the Western Conference with a shiny 5-1 record, their only loss coming to division champion Fredericton High School. But a high finish in the standings hasn't earned them a soft first round opponent.
The Blues will at least have the advantage of home field as they host the Harrison Trimble Trojans at 1 p.m. at OHS Field. They think every little advantage helps.
"We are giving (HTHS) a lot of respect," said Oromocto receiver Eric Smith. "We look at it as any team out of the other side can score and can play. Any team in the league is a tough game."
The Trojans, coached by Perry Kukkonen one of the great names in New Brunswick football, are indeed a tough team. They"ve won three provincial high school crowns in the past six seasons and 14 in the school's history. The Blues are still chasing their first New Brunswick title.
"They can really throw the ball," Smith said. "That's the strongest part of their game. We need to go looking to shut that down, and the best way to do that is keep our offence on the field as much as we can."
Trimble scored 166 points in their six games as they finished with a 3-3 record. Offence is no problem for them. The Blues also scored 166 points.
The big difference in the teams is on defence: OHS was second best in the league allowing only 41 points. The Trojans surrrendered 132 points, tied for ninth in the ten team league.
"We know we can beat this team," said OHS coach Rob Wilson. "But we also know they are very dangerous, if we dare to take them at all lightly they can really pack a scoring punch."
The Blues have some firepower too. Their scoring total is what it is because they faced Western Conference defensive powers like FHS, Leo Hayes and Saint John.
"We have a great quarterback and we can put the ball up," Smith said. "But we also have a great running game. (Running back) Kyle (Roesler) has done a lot for us. We can throw when we have to but at this time of year the weather isn't always the best for that and you also have to look at the defence you are up against."
If there is a mild surprise for the Blues it is in one of those areas that doesn't get a lot of attention but is the bread and butter of a good offence.
"Our blocking on offence is something I thought would come slowly this year," said Smith a four year veteran in his final season. "But I think the last month of the season it has been amazing. We didn't do that well in our first game. It showed we had a lot of young players in those roles, but they've caught on so quick, we've really showed what the OHS Blues can do."
The Blues also head into the second season having witnessed a serious lesson in life and gaining some perspective even though not directly involved.
Monday, the Blues played their last regular season game at Hampton winning by a single point. The game had been held over from Saturday because of the sudden death of a member of the Hampton football team.
The game was played two days after the funeral and had become a focal point for Hampton High School's grief, with much of the student body turning out for the game.
"I know a bunch of us have been through that kind of thing before," Smith said.
"But it was still so emotional. It was hard to just go out with the normal attitude you try to bring to a game. I have to give Hampton a lot of respect and credit for the way they handled the whole day. They were a great team."

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on October 28, 2005

Black Kats prepare to lay it all on the line

By MIKE POWER
mpower@dailygleaner.com

The Tantramar Titans may find out what it's like to meet both the immovable object and the irresistible force tomorrow.
The Titans will be the opponents for the Fredericton High School Black Kats when the New Brunswick High School Footballl League playoffs open tomorrow. The game will be at The Jungle, or as it's officially known at the school board office, FHS Field, Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
The game is one of four in the province Saturday. Fredericton's other team, the Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions, will open on the road as they travel to face the defending provincial champions from Bernice MacNaughton High School in Moncton.
Elsewhere, the OHS Blues host Harrison Trimble High School at OHS Field and Saint John High School go to Riverview to face the Royals, the top team in the eastern division. All games kickoff at 1 p.m.
The local game pits the Black Kats, first in the Western Division against a Tantramar squad that finished number four in the East. FHS is on a five game winning streak after finishing the regular season 5-1. Tantramar were 3-3 on the year.
Fredericton comes in as the top team offensively in the province, having rung up 183 points in six games. In fact since they were shutout 1-0 in an opening week loss those points have all come in the past five games. The Black Kats are also the number one team statistically on defence having given up a frugal 15 points over six games.
But remember, the Titans are not a pushover. Their 172 points on offence were tied for second in the league. They were tied for sixth on defence.
There's not much flashy about this year's edition of the Black Kats, but that's not a bad thing.
Over the years the FHS program has featured some of the most colourful players in the league. While this year's group isn't hurting at quarterback, receiver or running back the backbone of the team is the lunch pail guys on the line.
Powered by an offensive line that can play that role of the irresistible force and defensive line that can be an immovable object the Kats are strongest at the place where the game is often decided.
"We work hard to do what needs to be done," said FHS centre David Bryden. "We don't worry to much about getting our names in the paper. The coach and the other players know what we do and I guess that's all we can look for."
The coach knows full well what he has on the interior.
"They've been the strength that has led to our success," said FHS skipper Larry Wisniewski. "Those lines are the key to field position, to controlling the football and working the clock, it's all there in those people."
The various linemen on both sides of the ball are an effective mixture of Kats new and old.
"I don't think a lot of people had noticed them," Wisniewski said. "And I wasn't unhappy about that in that teams discovered them only when they were in the game against us.
"We've put together a nice blend of veteran players and new kids from a team that was very good at the junior varsity level throughout our team. The place where that has shown the most success is on the defensive and offensive lines. They have come together very well."
They are a better unit now then they were a month ago and it appears every week the Black Kats can extend their season they will just continue to get better.
"We started a little slow actually," Bryden said. "But things have really come together for us. We've really grown together as a group and I think it's got to a point where you can watch a game and see how good we have become as a group."
Although they cannot host the provincial final game should they get that far - that honour alternates between east and west each year and it goes east this season - the Black Kats will roam The Jungle right up until they go East. That's a big advantage given the strong crop of contenders in the league this season.
"I think a team needs any help it can get," Bryden said. "It doesn't matter how good you are it is so much easier to play at home. Not having to travel and having the home fans behind, just being at your own field, it is a big factor."

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D5 on October 27, 2005

FOOTBALL
Greyhounds looking to knock off nemesis
Hampton's one-point loss to Oromocto gave Saint John High final 12-man playoff spot

(Noel Chenier/Telegraph-Journal)
Saint John High School Greyhounds running back Piers Doiron is confident heading into Saturday's contest against Riverview.

By Nathan White
Telegraph-Journal

It's been an up-and-down season for the Saint John High School Greyhounds football team, but the bottom line is, they still have a season.
The Greyhounds came up with a last-minute 29-26 win over the defending 12-man champion Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders two weeks ago to keep their playoff window open with a 3-3 record.
The team could then only watch as the Oromocto Blues battled the Hampton Huskies on Monday with the final Western Conference postseason berth hanging in the balance.
Hampton needed a win or a tie to advance, but fell agonizingly short, dropping an 18-17 decision on home turf. The Huskies finished with a 3-3 record as well, but lost the season opener to the Greyhounds, giving the tiebreaker edge to SJHS.
Saint John High's players said they did their best to contain their excitement after Monday's game, but it was hard. Not only is their season alive, but the Greyhounds have a chance to eliminate last year's nemesis as they visit the Riverview Royals (4-2) for a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday at 1 p.m.
In other 12-man quarterfinals Saturday, the Tantramar Titans (3-3) visit the Fredericton Black Kats (5-1) and the Harrison Trimble Trojans (3-3) are at the Oromocto Blues (5-1). Both games are also at 1 p.m.
Friday night, MacNaughton (3-3) hosts the Leo Hayes Lions (3-3) at 7 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Meanwhile, on the 10-man circuit, the St. Malachy's Saints (0-7) visit the St. Stephen Spartans (4-3) and the Simonds Seabees (3-4) host the Harbour View Vikings (2-5). Both games are at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Rothesay Redhawks (5-2) and Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders (7-0) have byes into the semifinals, where Rothesay will play the highest-seeded quarterfinal winner.
Last year, Riverview eliminated Saint John High in the quarterfinals and also beat them in the regular season.
Saturday will be the first meeting between the two in 2005, but veterans still have a bitter taste in their mouth.
"It's revenge time," said running back Piers Doiron, the Grade 12 student who delivered the winning touchdown against MacNaughton. "Third time's a charm."
Greyhounds coach Wayne Tipper said Doiron's performance against the Highlanders was one for the memory banks.
With time for two final plays in the dying seconds, Tipper was giving the team a game plan in case Doiron didn't reach the end zone on his first try.
"Piers looked at me in the huddle and said, 'Don't worry, we won't be going twice,' " said Tipper. "In Piers and Phil [Dobson], we have one of the best one-two punches out of the backfield Saint John High has ever had."
Dobson, a fellow senior, was another star in that game, rushing for 150-plus yards and a TD of his own. But both he and Doiron are quick to share the credit.
"If the O-line does their job, then me and Phil will just stick to the holes," said Doiron.
"We've definitely really come together as a team over the last couple of weeks," said Dobson. "We're really confident that we're going to come out on top against Riverview this year."
This year's team has a new weapon in receiver Joel Seale, a Grade 11 student and first-time football player who made the transition from basketball.
"He should have played a lot sooner," said Grade 12 linebacker Kyle Burtt.
Although the team has had an up-and-down season, losing badly to Fredericton but also knocking off the defending champs, Seale believes the playoffs will be their time to shine.
"Last game we showed how good we can play," said Seale. "This team showed that when something's on the line, we can come through."
Although he stopped short of guaranteeing a win, Dobson did provide one prediction.
"I guarantee it's going to be a game you don't want to miss."

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D1/D5 on October 27, 2005

N.B. High School Football Playoffs
Royals hope history doesn't repeat itself
Riverview hasn't enjoyed a lot of post-season success but it is just focused on the job at hand - Saturday's game against Saint John

(GREG AGNEW/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Riverview Royals running back Shea Lenehan (No. 10) slams by MacNaughton Highlanders' Bryce Wade (No. 24) on his way to a touchdown during New Brunswick High School Football League action last weekend at Rocky Stone Field in Moncton.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

Riverview High Royals don't exactly have a glorious playoff history.
Though the school seems to always field a solid team, Riverview High has never won a New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division championship.
Royals have enjoyed some post-season success, reaching the provincial semifinals in each of the past four seasons and seven times in the last 11 years, but have lost each time.
Well, you can throw those numbers out the window.
"I don't think our players are too concerned about that. They just play for week-to-week and not worry about what's in the past," Riverview High rookie head coach Mark Lenehan said this week.
"And I've seen that attitude in each game this year. They are concentrating on this Saturday, not next Saturday or last Saturday. They're able to concentrate on the task at hand and I think that's why we finished in first place instead of fourth place. They focus on the immediate goal."
Royals begin this year's provincial playoffs Saturday when they host the Saint John High Greyhounds in a cross over quarter-final.
Game time is 1 p.m. at the Riverview High School field.
Playoff action begins a night earlier when the Eastern Conference second-seeded and defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders (3-3) entertain the Western Conference third-seeded Leo Hayes Lions (3-3) tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Moncton's Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
The other two quarter-finals are scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Eastern Conference third-seeded Harrison Trimble Trojans (3-3) visit the Western Conference second-seeded Oromocto High Blues (5-1), while the Eastern Conference fourth-seeded Tantramar Titans (3-3) head to Fredericton High to meet the Western Conference champion Black Kats (5-1).
At Riverview High, the Royals have been busy preparing for the Greyhounds.

Riverview High finished first in the Eastern Conference with a 4-2 record. Saint John High placed fourth in the Western Conference at 3-3.
The two teams didn't meet in the regular season.
"I haven't seen them, but I expect them to be a big, powerful and strong team and well-coached," Lenehan said of the Greyhounds.
"I expect them to come out hard against us and go for broke. They've got nothing to lose and it's just like us, we'll be going for broke."
Royals started the regular season slow they were 1-2 after three games but then turned it on to win their last three games to lock up first place in the Eastern Conference and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Riverview High is led offensively by speedy running back Shea Lenehan and Grade 11 quarterback Andrew Lewis.
But its defence is what has impressed Mark Lenehan the most.
"I like how they just don't ever panic. Even when they're scored on, they realize their mistake and they want to get right back out there and make a stop," said Lenehan, whose team has lost 22 players from a year ago.
"You never see the look of panic on their faces."
Saint John High only slipped into the final Western Conference playoff berth during its bye week after the Hampton High Huskies, also 3-3, lost the final game of the regular season.
Still, Lenehan said his squad won't be taking the Greyhounds - who beat defending provincial champion MacNaughton 29-26 in Week 6 - lightly.
"Our kids are pumped and excited for this game and I know they'll come ready to play on Saturday," said Lenehan, whose team beat MacNaughton 29-21 in its final regular season game on Saturday to clinch first place.
"I expect our guys to execute and come prepared to play a mistake free game. We need to execute on offence and have our defence play another strong game like it has been playing all year."

Week 7- Oct. 21-24

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on October 25, 2005

Grid Blues finish 5-1

RUNNING MAN

(FILE PHOTO)
Running back Kyle Roesler had a pair of touchdowns Monday as Oromocto High Blues defeated Hanmpton High Huskies 18-17 in the regular season finale for the N.B. High School Football League. Blues finish 5-1 and second in the west division.

The Daily Gleaner

The Oromocto High School Blues were tested to the limit before emerging with an 18-17 win over the Hampton High Huskies in the regular season finale for the New Brunswick High School Football League.
The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, however, the sudden death of Hampton defensive end A.J. Hourihan last Thursday and his funeral Saturday required a scheduling change.
With their win - the margin of victory was a single point on a missed field goal attempt by Eric Smith from about 30 yards out with six minutes remaining - the Blues finish at 5-1 on the season and in second place in the west division behind the pennant winning Fredericton High School Black Kats.
As a result, OHS will host Harrison Trimble High Trojans of Moncton, the third seed in the East Division, in one of four cross-over quarter-final games. Blues' coach Rob Wilson says the game will in a likelihood take place Saturday at 1 o'clock at OHS Field.
Yesterday, it was veteran running back Kyle Roesler scoring both touchdowns for the Blues, one from six yards out and the other from three yards out. Both scores came in the first half.
Hampton, which finishes 3-3 and because it lost to Saint John High Greyhounds in their head-to-head meeting, out of the playoff picture, actually led 17-14 at the half.
However, Smith kicked a 30-yard field goal in the third quarter and added his single late in the fourth. Hampton had two subsequent possessions but couldn't move the ball on the Blues' defence.
Offensively, Roesler had 50 yards rushing while quarterback Brian Von Richter completed 13 of 17 passes for 190 yards. Jeremy Biggar was his main receiver, hauling in seven passes for 120 yards.
"It was a pretty emotional day," said Wilson. "They had a lot of their student body there and it made for an emotional game. Even after the game, there was a lot of emotion. They played a great football game against us today."
The Kats, who also finished 5-1 but ahead of OHS because they won the head to head meeting, will host the fourth seed Tantramar High Titans from the East Saturday at 1 o'clock at FHS Field.
Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions, third seed in the West with a 3-3 record, will travel to Moncton to take on East second seed Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders while the fourth seed in the West, Saint John High, makes the trek to Riverview to take on East top seed Riverview Royals in the other quarter-final matchup.

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D1 on October 25, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL
Oromocto eliminates Huskies� hopes
Blues eke out win Hampton High in final game of regular season

(Cindy Wilson/Telegraph-Journal)
Hampton High's Andre Rochon gets past Oromocto defender Tim Degaust on Monday in high school football action at Hampton.

Telegraph-Journal

The Hampton High School Huskies battled until the final whistle of their New Brunswick high school football season, but fell just short, losing 18-17 to the Oromocto Blues on Monday and finishing out of the playoffs with a 3-3 record.
"I'm disappointed for the kids because they played really well. They played as well as they could," said coach Andrew Peters. "The kids were down at first but we told them, 'Hey, you played a [heck] of a game.'"
The Huskies played with heavy hearts after the sudden death of defensive end A.J. Hourihan last week.
"We were dedicating the game to A.J., but as I told the kids, you play for yourself as well," said Peters. "The kids were really focused, but at the end of the game it was certainly emotional."
Oromocto improved its record to 5-1, good for second place in the Western Conference and a quarterfinal date with the Harrison Trimble Trojans (3-3), who placed third in the East.
The Saint John High Greyhounds slip into the fourth spot at 3-3, thanks to a win over Hampton in the teams' season opener.
Saint John will visit the top Eastern seed, the Riverview Royals (4-2), in the quarterfinals.
"I guess it's a testament to our conference to be 3-3 and not in the playoffs. It's a great conference and we feel we have a great group of kids.
It's a shame that they're not playing next week, but we just fell in a tough conference this year," said Peters. "The coaching staff couldn't be more proud of those guys."
Other quarter-final match-ups will see the top seed in the West, the Fredericton Black Kats (5-1), host No. 4 in the East, the Tantramar Titans (3-3), while the West No. 3, the Leo Hayes Lions (3-3), will visit the defending champion MacNaughton Highlanders (3-3), who finished second in the East.

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C2 on October 24, 2005

Black Kats rule city football rivalry

KAT FIGHT

(THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
Chris Murray, right,, of the Fredericton High School Black Kats, gets position on Alex Byrne of the Leo Hayes High School St. Mary�s Lions during provincial high school football league action Saturday at FHS Field. Kats won the annual North-South Bowl 33-0 to finish 5-1 atop the west division during the regular season. Lions finish with a 3-3 mark. Playoffs begin Saturday of this week.

MIKE POWER
mpower@dailygleaner.com

There were no surprises in the 5th Annual North-South Bowl high school football showdown Saturday, no matter how much fans of the Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions hoped there would be.
The Lions fell 33-0 to their cross-river Fredericton High School Black Kats at Leo Hayes Field in the last game of the regular season for both teams.
By virtue of their fifth straight win, the Black Kats finish out their West Division schedule with a 5-1 record, good for first place in the division. They will host the fourth place East finisher, Tantramar, in playoff action Saturday.
The Lions end up 3-3. The Oromocto High School Blues, 4-1, face Hampton High Huskies today in Hampton. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday but was postponed until today at 3 o'clock because of the tragic death of a Hampton player.
FHS would get the nod over OHS because it beat OHS in their head to head meeting. If Hampton pulls off an upset, they will finish 4-2 and finish second.
Saturday the Black Kats were everything they were supposed to be with an effective offence and potent defence.
The defence was particularly steely, allowing the Lions' offence just four first downs. The Leos' offence penetrated the Kats' side of the field only once. And that time after a sack, a penalty and a three-yard loss on a running play, ended up scrimmaging at their own 40-yard line to punt.
Workhorse back Derek Madsen led FHS with 119 yards rushing on 18 carries scoring one touchdown. Quarterback Andrew Hickey scored a touchdown on five carries for 25 yards. In the air Hickey was four for 13 for 39 yards. The Black Kats totaled 281 yards on offence.
"We knew we were facing a real good defence today," said FHS centre David Bryden. "We thought the best way to go was to run up the middle. Smashmouth. We wanted to run to the outside but that really wasn't there today. It's great to have a guy like Madsen in a game like this."
The Lions had just 69 yards of total offence with nobody running for more than nine yards. In the air quarterback Pat Casey was effective hitting on six of 12 passing attempts for 45 yards. Matt Wood was nothing for four with one interception.
Bottom line, the Black Kats did many things well. They moved the ball when they had it. They showed a powerful kicking game and a dangerous kick returner in Andrew Hubbard. Most of all, the offensive and defensive line play was dominating.
"We started kind of slow this year," Bryden said of the offensive line that led Madsen on his runs. "But we've really picked it up and we've been getting better every week."
The best thing going for Leo Hayes was their bulldog tough defence although they could only do so much, clearly tiring late in the game after logging a lot of time on the field.
The only scoring in the first quarter was Justin Conn's 30-yard field goal, made tougher because he missed his first attempt and got a second, and closer, crack at it because the Lions were flagged for being offside.
That offside was mistake number one that came back to haunt the Leos. Mistake number two was deciding to go for it on a third and a yard from their own 44-yard line late in the opening quarter. Casey had no sooner taken the ball from centre than John Alexander of FHS shot through the line to stuff the quarterback.
Three plays later Conn connected on a 35-yard field goal to double the lead.
Mistake number three was a Casey fumble just past the three-minute mark of the second period.
Connor MacMillan recovered for FHS and within seconds Hubbard scampered 21 yards to score the first touchdown of the day, which Conn converted for a 13-0, lead.
"One or two mistakes," said Lions linebacker Ben Cornford. "We let it get away, but against a team like (FHS) that's what they can do. We played a good game, we played tough, but we just have to learn from it and be ready for the next game."
On the last play of the half Hickey plunged two yards for a second touchdown, Conn's convert was off but it still was a demoralizing 19-0 deficit the Lions carried to the intermission.
Early in the second half, the Lions held off their visitors but couldn't put any points of their own on the board.
With five minutes to go in the game Madsen scored on a punishing 11 yard run for a 25-0 lead.
No sooner had they kicked off but FHS got the ball back and scored when Chris Murray intercepted Wood on the LHHS 15 yard line and ran it back for the score, Conn made the convert.
The final point of the game came on the ensuing kickoff when the Lions conceded a touchback on Conn's booming boot into the end zone.
In East Division action Saturday, Riverview High Royals improved to 4-2 with a 29-21 win over Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders, who finished 3-3.

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D5 on October 24, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Huskies, OHS lock horns today
Game will decide playoff matchups

Telegraph-Journal

The New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association 12-man playoff picture will be decided today as the Oromocto High School Blues (4-1) visit the Hampton Huskies (3-2).
The game, which was postponed from Saturday due to the sudden death of Hampton defensive end A.J. Hourihan, will decide if Hampton or the Saint John High Greyhounds (3-3) get the fourth and final Western Conference post-season berth.
A win or a tie would put Hampton in the playoffs, while a loss clears the way for SJHS.
The Fredericton Black Kats (5-1) clinched first place in the West on Saturday with a 33-0 win over the Leo Hayes Lions (3-3). In the Eastern Conference, the Riverview Royals (4-2) beat the MacNaughton Highlanders 29-21 to clinch first place. The Harrison Trimble Trojans were 63-19 winners over L'Odyssee Olympiens and the Tantramar Titans beat the Moncton Purple Knights 47-0.
Moncton (1-5) and L'Odyssee (0-6) finish out of the playoffs, while Tantramar, MacNaughton and Harrison Trimble are in a three-way tie for second.
The Highlanders will take the second seed thanks to wins over the other two teams and the Trojans take third thanks to a win over Tantramar, leaving the Titans with the fourth seed and a quarterfinal date this weekend against the Black Kats.
The other Western spots are up in the air, depending on today's game. Leo Hayes could finish third or fourth, Oromocto second or third, Hampton second or fifth and Saint John fourth or fifth.

In 10-man action, the defending champion Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders finished the regular season at 7-0 with a 33-18 win at home over the second-place Rothesay Redhawks (5-2). Colin Flynn- Breen led KVHS with a pair of touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the St. Stephen Spartans (4-3) won the battle for third place with a 14-0 road win over the Simonds Seabees (3-4) and the Harbour View Vikings (2-5) clinched fifth with a 14-13 triumph over the St. Malachy's Saints (0-7). Although St. Mac's won the first meeting between the two teams earlier in the season, the game was ruled a default due to an ineligible player.
In a strange playoff format, Rothesay and KV will play for the third week in a row. The game will decide the seeding for the semifinals, rendering the regular season meaningless.
The game is not an elimination game, but will decide home-field advantage, although Rothesay has no home field. KVHS won the last two meetings between the teams.
In quarterfinal games, St. Stephen will host St. Mac's while Simonds welcomes Harbour View.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C3 on October 24, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Royals rebound to take top spot
Riverview turns back defending champion Highlanders to grab first

(GREG AGNEW/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Richard Phillips (20) of the Riverview High Royals lunges to make a strong defensive play and knock a pass out of the hands of MacNaughton Highlanders receiver Morgan Dickie during New Brunswick High School Football League action Saturday at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

First place wasn't even on the radar screen for the Riverview High Royals a couple months back.
Well, times have changed now.
Royals beat the defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders 29-21 in a New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division game Saturday at Rocky Stone Memorial Field to clinch first place in the Eastern Conference.
Riverview High, winners of its last three games, completed the regular season with a 4-2 record. MacNaughton finished in second place at 3-3.
"At the first of the year we were hoping for second, third or fourth place - just to get into the playoffs - but finishing first is a real plus for us," Royals head coach Mark Lenehan said.
"I think the key is that we started to gel and our guys realized that first place wasn't out of reach. First place gives you enormous home field advantage and they started to focus on that."
The game completed the Eastern Conference regular season. Harrison Trimble Trojans (3-3), in third place, and the Tantramar Titans (3-3), in fourth place, locked up the final two playoff berths Friday night.
Cross over quarter-finals against Western Conference teams are scheduled for this week, however the Western Conference final standings have yet to be determined after Saturday's game between the Hampton High Huskies and Oromocto High Blues was rescheduled to today.
Fredericton High Black Kats, Leo Hayes Lions and Oromocto High have all clinched playoff spots. With a win or tie today, Hampton High gets the final one, but a loss sends the Saint John High Greyhounds to the post-season.
What is known is that MacNaughton will host the Western Conference third-place team Friday night at 7 p.m. at Rocky Stone in the first quarter-final.
The other three quarter-finals will follow on Saturday at 1 p.m. Riverview High entertains the Western Conference fourth-place team at a field to be determined; Western Conference regular season champion Fredericton High hosts Tantramar; and Harrison Trimble visits the Western Conference second-place finisher.
On Saturday, the Royals led the Highlanders 21-14 at the half.
Riverview High broke the game open in the second half when running back Shea Lenehan scored on a 55-yard touchdown run.
MacNaughton later scored on a 15-yard run by Nick Mulligan, but that's as close as it could come.
Lenehan paced the Royals, rushing for 200 yards on the afternoon with three touchdowns.
Quarterback Andrew Lewis tossed a 75-yard touchdown pass to Greg Diamond. Lewis also kicked four converts to go along with a single.
"For our team, I thought we executed well offensively. We were missing a few guys because of sickness and injury and we still managed to execute well," Lenehan said.
The other Highlanders touchdowns came from Jordan Richard, on a five-yard pass from quarterback Eric Daigle, and Nick Law, on an 11-yard toss from Daigle.
"It was an excellent game by both teams for the conference championship. It was hard hitting and a solid game," said MacNaughton head coach Ed Wasson, who along with assistants Tim Phinney and Peter Miller, was suspended from the game after getting ejected in a loss to Saint John High the week before.
Highlanders running back Mike Earle suffered a separated shoulder against Riverview. He won't be in uniform Friday.
In another game Saturday, Fredericton High blanked Leo Hayes 33-0.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C1/C4 on October 22, 2005

N.B. High School Football
Titans secure playoff berth
Sackville squad locks up final spot; MacNaughton and Riverview clash today for top spot

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Harrison Trimble's Nicholas Kukkonen, right, celebrates his 65-yard touchdown with teammate Kirk Wright at Rocky Stone Memorial Field last night. The Trojans downed L'Odyss�e Olympiens 63-19.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

He was the smallest player on the field.
But did he ever put the Tantramar Titans on his shoulders and lead them past the Moncton High Purple Knights to a playoff berth last night.
Five-foot-six running back Randy LeBlanc ran for three touchdowns as Tantramar blanked Moncton High 47-0 in a New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division game at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Titans, who completed the regular season with a 3-3 record, locked up the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the win. Purple Knights, 1-5, were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.
"This is amazing. It feels awesome to be headed to the playoffs," said LeBlanc, a Grade 11 running back who also kicked five converts in the victory.
"We needed this game and now we'll see what we can do in the playoffs."
In another game yesterday, the Harrison Trimble Trojans blasted the L'Odyss�e Olympiens 63-19 at Rocky Stone.
The regular season concludes today with the lone Eastern Conference game featuring the defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders (3-2) and the Riverview High Royals (3-2) playing for first place at 1 p.m. at Rocky Stone.
MacNaughton, Riverview High, Harrison Trimble (3-3) and Tantramar (3-3) are in the playoffs and will play in cross over quarter-finals against the Western Conference next weekend.
Moncton High (1-5) and L'Odyss�e (0-6) failed to make the post-season.
At Rocky Stone last night, LeBlanc used the strong lead blocking of Jeff Bird and his offensive line to run all over Moncton High.
By the time the first half had ended, he had rushed for nearly 200 yards and the three touchdowns on five, 21 and 32-yard runs.
Tantramar head coach Dave Burns gave him the rest of the night off.
"My blocking was amazing, especially Jeff Bird, he was taking out like three guys, and then the whole line was just amazing," said LeBlanc, 17, in his second season with the Titans.
"I love getting the ball, it's my baby. I love the touchdowns and helping the team win."
Titans quarterback Joey Burns threw three touchdown passes to Stephen Bohan, who was also dominant as a defensive lineman. The two hooked up on 13, 17 and 63-yard passes.
Callum Hardie scored Tantramar's other touchdown on a seven-yard run. Titans led 33-0 at the half.
Purple Knights showed some flashes of offence, most notably running back Justin Lafrance, but turnovers three interceptions, two blocked punts and a fumble were costly in the end.
Earlier yesterday, running back Jordan Kenny was a one-man wrecking crew with four touchdowns, including three in the second half, as Harrison Trimble rolled over L'Odyss�e.
Kenny crossed into the end zone on runs of one yard, 11 yards, 25 yards and 30 yards.
Nicholas Kukkonen added two majors, on a 65-yard pass and run and a 28-yard run for the Trojans. Other touchdowns were recorded by Kirk Wright, on a 50-yard pass, Corey Gillcash, on a one-yard run, and Ben Kinden, on a 60-yard interception return.
Kyle McLaughlin converted all nine Harrison Trimble touchdowns.
Halftime score was 28-7 for the Trojans.
Tailback-turned-quarterback Pierre Mouawad scored all three touchdowns for the Olympiens, who had scored only three touchdowns all season.
He ran for a 40-yard major in the first half from his tailback position and in the second half, as the quarterback, scored on a three-yard bootleg and a 30-yard run.
Scott LeBlanc converted one touchdown.
L'Odyss�e head coach Terry Kennedy liked what he saw in the second half and said it bodes well for the team next season.
"With about 20 players returning next season, I think this game should help us in the future," Kennedy said. "We tried a few different things in this game and we're excited about next year."

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on October 21, 2005

Lions out to upset first place Kats

OLIVER TWIST

(THE DAILY GLEANER/STEPHEN MACGILLIVRAY PHOTO)
Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions linebacker Craig Oliver, left, wraps up teammate defensive back Ryan Soles during a hitting drill in preparation for Saturday's provincial high school football league game against the FHS Black Kats. Game time is 1 p.m. at Leo Hayes field

By MIKE POWER
mpower@dailygleaner.com

If five minutes after their first game of the season you had told the Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions football team that, on the last day of the regular season, they would be playing for first place in their division they might have believed you.
They would have been in the minority, though.
The Lions opened the season with a 21-0 loss to the Oromocto High School Blues and looked every bit like the team with no offence that they were portrayed to be in preseason. Oh, they gave the Blues a run for their money but never came close to scoring any points.
"We knew coming in we had a pretty good defence," said veteran Leos linebacker Craig Oliver. "I guess the question was whether we could score points or not."
And while they haven't scored many points, their total of 44 in five games is third worst in the 11-team league, they have gotten a lot of mileage from a solid defence.
The Lions have surrendered just 64 points, and remember 21 of those were against the Blues.
"For us it was about doing our job and giving the guys on offence a chance to develop," Oliver said.
"We knew we didn't have a lot of guys (on offence) who had played here before, but coach kept telling us they would get better and they have."
They will have a great chance to measure themselves tomorrow just to see how good the offence has become and how strong the defence is when really put to the fire.
The Lions will host the Fredericton High School Black Kats in the North-South Bowl game at 1 p.m. at their home field. Although it's a long shot, involving tiebreakers and mathematics, the Lions technically are in the hunt for first place.
"That's not really on our minds," Oliver said. "We know what we're up against in this game. They are a very strong team, we will have to be right on our best game to compete with them.
"We want to compete with one of the best teams in the province and, if we do a good job, pull out the win. But we know this will be tough."
And that's not just a case of the Lions playing dead. It really is a mismatch on paper. While the Black Kats are 4-1 and the Lions 3-2, just one win less, the reality is far more intimidating.
The Black Kats are on a four-game win streak after losing a swampy game to Hampton, 1-0, in their opener. Since then they are 4-0 outscoring opponents 150-14 in that stretch. Those wins have been against top teams including a 16-0 win over OHS and a 41-8 humbling of defending provincial champion Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders.
"You have to respect them," Oliver said. "We know a lot of the guys on that team, they know us. We're not going to let them scare us, but you have to respect a team like that."
The Kats hold down first place followed by the 4-1 Blues, who finish their schedule tomorrow on the road against 3-2 Hampton.
So to get into a tie-breaking situation the Lions would need to upset FHS while scoring a lot of points and have OHS lose.
Unlikely? Yes, it is. But, hey, it's a long way from 21-0 on a hot day in September.
"We've been working hard," said Oliver, who as a Grade 12 student will be playing his final regular season game with the Lions tomorrow.
As good as the season has turned out to date there is still one thing missing: a nice big upset of a top team, say, for example, the FHS Black Kats.
"We've had a good season," Oliver said. "And we're not done yet, but (tomorrow) if we don't come out to play our best game we won't have much of a chance. It should be a good game if we come to play.
"Games like this are fun if you play well win or lose. The teams know each other and respect each other. It's why you play the game really."

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D4 on October 20, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL
Huskies control own destiny
If Hampton High beats Oromocto on Saturday, it qualifies for the playoffs

(Peter Walsh/Telegraph-Journal)
Hampton High seniors from left are running back Andre Rochon, defensive end AJ Hourihan, middle linebacker Chris Moran, cornerback Dave Breen cornerback and quarterback Nick Rourke.

By Nathan White
Telegraph-Journal

The formula is simple for the Hampton High School Huskies football team: win and you're in.
Win (or tie) against the Oromocto Blues (4-1) on the season's final day and the Huskies (3-2) advance to the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs.
Lose, and the final invitation to the 12-man division's postseason dance goes to the rival Saint John Greyhounds (3-3), who beat Hampton 20-14 in the first week of the season.
It's been an up-and-down year for the Huskies. After the Saint John game, they beat the Fredericton High Black Kats for the first time in school history. They followed that with a tough 8-0 loss to the Leo Hayes Lions, but have bounced back for two straight wins to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hampton High. In other 1 p.m. starts, Leo Hayes (3-2) hosts Fredericton (4-1) and Riverview (3-2) takes on MacNaughton (3-2) at Rocky Stone.
Harriston Trimble (2-3) plays L'Odyssee (0-5) and Tantramar (2-3) meets Moncton (1-4) in a Friday night doubleheader at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field in Moncton. Saint John High has a bye.
On the 10-man circuit, Simonds (3-3) battles Harbour View (0-6) at 6:30 p.m. on Friday at Shamrock Park. On Saturday, St. Malachy's (1-5) hosts St. Stephen (3-3) at Shamrock and Rothesay (5-1) visits Kennebecasis Valley (6-0). Both games are at 1 p.m.
Although OHS is a perennial powerhouse that has outscored its opponents 117-24, the Huskies veterans believe anything is possible.

(Peter Walsh/Telegraph-Journal)
Nick Rourke will slip in behind centre as quarterback for the Hampton High Huskies as they wrap up the regular season on Saturday.

"We're looking for the win," said quarterback Nick Rourke in between drills at practice earlier this week. "Our team this year has a lot of heart. If we just come out and play hard, we have a good chance."
"I'm loving our guys' chances," said running back Andre Rochon. "That's the only goal in mind for us, just to keep on going. Win this game and keep on going from there on. There is no other option."
For Rourke, Rochon and fellow seniors like receiver/cornerback Dave Breen, linebacker Chris Moran and defensive lineman A.J. Hourihan, Saturday's game could be their last in a high school uniform.
"They're a really dedicated group of kids and have shown a lot of leadership," said coach Andrew Peters. "I told them [at the beginning of the week], 'You could be down to your last four practices, so you want to do the best you can.'"
Saint John's players can sympathize, but don't expect them to feel bad if Hampton loses its final game. After Piers Dorion kept the Greyhounds' playoff hopes alive with a last-minute touchdown in Friday night's 29-26 win over MacNaughton, coach Wayne Tipper said his team isn't ready for its season to end either.
"We're continuing to practise this week," said Tipper. "We're going forward as a team that, two weeks from now, is entering the first round of the playoffs."
Tipper said several players and coaches would be on hand to give Oromocto some fan support on Saturday.
"I'm not sitting here wishing [Hampton] any bad luck," said Tipper. "[But] we hope Oromocto prevails.
"I know those kids out in Hampton want it as bad as my kids at Saint John High. You've just got to let the cards fall where they may. It's out of our hands now."
"I'm sure they'll be there Saturday cheering for Oromocto," said Peters. "It would be great for a win for us to knock them out.
"It would be a shame for this to be our last game because we love the sport so much," said Rochon. "We have to give 110 per cent every single play. Play every play like it's your last one. If we do that, we sure have a good chance."

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D3 on October 20, 2005

N.B. School Football League
Playoff spots up for grabs
Tantramar Titans, Moncton High Purple Knights to clash for post-season spot

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

It all comes down to this.
Tantramar Titans and Moncton High Purple Knights meet tomorrow night in their final New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division regular season game.
Game time is 7 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
The playoff implications are simple.
The winner moves on to the post-season. The loser goes home.
The two head coaches involved see the game differently.
"I don't like being in that situation. We'd rather be in the playoffs right now and we've certainly had our opportunities to get in. We didn't want it to come down to the final game of the season against Moncton High on their home field," Titans bench boss Dave Burns said this week.
"As a team, we're excited about this scenario. It's kind of like having the playoffs come a week early and the kids are pumped about it," Purple Knights head coach John Allanach added.
It's the final week of the regular season and the six-team Eastern Conference is very tight. Only the top four teams make the playoffs.
Cross over quarter-finals with the Western Conference are scheduled for the following week.
The defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders (3-2) and the Riverview High Royals (3-2) are tied for first place in the Eastern Conference. They'll meet Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rocky Stone with the winner taking first.
Tantramar (2-3) and the Harrison Trimble Trojans (2-3) sit in a tie for third place.
Moncton High (1-4) is fifth, while the L'Odyss�e Olympiens (0-5) are last and have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Harrison Trimble takes on L'Odyss�e tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone. Trojans can lock up third place with a victory.
With a win tomorrow night, Tantramar can finish as high as second place or as low as fourth, depending on the outcome of the Riverview High and Harrison Trimble games.
It's not that complicated for Moncton High. It needs a win to clinch the fourth and final playoff berth.
"I want to see our kids finish their plays. As far as expectations, we want to go have fun and play ball. There's no reason to hold back and we'll just go out there, have fun and see who wins," Allanach said of his Purple Knights.
"In terms of our program and the progress we've made in the last 12 months, I'm very pleased and very positive and upbeat about our team. This is another game and we're looking forward to it."
While the Titans don't like their win-or-go-home situation, Burns said his team will come prepared to play Moncton High.
"Our guys are motivated and they know what's on the line Friday night. We're ready to go there and battle," the Tantramar head coach said.
"We're certainly pumped about the game and we're not going to take Moncton High for granted. They are well coached and they'll be ready for this. We know we're going to have to play a good football game to get a win."
Titans are coming off a bye week. They've experienced an up and down season, losing their first game, winning the next two before losing their last two contests.
"We've had a couple rough weeks and have come up on the short end of the score, but they were really close games and could have gone either way," Burns said.
"The thing with us is that when we get to the red zone, we're going to have to score. We haven't been able to punch it in this season and it has come back to haunt us."
In other league play Saturday, the Oromocto High Blues (4-1) visit the Hampton High Huskies (3-2) and the Leo Hayes Lions (3-2) entertain the Fredericton High Black Kats (4-1) in 1 p.m. games.

Week 6- Oct. 14-15

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C3 on October 17, 2005

Kats run roughshod

KAT ON THE PROWL

(THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
Andrew Hubbard (88), of the Fredericton High School Black Kats heads for the end zone while being chased by Ben Kinden (33), of Harrison High Trimble Trojans during provincial high school football league action Saturday at FHS Field. Hubbard had a touchdown as the Kats romped, 52-6. FHS now sits atop the West Division with a 4-1 record with one game remaining.

By MIKE POWER
mpower@dailygleaner.com

Blowouts in the New Brunswick High School Football League are fairly common. Usually they're sloppy affairs. Rarely are they as methodical and decisive as the one played in the city on Saturday.
Fredericton High School Black Kats dismantled the Harrison Trimble Trojans to the tune of 52-6 at FHS Field.
The Kats improve to 4-1 and are on a four game win streak heading into their final game of the regular season Saturday, a meeting with their cross-river rivals from Leo Hayes.
The Lions dropped to 3-2 after losing to Riverview High Royals 42-0 Saturday in Riverview. Shea Lenehan ran for four touchdowns to pace the Riverview attack.
In one other game Saturday, Hampton High Huskies improved to 3-2 with a 41-0 win over Moncton High Purple Knights.
Unless the Lions can pull off an upset in that game the Kats will be the champions of the western conference.
How one sided was the Kats win over Trimble. The numbers are pretty staggering.
FHS ran up 383 yards of total offence and was led on the ground by Derek Madsen's 145 yards on 18 carries, two of which resulted in touchdowns. Ben Collins also was a workhorse with 72 yards on 15 carries. He scored one major.
"The plan early was to run the ball up the middle pulling their defence in," Madsen said. "Then we'd let (QB Andrew) Hickey do what he does best, just throw the ball. It didn't work right away. They actually stuffed me up the gut a couple of times, but it came together as the game went along."
Hickey, the first year starter at QB, carried just three times for a total of 12 yards. Once Hickey carried for a key third down conversion and on the other carries resulted in touchdowns. Tidy indeed.
In the air, Hickey completed five of 13 passing tries for 129 yards. One was a 25-yard strike to Bobby McIntyre for a touchdown.
FHS place-kicker Justin Conn was seven for seven on touchdown conversions and he also picked up a single point on a missed field goal.
"For me, I think this was our best game on offence," Madsen said. "In the first half we didn't have any penalties and our offensive line was just amazing. We have really started to gel as a unit. You can feel it."
As good as they were with the ball, the Black Kats were better without it as the defensive unit continues to be a place where opposing offenses go to die.
The Trojans, who came in fourth in scoring in the league were held to just 34 yards of total offence.
On the ground Jordan Kenny was the best of a thin bunch with 28 yards on five carries. He almost scored the HTHS touchdown but fumbled on the line. Teammate Kirk Wright fell on the ball for the points.
In the air, quarterback Donavan Boucher tossed it up 18 times, only five of which were caught by teammates, Fredericton defenders caught two others. Boucher amassed just 10 yards in total.
"We kept the intensity up and pressured the quarterback," said defensive (and offensive) lineman Ben Thompson.
"Our d-backs really stepped up as well. We haven't really seen as good a passing game as Trimble has so it was good to see them play so well in this situation."
The Trojan offence have only two first downs. They weren't helped by starting every offensive series but one in their own half of the field. Only twice did they cross mid-field. The one time they did get good field position was after Tyler Gilcash picked off backup QB Bobby McIntyre late in the game.
That began a series of events that saw Wright score, but even then it wasn't easy. Five times inside their own 10, three inside their own one, the Kats stuffed and stopped the Trojan scoring try. If not for two undisciplined penalties by FHS Harrison Trimble would have turned the ball back over on downs.
FHS opened the scoring midway through the first quarter on a one-yard plunge by Hickey set up by a 43-yard completion by Hickey to Andrew Hubbard. Conn missed 15 yard field goal try early in the second quarter but FHS still got a point on the kick making it 8-0.
Hubbard returned a punt 40 yards midway through the second quarter to roll the scoreboard over to 15-0.
Then came the final 1:58 of the half that would have Trimble coach Perry Kukkonen yelling at his troops at halftime about lack of commitment and effort loud enough to be heard back home in Moncton.
It started with 1:58 left on the clock, Hickey plunged over the line for a touchdown. Two plays from scrimmage later the Trojans had to punt. On the next play Hickey hit Tyson Piercy for a 43-yard catch and run that set up Madsen's two-yard scoring run with 37 seconds remaining.
The halftime score was 36-0.

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D3 on October 17, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL
Greyhounds battle back for last-minute win
Crusaders remain only unbeaten team in 10-man circuit

(Noel Chenier/Telegraph-Journal)
Harbour View quarterback Jamie Thomas is chased down by Simonds defender Scott Cyr on Saturday.

Telegraph-Journal

The Saint John High School Greyhounds finished up their regular season with a dramatic win over the MacNaughton Highlanders in Friday night football action at Shamrock Park.
After last week's grueling 2-1 loss to Leo Hayes, the Greyhounds battled back for a 29-26 Week 6 victory over the defending 12-man champions in a game that saw the lead change hands five times.
With the score 26-21 Highlanders in the dying seconds, running back Piers Doiron charged into the end zone from five yards out and quarterback Nick Bonner followed up by turning a bobbled snap into a two-point conversion.
Doiron and Bonner each had a touchdown earlier in the game and Phil Dobson had the other for SJHS. J.J. King blocked a key MacNaughton extra point attempt in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Richard, Mike Earle, Wayne Crossman and Eric Daigle scored the majors for MacNaughton.
In other 12-man action, Andre Rochon rushed for 186 yards and two TDs, Matt Ryan had two TDs and Marcel St. Pierre and Mike Brien had one each as the Hampton Huskies rumbled to a 41-0 win over the Moncton Purple Knights on Saturday. Hampton improved to 3-2 while Moncton fell to 1-4.
Meanwhile, Riverview beat Leo Hayes, also by a 41-0 score, and Fredericton pounded Harrison Trimble 52-6. On Friday, Oromocto beat L'Odyssee 61-0.
OHS and FHS remain tied for first in the Western Conference at 4-1, while Leo Hayes slipped to a third-place tie with Hampton at 3-2. SJHS, which has a bye in the season's final week, sits fifth at 3-3. The top four teams advance to the Week 8 quarterfinals.

In Week 6 10-man games, the Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders remained the only unbeaten team with a 26-6 win over the Rothesay Redhawks.
Colin Flynn-Breen, Jamie Barefoot, Chris Rigby and Ryan Crouse had the KVHS majors as the defending champions moved to 6-0.
Ryan Ferguson scored the lone TD for the Redhawks, who fell to 5-1.
Elsewhere, the Simonds Seabees beat the visiting Harbour View Vikings 41-0.
Quarterback Kyle Skerry ran for two TDs and kicked five converts for the Seabees, who also got two TDs from Stefan Wood and one each from Chris Slade and Kurtis Nicholson.
Defensively, the Seabees were led by Lee Maloney (eight tackles and a sack) and Alex Leblanc (six tackles and three sacks).
Meanwhile, the St. Malachy's Saints traveled to St. Stephen to receive a 60-6 beating from the Spartans.
Matt Sode threw for three TDs, ran for another, kicked six extra points and punted for a single. Darcey McKinney caught two of Sode's TD passes and Kyle McCormick had the other.
The Spartans also got three rushing TDs from Joel Wilcox and one each from Mike McSorley and Zack Nixon. McKinney, Mike Ingersoll and Josiah Wilcox all had interceptions on defence.
Both Rothesay and KVHS have clinched byes into the Week 9 semifinals, while the other 10-man teams will battle in the Week 8 quarterfinals.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D3 on October 17, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Shutout gives Royals share of first place
Standings are tight in Eastern Conference with just one week remaining in regular season schedule

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Riverview High Royals running back Shea Lenehan drives his way into the end zone for a touchdown against the Leo Hayes Lions Saturday in Riverview. Leading the blocking for the Royals is Sterling Kierstead (54).

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

Shea Lenehan sees his Riverview High Royals improving week after week and it's starting to show in the standings.
He also sees the Royals getting even better.
Lenehan, the team's speedy running back, ran for four touchdowns and Riverview High thumped the Leo Hayes Lions 42-0 in New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division action Saturday in Riverview.
With the win, the Royals moved into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference with the defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders.
Riverview High improved to 3-2. Leo Hayes dropped to 3-2.
"We're happy we're playing well and we know we're getting better, but there's bigger games ahead," said Lenehan, the 17-year-old Grade 12 student whose team lost 22 players from a year ago.
"We know we haven't peaked yet and we're still looking up. We want to take it as far as we can this season."
In other games Saturday, the Fredericton High Black Kats (4-1) bombed the Harrison Trimble Trojans (2-3) 52-6; and the Hampton High Huskies (3-2) blanked the Moncton High Purple Knights (1-4) 41-0.
There's just one week remaining in the regular season and the six-team Eastern Conference is very tight. The top four teams make the playoffs.
Riverview High and MacNaughton (3-2) are tied for first place with six points.
They'll meet Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field with the winner taking first.
Harrison Trimble and the Tantramar Titans (2-3) are tied for third place with four points, while Moncton High is fifth with two points.
L'Odyss�e Olympiens (0-5) are last and have been eliminated from playoff contention.
In Riverview, Lenehan set the tone again for the Royals, rushing for 265 yards and the four touchdowns. He scored on seven, 10, 25 and 26-yard runs.
"I'm satisfied so far, but I couldn't be scoring the touchdowns without everyone else doing their job," said Lenehan, in his second season with Riverview High.
"It's not just me scoring the touchdowns. There's 11 other guys helping out and doing their job."
Royals quarterback Andrew Lewis threw a pair of touchdown passes a 15-yard pass to Greg Diamond and a 25-yard toss to Matt McKinley.
Alex Reid kicked a pair of converts and Lewis also kicked one to go along with a single. Riverview High also recorded a safety.
Royals head coach Mark Lenehan praised his defence.
"The defence just paved the way for us again and played another excellent game. I could mention all their names," he said.
"I think our guys are starting to mature. We're making fewer mistakes, but we know we still have a long way to go."

In Fredericton, Derek Madsen ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns as the Black Kats rolled over Harrison Trimble.
Fredericton High racked up 383 yards of total offence.
Quarterback Andrew Hickey also had a pair of majors. Other Black Kats touchdowns came from Ben Collins, Bobby McIntyre and Andrew Hubbard.
Kirk Wright had the lone touchdown for the Trojans, who trailed 36-0 at the half.
"They had three or four big plays in the first half and that was the big thing. Our offence couldn't sustain a drive, so we've got to do a better job than that and come out with a better effort," Harrison Trimble head coach Perry Kukkonen said.
"Fredericton has a really physical defence and I knew that going in, but I thought the kids might respond a little better than they did."
Trojans can lock up third place in the Eastern Conference with a win over L'Odyss�e Friday at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C4 on October 15, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Oromocto Blues bomb Olympiens

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Oromocto Blues' Eric Smith runs for a 70-yard touchdown as Ecole L'Odyss�e Olympiens' Daniel LeBlanc chases him during high school football action at Rocky Stone Memorial Field last night.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

They are two teams going in two different directions.
Oromocto High Blues are preparing for what they hope is a long and successful playoff run. L'Odyss�e Olympiens will watch the post-season from the sidelines.
Blues used an impressive ground attack to bomb the Olympiens 61-0 in a New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division game at Rocky Stone Memorial Field last night.
Oromocto High is 4-1 and sits atop the division's Western Conference. Olympiens are 0-5 for last place in the Eastern Conference and were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.
"We were coming off our first loss (16-0 to the Fredericton High Black Kats last Saturday), so we had nothing to lose and we came out hard and did our best and it turned out good," said Blues running back Kyle Roesler, who scored four touchdowns.
"It was a fantastic win and it gets our spirits up, but we're not letting our heads get too big. We're concentrating on going into the playoffs and doing our best."
Meanwhile, the Saint John High Greyhounds upset the defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders 29-26 in Saint John last night.
At Rocky Stone, Oromocto High scored six of its nine touchdowns on the ground as it rolled over L'Odyss�e.
Roesler led the way, scoring on five, 55 and 80-yard runs. Brennan Foley added a pair of majors on one and nine-yard scampers.
It started early for the Blues.
Jeremy Bigger broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run just 2:07 into the game.
Roesler found the end zone for the first time on the evening a few minutes later with a 80-yard run and then Eric Smith returned an interception 63 yards for another major.
All of a sudden it was 21-0 Oromocto High and the first quarter wasn't even over yet.
"All week in practice we focused on our blocking schemes that was mostly our problems at FHS - so we picked that up a bit and it turned out good," said Roesler, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student.
"My blockers were amazing and our defence held up strong and didn't give up many yards."
The other Blues touchdowns came from quarterback Brian Von Richter, on a 24-yard pass to Bigger and 41-yard pass to Roesler.
Smith also kicked six converts to go along with two interceptions.
L'Odyss�e, a first-year team of mostly Grade 9 and 10 players, was well overmatched against Oromocto High.
"Our boys played hard. We're a young team, a junior team playing against senior teams and the boys will get through this season and next year they will be on the other side of the score," said Olympiens head coach Terry Kennedy, whose team trailed 47-0 at the half.
In Saint John, the Greyhounds scored the game-winning touchdown with 14 seconds remaining for the win over MacNaughton. The touchdown came after a Highlanders pass interference penalty.
Greyhounds led 13-6 at the half.
MacNaughton quarterback Eric Daigle threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Richard and also scored on a one-yard keep. The other Highlanders touchdowns came from Mike Earle, on a 12-yard run, and Wayne Crossman, on a 20-yard run.
Three MacNaughton coaches were ejected from the game and the team racked up 200 yards in penalties by halftime.
Today at 1 p.m., Riverview High Royals (2-2) host the Leo Hayes Lions (3-1), Harrison Trimble Trojans (2-2) visit Fredericton High (3-1) and the Moncton High Purple Knights (1-3) head to Hampton High to meet the Huskies (2-2).

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C4 on October 14, 2005

Conn game working well for football Black Kats

GET BACK HERE

(THE DAILY GLEANER/RAY BOURGEOIS PHOTO)
Justin Conn (32) of the Fredericton High School Black Kats tackles OHS Blues running back Kyle Roesler during New Brunswick High School Football League action last Saturday at FHS. The Kats won 16-0 to improve to 3-1. Conn, a senior linebacker and plack kicker, is a big reason for their success.

By MIKE POWER
For The Daily Gleaner

One of the most important aspects in the success of the Fredericton High School football team this year has been their Conn game.
Not that the Black Kats are running a shell game on the side or bilking widows out of their money. Instead a big part of their 3-1 record in the New Brunswick High School Football League, including three straight wins, is the play of senior Justin Conn.
Conn is a potent combination of linebacker and place-kicker for the Kats and has contributed much to the FHS team in both roles this season.
Conn will have a chance to work on both of his jobs again tomorrow when FHS hosts the Harrison Trimble Trojans in a 1 p.m. start at FHS Field, aka "The Jungle."
Today the Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions, who also have a 3-1 record, will look to keep pace with a game at Riverview. The Royals are 2-2.
The Trojans are a bit of an unknown quantity, as are most of the teams from the Eastern Division. What is known is that they are 2-2 and are coming off a gaudy 59-7 win over Moncton High School a week ago.
"Our coach has told us they have a lot of speed," Conn said."They have good players and we hear they are very much like the (provincial champion) Bernice MacNaughton team. We also know they have a strong quarterback who likes to throw the ball, so we have to adjust to them."
While linebacker is one of those positions that tend to get a lot of glory, it's the kicking game where Conn really gives the Black Kats an added dimension. "I know there's been a lot of good teams that haven't had a good kicker and it's hurt them," Conn said. "On the other hand, it can make a good team even better.
"Take our first game of the year, we lost on a kick through the end zone (1-0 at Hampton). We had a few chances to kick a field goal or get it at least through the end zone and we didn't take those chances and it cost us the game."
On the other hand it hasn't hurt the team much since, including last week when they Kats played Oromocto High School in torrential rains and won 16-0. In that game both coaches agreed that an early kick through the end zone to score a single point putting FHS ahead early was the crucial point of the game.
That win has given the Kats the hammer in their conference as far as a tiebreaker should they end up tied with the Blues for first, OHS is also 3-1. It's also a confidence builder given that the Oromocto team they beat is a veteran unit with expectations as high as those of FHS.
"When you play a good game like that in those circumstances it can be hard to keep it rolling into the next week," Conn said. "But we want to keep that momentum going. We don't want to settle with that. It's a test for us to see if we can keep playing at that level when it isn't OHS or one of the teams we know."
Conn has a kicking background having played some competitive soccer until he was "13 or 14, but I stopped when I got to high school pretty much."
His background in soccer may have helped his technique but it wasn't the main reason he took up the kicking game. That story is much simpler.
"Actually I never kicked in (junior varsity)," he recalled. "But last year the coach just asked us who can kick the ball, so I just kept at it and practising as much as I could."
Despite all the testimony about how important a good kicking game is Conn, who also plays some tight end, still likes linebacker best.
"I like to play defence," he said preaching the FHS gospel. "To me it's the heart of the team, the most important part of the team. The defence doesn't get in the papers much. They don't get a lot of attention, but we know that what we do is important to the team and that counts for a lot with us."

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D1 on October 13, 2005

Royal Treatment
Riverview High's football coach seeks commitment from players

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Tom Lutes, left, and Sterling Keirstead, a pair of offensive linemen with the Riverview High Royals, get physical during practice yesterday. Royals host the Leo Hayes Lions of Fredericton on Saturday afternoon in a key New Brunswick High School Football League game.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

Mark Lenehan is only in his first season on the job, but he's already made an impact.
The Riverview High Royals rookie head coach has turned the school's football team into a football program.
"What that means is that Monday through Saturday, academics come first and after that there's little time in the day besides football," said Lenehan, who has replaced former Riverview High bench boss Paul Beardsworth.
"After practice, they are in the weight room or watching game film or in mandatory study hall four days a week. In the off-season, we demand the players do cross training and weight training and follow a proper diet. This is the first year we've really instituted it."
Royals (2-2) resume New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division play Saturday when they host the Leo Hayes Lions (3-1).
Game time is 1 p.m. at the Riverview High field.
In other league play this week, the L'Odyss�e Olympiens (0-4) entertain the Oromocto High Blues (3-1) at Moncton's Rocky Stone Memorial Field and the MacNaughton Highlanders (3-1) are on the road to face the Saint John High Greyhounds (2-3) in a pair of 7 p.m. games tomorrow night.
On Saturday, two other games are scheduled for 1 p.m. Harrison Trimble Trojans (2-2) visit the Fredericton High Black Kats (3-1), while the Moncton High Purple Knights (1-3) head to Hampton High to meet the Huskies (2-2).
Tantramar Titans (2-3) have a bye.
It was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the Royals they lost 22 players from last year's team which was defeated in a provincial semifinal by Fredericton High - but they are in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference.
There's just two more weeks remaining in the regular season and there's a log jam in the middle of the six-team conference. The top four teams make the playoffs.
MacNaughton has a hold of first-place, while Riverview High, Harrison Trimble and Tantramar sit in a three-way tie for second spot.
Moncton High is fifth and first-year L'Odyss�e finds itself in the basement.
"We've got a young team, but we're pretty happy in our position. We're aiming for a playoff spot and that's where we are right now," said Lenehan, who was the running backs coach under Beardsworth last season.
"We're really pleased with our progress and we're having a really good time. I've got a great coaching staff with me and this is going to be a year-round program and the kids have responded well to that."
Royals are coming off a 36-0 home win over L'Odyss�e last Saturday.
The team's offence features running back Shea Lenehan - the head coach's son - along with second-year quarterback Andrew Lewis and an offensive line anchored by Jeff Crossman, Sterling Keirstead and Tommy Lutes.
What has impressed Mark Lenehan the most though is his defence.
"The defence has been playing very good the last three games. The guys have been tough and are coming together nicely."
The Riverview High defence is led by Chad Anderson, Andy Stultz, James Gallant, Kyle MacEachern, Mike Miller and Mike MacLeod.
Royals take on a Leo Hayes team, which lost its first game of the season but has since reeled off three straight victories.

Week 5- Oct. 7-8

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C3 on October 10, 2005

Kats' Hubbard unfazed by the elements

DOWN AND DIRTY

(THE DAILY GLEANER/RAY BOURGEOIS PHOTO)
Kyle Roesler of the Oromocto High School Blues is hauled down from behind by Justin Conn of the Fredericton High School Black Kats during provincial high school football league action at FHS Field Saturday. The Kats shut out the previously unbeaten Blues 16-0 in a torrential downpour that saw both teams literally get down and dirty.

By MIKE POWER
mpower@dailygleaner.com

If Andrew Hubbard was a racehorse, they'd call him "a mudder," meaning a competitor who prospers in rain and mud. In actuality, Hubbard is a Kat -- the Fredericton High School stripe -- but he's still a pretty mean mudder.
Hubbard's running bedeviled the Oromocto High School Blues' defence as he scored a touchdown and set up another to lead the Black Kats past the Blues 16-0 Saturday in New Brunswick High School Football Leaegue action in the rain at FHS Field.
With the decision, both teams are now 3-1 on the season and share top spot atop the western division. More importantly, the win gives FHS a potentially crucial tiebreaker for home field come playoff time.
In other action Saturday, Leo Hayes St. Hary's Lions improved to 3-1 with a 2-1 victory over Saint John High Greyhounds in the rain and mud at Shamrock Park. In Moncton, Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders took over the lead in the east with an 18-13 win over Tantramar High Titans. Riverview High Royals hammered winless Ecole L'Odyssee.
The game at FHS was played in a torrential downpour with temperatures that dropped to about seven degrees by kickoff and it appeared it might end up as one of those 1-0 or 2-0 rain soaked oddities until Hubbard broke loose.
FHS got on the scoreboard early with a punt through the Blues end zone for a single point. They had backed OHS up on the kickoff and forced them to punt it back giving the home side good field position.
When the Kats couldn't move the ball they took the single point on the kick and put up what would prove to be the winning point some two and a half hours later.
"For me, that was the turning point of the game," said OHS coach Rob Wilson. "Actually the coin toss was the turning point. They got the kick and backed us up deep in our end which led to that point."
Indeed while it was just one point everybody seemed to see it the same way.
"In a game like this, scoring first is crucial," said FHS coach Larry Wisniewski. "Playing with a lead when the field is only going to get worse, the footing is not going to improve and fatigue will set in much faster because of the cold, is huge."
Before the first quarter was done the Kats defence caught Blues' quarterback Brian VonRichter in the end zone for a single point to double the lead.
It appeared the 2-0 score might stand up as the teams settled into a pattern of punt and hope for a mistake as the ball slopped around on the ground.
But midway through the second quarter Wisniewski pulled a rabbit, or a Hubbard, out of his hat. As the Blues defence concentrated on FHS workhorse back Derek Madsen plowing north to south in the middle, suddenly there was the diminutive Hubbard breaking runs east to west and stringing out the defence.
"Hubbard is short and quick," Wisniewski said. "He takes short quick steps and on a wet field that is better. (OHS) didn't have a sense of Hubbard's speed because we'd run the other backs a lot in the first quarter.
"He seemed to suddenly appear and there's this guy out there who seems faster than all the other rabbits on the turf. He seems to like the muck and his foot pattern gives him traction that others don't get."
Hubbard's first major contribution came midway through the second quarter as he ripped off three consecutive runs of about 10 yards each, going toward the outside and moving the ball to the OHS 20 yard-line.
"Our line was making the blocks for me," Hubbard said. "I was able to get that quick step to the outside and once I got out there we made some yards, but I couldn't have done it without the line holding (OHS) up."
And he had found a weakness in the formidable Oromocto defence.
"The defence played very well today," Wilson said. "But we had these same little breakdowns in the same areas again and again and we have to get them fixed. The defensive breakdown to the outside was just a case of people not knowing their jobs, and that's disappointing."
To make matters worse, when the Blues tried to compensate for Hubbard going wide the Kats suddenly sprung Madsen up the middle and the powerful back rumbled almost untouched up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown. Justin Conn hit the convert to send the teams to halftime with FHS up 9-0.
Late in the third quarter Hubbard pretty much nailed down the win as he once again found the chink in the OHS armour to race 48 yards for a touchdown of his own, which was converted by Conn for the final score of the afternoon.
"It feels awesome how it turned out," Hubbard said. "We really came into this game thinking (OHS) would shut us down on the run. But we really came up big. Everybody did their job and we made it work which was big because really the pass wasn't there for us. If we hadn't made the run work it might have ended up differently."
Inside, the final three minutes Oromocto had their best chance of the day to score and at the very least put some consolation points on the board as penalties backed up an FHS drive and forced a shallow punt.
VonRichter found Jeremy Bigger for a 10-yard gain and then the Blues banged out another first down on the back of punishing halfback Kyle Roesler who took his team to the 28 of FHS.
The drive would die however as VonRichter put up a desperation pass that came to rest in the arms of Fredericton defensive back Bobby McIntyre.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D4 on October 10, 2005

Highlanders jump into first place
SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

SACKVILLE - Mike Earle ran for a pair of touchdowns and the MacNaughton Highlanders beat the Tantramar Titans 18-13 in a New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division game here Saturday.
The defending provincial champion Highlanders improved their record to 3-1 and sit in first-place in the Eastern Conference.
"It was a character win for us for sure. With a young team, you always want to win those close games," MacNaughton offensive co-ordinator Brian Agnew said.
"The weather conditions were terrible, but it was nice to come out with a win. Tantramar always gives you a good game and it's nice to get a win down there."
In other games Saturday, the Riverview High Royals blanked the L'Odyss�e Olympiens 36-0; Fredericton High Black Kats shut out the Oromocto High Blues 16-0; and the Leo Hayes Lions edged the Saint John High Greyhounds 2-1.
MacNaughton sits atop the Eastern Conference at 3-1, while Riverview High and the Harrison Trimble Trojans are tied for second at 2-2.
Tantramar is fourth at 2-3, Moncton High Purple Knights fifth at 1-3 and L'Odyss�e last at 0-6.
The top four teams make the playoffs. There are two more weeks remaining in the regular season.
In Sackville, the Highlanders trailed 13-12 at the half, but Earle found the end zone for the second time on the afternoon on a 40-yard run early in the fourth quarter to lift the visitors to the victory.
Titans had one final drive downfield and reached the MacNaughton red zone, but the Highlanders defence made one final stop to seal the deal.
Earle had earlier scored on a 15-yard run.
MacNaughton's other touchdown came on a 12-yard run by Wayne Crossman.
The victory came a week after the Highlanders lost 41-8 to Fredericton High in a rematch of last year's New Brunswick championship game.
"With a young team you don't want to have too many negatives, so this was a big win for us. Our young kids are on the road to good things," Agnew said.
"Offensively, we controlled the ball really well and ate up a lot of yards and defensively, we bent but didn't break.
"At this point we're happy with our season. We're 3-1 and in first-place in our conference and that's not too bad in a rebuilding year."
In Riverview, running back Shea Lenehan rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns as the Royals rolled over the Olympiens.
Dan Fawcett and Matt Bastarache also ran for majors and Tom Budd returned an interception 45 yards for another touchdown. Andrew Lewis kicked four converts and two singles.
Riverview High led 35-0 at the break.
"Our kids came prepared to play. Our defence once again showed up and played very tough and didn't allow any points," Royals head coach Mark Lenehan said.
"L'Odyss�e deserves a pat on the back. They fought tooth and nail to the very end and that's a tribute to those kids."

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D5 on October 10, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL
Leo Hayes inches past Greyhounds

(Noel Chenier/Telegraph-Journal)
Saint John High quarterback Nick Bonner is taken down by Leo Hayes Lion Matt Flemming on the final play of a 2-1 loss to the Leo Hayes Lions on Saturday at Shamrock Park.

Telegraph-Journal

In an ugly game full of mud and turnovers, the Leo Hayes Lions eked out a 2-1 win over the Saint John Greyhounds in Week 5 12-man high school football action on Saturday.
Saint John's Phil Dobson opened the scoring with a punt through the end zone as the rain poured down in the first half at Shamrock Park, but Matt Flemming replied with a pair of second-half singles, including one in the final minute after Mike McCarthy's interception gave Leo Hayes possession on the Greyhounds 25-yard line.
In other 12-man games, the Fredericton Black Kats knocked off the previously unbeaten Oromocto Blues 16-0, the defending champion MacNaughton Highlanders beat the Tantramar Titans 18-13, the Harrison Trimble Trojans thumped the Moncton Purple Knights 59-7 and the Riverview Royals posted a 36-0 win over L'Odyssee Olympiens.
In 10-man action, both the Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders and Rothesay Redhawks ran their records to 4-0.
KVHS pounded the St. Malachy's Saints 48-0 while Rothesay knocked off the Harbour View Vikings 41-0.
Rothesay's Chris Brooks, Justin Mousek and Aaron McDevitt each rushed for a touchdown. Simon Pearn connected on a four-yard passing TD to Rob Grant and also caught a 20-yard TD pass from Mike Cote.
David Thompson recovered a fumble in the Vikings end zone for the other Redhawks major.
Meanwhile, KVHS did all of its scoring in one half before the game was called due to rain. Colin Flynn-Breen and Charlie Harroun led the way with two TDs each.
The Simonds Seabees won the other 10-man game, 7-1 over the St. Stephen Spartans in the annual Nick Desilets Memorial Game.
Lee Maloney returned a punt 120 yards into the Spartans end zone in the final minute to win the game.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C4 on October 8, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Kukkonen puts on a show
Son of long-time Harrison Trimble coach scores three touchdowns in 59-7 pounding of MHS

(RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Harrison Trimble�s Mike Tate gets a grip on Justin Lafrance of Moncton High during first-half football action last night at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

The annual Homecoming Game turned into the Nicholas Kukkonen Show last night.
Kukkonen scored three touchdowns and led the Harrison Trimble Trojans to a 59-7 pounding of the Moncton High Purple Knights in front of a huge Homecoming crowd in New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division action at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
"It wasn't too bad at all, but I'm just happy with the team's performance. After our loss two weeks ago (a 21-1 defeat to the Riverview High Royals), when we didn't show too much class with too many misconducts, we came out here tonight with a goal to not take too many penalties and fired up because it's Homecoming," Kukkonen, a Grade 11 receiver, said moments after the victory.
"Homecoming is big for both schools. All week that's what everyone talks about."
Trojans improved their record to 2-2 with the win. Purple Knights dropped to 1-3.
Kukkonen - the son of long-time Harrison Trimble head coach Perry Kukkonen - started the show with a 63-yard scamper, which set up a five-yard touchdown run by Kirk Wright in the opening minutes of the game.
That was just the start.
Trojans quarterback Donovan Boucher then threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Kukkonen. Just minutes later, the two hooked up again on a 91-yard bomb for another major.
A couple minutes after that, Matt Kenny intercepted Moncton High quarterback Ryan Wareham and that set up an eight-yard touchdown run by Kukkonen.
All of a sudden it was 28-0 in the second quarter.
Purple Knights never recovered.
It was a coming out party for the Harrison Trimble offence, which had scored just 11 points in its previous two games.
"Our O-Line has been struggling a bit lately and we wanted to come out here and set the tone. We were able to put points on the board and hopefully we can build off that," said Kukkonen, a 16-year-old in his third season with the Trojans.
"I think our O-Line blocked and played a hell of a game and our defence was great. Our passing game worked and our running game worked. We have a new running back - Jordan Kenny - and he brings a spark to our team with his speed."
Harrison Trimble led 31-7 at the half.
Other Trojan touchdowns came from Dave Arseneau, on a two-yard plunge, Jordan Kenny, on a 20-yard run, Wright, his second of the evening on a 45-yard run, and Nick Gillcash, on a five-yard run.
Kyle McLaughlin added all eight converts and also kicked a 22-yard field goal in the win.
Moncton High struggled offensively and only managed a touchdown late in the first half on a two-yard run by Jordan Beyea.
"We're happy with our first half. We went out and moved the ball, but they got a couple big plays early and it was too much. We played our kids and they were outgunned and that's Homecoming this year," Purple Knights head coach John Allanach said.
"I'm not worried. I'm proud of our kids. We didn't take too many penalties and kept our cool and played the best football we could tonight."
Four games are also scheduled for today at 1 p.m.
Tantramar Titans (2-2) host the MacNaughton Highlanders (2-1), Riverview High Royals (1-2) entertain the L'Odyss�e Olympiens (0-3), Fredericton High Black Kats (2-1) are home to the Oromocto High Blues (3-0) and the Leo Hayes Lions (2-1) visit the Saint John High Greyhounds (2-2).

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on October 7, 2005

Kats' Hickey ready for OHS challenge

ON THE RUN

(THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
FHS Black Kats quarterback Andrew Hickey (5) tries to outrace a pair of Saint John High Greyhounds defenders during a recent provincial high school football league game at FHS Field. The Kats, who won that contest 41-0, take a 2-1 record into Saturday's showdown against the 3-0 Oromocto High School Blues. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at FHS Field.

By MIKE POWER
For The Daily Gleaner

Football fans will be treated to the very definition of what a "big game" is as part of this Thanksgiving weekend.
Two of the best teams in high school football, arguably the two best teams in the province this year, will meet for their only regular season get-together tomorrow.
Add in the fact they are both local area schools with a storied rivalry and what more could a football fan, or football player, want?
"It's why you play the game," said Fredericton High School quarterback Andrew Hickey looking ahead to the showdown with the 3-0 Oromocto High School Blues. "There's a lot of respect between these teams. We take it seriously but it's also fun. You get really excited and pumped up all week before these games."
Game time is 1 p.m. at FHS Field as the 2-1 Black Kats take on the undefeated Blues in a contest that could go a long way to deciding first place in the Western Conference.
The other local team, the Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions, on a roll of their own with two straight wins after a loss to OHS in their opener, will be on the road tomorrow for a game against Saint John High School with a 1 p.m. kickoff at Shamrock Park.
The OHS-FHS game should be a duel of the two defensive units. The two teams have combined to allow just 17 points this season in what adds up to six games.
That said, both can also move the ball as well as any team in the league. The Black Kats lost 1-0 to Hampton in a rain-swamped opener but have put 41 points on the board in each of their last two games. The Blues haven't scored less than 16 points in any game this year.
Of course Hickey should know all about big games. He's played in a few. For example, he was a member of last year's edition of the Kats, a team that went all the way to the provincial final. In addition he's seen a few, having had two brothers play for FHS before him in David and Sean.
"Both my brothers were great players," Hickey said. "All I can do is work hard and hope to be as good as they were. It's a source of pride for my family for sure."
And a little bit of pressure as well perhaps?
"A little bit," Hickey said. "There are some expectations for me by other people, but really I don't pay a lot of attention to that stuff. I do what I can and try to do the best I can on the field."
Hickey is very humble about his part in a family dynasty at FHS, but coach Larry Wisniewski, who's coached all three brothers, calls it a source of pride for the family and the team.
"I think any football program that's been around for any time at all develops those patterns," Wisniewski said. "It shows that the quality of athlete is transmitted from one generation to the next, that the desire is transmitted from one generation to the next.
"It's kind of neat for us," the coach said. "They come in having thought about playing here since watching their brothers play so they are motivated to do as well as their brothers did. They arrive motivated and prepared in a way other kids might not be because they didn't grow up with that culture and that outlook."
Hickey is still a work in progress: with one more year to play after this one, he still has time to explore potential as yet untapped.
"He's coming along," Wisniewski said, "because he's a good athlete and competitive. People overlook the fact he was a D-Back and receiver last year. He's only played three games at quarterback for us this year so he's still learning the position, which is probably the most complicated and sophisticated position on the field.
"He's fun to watch now and I think he will be for the rest of the year. With time he will learn more and get that much better. I think he can develop to the point where he will go on to the next level of the game."
While he might be getting in his on-the-job training, Hickey is aware of the role he has to play in tomorrow's meeting with the Blues. With a solid defensive line the OHS defensive secondary has proven suspect at times. That means an opposing quarterback's ability to pick apart the coverage and get the ball into the hands of his talented group of receivers could decide the outcome.
"I love throwing the ball, all quarterbacks do," he said. "I have good receivers, guys who can get open, then it will be my job to get them the ball.
"But we have to establish the run as well," Hickey said. "If we are going to have any success passing we need to find a way to run on (OHS). We know this is a game we will have to be at our best in, offence and defence."
In Eastern Conference action today, Harrison Trimble hosts Moncton High, both 1-2.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D6 on October 7, 2005

Late-starter does it all for MHS
Jordan Beyea is a Grade 12 rookie with Knights football club

(RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Jordan Beyea rushes with the football during a recent MHS practice.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

He's a running back, kicker and the punter.
Sometimes he'll throw a pass. Sometimes he'll be the receiver.
Grade 12 rookie Jordan Beyea seems to do it all for the Moncton High Purple Knights.
And he never played a single football game before this season.
"I didn't know what to expect coming in, so it's been surprising," Beyea, 17, said during a break in practice this week.
"It's a little more pressure on me, but I'm having a blast. It's a lot to learn as a first-year player, but I'm just trying to take it all in stride and enjoy it."
Beyea's Purple Knights hook up with the Harrison Trimble Trojans in the annual homecoming game tonight at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
The New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division game starts at 7 p.m.
Both Moncton High and Harrison Trimble are 1-2 on the season.
Four games are also scheduled for tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Tantramar Titans (2-2) host the MacNaughton Highlanders (2-1), Riverview High Royals (1-2) entertain the L'Odyss�e Olympiens (0-3), Fredericton High Black Kats (2-1) are home to the Oromocto High Blues (3-0) and the Leo Hayes Lions (2-1) visit the Saint John High Greyhounds (2-2).
At Moncton High, Beyea is known more for his basketball skills, but he's made the transition to the gridiron look easy.
In a 29-13 win over L'Odyss�e earlier this season, Beyea scored on a 25-yard run, threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Justin Lafrance and kicked a 15-yard field goal to go along with two converts.
"In games, I've had my ups and downs, but we've made some progress. It's a team sport and the guys here have really helped me out a lot," Beyea said.
"I just love this game. I love just love 45 guys all coming together as a team. It's a lot different than a lot of other sports."
Purple Knights head coach John Allanach has taken notice.
"Jordan's an athletic leader and we're glad to have him on our team. He's having a blast and Friday night you'll see more of that," Allanach said.
The annual homecoming tilt between the two city rivals attracts thousands of fans to Rocky Stone each year and is the biggest game of the regular season.
But Moncton High, which is coming off a 60-7 loss to Saint John High last Friday, isn't listening to all the hype.
"We're treating this game like any other game. We're not worrying about the hype," Allanach said.
"We want to execute on offence, have guys flying around on defence and go out and have some fun and not put any added pressure on this young team to do something that maybe they're not ready to do at this point."
Over at Harrison Trimble, Trojans head coach Perry Kukkonen said this game could be the turning point of the season for his club.
With both teams at 1-2 - Riverview High is also 1-2 in the Eastern Conference - a win tonight would help push for a playoff berth later in the season.
"I think it will be a defining moment for us. The kids have to respond in a positive way," said Kukkonen, whose team had a bye last week and lost 21-1 to Riverview High in its last game in Week 3.
"If we want to keep our playoff hopes alive we need to put a solid effort in and come out with a victory. Our kids are working very hard in practice and I expect it should be a very football game."
The key for Harrison Trimble is a big performance from its offence, which has scored just 11 points in the last two games.
"We have to establish some consistency on offence. We've struggled the last couple games to move the ball consistently. We really need to turn the corner," Kukkonen said.

Week 4- Sept. 30-Oct. 1

Daily Gleaner | Football
As published on page C3 on October 3, 2005

Blues survive Royal attempt at comeback

BIG MOMENT

(THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
Kyle Roesler, left, of the OHS Blues, outruns Greg Diamond, of the Riverview Royals, during Saturday's game at MacKenzie Field.

By MIKE POWER
The Daily Gleaner

The Oromocto High School Blues passed their first major test of the New Brunswick High School Football League season Saturday, but some sloppy work late in the game cost them a high grade.
In going 3-0 on the season, the Blues started strong but struggled in the second half in a 16-8 victory over Riverview High Royals Saturday at OHS Field.
The Blues led 16-1 in the fourth quarter but had to hang on with their fingernails to eke out the win over the Royals, who slipped to 1-2 with the loss.
"We were told this was our first real test and it sure was," said OHS kicker/linebacker Jory Smith.
"It was two good teams and they kept coming at us even when we got up. We wanted to see how we'd play against a top team and we did all right."
Once again, workhorse running back Kyle Roesler was the backbone of the Blues attack as he ran for 164 yards on 29 carries and scored a touchdown.
In the air, quarterback Brian VonRichter was 5 for 12 passing for 91 yards. He connected for one touchdown and was picked off three times. Jeremy Bigger was his favourite target with three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
VonRichter was more than matched by Riverview signal caller Andrew Lewis who was 11 for 23 while throwing for 133 yards. Lewis was picked off twice.
Lewis also pulled it out leading a pair of dramatic drives late in the game with OHS up 16-2 and less than four minutes remaining on the game clock.
The first started at the Oromocto 50-yard line. Lewis connected on four passes on four consecutive plays to put his team on the OHS one-yard line.
"We saw that one of the OHS defensive backs was biting on everything," Lewis said of the sudden passing success.
"We would fake him and get our guys going deep on that side and had a lot of success."
Two plays later he dove with the ball across the goal line for the Royals' first major score of the day.
Suddenly what looked to be a very secure situation for OHS wasn't quite so solid. The home side was helped immeasurably by Tim Moore blocking the attempted conversion kick by Lewis. But the lead was down to eight points with 2:43 to play.
On the football field, 2:43 can be an eternity as the Blues soon found out. They couldn't move the ball on the ensuing series and had to punt into a cross wind that occasional gusted into their face with 2:29 still on the clock. One of those gusts gave the Royals the ball on the OHS 45.
Lewis went to work right away, hitting Greg Diamond near the right sideline for seven yards.
Then came three more completions back to back to back. A pass interference call against OHS placed the ball on the Oromocto one with 1:03 remaining.
It took a determined goal line stand by the Blues defence to get the ball back on downs on the two-yard line. All OHS had to do was kill the final 49 seconds.
An anonymous and dejected Riverview player on the sidelines could be heard to wistfully moan "I wish they would fumble," as Oromocto lined up for second down. Whomever that player was, he should have asked for more. No sooner had the words left his lips than VonRichter dropped the handoff and Riverview's Mike Miller fell on the loose ball.
With 20 seconds to play the Royals had the ball on the two and renewed life.
Fullback Dan Faucette got the first two tries for the visitors. The first time he tangled in the line and got nowhere. On second down, linebacker Jory Smith of OHS slipped the line and caught Faucette in the backfield for a small, but dramatic loss.
"I just saw a gap and saw (Faucette) coming my way," Smith said. "I brushed off the fullback and got (Faucette) around the waist and I wasn't letting go."
With eight second left the Royals finally went back to the passing game that had served them so well but Lewis' dump to Diamond was too high, ending the game in dramatic fashion.
"These two teams didn't know much about each other coming in," Jory Smith said of the finish.
"(Riverview) figured out we could stop the run and started to throw with a lot of success. We had to go back to our zone to see if we could stop them, but they kept making the good plays."
The frantic finish lit up a game that had ambled along very much under Oromocto's control through most of the first three quarters.
"Our line hadn't been blocking in the first half," Lewis said of his team's late transformation.
"They really stepped it up in the second half, but right on the last series they let down again and it killed us, we weren't getting the blocks right off the line."
OHS recovered a Riverview fumble in the opening moments of the contest and were marched down the field by VonRichter's passing and Roesler's punishing running.
It ended with a one-yard two-step through the line for Roesler to open the scoring. Jory Smith's convert missed.
With 10 seconds left in the first quarter VonRichter hooked up with Bigger for a 15 yard scoring strike to give the Blues and iron grasp on the game.
Again Smith's extra point attempt was wide.
Riverview scraped back a point on a punt through the end zone with 10:38 to play in the first half.
But OHS got that back when Smith's 15 yard field goal attempt was caught in the wind but went out the back of the Royal's zone.
The 13-1 margin stood through halftime; in fact neither would score again until Smith split the uprights with a 24-yard field goal two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Daily Gleaner | Football
As published on page C3 on October 3, 2005

Casey leads Lions

MIGHTY CASEY FOR LEO HAYES

(THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
Quarterback Pat Casey of the Leo Hayes High Lions, goes back to pass during provincial high school football league action Saturday. Casey played a leading role as Leo Hayes defeated Ecole L�Odyssee Olympiens 34-0.

By BILL HUNT
The Daily Gleaner

Pat Casey did a little bit of everything on the football field for the Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions Saturday afternoon.
It proved to be too much for the L'Odyssee Olympiens of Moncton.
Casey, the Lions' Grade 12 quarterback/punt returner/defensive back - he even holds the ball on field goal attempts -- was a triple-headed monster as far as the Olympiens were concerned.
He returned a punt 75 yards for one touchdown, took a quarterback sneak 44 yards for another and intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards to paydirt for one more, helping lift the Lions to a 34-0 shutout of the Olympiens, a new school playing its first season of high school football.
Running back Matt Wood rushed 14 yards for the other Lions touchdown. Kicker Matt Flemming converted all four and added a 22-yard field goal that actually opened the scoring in this one with three minutes left in the first half.
Casey's 75-yard scamper up the right sideline and a Craig Oliver fumble recovery that Wood ultimately took to the end zone made it 17-0 by halftime and the Olympiens never recovered.
Oh, they were a game and gritty little group. But they managed just two first downs all afternoon against a rugged Lions' defence which stretched its string of shutout quarters to eight and improved its season record to 2-1. Olympiens drop to 0-3 with the loss.
"Oromocto scored in the last minute of the fourth quarter," said middle linebacker Mike McCarthy, reflecting back to the Lions' season opener a month ago. It was McCarthy who picked up the other Olympien fumble.
"The defence has been working really hard in practice and just trying to give the offence the opportunities they need, and the last two weeks, we haven't allowed any points. We're hoping to keep that up."
Lions were a little slow starting offensively themselves, actually, stalled by penalties and a dogged Olympien defence in the early going. They had only one sustained drive before the latter stages of the first half, marching the ball from their own 26 to the Odyssee 24 before stalling.
Eventually though, Casey and company got untracked.
The QB was reluctant to take the job at first, preferring slotback or tail back on offence and his defensive role at free safety. But he's getting more comfortable under center.
"I'm enjoying it a lot," said Casey. "At first, I was a bit skeptical, but the more I play, the more I love it. The only other position I can say that could compete with it would be free safety."
Casey had some time there too, and stepped in front of a ball and returned it for a TD in the fourth quarter that put an exclamation point on what turned out to be a convincing win.
"We started out a little flat, but we just needed to come back and start executing our plays a little better, and we did that," said Casey. "I'm pretty happy with our offence, and our defence did a phenomenal job."\
McCarthy has played with Casey for the past four seasons. So he knows what Casey is capable of.
"I feel comfortable putting him anywhere on the field," said McCarthy. "He's a smart player, he knows what he's doing. He gets in the right place at the right time and puts up points for us,"
Olympiens coach Terry Kennedy sees his young squad going in the right direction.
"We're not playing for the score," he said. "We're playing to get better every week. This time we were on the wrong side of the score. But I say if these kids stick with it and stay positive, there are going to be some teams on the wrong side of the score."
There are growing pains with a new program. On their first two plays from scrimmage for instance, the Olympiens were called for illegal procedure when players lined up incorrectly.
"We're a brand new team," he said. "We'd be the best junior team in the province, if you look at our Grade 9 and Grade 10 kids. Our defence only had two touchdowns scored on them. We had special teams and offensive breakdowns, but our defence is as strong as any team in the league.
"Offensively, we had five guys unavailable. Our quarterback is a Grade 9 kid who had three practices. I thought he did pretty good for a Grade 9 kid going against Grade 12s. Our kids heart was really good. They played hard the whole game."
He called the Lions "a complete team. They're good offensively and good on defence, and Lee (Lions coach Hoyt) always has a quarterback who can throw."
Hoyt likes his mobility most of all.
"What Patrick brings is his ability to scramble," said Hoyt. "He's a quick thinker. Alex Byrne brings a lot to slotback, His blocking ability and catching ability. Moving Pat to quarterback, they can't really key on anything. He's a good receiver, he can throw the ball and he can run the ball. He's not a pocket quarterback, but they have to respect that he can scramble and get outside."
Casey made good use of depth in the backfield too. Matt Wood left with a hamstring pull at half time, but Dillen Theriault and Mitch Cormier were a lightning quick 1-2 combination in the second half.
"Our offence is really beginning to move the ball and realizing they have to sustain their drives," said Hoyt. "We have four running backs that we can change on the fly."
Lions are part of a four-way logjam in the Western Conference after weekend play. Oromocto High School Blues are a perfect 3-0 at the top of the division, with the Lions and FHS Black Kats each sporting 2-1 marks, Hampton Huskies and Saint John High Greyhounds are at 2-2. All four teams have four points.

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D3 on October 3, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL
St. Malachy's gets into football win column
Canadaeast News Service

The St. Malachy's Saints finally got into the win column in Week 4 New Brunswick 10-man high school football action on Friday.
The Saints came from behind to earn a 13-12 victory over the Harbour View Vikings on Friday night at Shamrock Park.
The Vikings built up a 12-0 lead at halftime thanks to a pair of touchdowns from Jordan Blizzard.
But St. Mac's battled back; Ryan Nolan converted a Chris Wilkes TD and then John Brideau added another TD on a 55-yard run with six minutes to play. Both teams were 0-3 and had scored just six points each entering the game.
"It was a great win," said Saints coach Phil McGarvey. "The kids earned it. They showed up and they sure played."
In Saturday's 10-man games, both the Rothesay Redhawks and Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders improved to 4-0. Rothesay beat the Simonds Seabees 24-12 and KVHS pounded the St. Stephen Spartans 40-7.
Colin Flynn-Breen had an outstanding offensive day, scoring four TDs for the defending champion Crusaders. Jamie Barefoot added a pair of majors and Matthew Noftell delivered four converts.
Matt Sode converted his own touchdown for St. Stephen, who dropped to 2-2.
Justin Mousek led the way for the Redhawks with two TDs, a field goal and a rouge for a total of 16 points. Chris Brooks added a major and Simon Pearn ran in a two-point convert to round out the scoring for the Redhawks. Lee Maloney and Kurtis Nicholson scored TDs for the Seabees, who fell to 1-3.
On the 12-man circuit, the Fredericton Black Kats handed defending champs Bernice MacNaughton a 41-8 loss to open a Friday night doubleheader at Rocky Stone Memorial Field in Moncton.
The Saint John Greyhounds then issued a 60-7 beating to Moncton in the second game.
Piers Doiron had three TDs and a two-point convert for SJHS, Phil Dobson had two TDs and Aaron Gordon had a TD and four converts. Joel Seale (on a pass from Jeremy Macaulay), Nick Bonner and Echer Marcial had the other Greyhounds majors.
Ryan Wareham found Chad Simpell in the third quarter for the lone MHS TD and Jordan Beyea kicked the convert.
On Saturday, the Hampton Huskies edged Tantramar 21-20 in a back-and-forth battle.
A.J. Hourihan blocked a punt and Matt Ryan rumbled in for his second TD of the game to make it 21-18 in the fourth quarter.
Nick Rourke had the other Huskies TD and Aaron Jenkins kicked three converts. Andre Rochon picked up 145 yards on the ground to lead the Hampton offence. Saturday's other 12-man games saw Oromocto beat Riverview 16-8 while Leo Hayes beat L'Odyssee 34-0.
The Week 5 schedule has MHS (1-2) taking on Harrison Trimble (1-2) on Friday night at Rocky Stone while Rothesay (4-0) meets HVHS (0-4) at Shamrock Park in Saint John.
Saturday, MacNaughton (2-1) is at Tantramar (2-2), OHS (3-0) battles FHS (2-1), LHHS (2-1) visits SJHS (2-2), L'Odyssee (0-3) is at Riverview (1-2), KVHS (4-0) hosts St. Mac's (1-3) and Simonds (1-3) travels to St. Stephen (2-2)

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C3 on October 3, 2005

High School Football
Area teams suffer losses
Tantramar Titans edged 21-20 by Hampton Huskies; Both squads now have 2-2 records

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Hampton Huskies� Kevin Morrell jumps as he tries to avoid Tantramar Titans� Jordan Spence, left, and Lucas Wilson during high school football action Saturday in Sackville.

SACKVILLE - Tantramar Titans head coach Dave Burns is pleased with his team's performance to date, but knows it can get a lot better.
Titans were edged 21-20 by the Hampton High Huskies in a New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division game here on Saturday.
Both teams are now 2-2.
"We're pleased to be .500 at this stage of the schedule, especially with the teams we've had to play," Burns said.
"But I thought we could have played better. We had our chances in the red zone and came up short. It's disappointing, but I have to give Hampton credit, they came to play. We had our opportunities, but couldn't put them away and it came back to haunt us."
In other games Saturday, the Oromocto High Blues beat the Riverview High Royals 16-8 and the Leo Hayes Lions blanked the L'Odyss�e Olympiens 34-0.
In Sackville, Tantramar trailed 21-11 in the fourth quarter, but cut the lead to three when quarterback Joey Burns threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Stephen Bohan.
Then late in the game, the Titans forced the Huskies to give up a safety to make it 21-20, but that's as close as the home team could get.
"We just ran out of time, but it was a good football game, a real physical affair," Dave Burns said.
Joey Burns also threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Callum Hardie. Randy LeBlanc kicked a 15-yard field goal to go along with a convert and single.
At Oromocto High, the Blues went ahead 12-0 in the first quarter and then held on for the win over the Royals.
Oromocto High improved to 3-0 on the season. Riverview High dropped to 1-2.
Blues led 16-1 in the fourth quarter, but the Royals started a comeback when Andrew Lewis scored a touchdown on a one-yard quarterback keep. Riverview High then missed the convert.
Royals later got into Oromocto High's red zone, but weren't able to score again. Blues made two goal-line stands in the final minute for the dramatic victory.
"We were in a hole from the beginning, but in the second half of the game we basically took over and our defence played fantastic," Riverview High head coach Mark Lenehan said.
"We had plenty of opportunities to score, but just couldn't get it done. Our defence played fantastic, but they had a very strong defence, too. It was really tough battle."
Running back Kyle Roesler ran for 164 yards and scored a touchdown for Oromocto High. Quarterback Brian VonRichter connected for a touchdown with Jeremy Bigger.
Lewis was 11-for-23 while throwing for 133 yards and was picked off twice. He also punted for a single point.
At Leo Hayes, it was the Pat Casey Show.
The Lions' Grade 12 quarterback/punt returner/defensive back returned a punt 75 yards for one touchdown, took a quarterback sneak 44 yards for another and intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards to paydirt for one more, helping lift Leo Hayes over L'Odyss�e.
Running back Matt Wood had the other Lions touchdown. Kicker Matt Flemming converted all four and added a 22-yard field goal as Leo Hayes improved to 2-1.
Olympiens dropped to 0-3, but head coach Terry Kennedy sees his young squad going in the right direction.
"We're not playing for the score," he said. "We're playing to get better every week. This time we were on the wrong side of the score. But I say if these kids stick with it and stay positive, there are going to be some teams on the wrong side of the score."

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page D1 on October 1, 2005

Black Kats get revenge

COME RIGHT IN:

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV CANADAEAST PHOTO)
Fredericton High School Black Kats Iain MacDonald dives into the end zone for a touchdown despite the efforts of MacNaughton High Highlanders Bryce Wade during the second half at Rocky Stone Memorial Field in Moncton on Friday. The Kats rolled to a 41-8 victory in a rematch of last year�s final won by the Highlanders

By DWAYNE TINGLEY
Canadaeast News Service

The Fredericton High School Black Kats were looking for some revenge, especially the veterans on defence.
The Black Kats pinned the defending champion MacNaughton Highlanders on their half of midfield most of the game and cruised to a 41-8 victory in New Brunswick High School Football League action yesterday at Rocky Stone Memorial Field in Moncton.
The Highlanders beat the Black Kats 13-9 in last year's provincial final at FHS.
"That was in the back of everyone's mind," said veteran Fredericton High defensive lineman Zack Fitch.
"Most of the defensive guys were on last year's team and we've been looking forward to this game," said the 17 year-old Grade 12 student.
"We didn't forget what happened last year and we wanted to get even with them. This was a game we had to win."
The Black Kats and Highlanders each have 2-1 records.
In last night's other game, the Saint John High Greyhounds routed the Moncton High Purple Knights 53-7.
The Greyhounds improve to 2-2 while the Purple Knights drop to 1-2.
Today, Oromocto High Blues (2-0) host the Riverview High Royals (1-1) at OHS field, L'Odyss�e Olympiens (0-2) visit the Leo Hayes Lions (1-1) at Leo Hayes High School field and the Tantramar Titans (2-1) entertain the Hampton High Huskies (1-2).
All games are scheduled for 1 p.m.
Fredericton High's punishing defence owned the day.
The Black Kats were bigger, quicker and more physical than the Highlanders and they controlled the line of scrimmage.
They lived in MacNaughton's backfield, not allowing the Highlanders to generate any sort of running game and not giving quarterback Eric Daigle any time to find receivers, who were usually covered anyway.
"We expected it to be a pretty close game," Fitch said. "MacNaughton has a good team with a lot of real fast runners.
"It was our job to contain them and not let them get outside on us. We forced them into the middle then make our tackles. We didn't give them much room."
Receiver Andrew Hubbard led the Black Kats offence with touchdowns receptions of 25, 33, and 38 yards from quarterback Andrew Hickey.
Hubbard also had three touchdowns in the Kats' 41-0 win over Saint John High a week ago.
Hickey also dove in for a pair of majors yesterday and Iain MacDonald ran for a five-yard touchdown. Justin Conn kicked five converts.
Mike Earle scored MacNaughton's only touchdown on a 46-yard run in the fourth quarter.
The Highlanders earlier recorded a team safety

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C3 on October 1, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Kats hammer Highlanders
Fredericton High's defence dominates rematch with defending champions

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Zach Piers of the Fredericton High Black Kats sacks MacNaughton Highlanders quarterback Eric Daigle during New Brunswick High School Football League action yesterday at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

DWAYNE TINGLEY
Times & Transcript Staff

Fredericton High Black Kats were looking for some revenge, especially the veterans on defence.
Black Kats pinned the defending champion MacNaughton Highlanders deep in their half of midfield most of the game and cruised to a 41-8 victory in New Brunswick High School Football League action yesterday at Rocky Stone Memorial Field in Moncton.
Highlanders beat the Black Kats 13-9 in last year's provincial final.
"That was in the back of everyone's mind," said veteran Fredericton High defensive lineman Zack Fitch.
"Most of the defensive guys were on last year's team and we've been looking forward to this game," said the 17 year-old Grade 12 student.
"We didn't forget what happened last year and we wanted to get even with them. This was a game we had to win."
Black Kats and Highlanders each have 2-1 records.
In last night's other game, the Saint John High Greyhounds defeated the Moncton High Purple Knights 60-7. Purple Knights are 1-2 and the Greyhounds are 2-2.
Today, Oromocto High Blues (2-0) host the Riverview High Royals (1-1), L'Odyss�e Olympiens (0-2) visit the Leo Hayes Lions (1-1) and the Tantramar Titans (2-1) entertain the Hampton High Huskies (1-2). All games are scheduled for 1 p.m.
Fredericton High's punishing defence owned the day. Black Kats were bigger, quicker and more physical than the Highlanders and they controlled the line of scrimmage.
They lived in MacNaughton's backfield, not allowing the Highlanders to generate any sort of running game and not giving quarterback Eric Daigle any time to find receivers, who were usually covered anyway.
"We expected it to be a pretty close game," Fitch said. "MacNaughton has a good team with a lot of real fast runners.
"It was our job to contain them and not let them get outside on us. We forced them into the middle then make our tackles. We didn't give them much room."
Receiver Andrew Hubbard led the Black Kats offence with touchdowns receptions of 25, 33, and 38 yards from quarterback Andrew Hickey.
Hickey also dove in for a pair of majors and Iain MacDonald ran for a five-yard touchdown. Justin Conn kicked five converts.
Mike Earle scored MacNaughton's only touchdown on a 46-yard run in the fourth quarter. The Highlanders earlier recorded a team safety.
Highlanders coach Ed Wasson paid tribute to the Kats' defence.
"They played with more vigor and passion than we did, but we have a young team that's learning from its mistakes," Wasson said. "We're hoping that all of these lessons will pay off for us in the long run."

Daily Gleaner | Football
As published on page C1 on September 30, 2005

Football Blues hope to build on early success

VONRICHTER

By MIKE POWER
The Daily Gleaner

A year has made a big difference for the Oromocto High School football Blues, and not just in the standings.
Indeed, the Blues' standing in the provincial high school football league are greatly different from this time a year ago. After two games in the 2004 season OHS had just a tie and a loss to show for their efforts. This time around they are 2-0 and the only team in the 11-team league that has yet to concede a point.
That record will be tested tomorrow at 1 p.m. when the Blues play their third and final home game of the regular season at OHS Field. The visitors will be the Riverview Royals.
That game is one of two in the area tomorrow. The Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions will be hosting L'Odyssee Olympiens, also in a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Lions are 1-1 on the season while the first-year L'Olympiens are 0-2.
The Blues will face a Royals team that is 1-1 in what could be their first real test of the season.
With that in mind, the Blues are very much aware that this time last year they were looking for a break. This year the mission is to build on their success. The key could be understanding the difference between being confident and cocky.
"We don't want to get caught up in ourselves," said OHS quarterback Brian VonRichter. "We knew we had a lot of guys coming back, so we knew what to expect in a lot of ways.
"It's less stressful this year with a group of guys in Grade 12," he said. "We have a good group of guys. A lot of us have been together for a while, so we know enough not to be getting ahead of ourselves. We won't deny we're a good team but we won't be thinking we're better then we are."
It hasn't hurt the Blues that they've had a couple of weeks to practise coming off a bye week.
"It came at a good time on our schedule," VonRichter said. "We have two tough games coming up, first with Riverview and then FHS. An extra week to get things practised before those two teams can't hurt.
"Some of our guys think the bye is bad and kind of breaks our momentum, but they will just be that much more eager to play this week."
A key for the Blues the rest of the way will be discipline. In week one against Leo Hayes, OHS was zinged for close to 200 yards in penalties. They cut down on that a week later in a win over Saint John High School, but it remains a concern.
"I think we have it under control," VonRichter said. "It was a lot better from game one to game two, so I would think it will be that much better from game two to game three."
VonRichter is in his second year with the varsity Blues. He also played for Oromocto's provincial champion bantam team prior to moving up to varsity. This will also be his last as he will graduate in the spring.
If OHS has a question mark it is right in front of VonRichter. Some feel the Blues will go as far in the end as their offensive line will carry them.
With a strong offensive backfield and a veteran defence the question mark is the offensive line, a young group responsible for protecting VonRichter.
"They get a bad rap," VonRichter said. "We have such a good defence it's not fair to compare the two lines right from the start of the year. A couple of guys on the O-line haven't played varsity before and in the first game Leo Hayes blitzed a lot, that's not their fault, it's just bad luck we had to play them on the first day.
"Nobody has really seen how good this group can be yet. They get better in every practice. Certainly as they get better our offence gets better, but there wasn't much wrong with them to begin with."
FHS plays in Moncton today against MacNaughton Highlanders.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D4 on September 29, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Titans running back reaps rewards
Randy LeBlanc has scored seven touchdowns in club's first three games thanks to a competent team effort

(RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Randy LeBlanc of the Tantramar Titans is off to a terrific start in the N.B. High School Football League this season.

DWAYNE TINGLEY
Times & Transcript Staff

SACKVILLE - Tantramar Titans running back Randy LeBlanc has scored seven touchdowns during the first three games of the New Brunswick High School Football League season, but he doesn't regard them as personal achievements.
"I've been pretty lucky because I've got some amazing blockers," said the 17 year-old Pointe-du-Bute native.
"When we get a touchdown, it's a team effort. There's no way I could get touchdowns without those guys blocking in front of me."
Titans take a 2-1 record into Saturday afternoon's home game against the Hampton Huskies, who are 1-2. Game time is 1 p.m. in Sackville.
On the schedule tomorrow the MacNaughton Highlanders (2-0) host the Fredericton High Black Kats (1-1) at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Also tomorrow, Moncton High Purple Knights (1-1) host the Saint John High Greyhounds (1-2) at 7 p.m., also at Rocky Stone.
On Saturday: L'Odyss�e Olympiens (0-2) visit the Leo Hayes Lions (1-1) in Fredericton and the Oromocto High Blues (2-0) host the Riverview High Royals (1-1) at 1 p.m.
Harrison Trimble Trojans (1-2) have a bye this week.
In Sackville, long-time Titans coach David Burns has been impressed with LeBlanc's open field quickness, but also acknowledged the effort of others on the offensive unit.
"He's surrounded by great personnel," Burns said. "Randy is so dangerous when he gets the ball so it's important for other guys to open up the holes for him.
"We're lucky enough to have a team that works hard and they work well together," the coach said.
Fullback Jeff Bird has been a tower of strength. LeBlanc said Bird often "blocks two guys at a time" and enjoys every second of it.
Slot backs Callum Hardie and Stephen Bohan have also given LeBlanc ample room and the offensive line has stood tall and determined all year long.
"We're all friends and that helps us communicate on the field," said LeBlanc, a Grade 12 student.
"We've come up through minor football in Sackville together and that's a big advantage. We played peewee and bantam together and now we're the same group of guys in high school. We've always supported each other very well on and off the football field."
Burns is expecting a difficult game against the Huskies, whose only win was a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Black Kats.
"Hampton is a tough, in-your-face kind of team with a lot of great athletes on defence," Burns said. "That's where they put their emphasis. They try to hold other teams down then grind out a win.
"We've have to be ready to play a tough, physical game. I'm hoping home-field advantage will be a factor. We haven't been home for a couple of weeks so it's nice to get back to Sackville for a game."

Week 3- Sept. 23-24

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on September 26, 2005

Kats bust out

KAT ON THE PROWL

(THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
Quarterback Andrew Hickey (5), of the Fredericton High Black Kats tries to fight off the tackle of Josh Stewart, left, of the Saint John High School Greyhounds in provincial high school AAA football league action Saturday at FHS. Hickey was a standout as the Kats mauled the Greyhounds 41-0 in their home opener.

BRUCE HALLIHAN
The Daily Gleaner

From shutout to blowout, it didn't take long for the Fredericton High School Black Kats to turn around their fortunes offensively.
A week after losing their New Brunswick High School AAA Football League season opener 1-0 to the host Hampton Huskies, the Kats scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and went on to rout the Saint John High Greyhounds 41-0 Saturday in their home opener at FHS field.
"I'm very happy we found out we can score points," Kats head coach Larry Wisniewski said, "because walking around school for a whole week trying to explain the 1-0 score was a little tiresome, to say the least. Now I don't have to do that and for that I'm grateful."
FHS rookie quarterback Andrew Hickey, who's trying to fill the cleats of offensive MVP Ryley Boldon, looked comfortable after struggling in his first start at Hampton.
"We played really well," Hickey said. "Everything seemed to click the first half. Our plan was to establish the running game, which we did, and that opened up some paths."
"Personally, I felt a lot better. We put some points on the board and I got that pressure off my back."
With 200 fans looking on, the Greyhounds started the opening drive at their own 36 and, thanks to their two-pronged running attack of Piers Doiron and Phil Dobson, quickly pushed the ball to the FHS 49. The first of several follies followed, however.
Saint John quarterback Nick Bonner pitched the ball back to Dobson, but it was over his head and Kats' David Kingston pounced on the loose ball at the Greyhounds' 36-yard line.
With fullback Derek Madsen working inside and Ian MacDonald rushing outside, the Kats were in the end zone six plays later, capped by MacDonald's four-yard run. Justin Conn kicked his first of five converts for a 7-0 lead.
FHS used some trickery to double its lead minutes later. Facing a third and 14 at the Saint John 37, the Kats faked the punt and snapped the ball directly to receiver/backup quarterback Bobby McIntyre. He fired a 20-yard strike to Conn, who rambled the rest of the way for the touchdown.
The Kats cashed in again in the first minute of the second quarter. Hickey hooked up with McIntyre for a 16-yard reception in the corner of the end zone for a 20-0 cushion.
Andrew Hubbard scored the final three touchdowns in three different ways. With five minutes left in the first half, he ran 20 yards for a 27-0 lead. He took Saint John's second half kickoff and returned it 63 yards to paydirt and he capped the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 90-yard catch-and-run play with Hickey.
Hickey had hit Hubbard in full stride one play earlier for what would have been a 75-yard pass-and-run touchdown play, but a penalty pushed the Kats back to their own 20-yard line. No matter. Hickey scrambled out of the pocket, hit Hubbard near midfield and the sure-handed, fleet-footed receiver was off to the races again.
The Kats also had their share of big plays on defence. Bert Atwin and McIntyre picked off Bonner passes, Brad Richardson recovered a blocked punt and Greyhound rushers were caught at, behind or just beyond the line of scrimmage a dozen times.
Saint John got into the red zone just once, turning the ball over on downs at the 18, and Bonner's longest completion, a 40-yarder to Kyle Hiltz from his own one-yard line, came in the game's dying seconds.
The Kats head to Moncton's Rocky Stone Memorial Field on Friday for a 4 p.m. kickoff against the Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders, 2-0.

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on September 26, 2005

Youthful Lions into win column

CLUTCH AND GRAB

(THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
Dakota Vandine, left, of the Leo Hayes High Lions grabs the jersey of Ryan Papineau of the Hampton High Huskies in an attempt to break him down during provincial high school AAA football league action Saturday at Leo Hayes Field. Lions defeated the Huskies 8-0 in their home opener.

DAVID KELLY
The Daily Gleaner

Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions head coach Lee Hoyt had hoped his young squad wouldn't go soft after two weeks away from game action.
And while the Lions did pull out an 8-0 win over the visiting Hampton High Huskies in provincial high school football league action on windy Saturday afternoon at Leo Hayes Field, Hoyt and Co. know there are still some kinks to work out.
"There were certainly times throughout the game where we got stopped quite a bit but you know, it's an encouraging win for the kids," said Hoyt.
"Having a young team and a bunch of guys who have never played before, having two weeks off (you wonder) are they going to be ready? But I really worked the coaching staff and said, 'you know what? It's our job to prepare the kids."'
With the win, Leo Hayes improves to 1-1 and sit tied for second in the western conference with four other teams including the Fredericton High Black Kats.
Kats also won their Saturday tilt 41-0 against the Saint John High Greyhounds at FHS Field (see separate story).
Scoring got underway quickly at the Lions Den.
With the wind at his back, Lions' Matt Flemming got all of his kickoff attempt and sent the football sailing over the heads of the waiting Hampton returners. The ball bounced through the back of the end zone giving Leo Hayes an early 1-0 lead.

HOYT

Two drives later Leo Hayes added to its small cushion.
Starting at about midfield, Pat Olsen and Matt Wood got enough yards on the ground for a first down.
Sitting on second down and 10 yards to go, quarterback Pat Casey called his own number and scampered almost 10 more yards into Huskies territory. With only inches, Leo Hayes decided to got for it.
Subsequently, Casey darted up the right side from just over 40 yards out and went the distance for the major. That was all they needed.
"That was actually designed for two or three yards," he said. "We were just going for the first down and I just went untouched to the line and kept going with it."
Flemming's convert split the uprights and the 8-0 lead before the end of the first quarter.
With the wind blowing as hard as it was, both coaches said it did force them to the ground more but Hampton was ready to go in the air as necessary.
"We have a lot of faith in (quarterback) Nick Rourke and we have a lot of faith in our passing game and you know we just never got it going today," said Huskies coach Andrew Peters. The Huskies have only scored 15 points through three games this season, winning one.
Saturday, the closest they came to pay dirt happened a handful of drives after the Lions scored their touchdown.
Starting on the Leo Hayes 32-yard line, Hampton's Kevin Morell put up two good runs for a combined 28 yards and got his Huskies to first and goal.
After trying another run and then a pass that fell incomplete, Hampton was basically in for a gimme of a field goal. Instead, the Huskies faked and the pass was dropped, turning the ball over.
"Definitely we wished we had used the wind more to our advantage," Peters said. "Our offense is struggling, struggled last week, and so we've got to get the offense together. Defensively, we're happy where things are going."
Casey said the two-week hiatus gave the young offensive core a chance to adjust but he knows eight points won't be enough to win the rest of their games.
"We've just been working on our offensive line for a long time...and we're just going to keep working on it and go from there," he said.
"We've still got a ways to go, but the first couple of drives I think we had some success with the offensive line and it really just takes time playing together more than anything else," said Hoyt.
Next up for the Lions is a home game Saturday against the first year L'Odyssee Olympiens who are winless in two starts after losing 35-7 to Tantramar High Titans. Kickoff is 1 o'clock.

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D4 on September 26, 2005

High School Football
Crusaders still unbeaten
St. Malachy's scores first points of season but falls to 0-3

(Peter Walsh/Telegraph Journal)
Matthew Graham of the Rothesay High Redhawks is tackled by Steve Richard of St. Malachy's during action Saturday.

Telegraph-Journal

The defending champions kept on rolling in Week 3 New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association football action.
The Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders came into Simonds and beat the Seabees 42-18 on Saturday to improve to 3-0 in one of three games on the 10-man circuit. Colin Flynn-Breen, Jamie Barefoot and Chika Ikejiani each had two touchdowns for KVHS. The Crusaders scored every which way, getting both a punt return and a kick return TD from Barefoot, while one of Ikejiani's majors came on an interception.
Matthew Noftell kicked four converts and the Crusaders got a safety to round out the scoring. John True Lamos was named KV's player of the game. Lee Maloney (65-yard punt return), Steve Oickle (45-yard reception) and Marshall Vail (80-yard reception) had the majors for Simonds. Simonds quarterback Kyle Skerry threw both TD passes as the Seabees dropped to 1-2. In other games, the Rothesay Redhawks also remained unbeaten, thanks to a 50-6 win over the St. Malachy's Saints at Hampton High.
St. Mac's got its first points of the year thanks to a 55-yard TD run from John Brideau. The 0-3 Saints held the Redhawks to a 22-6 halftime lead before running out of steam after the break.
Rothesay got two TDs each from Adam Estey and Justin Mousek and Matt Graham, Brad Vincent and Chris Brooks added majors. Mike Cote kicked three converts, Brooks added one and Mousek and Aaron McDevitt chipped in two-point converts.
The St. Stephen Spartans shut out the Harbour View Vikings 33-0 in the other Saturday tilt. The Spartans moved to 2-1 thanks to two TDs each from Joel Wilcox and Zach Nixon and one from Kyle McCormick. Harbour View dropped to 0-3. St. Stephen QB Matt Sode threw a TD pass to McCormick and also kicked three converts. One of Nixon's TDs came on a blocked punt in the fourth quarter.
In 12-man action, the Fredericton Black Kats bounced back from last week's 1-0 loss to the Hampton Huskies with a 41-0 victory at home over the Saint John Greyhounds.
Andrew Hubbard led the Kats with three TDs - one running, one receiving and one on the opening kickoff return of the second half - as FHS moved to 1-1. The Greyhounds fell to 1-2.
Meanwhile, the Huskies lost 8-0 at Leo Hayes, Riverview beat Harrison Trimble 21-1 and Tantramar thumped L'Odysee 35-7.
Saint John takes on the Moncton Purple Knights (1-1) in one of two Week 4 games on Friday night at Rocky Stone Memorial Field in Moncton. The Black Kats battle the defending champion MacNaughton Highlanders (2-0) in the other.
Saturday, Riverview (1-1) visits Oromocto (2-0), L'Odyssee (0-2) is at Leo Hayes (1-1) and Hampton (1-2) travels to Tantramar (2-1).
The 10-man schedule sees Harbour View visit St. Mac's on Friday night at Shamrock Park. On Saturday, St. Stephen is at KVHS and Simonds hosts Rothesay, although it is officially the Redhawks' home game

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C4 on September 26, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Only two teams remain undefeated

DWAYNE TINGLEY
Times & Transcript Staff

MacNaughton Highlanders coach Ed Wasson realizes everyone of his players wears a bull's-eye.
As the defending champions in the New Brunswick High School Football League, the Highlanders are a target for every other team. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Other teams really get pumped up to play us and the challenge for our coaches is to have our players just as ready as the other teams," Wasson said yesterday.
The regular season is only three weeks old, but it's clear that parity is this year's theme in the 11-team league. Highlanders and the Oromocto Blues are the only unbeaten teams and the expansion L'Odyss�e Olympiens are the only squad without a victory.
"You have to come prepared to play every game or you're going to lose the football game," Wasson said.
"We're coming up to our first crossover games with the other conference. Those games should tell us a little more about the strengths and weaknesses in the league. I know one thing there are no easy games in our league."
In league play Saturday, the Leo Hayes Lions of Fredericton blanked the Hampton Huskies 8-0 and the Fredericton High Black Kats downed the Saint John High Greyhounds 41-0.
Highlanders top the Eastern Division with a 2-0 record followed by the Tantramar Titans at 2-1. Riverview High Royals and Moncton High Purple Knights are 1-1, followed by the Harrison Trimble Trojans at 1-2 and L'Odyss�e at 0-2.
In the Western Division, the Blues are 2-0 while the Black Kats and Lions are each 1-1. Greyhounds and Huskies are each 1-2.
The top four teams in each division will qualify for playoffs, which will feature an opening crossover round.
"I'm not sure how the divisions will match up, but things look pretty even at this point," Wasson said.
"It's going to take a good record just to get into the playoffs and from there, anything can happen," the Highlanders said. "Teams that keep improving as the year goes on then get hot in the playoffs are going to be the successful ones."
League play resumes Friday when the Highlanders host the Black Kats. Game time is 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Purple Knights then entertain the Greyhounds at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Titans host the Huskies in Sackville, the Olympiens visit Lions and the Blues welcome the Royals. All games are scheduled for 1 p.m.

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page D1 on September 24, 2005

Madsen hopes to put run to Greyhounds

BRUCE HALLIHAN

Derek Madsen is a man on the run. That's just the way he likes it.
Madsen played football for the Capital Area Gladiators 17 and under elite team, then was part of New Brunswick's Canada Summer Games rugby squad in Regina and is now the feature fullback for the Fredericton High School Black Kats.
"I was training really hard this year to be well-prepared for each team," Madsen said. "I was in the gym almost every day. I love football and I'm looking forward to having a big year."
A senior student from New Maryland, Madsen is hoping to cap off his high school career with a provincial title, which the Kats came close to capturing last season. FHS fell 13-9 to the MacNaughton Highlanders in a thrilling final here.
The Kats head to Moncton next Friday to try to avenge that setback. First up, though, is another rematch. The Saint John High Greyhounds, who doubled the visiting Kats 14-7 to hand them their only regular season loss in 2004, are at FHS Field today for a 1 p.m. kickoff. At the same time, the Leo Hayes Lions make their home debut on the north side. They face the Hampton Huskies in a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Madsen and friends are coming off a season-opening 1-0 road loss to the Huskies, a team Saint John High downed 20-14 a week earlier. So it figures to be quite a rumble in The Jungle.
Madsen says the 1-0 setback to Hampton "was quite surprising." He says the turning point came early. The Kats got a turnover off the opening kickoff "and we were all psyched up about that," Madsen said. Quarterback Andrew Hickey immediately hooked up with rookie receiver David Carr, who fumbled the ball while he was running down the sideline.
"That's where we lost our momentum right there,"' Madsen said. "But we had a chance to get it back later in the half. We were in the red zone and facing third and two. We decided to go for it because we didn't really respect them at that point. Instead of going for the field goal, which would have won the game as it turned out, we went for it and failed horribly."
The driving rain that soaked Fredericton was even worse at Hampton, he said. "The wind was blowing at weird angles, near horizontal winds, and rain ... it was quite special," he said tongue in cheek. "Towards the end of the game, at the far end zone there were huge mud puddles."
The defences dug in - as best they could anyway - and both teams struggled on offence. "We mostly threw the ball, which was a little surprising," Madsen said. "Overall, we only had eight offensive rushing touches." The five-foot-10�, 212-pound Madsen expects - welcomes - a heavier workload this afternoon.
"I really can't wait for this game," he said. "We want to establish the running game early. We've heard Saint John has really big linebackers and they're a rough playing team, but if we can drive the ball up the middle eventually they're going to weaken. That will allow tailback Andrew Hubbard or Bobby McIntyre to work the ball outside."
Despite the 0-1 start and the loss of such notables as Ryley Boldon, Dave Skillen and Alex Childs, Madsen says the 2005 Kats have plenty of potential.
"Last year was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but I felt that was the best team I'd ever played on,"' he said. "We were a group, we all hung out together. This year we might be even more of a team, but the JV guys who came up have never faced a loss before. So I feel if we recover from this loss, it will really show our character and I think we will be better than we were last year.
"Our defence, led by Justin Conn and Dylan Sullivan, is equal to last year," Madsen said. "They'll dominate (today). If we can beat Saint John, that will set the tone for the rest of the season. In my mind, we played the worst game we could possibly play last weekend and we still only lost 1-0.
"Saint John only beat Hampton by six, so if we play to our full ability we should be able to outplay these guys." The Greyhounds, who lost 19-0 to the host OHS Blues a week ago, have a 1-1 record.
The Lions, playing their home opener, will try to bounce back from a 21-0 loss to the Oromocto High School Blues in Week 1 of the schedule. The difference in that game proved to be OHS running back Kyle Roesler, who rushed for nearly 300 yards in offence and scored all three OHS touchdowns.
The Blues, off to a 2-0 start to lead the Western Division, have the bye this week.
In Eastern Division games yesterday, the Riverview Royals rolled over the Harrison Trimble Trojans 21-1, while the Tantramar Titans defeated the new L'Odyssee Olympiques of Moncton 35-7.
The Royals are 1-1 and the Trojans 1-2 on the season. Tantramar improves to 2-1 while L'Odyssee falls to 0-2.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C3 on September 24, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Royals, Titans post convincing wins
Riverview's defence holds Trimble to single point

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Riverview High Royals quarterback Andrew Lewis scrambles away from the pursuit of Kyle McLaughlin of the Harrison Trimble Trojans during New Brunswick High School Football League action yesterday at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

DWAYNE TINGLEY
Times & Transcript Staff

Riverview High Royals knew they had to make some adjustments.
Only six days after surrendering 38 points, the Royals defence stood tall yesterday and led Riverview High to a 21-1 win over the Harrison Trimble Trojans in a New Brunswick High School Football League game at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Royals have a 1-1 record and the Trojans are 1-2.
Royals linebacker Kyle MacEachern said his team never panicked after opening the season with a 38-36 loss to Tantramar.
"We kept our heads up and went back to practice this week and worked real hard," the 16-year-old said.
"We knew our team was better than we looked in the first game and we had to make a couple of minor changes," he said.
"We stuck together and the defence came up big. Everyone worked as a unit. It wasn't one or two guys - it was everyone."
Last night, the Tantramar Titans improved their record to 2-1 with a 35-7 victory over L'Odyss�e Olympiens. L'Odyss�e, an expansion team, is 0-2.
League play resumes this afternoon with a pair of games in the Western Conference.
Hampton Huskies (1-1) visit the Leo Hayes Lions in Fredericton and the Fredericton High Black Kats (0-1) host the Saint John High Greyhounds (1-1).
MacNaughton Highlanders (2-0), Moncton High Purple Knights (1-1) and Oromocto High Blues (2-0) all have weekend byes.
Yesterday, Royals led 7-1 at halftime. Andrew Lewis scored a touchdown on a one-yard quarterback sneak and the Royals added a single punted by Lewis.
Trojans scored their only point on a missed field goal attempt by Kyle McLaughlin.
Trimble's offence was stymied after starting quarterback Donovan Boucher left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury.
Nicholas Kukkonen took over from Boucher for the rest of the game and he scrambled for a handful of long gains on broken plays, but Riverview's defence shut down the Trojans for the most part.
Trimble was also hurt by a lack of discipline.
At one point, with the score still within reach, the Trojans were called for three straight objectionable conduct penalties to erase good field position.
"Our offence was incredible," MacEachern, a Grade 12 student, said.
"They held the ball and put together some long drives. Our defence could have been winded, but the offence stayed on the field for a long time."
Shea Lenehan scored two touchdowns on short off-tackle plunges, for the Royals in the second half. Lenehan and Corey Betts were a formidable tandem in the backfield, effectively chewing up yard and valuable time on the clock.
Lewis added a convert and a single.
Last night, Randy LeBlanc scored all five of Tantramar's touchdowns and added converts on them all as well. He ran for 328 yards on 27 carries. Jeff Bird chipped in with 114 yards rushing on nine carries.
Pierre Mouwad had L'Oyss�e's major. Scott LeBlanc added the convert.
Titans coach Dave Burns said both teams played aggressively and he was pleased with this team's progress.
"Defensively, we were a lot tougher this week," Burns said. "L'Odyss�e played tough, just as we expected they would be. They were real tough in the first half and we were able to break through in the second half."
Olympiens coach Terry Kennedy was excited about his team's performance.
"Tantramar has a great team that is well-coached," Kennedy said. "They took advantage of our mistakes as young team.
"Our kids are getting better everytime they are on the field and they are playing with a lot of enthusiasm. It's a good sign for the future."

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on September 23, 2005

Lions, Kats kick off at home Saturday

MIKE POWER
The Daily Gleaner

It will almost be like the second season opener for the Leo Hayes Lions football team tomorrow at 1 p.m.
The Lions actually played their New Brunswick High School Football League season opener in Oromocto a couple of weeks ago. They lost 21-0 to the Oromocto High School Blues at OHS Field. After a weekend off to refine their young team, the Lions will host the Hampton High Huskies in a 1 p.m. kickoff.
The game is one of two home openers in the city tomorrow; the Fredericton High School Black Kats face the Saint John High School Greyhounds at FHS Field also a 1 p.m. kickoff. The 2-0 Blues get a bye this week.
The Black Kats also lost their season opener, dropping a 1-0 decision to the Huskies in Hampton a week ago.
The Lions are still an unknown quantity in the league, especially since nobody's seen them for a couple of weeks. Expectations were mixed since only three of the Leo Hayes players on offence had played before, although they do have the makings of a veteran defence. After two weeks of practice the Lions are looking to hit the reset button on their season.
"In a way there's no pressure on us," said Lions linebacker Mike McCarthy. "When people talk about how many new players we have I guess they don't expect much from us. That's good for the young guys who are learning in terms of negative pressure all the time.
"On the other hand, from the point of view of the guys who are in their last year, from all the guys really, you do play the game to win and you do have pride in your play. What we would like ideally is to improve every week and get into the playoffs to go from there, and maybe surprise some of the critics along the way."
The game against OHS left all involved with mixed feelings: the Blues are a veteran team who expected more; the Lions more than held their own, but still lost by three touchdowns. However the major difference was the near 300 yards rushing and three touchdowns by OHS back Kyle Roesler. Other than that there wasn't much to choose between the two.
"Yeah but we did have a guy nearly run up 300 yards on us," said McCarthy a grade 12 student in his third season with the Lions. "Overall considering how much time our defence spent on the field that day it was all right, but it could have been a lot better."
The Lions didn't come close to scoring either in that opening game, but all things considered it wasn't a bad day.
"They (OHS) scored in the first minute and the last minute," McCarthy recalled. "Other than that it was a seven point game. With a young team like ours, it's a shame we had to face one of the tougher teams in the opening week, but we came away all right. We took away a lot of stuff from that game, I wouldn't say a lot of positives, but we were shown some of the areas that we have to work on to get better."
And so the bye week couldn't have come at a better time.
"It's been a tough two weeks," McCarthy said. "We've done a lot of conditioning. Our coaches went to see Hampton play so we know what to expect from them pretty much. It's been a productive two weeks."
In the post game, right on Oromocto's field before his team had a chance to even speak with parents and friends LHHS coach Lee Hoyt gathered the players together for a long chat. He threw down the gauntlet to his troops insisting the Lions were at a turning point in their season although just one game in. Hoyt said his team could either decide to improve or quit.
"I think we responded well to that," McCarthy said. "It's all been really positive. Two days after that game we came out for a throw around game and played some touch football we probably had two dozen guys come out just for that. The mood was good, I think we've been in the right frame of mind, we knew we were in for two weeks of hard work but we were ready for that."}

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D8 on September 23, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Nomadic Redhawks look to remain unbeaten in 'home' game against St. Mac's
Seven games on tap in Week 3 action

(David Nickerson/Telegraph-Journal)
Jamie Barefoot of the Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders, left, runs the ball toward Lee Maloney of the Simonds Seabees during action last wekend.

Telegraph-Journal

The Rothesay Redhawks high school football team will have a lot in common with the New Orleans Saints this year.
They haven't had to survive a disaster like the home city of the National Football League team, but Rothesay High is without a proper football field, meaning their New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association season will be a nomadic one.
Last season, the Redhawks rented the field at Kennebecasis Valley High School, but offensive coordinator Kevin Kyle said that arrangement has become too expensive.
The team practises at Rothesay, but the field isn't large enough for a football game and, besides that, has no uprights.
On Saturday, the Redhawks play 'host' to the St. Malachy's Saints at Hampton High, a 1 p.m. start.
As for the rest of its games, Rothesay will play on the visiting team's field, meaning next week's tilt at Simonds will be a 'home' game, as will a later date against KV.
Despite lacking true home turf, Kyle said his players don't worry too much about where they play.
"We're used to it," he said. "Our kids are tough and to them it doesn't matter where they're playing."
However, Kyle said he is hoping principal Roger Brown's proposal to build two new fields and a field house will come to fruition sooner, rather than later.
"We're hoping that there will be some movement on that and that there will be a field for next season," he said.
"You just don't feel at home on someone else's field."
Judging by last week's tilt between the Redhawks and St. Mac's, home field advantage may not play a major factor on Saturday.
In that game, Rothesay pounded the Saints 39-0 at Shamrock Park to improve to 2-0. Through the first two weeks of the season, RHS had outscored its opposition 56-6, while the 0-2 Saints have yet to score despite yielding 80 points.
But Kyle said his team won't make the mistake of taking the Saints lightly.
"They never gave up, they fought right to the end, we're not underestimating them in the least," he said. "Both teams played a good, clean, hard-hitting game and we expect the same next week."
Saturday's other 10-man games are also rematches of last week's action.
KVHS visits the Simonds Seabees while the Harbour View Vikings travel to battle the St. Stephen Spartans. Kickoff for both games is at 1 p.m.
Harbour View has yielded 97 points on the way to losses in its first two games, the only total higher than St. Malachy's. They have managed six points on offence, although the 1-1 Spartans shut them down in a 34-0 Week 2 victory.
Meanwhile, the KV Crusaders (2-0) continue their quest to defend the 10-man title. KV got past the Seabees 33-8 last week, but Simonds (1-1) will look to return the favour on its home turf.
In 12-man action, Riverview (0-1) is at Harrison Trimble (1-1) and Tantramar (1-1) is at L'Odyssee (0-1) in a Friday evening doubleheader at Rocky Stone Memorial Field in Moncton.
On Saturday, the Hampton Huskies (1-1) play one of two games in the capital as they visit the Leo Hayes Lions (0-1). Saint John High (1-1) takes on the Fredericton Black Kats (0-1) in the other.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D1 on September 22, 2005

That's More Like It
Trimble Trojans looking like a winning football team again

(RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Dave Arsenault of the Harrison Trimble Trojans carries the ball downfield at practice. Trojans (1-1) face the Riverview High Royals (0-1) tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

Harrison Trimble Trojans have a football program steeped in tradition.
Off years like last season's 2-5 campaign to miss the playoffs for only the second time in the last 17 years - don't happen very often.
Already this young season, the Trojans are looking like their usual selves.
Harrison Trimble is off to a 1-1 start to the New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division season.
After beating the Tantramar Titans 27-19 in their season opener, the Trojans put on a strong showing in a 14-10 loss to the defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders on Friday.
"We would rather be 2-0 right now, but things are looking up. Last year we were kind of weak and not really ready. We had a lot of rookies and our team wasn't gelling that well," Harrison Trimble veteran linebacker Justin Wright said during a break in practice yesterday.
"This year there is a big difference. We have 20 or more guys returning and everyone knows each other.
"We learned last year that there's no fooling around and if you want to win, you have to practice hard. This year everyone is trying their best and people really want to win."
Trojans host the Riverview High Royals (0-1) tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Also tomorrow, Tantramar (1-1) visits the L'Odyss�e Olympiens (0-1) at 7 p.m. at Rocky Stone.
Two more games are scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. Leo Hayes Lions (0-1) are home to the Hampton High Huskies (1-1) and the Saint John High Greyhounds (1-1) head to Fredericton High to meet the Black Kats (0-1).
MacNaughton (2-0), Moncton High Purple Knights (1-1) and Oromocto High Blues (2-0) all have byes this week.
Despite the loss to the Highlanders on Friday, Harrison Trimble proved it can play with the defending champions.
Trojans actually led the game 10-7 with four minutes remaining until MacNaughton running back Mike Earle broke loose for a 80-yard touchdown run for the win.
"We played a good game. It was pretty much our game the whole game, but in the last few minutes we made a wrong play and it cost us in the end," said Wright, a 18-year-old Grade 12 student who is in his second season with Harrison Trimble.
"Our defence played really strong and made some good plays and I thought our offence was good, too. Everyone is gelling together and playing as a team. There's no individuals trying to do it by themselves."
Long-time Trojans head coach Perry Kukkonen said he's pleased with the play of his club, which peaked at the end of last season and won two of its final three regular season games.
He hopes it continues.
"Last year there was a learning curve for us, but we finished strong and we saw that when you do put in that hard work, good things can happen," Kukkonen said.
"We have athletes here that are capable of winning on a weekly basis and they've had that success and they know it's there, but it won't be given to them, they have to work for it."
Harrison Trimble will be up against a Riverview High team, which is coming off a wild 38-36 home loss to Tantramar Saturday in its season opener.
"Our biggest concern right now is Riverview and we certainly want to win this game. We want to go 2-1 after this week," Kukkonen said.
"Offensively, we have to execute better than what we did last Friday. We have to sustain the drives a little bit and eliminate some mistakes, like turnovers. Defensively, we can't give up the big play."

Week 2- Sept. 16-17

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C3 on September 19, 2005

Football Blues put the run to Greyhounds

MIKE POWER
The Daily Gleaner

The Oromocto High School football Blues seem to like the rain.
Despite it coming down in torrents Saturday, the Blues looked good in knocking off the Saint John High School Greyhounds 19-0 in front of about 100 loyal but damp fans.
Brennan Foley ran for a pair of touchdowns for the Blues while quarterback Brian Von Richter hooked up with receiver Jeremy Bigger for another. Jory Smith kicked an errant field goal attempt through the end zone for a single to round out the scoring.
The win gives the Blues a 2-0 record on the young season. They've yet to give up a point after defeating Leo Hayes 21-0 in the opening week of the season. The Greyhounds slip to 1-1 on the season with the loss.
In other games Saturday, Fredericton High School Black Kats made their seasonal debut Saturday in Hampton and came away a 1-0 loser to the Huskies. Tantramar High Titans outscored Riverview High Royals 38-36 in Riverview.
Despite the rain coming down early and hard and backed up by a strong wind at OHS Field, the Blues still managed to play a tighter game than the week before in near perfect conditions against the Lions.
"It goes to confidence," said Blues' coach Rob Wilson. "Each week we've had that much more time to practice and become familiar with what we have to do. The first game there's always some nerves and some sorting out to do. As well, I think the awful conditions today might make the kids focus on the task at hand that much more."
It helped the Blues struck early, getting the single point off the boot of Smith seven minutes in as he was wide right on a field goal try from 30-yards. He hit it hard enough to get the one on the scoreboard for what would turn out to be the winning point.
Then to really take control, the Blues struck again after Saint John went three and out on their first possession after the kickoff.
Using their potent ground game, OHS started a drive at their own 40 that was climaxed with Von Richter hooking up with Bigger from 30 yards out for the score. In the wet, Smith was unable to convert the touchdown.
"We knew the field was going away from us in the rain," Foley said. "So we did what we could do before it got too slick and muddy. We also knew Saint John was a tough hard hitting team and if we didn't get to them early, they would keep coming."
From there, the game became more sloppy with players skidding and sliding on the most routine blocking assignments.
"It became a very basic game very quickly," Wilson said. "But having a lead in that situation is huge. Saint John has a big team and a grinding ground attack. Forcing them to open up a bit in these conditions worked in our favour, especially with the quality of our defence."
Late in the half, the Blues just about nailed the coffin shut as a poor punt by SJHS gave Oromocto good field position. Kyle Roesler banged the ball inside the 20 to set up a five yard run up the middle by Foley a few plays later to make it 13-0 on the last play of the half from scrimmage. Smith again pulled the convert wide.
Saint John's best chance to get some points on the board occurred late in the third quarter when a blocked punt gave it the ball on the Oromocto 12 yard line. But the Greyhounds would turn it back over to their hosts three tries later having lost two yards in the process.
With six minutes to play, Foley finished the scoring with a five yard scoring run though the line and from there it was just a matter of running down the clock.
"Our offensive line was great today," Foley said. "They allowed us to really put the ball in the air when we needed the time, but on the ground they were even better against a (Saint John) team with some real big guys. I just followed them into the end zone."
The Blues have the bye this week. The Black Kats host Saint John High in their home opener Saturday at FHS Field in a 1 o'clock game start. Leo Hayes, which had the bye this weekend, host Hampton at Leo Hayes Field Saturday as well, with game time being 1 o'clock.

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D4 on September 19, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL
Huskies record first-ever victory over FHS
Hampton High earns a rare 1-0 decision

(David Nickerson/Telegraph-Journal)
Jamie Barefoot of KVHS goes high in the air for a reception but comes up empty-handed as Curtis Bonnevie of Simonds looks on.

Telegraph-Journal

It wasn't pretty, but the Hampton Huskies recorded their first-ever win against the Fredericton Black Kats in Week 2 New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association football action.
Hampton got a single point from Nick Rourke and held on for the win at home. Rourke delivered a 45-yard punt from inside his own 10-yard line in the final minutes and safety Ryan Papineau ended the Kats' final drive with an interception as Hampton evened its record at 1-1.
In other Western Conference 12-man action Saturday, Oromocto pitched its second shutout in a row, a 19-0 blanking at home against Saint John High.
Brennan Foley rushed for a pair of TDs to pace the Blues, who took a 13-0 lead into the half.
Jeremy Bigger caught a 27-yard pass in the first quarter for the other OHS major and Jory Smith kicked a single early in the first to round out the scoring.
Oromocto moved to 2-0 while the Greyhounds dropped to 1-1.
Fredericton and Leo Hayes share the basement at 0-1 heading into Week 3.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the Tantramar Titans won a Saturday slugfest in Riverview, 38-36 over the rival Royals.
Friday's Eastern doubleheader at Rocky Stone Field saw the Moncton Purple Knights beat L'Odysee Olympiens 29-13 while the defending champion MacNaughton Highlanders remained unbeaten with a 14-10 win over the Harrison Trimble Trojans.
The Trojans, Knights and Titans are now all tied for second place at 1-1, while L'Odysee and Riverview sit at 0-1.

In the 10-man division, Matt Sode was a one-man wrecking crew as the St. Stephen Spartans rumbled over the Harbour View Vikings 34-0 on Saturday at Shamrock Park.
Sode ran for two touchdowns and passed for another to Brett Hooper as the Spartans improved their record to 1-1.
Sode also kicked three extra points and a single.
Brad Copping returned a blocked punt for a TD and Mike McSorley added a rushing TD to round out the scoring for St. Stephen.
On defence, Hooper, McSorley and Joel Wilcox each had an interception as the Spartans dropped Harbour View to 0-2.
In other 10-man action on Saturday, the defending champion Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders moved to 2-0 with a 33-8 win at home over the Simonds Seabees.
Colin Flynn-Breen had three TDs and Jamie Barefoot and Sean Gormley had one each to lead the Crusaders attack. Matthew Noftell converted on three extra points and Colin English was named KV's player of the game on defence.
Lee Maloney had the lone TD for Simonds, who sit at 1-1.
On Friday night, the Rothesay Redhawks moved to 2-0 with a 39-0 win over the St. Malachy's Saints at Shamrock.
Aaron McDevitt rushed for two majors and Justin Mousek, Ryan Ferguson, Kelvin Gilliland and Brad Vincent chipped in one TD each. Mike Cote rounded out the scoring with three converts.

St. Mac's (0-2) will look to score its first points of the season in Week 3. The same teams lock horns again in a Saturday full of rematches.
In the 12-man circuit, both Saint John area teams travel to Fredericton on Saturday as Hampton battles Leo Hayes and the Greyhounds take on the Black Kats.
Rocky Stone hosts another Eastern doubleheader on Friday as Riverview takes on the Trojans and Tantramar meets the Olympiens.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C1 on September 19, 2005

N.B. High School Football League
Titans storm back for victory

(GREG AGNEW/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Tantramar Titans running back Randy LeBlanc looks for a way around Corey Landry of the Riverview High Royals during New Brunswick High School Football League action Saturday in Riverview. Titans won 38-36.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

Quarterback Joey Burns and receiver Stephen Bohan worked some magic Saturday.
Burns threw three touchdown passes to Bohan as the Tantramar Titans rallied for a wild 38-36 win over the Riverview High Royals in New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division action in Riverview.
Titans evened their record to 1-1 with the victory. Royals are 0-1.
Tantramar trailed 36-26 late in the fourth quarter, but Burns and Bohan cued the comeback when they hooked up on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 3:30 remaining to pull within four points of the lead.
Then, after a stop on defence, the Titans got the ball back on their own 30-yard line and made one final drive down the field. With eight seconds remaining, Burns tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to Bohan to seal the deal for Tantramar.
"It was a very intense game and we went in knowing it was a hostile environment at their home field for their first game," Titans head coach Dave Burns said.
"It showed a lot of character. Our boys didn't quit and they played their hearts out in the second half."
Joey Burns also found Bohan in the end zone on a 20-yard pass in the first half.
Tantramar's other touchdowns came from Randy LeBlanc, on a six-yard run, Kylan Estabrooks, on a 80-yard punt return, and Matt Landry, on a 13-yard pass from Burns.
Running back Shea Lenehan led the Riverview High offence. He ran for 208 yards on the day and scored three touchdowns on one, three and 40-yard runs.
Quarterback Andrew Lewis threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Greg Diamond and also scored on a one-yard plunge. Lewis kicked all five converts for the Royals, who led 22-20 at the half.
"I think the difference in the end was that the clock just run out. They scored with eight seconds left. It was a good game both ways," Riverview High head coach Mark Lenehan said.
In other games Saturday, Hampton High Huskies (1-1) edged the Fredericton High Black Kats (0-1) 1-0, while the Oromocto High Blues (2-0) blanked the Saint John High Greyhounds (1-1) 19-0.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C1 on September 17, 2005

Knights rebound with victory
MHS evens record at 1-1; MacNaughton goes to 2-0 with win over Trojans

(RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Scott LeBlanc of the L�Odyss�e Olympiens is taken down by Kyle Murray of Moncton High during second-half high school football action at Rocky Stone Field in Moncton yesterday. In the background is Maurice Rousselle of the Olympiens.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

Head coach John Allanach calls his Moncton High Purple Knights a work in progress.
Well, consider this one big step forward.
Purple Knights picked up their first New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division win of the young season last night with a 29-13 victory over the first-year L'Odyss�e Olympiens at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Moncton High rebounded after getting thumped 42-0 by the defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders in its season opener a week ago. It was L'Odyss�e's first-ever football game.
"We're a work in progress and we're moving on every week. We're all young players, mostly first-year players, and we're only going to get better," said Purple Knights Grade 12 rookie running back Jordan Beyea, who continued to make an impact by running for a touchdown, throwing for another and kicking a field goal and two converts in the win.
"Last week's loss was a learning game for us. This was L'Odyss�e's first game, so we know what it's like to be them, but it's nice to come out on top."
Meanwhile, MacNaughton beat the Harrison Trimble Trojans 14-10 in the second game at Rocky Stone last night.
Earlier last night, Moncton High roared out to a 26-0 lead at the half, completely dominating L'Odyss�e.
Quarterback Ryan Wareham threw a pair of touchdown passes to Dan Cohen, Beyea scored on a 25-yard run and tossed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Justin Lafrance on a fake punt play and the Purple Knights defence shut down the Olympiens.
"We practised hard all week and put in some new offensive plays and we had some great catches by our receivers. I think that's what won the game for us," said Beyea, 17.
The second half was a different story.
The L'Odyss�e defence improved and its offence came to life in the fourth quarter. Running back Pierre Alexandre Mouawad scored on a spectacular 80-yard touchdown run and Maurice Rousselle found the end zone on a one-yard plunge with 3:41 remaining to cut the lead to 26-13.
But the comeback was too little, too late. Beyea kicked a 15-yard field goal as Moncton High hung on for the victory.
"Our plan from the get-go was to get better every week and become a better football club. Our guys are really rallying around our theme about playing together," said Allanach, the second-year Purple Knights head coach.
"L'Odyss�e did a lot of things well and we were able to come back later and play football with them, rather then letting them just take the play to us."
Besides a strong offensive display, the Moncton High defence was strong, too. Shawn Hickey, Andrew Waddup and Scott Belliveau each intercepted Olympiens quarterback Caleb Jordan.
A major strong point for L'Odyss�e was the play of Grade 11 running back Mouawad, who led the late comeback and showed he has a bright future in the league.
"Our boys are positive. They found out if they work hard, good things will happen because in the second half we controlled the game," Olympiens head coach Terry Kennedy said.
"When everything was going wrong they all stuck together and started working. Some were nervous, but they noticed one good tackle after another and their confidence grew."

Later last night, Mike Earle's 80-yard touchdown run with about four minutes remaining in the game lifted MacNaughton to the victory over Harrison Trimble.
Highlanders improved to 2-0. Trojans dropped to 1-1.
The teams were tied 7-7 at halftime.
MacNaughton also received a touchdown from Wayne Crossman on a 35-yard run. Nick Mulligan kicked both converts.
"It was a game of character for us. We made a lot of mental mistakes, but they dug down deep and worked together and did just enough to win," Highlanders head coach Ed Wasson said.
Josh Bainbridge scored Harrison Trimble's lone touchdown with a 35-yard run. Brady Leeman added a 31-yard field goal and a convert.
"I thought our defence stepped up and played a heck of a game. They were very physical and got to their quarterback, but it was just one play we didn't get to in the end," Trojans head coach Perry Kukkonen said.
Three games are scheduled for today at 1 p.m.
Riverview High Royals (0-0) entertain the Tantramar Titans (0-1), Saint John High Greyhounds (1-0) visit the Oromocto High Blues (1-0) and the Hampton High Huskies (0-1) host the Fredericton High Black Kats (0-0).

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on September 16, 2005

Kats ready to lay it on the line

A JOB TO TACKLE (THE DAILY GLEANER - STEPHEN MACGILLIVRAY PHOTO)
Fredericton High School Black Kats linebacker coach Murray Appleby, right, puts players Fraser Boldon, left, and Brad Richardson through their paces. The Kats open the regular season Saturday at Hampton High.

MIKE POWER
The Daily Gleaner

Sometimes, according to Fredericton High School Black Kats football coach Larry Wisniewski, "life is simple."
Take for example in discussing his expectations for the Black Kats 2005 edition, the longtime coach of the Kats has it broken down into a simple formula for success or, heaven forbid, failure.
"In my view, the performance of the line on both sides of the ball will tell us what kind of season we will have," Wisniewski said. "If they play well, we will do well. If they do not, we will not. Sometimes life is simple. At this point, this is speculation, we have not played. We will know much more after the first or second game of the season. Stay tuned."
If you want to know more, at least this week, you will have to travel. The Black Kats open on the road with a trip to play Hampton High School Saturday at 1 p.m. Their home opener is next Saturday against Saint John.
The Hampton game is a rematch of the 2003 provincial final game won 17-7 by the Kats. However, unless it's in the playoffs, FHS will not have a rematch of the 2004 championship game. The Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders are not on their six-game schedule.
Last season the Highlanders were the only team to beat FHS on their home field, which they call "The Jungle." As losses go it couldn't have come at a worse time, a 13-9 defeat in the last game of the season.
The game was a classic but in the end a Fredericton team that had a super season came up a couple of inches short when a potential winning touchdown pass from quarterback Ryley Boldon to Hunter MacDonald missed the mark on the final play of the game.

Wisniewski

Overall the Black Kats were 8-2, including a 6-1 slate in the regular season. Their only loss in the regular season was a 14-7 setback at Saint John High School in Week 2.
In the regular season they had the third best offence and the third best defence statistically and, including playoffs, outscored opponents 254-95.
But, as they say, that was then and this is now.
Among the key losses from last season are team and conference MVP linebacker Dave Skillen. Also among the graduated are defensive MVP Alex Childs and offensive MVP Boldon. But of course turnover is a big part of high school football.
"We have a reasonable balance of returning players and new players from Grade 11 this year," Wisniewski said. "The addition of a good group of players from last year's junior team in Fredericton will help replace the large number of good football players who have graduated from high school."
New players who've caught Wisniewski's eye so far include Junior Black Kat grads such as defensive tackle Zach Piers, defensive end Ben Thompson, linebacker Dan Reid, offensive tackle Colby Stewart and linebacker David Kingston.
"There's a world of difference from junior to varsity play," said Wisniewski cautiously. "But these people, along with five to 10 other players from that (junior) team, give us a good foundation of Grade 11 students."
The backbone of the returning players from last year's provincial finalist include quarterback Andrew Hickey, "the last of the Hickey boys," Wisniewski said referring to the clan that has already supplied two outstanding players in previous seasons (Sean and David).
Other key players returning are linebacker Justin Conn, who also excelled on special teams, defensive linemen Dylan Sullivan and Derek Madsen and wide receivers Bobby McIntrye and Andrew Hubbard.
"They will be at the centre of any success we have this year," Wisniewski said. "As returning players with some experience on the field, they will generate the continuity we need in our search for some success this year on the football field.
"We are happy with what we have seen to this point but we also know that with a bye the first week, what we will learn soon is much more important to our assessment of where we are for the 2005 football season. But this is the nature of the game."
Wisniewski has added two new coaches this year in O.J. Burnett and Eric Neilsen. They join a veteran core in Murray Appleby, Jared Harding, Nathan Stokes, Ian MacMillan and Gary Norcott. Donnie Davis will help when he can on both sides of the ball.
"Gary will generate interesting offensive packages again," Wisniewski said. "Murray is charged with the defence and special teams. We hope to find more success in this latter category than we had last year. Special teams are a significant part of the Canadian game and we hope to improve in that regard as well as in the overall performance of our offensive and defensive lines."
In discussing the league the key word for Wisniewski is balance.
"We play in a conference which is very well balanced," he said. "The teams with a significant number of players returning are in Saint John and Oromocto. Leo Hayes always has a good team which gets better each time they play. As for Hampton, they will be better with fast players who love to play in particular they love to play in Hampton."
The Blues host Saint John High at 1 p.m. Saturday at OHS Field.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D1 on September 15, 2005

New Kids on the Block
Olympiens make high school football debut tomorrow

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
And the L'Odyss�e Olympiens want to make the most of theirs.
Olympiens, of the brand new French Moncton high school, will make their New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division debut tomorrow when they play the Moncton High Purple Knights (0-1).
Game time is 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
"There's only one first team. There's only one shot at making a good first impression and that's us," L'Odyss�e co-captain Zack Theriault said this week.
"We need a lot of intensity. I know Moncton High will come out with a lot of intensity, we're a new team and they think they're going to walk all over us, but we plan on bringing it to them."
Also tomorrow, the defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders (1-0) meet the Harrison Trimble Trojans (1-0) at 7 p.m. at Rocky Stone.
Three games are scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. Riverview High Royals (0-0) entertain the Tantramar Titans (0-1), Saint John High Greyhounds (1-0) visit the Oromocto High Blues (1-0) and the Hampton High Huskies (0-1) host the Fredericton High Black Kats (0-0).
Leo Hayes Lions (0-1) have a bye.
At L'Odyss�e, the Olympiens are building their football program from scratch.
The playing fields at the new school, off McLaughlin Drive, won't be ready for use for at least one year, which left the football team scrambling for a practice facility.
So, the Olympiens went out and made their own.
The team turned a nearby wheat field, owned by Grant Frizzell, into its own small practice field. It took a few days of cleaning and mowing, but the field is in good shape.
L'Odyss�e uses the field for the first half of its practices and then the players jog - with their equipment - to the much larger Forest Glen School field when it becomes available later in the practice.
The team also bought $28,000 in equipment and is currently doing fundraisers to pay it off. Players have been packing groceries at Sobeys, doing bottle drives, selling gum. And so on.
"They did all the work on the field. They collected grass for eight hours one day," said Olympiens head coach Terry Kennedy, who has moved over to L'Odyss�e after coaching the Mathieu-Martin Matadors the past five seasons.
"We've got total support from the school, parents, kids and everyone is working together and everyone is so positive. With everything we've accomplished, we've already had a winning season."
Kennedy has brought his coaching staff and 10 players over to the Olympiens from last year's Mathieu-Martin squad, which went 3-3-1 and lost to Fredericton High in a quarter-final.
Matadors are not fielding a team this season.
"I'm really excited to be part of this new team and it's been quite a bit of fun. I played with Mathieu-Martin last year and that was fun, but this is a new opportunity," said Theriault, a Grade 12 offensive lineman.
"We've got a lot of raw talent and we've come a long way in just the few weeks we've been playing and I think we'll have a good team."

Week 1- Sept. 9-10

NB Telegraph-Journal | High School Sports
As published on page D1 on September 12, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL
SJHS rambles past Hampton

(Cindy Wilson/Telegraph-Journal)
Dave Breen of the Hampton High Huskies hauls down Phil Dobson of the SJHS Greyhounds at Shamrock Park during opening weekend action on Saturday.

Telegraph-Journal

The Saint John Greyhounds kicked off the 2005 New Brunswick high school football season with a 20-14 win over the rival Hampton Huskies on Saturday.
Joel Seale caught a pair of touchdown passes from Dave Brown after Brown took pitchouts from quarterback Nick Bonner.
Phil Dobson opened the scoring for Saint John with a 29-yard TD run up the middle, then Seale added a 69-yard TD reception and Aaron Gordon kicked the extra point to make it 13-0 early in the second.
Hampton battled back late in the half as Mac Galley took a 38-yard TD pass from Nick Rourke. Andre Rochon then charged in from seven yards out to tie the game at 13 in the third quarter.
Mike Brien's second extra point gave Hampton a 14-13 lead, but Seale gave the Greyhounds the margin of victory, this time scoring on a 39-yard TD pass from Brown on a pitchout play once again.
Also Saturday, the Harrison Trimble Trojans downed the Tantramar Titans 27-19.
Friday's 12-man action saw the Oromocto Blues frustrate the Leo Hayes Lions 21-0, while the MacNaughton Highlanders blanked the Moncton Purple Knights 42-0.
In 10-man action on Friday, defending champion Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders laid a 63-6 beating on the Harbour View Vikings.
KV got two TDs each from Colin Flynn-Breen, Charlie Harroun and Jamie Barefoot. Ryan Crouse, Chika Ikejiani and John True Lamos added single TDs. Sean Gormley scored on a two-point convert and Matthew Noftell kicked seven extra points for the Crusaders.
Colin English led the KV defence with a pair of interceptions.
Jordan Blizzard scored the lone Harbour View TD.
In another Port City tilt, the Simonds Seabees thumped an undermanned St. Malachy's Saints team by a score of 41-0 on Saturday.
Simonds QB Kyle Skerry scampered in to the end zone to open the scoring in the first quarter and Chris Slade added a pair of TDs to stake the Seabees to a 19-0 lead at half time.
Slade, Josh Davis and Lee Maloney - on a 55-yard kick return - extended the lead with majors in the second half.
Kurtis Nicholson kicked three converts for Simonds and Jon Kennedy led the ground attack, picking up 114 yards on 10 carries.
Also on Saturday, the Rothesay Red Hawks beat the St. Stephen Spartans 17-6. Brandon Shea and Rob Grant had the TDs for Rothesay, which also scored on a pair of safeties and Mike Cote booted an extra point.
Joel Wilcox ran for a TD to put St. Stephen on the board.
Friday action will see Rothesay visit St. Malachy's while Hampton hosts Fredericton. On Saturday, Saint John travels to Oromocto, Simonds takes on KV in the valley and Harbour View entertains St. Stephen.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page C3 on September 12, 2005

Trojans capture opener

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Kylan Estabrooks of the Tantramar Titans reaches to make a catch for a touchdown against the Harrison Trimble Trojans during New Brunswick High School Football League action Saturday afternoon in Sackville.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

SACKVILLE - Nicholas Kukkonen scored three touchdowns and the Harrison Trimble Trojans downed the Tantramar Titans 27-19 in a New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division game here Saturday.
It was the season opener for both teams.
Harrison Trimble led 20-19 at the half and sealed the deal in the third quarter when quarterback Donovan Boucher threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Kukkonen.
Tantramar threatened in the final quarter and drove down the field twice in the last minute and a half.
On the first drive, Callum Hardie fumbled the ball on the Trojans 25-yard line. Titans got the ball back in the final minute and reached the red zone again, but quarterback Joey Burns was intercepted by Nathan Jeffrey.
Kukkonen also caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Boucher and ran for a seven-yard major. Harrison Trimble's other touchdown came on a 35-yard run by Josh Bainbridge.
"We were really happy to come out with a victory. It's always a tough game when you go down to Tantramar," Trojans head coach Perry Kukkonen said.
"I was happy with our offensive line. I thought they opened some holes and had good pass protection. Our defence also came up with some big plays in the second half."
Kylan Estabrooks had a pair of touchdowns for the Titans, on an 80-yard kickoff return and a 20-yard pass from Burns, who also threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Hardie.
"We're pretty pleased. We don't like to lose for sure, but there were a lot of positives to come out of the game for us," Tantramar head coach Dave Burns said.
In another game Saturday, the Saint John High Greyhounds beat the visiting Hampton High Huskies 20-14.

Daily Gleaner | Football
As published on page D1/D2 on September 10, 2005

Blues Roesler runs over Lions

KYLE RUNS WILD: (THE DAILY GLEANER/DAVID SMITH PHOTO)
Kyle Roesler (34), of the Oromocto High School Blues, finds a gap between Leo Hayes defenders Derek Johnson (33) and Dillen Theriault (81) during Friday's New Brunswick High School Football League season opener Friday at OHS Field. Roesler rumbled for three touchdowns and 267 yards rushing to lead the Blues to a 21-0 victory.

MIKE POWER
The Daily Gleaner

Yesterday's New Brunswick High School Football League opener was the kind of football game where everybody went home happy.
Well okay, the Leo Hayes Lions didn't go home happy, but they had reason enough to feel pretty good.
The Oromocto High School Blues were happy with their 21-0 win over the Lions on OHS Field, but not completely satisfied.
So there was a happy medium for everybody concerned as the two locals rivals filed off the field.
"I told the guys we have a long road ahead of us," said Leo Hayes coach Lee Hoyt who held a lengthy post game meeting with his team. "But we can go two ways: they can pack it in and decide they won't get it done, or work on it and decide to win a few games."
You see, on paper, and in terms of experience, this was a mismatch. The Blues were loaded with experience at key positions and possess a defensive unit expected to be among the best in the league.
The Lions had little experience, particularly on offence where just three players have played before. One Leos coach could be heard shouting to his charges in the pregame workout, "come on you have to get used to hitting!"
"We had breakdowns on just about every offensive play," Hoyt said. "The inexperience played a big part in the outcome."
And yet...
"Through all of this they didn't kill us on the field," Hoyt said. "Against a very good team we held our own. As a coach I have to be frustrated by the loss, but overall we saw a lot of stuff to give us hope."
And while for the most part the Blues looked more experienced, the Lions held their own. A touchdown 1:18 into the game and another with a minute to play in the game made the final score not an accurate portrayal of the play.
In fact if you took OHS tailback Kyle Roesler out of the mix things would have been closer still. Roesler was the difference maker, rumbling for 267 yards on 23 carries and scoring all three of Oromocto's touchdowns.
"I wasn't expecting to have that much work," Roesler said. "Our offence is usually about 50/50 running and passing, but they were running eight or nine in the box so it was a good time to run."
How big a part of the Blues' offence was he? Well in total the Blues had 263 yards total offence, so take away Roesler the rest of the offensive unit was negative four. Nobody else ran for more than four yards and quarterback Brian Von Richter was 0 for 8 in passing attempts.
"It had to do with our blocking," Roesler said of the lack of passing success. "We have good blocking schemes but (Leo Hayes) was blitzing a lot and we weren't doing a good job on picking them up."
For their part the Lions had 66 yards of total offence led by Pat Olsen's 23 yards rushing and quarterback Alex Byrne going 3 of 16 through the air for 56 yards. Byrne was picked off three times on the day however.
Whether those tepid offensive totals - except for those of Roesler - were because of a good day by both defensive units or just first game of the season jitters on offensive is open for debate.
"We had a tough time moving the ball and (OHS) played us well," Hoyt said. "Their defence played well, but we have to iron out some kinks as well. We have a couple of weeks off now to see how they react and work on some things."
It certainly looked like it would be a mismatch in the opening minutes of the game. On the second play, Roesler took the handoff from Von Richter and ran right on a sweep and didn't stop running until he reached the LHHS end zone 71 yards away. Jory Smith hit the convert for the seventh point.
The Lions then went two and out and the Blues started a second march with Roesler opening the drive with a 36 yard run.
But the Lions dug in and four plays later, Dillen Theriault picked off Von Richter at the LHHS 32. From there on, there was little to choose between the two teams.
"It was a good thing to see by our guys," Hoyt said. "You hate it when they score early, but our guys could have quit and they decided to play and we kept them off the board."The 7-0 score held through the half and well into the second half.
Late in the third quarter, the Blues finally broke through for another score with Keegan Foley returning a punt 20 yards to give Oromocto a first down at the mid-field stripe.
On second down, Roesler again ran the sweep right for a 34 yard pickup and put the ball on the Lions' nine. On the next play he ran up the middle for a nine yard scoring play. The convert was blocked making it 13-0 with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter.
The teams would then go back and fourth, mostly in the mid-field, before Smith made it 14-0 with a single point by booming a punt into the endzone from the Leo Hayes 42 on the second play of the final quarter.
As the final minute flag of the game came up Roesler rounded out the scoring in the game with a 13 yard run set up after Smith intercepted Byrne on the Lions' 15 yard line. Smith then hit the convert.
In the league's only other game, the defending league champion Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders of Moncton got the season off to a strong start with a 42-0 shutout of the Moncton High Purple Knights.
The Blues are home to the Saint John Greyhounds next Saturday at 1 p.m. The Fredericton High School Black Kats, the other local entry in the league's Western Conference, had the Week 1 bye. They'll make their 2005 debut next Friday in Hampton against the Huskies.
The Lions have the bye in Week 2.

Times & Transcript | College Sport
As published on page C1 on September 10, 2005

A Perfect Opening
Defending high school football champs begin season with shutout win

(VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Wayne Crossman of the MacNaughton Highlanders heads downfield for a big gain during New Brunswick High School Football League action against the Moncton High Purple Knights last night at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

So much for a rebuilding season.
The defending provincial champion MacNaughton Highlanders looked more like contenders than pretenders in their New Brunswick High School Football League 12-man division season opener last night.
Highlanders blanked the Moncton High Purple Knights 42-0 at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
This from a team, which features just 10 players back from last year's New Brunswick championship squad.
"It's always nice to start off with a win, but we still have five more games until the playoffs," said third-year MacNaughton running back Mike Earle, who scored a pair of touchdowns in the win.
"We'll see what the season brings out and we're not going to say too much now. It's hard to say if we could repeat, it's too early to tell, but hopefully. We had a good game and we'll go on from there."
It was the Highlanders veteran backfield duo of Earle and Nick Mulligan, who did most of the damage on the ground against the Purple Knights.
Earle had his two touchdowns, while Mulligan also ran for a major and kicked four converts.
"We're two veterans and there's not many veterans returning to this team. The veterans we do have are doing a good job showing the rookies the way and the rookies are doing their job nicely as well," said Earle, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student.
"They are young and new to work with. I don't know these guys as much, but it's refreshing to have some new faces here and it's working well."
MacNaughton scored early and often in the opening half.
Earle found the end zone on five and 60-yard runs. Wayne Crossman, who played for Moncton High last season, then ran for a five-yard touchdown and Mulligan later scored on a two-yard run for the Highlanders, who led 29-0 at the half.
MacNaughton added to its lead in the second half, courtesy of a 13-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Eric Daigle to Jordan Richard and a 25-yard touchdown run from newcomer K.J. MacNeil.
"We came together as a team and opened up some big holes. The defence was pretty much three and out, so they did their job and the offence did its job," Earle said.
Purple Knights quarterback Ryan Wareham and his offence weren't able to put any drives together against a stingy Highlanders defence. One Moncton High bright spot was the strong play of punter Jordan Beyea in his first-ever football game.
"I'm happy. Our kids played to the best of their ability tonight and played as a team. We improved from the first whistle to the last whistle and that's important to us," said Purple Knights head coach John Allanach, who also has a young squad this season.
"It's not a setback, it's a part of life. The positive is that in a lot of ways this was the first game for a lot of our kids, so they learned how to play football and we'll build on that. It's a process and we're going to do it together."
In another game last night, the Oromocto High Blues beat the visiting Leo Hayes Lions 21-0.
Two more games are scheduled for today at 1 p.m.
Tantramar Titans host the Harrison Trimble Trojans in Sackville, while the Hampton High Huskies visit the Saint John High Greyhounds.
Riverview High Royals, L'Odyss�e Olympiens and Fredericton High Black Kats have opening week byes.

Preseason- Sept. 4-9

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1 on September 9, 2005

Blues ready to hit the ground running

WORKHORSE (THE DAILY GLEANER/STEPHEN MACGILLIVRAY PHOTO)
The Oromocto High School Blues are counting on Kyle Roesler, centre, to anchor their running attack this provincial high school football league season. The Blues host LHHS Lions today at 4 p.m. at OHS field.

MIKE POWER
The Daily Gleaner

Things have changed for the Oromocto High School Blues football team as far as their preseason expectations and knowledge are concerned.
"There was a time when we really started almost from scratch every year," said Blues coach Rob Wilson. "We'd come into the season looking to match athletes to positions they may have never played before. Sometimes they had never even played football before."
Indeed, just two years ago, the Blues had to forfeit their season-opening game because they couldn't field a complete team. But that has all changed and this year's edition of the Blues should be proof of that.
"The minor football system Terry McIntyre started some years ago has become a feeder system that we didn't used to have," Wilson said. "It's paying off big for us. I would say that system has provided us with half of our present team.
"We still have to depend on kids coming out, the surprises you could call them, to fill a number of spots but with the minor system we know who is coming up and when to expect them, which is a big help from past seasons."
The Blues will open today in a 4 p.m. kickoff at OHS Field as they host the Leo Hayes Lions in a battle of local teams.
With 15 players returning from last year's team, including a number of veterans at key positions, Wilson characterizes his gut feeling as "very, very optimistic, and to get two verys from me means a lot."
It will be tough for OHS to improve on last year although there is room. The 2004 version of the Blues got off to a 0-2-1 start before finishing with a 4-0 rush. They then hammered Tantramar in the provincial quarter-finals before losing 13-12 to Bernice MacNaughton High School of Moncton. MacNaughton went on to win the provincial title a week later beating Fredericton High School.
"It was a tremendous season," Wilson said. "We got off to that tough start losing twice to good teams. But in those games those tough teams showed us where our weaknesses were and showed us very clearly what we needed to do to improve. To our kids' credit they did just that.
"For the first few weeks we had kids coming to school and hearing that we weren't that good a team and stuff. But they worked their tails off to improve and showed it could be done. That's the work ethic we want to bring back this year."
The backbone of the Blues, according to Wilson, is the defence.
"I think it will be one of the top defensive units in the province," Wilson said. "I would go as far as to say our defensive line front four is going to be the best, or at least as good as any in the league."
On offence running back Steve Blair and blockbuster back/centre Nathan Marsden are gone, but workhorse Kyle Roesler is back.
"I'll miss Marsden," Wilson said. "I love having that big guy who can rumble for a few crucial yards. Of course Stevie is a big loss but Roesler pretty much shared the job with him and should be able to step up his workload."
Brian Von Richter is back at quarterback. Last year Von Richter took over the job from returning incumbent James Pfeiffer and made it his own.
"This is a rarity in our program, a returning quarterback," Wilson said. "We had Pfeiffer back last year but he moved to another position. Usually an OHS quarterback is one year as the starter and then graduates. Brian is one of the minor system products and has tremendous skills. We expect him to be even better with one year under his belt at the high school level."
When Von Richter puts the ball in the air he will have experienced receivers to make the catch with offensive all-star Eric Smith back as well as Jeremy Biggar.
"Eric was a big player for us last year," Wilson said. "He will be again but Jeremy really came on as the year went along. I won't say he's about potential because I think he's already blossomed as a player."
This will be Wilson's third season at the helm of the Blues. He will be assisted by Ron Squires, Scott Lindsay, Dave Wilson (no relation), and Bill Wilson, the son of Rob who was a star for the Blues in the late 1990s.

NB Telegraph-Journal | Football
As published on page D4 on September 9, 2005

CURTAIN RAISING
High school football season set to kick off
KVHS, Harbour View lock horns tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Shamrock Park

(Jeff Herc/Telegraph-Journal)
Jeremy McAulay will be calling the shots for Saint John High.

By Nathan White
Telegraph-Journal

The New Brunswick high school football season kicks off as 14 of the province's 17 teams hit the gridiron this weekend.
The NBIAA divides the teams into two divisions. The 10-man circuit has the St. Stephen Spartans, Harbour View Vikings, St. Malachy's Saints, Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders, Rothesay Red Hawks and Simonds Seabees.
On the 12-man side the Hampton Huskies and Saint John Greyhounds battle the three Fredericton-area teams in the Western Conference, while six teams from the Moncton region make up the Eastern Conference.
KVHS posted a 14-0 win over the Vikings in last year's10-man championship to capture the Nick Desilets Memorial Trophy, handing Harbour View its second straight loss in the final.
After losing 19 of his 32 players from that championship team, Crusaders coach Rob Martell said his 2005 squad will be entering a rebuilding phase in his second year as coach.
He expects this year's leaders to include quarterback Sean Gormley, receiver Jamie Barefoot, running back Colin Flynn-Breen, linebacker Colin English and linebacker/tight end Chika Ikejiana.
A handful of teams got the chance to iron out some kinks at Monday's football fest at Hampton High. Martell said he was pleased with what he saw.

(Jeff Herc/Telegraph-Journal)
Phillip Dobson is part of a solid ground game for the Greyhounds.

"We did surprisingly well," said Martell, whose Crusaders open the season against Harbour View at Shamrock Park tonight at 6:30. "There's still some kinks.We have some good athletes, though, and we have a good core."
He also said he was impressed by Simonds, which is making the drop to 10-man after being the only winless 12-man team in the province last year, and much-improved Rothesay, which was burned for a league-high 178 points last season in their debut.
Greyhounds defensive coordinator Dave Grandy joined Saint John High in 2001 for the first of two straight seasons that ended with losses against Hampton in the AA final.
Now the pair are the only Saint John area teams in the 12-man division, and they'll be renewing their rivalry right away, with a 1 p.m. start Saturday at Shamrock.
"It's going to be a grudge match for sure," said Grandy, who listed running backs Piers Doiron and Phil Dobson, receiver Joel Seale, quarterback Nick Bonner, running back/
defensive back Dave Brown, defensive lineman Josh Stewart and linebackers John Livingston and Brandon Humphrey as his go-to guys.
In other Week 1 games, Leo Hayes meets Oromocto and Moncton takes on defending 12-man champs Bernice MacNaughton today, while on Saturday St. Malachy's visits Simonds, Harrison Trimble battles Tantramar and Rothesay travels to St. Stephen. All Saturday games are slated for 1 p.m.

Daily Gleaner | High School Sports
As published on page C1/C2 on September 8, 2005

Football Lions expect some growing pains

FANCY FOOTWORK (THE DAILY GLEANER/STEPHEN MACGILLIVRAY PHOTO)
Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions head coach Lee Hoyt, left, puts quarterback Alex Byrne through the paces in preparation for tomorrow's high school football regular season opener. LHHS visits the OHS Blues at 4 p.m.

BILL HUNT
The Daily Gleaner

The Leo Hayes St. Mary's Lions football team will go through some growing pains this season.
It's possible no one will feel them more than quarterback Alex Byrne.
The Grade 12 signal caller is one of just three players on the offensive side of the ball with previous football experience - a situation that will change as soon as Friday, when the Lions kick off another New Brunswick High School Football League season with a 4 p.m. road game against the Oromocto High School Blues.
"We've got a new offensive line, but they're coming together now," said Byrne, who groomed for the QB job at the junior varsity level. He took some snaps in relief of Nolan Gervais last season and now inherits the job on his own.
"It's looking good so far,'' Byrne said. "We're trying to keep things moving and not stay in the pocket as much. I imagine our offence will vary depending on other team's defences."
Head coach Lee Hoyt, who begins his fifth season at the helm Friday, hopes to strike a good balance between a pass-oriented offence and a running attack, "but ultimately it comes down to the offensive line," he said.
"We've been working really hard at it, but with the attendance and stuff and the long weekend, it's been hard. Come game day, we're going to be trying a lot of different kids at various positions. I have a good idea who is going to start where, but until you see them in a game, you can't bet the house on anything."
The Lions have had about 42 players attending two-a-day workouts for the past couple of weeks and Hoyt and his coaching staff have seen progress even in that short time.
"I think we have a good mix of kids evenly dispersed throughout the grades," he said. "In the past, many of the kids who played varsity football were in Grade 11 and 12. This year, we've managed to get some Grade 10 kids out, five or seven kids who will be with this program for three years."
Hoyt counts a dozen veterans back from last year's squad, which went 3-4 and finished in fourth place in the league's Western Conference.
The Lions won their first three games last year before dropping their last four regular season encounters, then their first-round playoff matchup 32-0 to the MacNaughton Highlanders.
But with only three of them on offence - Byrne at quarterback, Luke Megarity at fullback and Pat Casey at slotback - Hoyt realizes the offence will struggle in the early going.
"Offence usually does take longer than defence," Hoyt said. "Our offence will stumble coming out of the gate. But after we get a little bit more experience and get practising together, I think things will come."
Byrne is a rollout type quarterback who can throw the ball.
"I like his versatility," Hoyt said. "I like the fact that he can throw it, and he can roll out too. He's much more agile than quarterbacks we've had in the past. I like the dimension he brings."
His ability to roll out and scramble will likely come in handy on a Lions team that will learn as it goes. There's good skill, if not a great deal of gridiron experience, among the receiving corps - most notably Mike Callaghan at wide receiver, Dan Mason at slot.
But the offensive line will be a work in progress.
"You're always looking for big guys on the offensive line," Hoyt said. "I'd like to have 10 or 12 of those guys. For the most part, we have a bunch of guys who never played the offensive line before and that takes a while. And that's why our runners are going to have to find the holes and remembering where the holes are."
Defensively, the Lions will be solid, anchored by veteran linebackers Mike McCarthy and Ben Cornford and Craig Oliver. Derrick Johnston has moved into the linebacking corps from the offensive backfield "and has really helped our defence a lot," Hoyt said.
Dakota Van Dine and Craig Budovitch anchor the defensive line.
Grade 10 rookies Dillen Theriault and Mitch Cormier are expected to start in an improved secondary, along with Ryan Soles.
Hoyt has a different measuring stick for success than just wins and losses.
"I guess I measure my progress in how far the kids have come from the first game of the year to the last," he said. "I usually ask them on the way home from the last game if all the practice every single day was worth it. I've yet to have a student say no."
Hoyt's coaching staff includes Josh Thomas as defensive co-ordinator - younger brother Jake is one of those gifted Grade 10 athletes who is a future building block - Dusty McSorley as linebacker coach, Mike Casey as offensive line co-ordinator, Jeff Taylor as offensive co-ordinator, former Lion Jay Thomas as running back coach, and Scott Appleby working with the defensive backs.
Following their Friday opener against the Blues, the Lions have a bye in Week 2. They play their home opener Saturday, Sept 24 against the Hampton Huskies.

Times & Transcript | High School Sport
As published on page D1/D4 on September 8, 2005

It's Kick-Off Time
Highlanders begin defence of N.B. high school football title tomorrow night against Knights

(RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Justin Cook, a middle linebacker with the defending champion MacNaughton Highlanders, keeps his eye on theball during a practice at the school. Highlanders open the New Brunswick High School Football League season tomorrownight against the Moncton High Purple Knights.

SEAN HATCHARD
Times & Transcript Staff

Talk about a tough encore.
MacNaughton Highlanders captured the New Brunswick High School Football League's 12-man division championship last season for the school's first-ever provincial football title.
Now, with just 10 players remaining from that championship team, repeating as champions will be a tough task.
"I don't think many of us have thought about repeating, to be honest," said MacNaughton offensive co-ordinator Brian Agnew, whose team beat the Fredericton High Black Kats 13-9 in the New Brunswick championship game last November in Fredericton.
"Repeating is never easy by any means. Even if you have 40 kids back it's never an easy process."
Eleven teams will compete in the league's 12-man division, which begins play tomorrow.
The Eastern Conference features MacNaughton, Riverview High Royals, Tantramar Titans, Harrison Trimble Trojans, Moncton High Purple Knights and the first-year L'Odyss�e Olympiens.
The Western Conference includes Fredericton High, Hampton High Huskies, Oromocto High Blues, Leo Hayes Lions and the Saint John High Greyhounds.
Mathieu-Martin Matadors are not fielding a team this season.
In league play tomorrow, Leo Hayes visits Oromocto High at 4 p.m. and MacNaughton hosts Moncton High at 7 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Two more games are scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. Tantramar entertains Harrison Trimble and Hampton High visits Saint John High.
Riverview High, L'Odyss�e and Fredericton High have opening week byes.
Last season, the Highlanders were 6-1 in the regular season under rookie head coach Ed Wasson and went on to win the league championship with a veteran laden team.
Gone are nearly 30 of those veterans and they'll be replaced by a number of players up from the Moncton Junior Highlanders, who advanced to the provincial bantam final last season.
"We're starting with a whole new system and we have to teach them all the fundamentals. It's a challenge, but we're dealing with a good stock of kids," Agnew said.
"At this point we're hoping to make the playoffs and right now we hope to see the kids get better week to week. Our returning kids are leaders and they'll show the new kids the winning attitude and positive attitude."
Key returnees for MacNaughton include running backs Mike Earle and Nick Mulligan, offensive lineman Alex Beers and defensive lineman Shane Furze.
Following is a look at other teams in the Eastern Conference:

Riverview High
Royals look to be in for a rebuilding year after reaching the provincial semifinals the past four seasons.
New head coach Mark Lenehan, who replaces Paul Beardsworth, has lost 22 players from last year's team, which went 5-2 and lost to Fredericton High in a semifinal.
"We're going to be a young team and we're rebuilding the program. We have a lot of rookies and they will have to step up to the next level," said Lenehan, who has an all new coaching staff.
"Our expectations, realistically, are to get a playoff spot. We'd like to accomplish that."
Key players are: quarterback Andrew Lewis, running back Shea Lenehan, receivers Greg Diamond and Matt MacKinley, centre Jeff Crossman, defensive linemen Chad Anderson and Andy Stultz, linebacker Tom Budd and defensive back Mike Miller.

Tantramar
In Sackville, head coach Dave Burns and the Titans return only 12 players from last year's team, which went 4-3 and lost to Oromocto High in a quarter-final.
Burns said this year's Tantramar squad will be a young one, but it is still eyeing a playoff berth.
"We're young and we're lacking some experience for sure, but I like the athletes we do have," he said.
"Obviously, we want to make the playoffs and we're going to have to do that with a young team. We'll have to focus week to week and try to get better and learn with each week."
Key players are: quarterback Joey Burns, running backs Randy LeBlanc and Jeff Bird, fullback Dylon Tower, receivers Kylan Estabrooks, Stephen Bohan and Callum Hardie, middle linebackers Lucas Wilson and Eric MacPherson and halfback Scott MacDougall.

Moncton High
At Moncton High, the Purple Knights are trying to forget about the 2004 season, which saw them go 1-5-1 and miss the playoffs.
Second-year head coach John Allanach and his staff are excited about a whole new beginning with this team, which will feature about 50 players, up 30 from a year ago.
"We asked our returning players what type of team they wanted to have and they said they wanted a full squad, a positive environment and to be competitive. That's our plan," Allanach said.
"This team is totally revamped and we have our share of older players and new players. We cleaned house and went with character guys. We wanted guys who were going to buy into the program."

Harrison Trimble
Much like the Purple Knights, the Trojans are moving forward after a disappointing 2004 campaign.
Harrison Trimble went 2-5 and missed the playoffs last season. It was just the second time in the last 17 years the Trojans didn't qualify for the playoffs.
"Last year we were a young team, but we won two of our last three games and I think we were peaking at the end of the year, so we want to carry that momentum into this season," said long-time Trojans head coach Perry Kukkonen who has 20 returnees.
"I've talked about that with the kids and they are pretty excited for the season and hopefully we can make the playoffs this time."
Key players are: quarterback Donovan Boucher, receiver Nicholas Kukkonen, offensive linemen Matt LeBlanc and Tyler Gillcash, defensive lineman Corey Gillcash, linebacker Justin Wright and defensive back Matt Kenny.

L'Odyss�e
The first-year Olympiens will look somewhat like last year's Mathieu-Martin team.
Former Matadors head coach Terry Kennedy and his coaching staff have moved over to L'Odyss�e this season, along with about 12 players.
"Everything is open right now and everyone is rookies, including the players and the coaches. It's the first time I've started a team from scratch," Kennedy said.
"We've got good competition for the first time in a couple years on the offensive and defensive lines and good competition for the running back and quarterback positions. We're looking forward to it."

NB Telegraph-Journal | Football
As published on page D1 on September 6, 2005

FOOTBALL FEST

(Cindy Wilson/Special to the Telegraph Journal)

Colin Flynn-Breen of the Kennebecasis Valley High Crusaders gets taken down by Alex LeBlanc of the Simonds High Seabees during Football Fest at Hampton High on Monday. Football Fest attracted close to 600 people and was an opportunity for coaches to examine their troops before the regular season begins later this month.

Preseason- August 29-Sept. 3

Daily Gleaner | David Ritchie
As published on page C3 on August 31, 2005

Anniversary season for FHS football

BRENDAN MCGINN PLAYED THREE SEASONS WITH FHS BLACK KATS

One of the leaders of the parents' organization which acts as a support group for high school football at Fredericton High School laments about a program he perceives has been operating in 'obscurity.'
Max Richardson writes: "Look at the home games attendance. No one cares. Without the stabilizing influence/support of an alumni organization, the FHS football program could easily evaporate in a single year."
It's a dire assessment of a program that will mark year 20 when the current day edition of the Kats take to the gridiron for the 2005 season in a couple of weeks time. Only a few know it's been 25 years since a group calling itself the Friends of Football was repelled by the administration of the day at the school.
But the group was relentless and with the help of a determined student named Deron White working on the inside, the Black Kats finally became a football reality in 1985.
Their success on the field has been well documented. Several players - among them the Hickey brothers Sean and David and maybe the best of them all, Josh Thomas at Acadia graduated to success at the university level. You need only take a walk through the athletic wing at FHS to get a
sense of how successful the program has been at the provincial level, beginning with that first championship season in 1986.
But what that success means relative to current-day, therein lies the rub for a passionate fan like Richardson who talks of a football program being about "history and tradition and rituals, not just the team/season/game."
To his credit, he's doing more than just talk the talk.
He's taken the initiative towards the formation of an alumni association, "so if anyone cares, it will be these FHS alumni, at least."
His appeal has struck a chord with some of the oldies, among them a former quarterback named Brendan McGinn who was part of that inaugural championship team in 1986 that beat the Tantramar High Titans in the mud at College Field.
Adam Spires was the starting quarterback then, but it was McGinn at the controls the following year when they lost to the Titans in a rematch in frigid conditions at the Raceway Field. And he was the guy who propelled a 60-yard bomb to speedster Ron Squires that went for a touchdown on the very first play of the 1988 championship game against Mathieu Martin Matadors at College Field. "That was basically the game," said McGinn.
It was also the first stage in the 'Drive for Five' sequence that would involve three quarterbacks - Hickey and Allison Brooks being the others - over that period of time.
Now that he's got a little boy of his own - seven-year-old Reece - beginning to play minor (flag) football, McGinn is suddenly reminded of his youth and of the physical and emotional investment he would make playing the sport he continues to play, albeit now touch instead of tackle football.
"It's certainly made me a lot more aware of what the program meant for me, and I think that's the case for a lot of the former players who are now having kids of their own," he said. "It's important for us to take an interest in what happens with the current-day team."
Towards that end, McGinn is taking a lead role with others such as Brooks, into organizing a reunion for former players scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 8.
The plan is for the group to gather at FHS Field to watch and meet and greet the current-day team at a practice around 4 o'clock, with the group eventually making its way down to the Winner's Sports Lounge on the Exhibition Grounds to continue reminiscing about the good ol' days. McGinn says video footage from some of the early years will also be shown.
Along with former players, McGinn says he'd like to see the former coaches such as Donny Davis and Mike Dollimore - two of the aforementioned Friends - make their way down. In fact, he also plans to contact White to recognize the role he played as well.
"We're trying to contact as many former players as we can," says Brendan. "From that, we'd like to get an alumni group going." McGinn says former players can contact him at 454-6185 or by e-mail at Brendan.McGinn@sobeypharmacy.com for more information.
"It's hard to believe it's been 20 years," he says. "A lot of the new guys wouldn't know because they weren't even born but a lot of us who played back then realized just how much work it took to get the program (into the school). There's a greater appreciation for what it all means now."
David Ritchie can be contacted at dritchie@dailygleaner.com or 458-6484. His column appears each Wednesday.

	GP	W	L	T	F	A	Pts.
Riverview Royals	6	4	2	0	172	76	8
MacNaughton Highlanders	6	3	3	0	129	122	6
Harrison Trimble Trojans	6	3	3	0	166	132	6
Tantramar Regional Titans	6	3	3	0	172	109	6
Moncton Purple Knights	6	1	5	0	43	262	2
L'Odyssee Olympiens	6	0	6	0	39	258	0

	GP	W	L	T	F	A	Pts.
Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders	7	7	0	0	284	63	14
Rothesay Redhawks	7	5	2	0	195	82	10
St. Stephen Spartans	7	4	3	0	155	70	8
Simonds Seabees	7	3	4	0	127	114	6
Harbour View Vikings	7	1	6	0	32	238	2
St. Malachy's Memorial Saints	7	1	6	0	38	264	2

New Brunswick High School Football League
2005 Schedule (Revised October 21, 2005)

Regular Season
Week 1
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Notes
12 Man
F Sep. 9	Leo Hayes 0	Oromocto 21	Oromocto	4:00 PM	-
F Sep. 9	Moncton 0	MacNaughton 42	Rocky Stone	7:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 10	Hampton 14	Saint John 20	Shamrock	1:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 10	Harrison Trimble 27	Tantramar 19	Tantramar	1:00 PM	-
Byes: Fredericton, Riverview, Odyssee
10 Man
F Sep. 9	Kennebecasis 63	Harbour View 6	Shamrock	6:30 PM	-
Sa Sep. 10	St. Malachy's 0	Simonds 41	Simonds	1:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 10	Rothesay 17	St. Stephen 6	St. Stephen	1:00 PM	-
Week 2
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Notes
12 Man
F Sep. 16	Odyssee 13	Moncton 29	Rocky Stone	4:00 PM	-
F Sep. 16	MacNaughton 14	Harrison Trimble 10	Rocky Stone	7:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 17	Fredericton 0	Hampton 1	Hampton	1:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 17	Saint John 0	Oromocto 19	Oromocto	1:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 17	Tantramar 38	Riverview 36	Riverview	1:00 PM	-
Bye: Leo Hayes
10 Man
F Sep. 16	Rothesay 39	St. Malachy's 0	Shamrock	6:30 PM	-
Sa Sep. 17	Simonds 8	Kennebecasis 33	Kennebecasis	1:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 17	St. Stephen 34	Harbour View 0	Shamrock	1:00 PM	-
Week 3
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Notes
12 Man
F Sep. 23	Riverview 21	Harrison Trimble 1	Rocky Stone	4:00 PM	-
F Sep. 23	Tantramar 35	Odyssee 7	Rocky Stone	7:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 24	Hampton 0	Leo Hayes 8	Leo Hayes	1:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 24	Saint John 0	Fredericton 41	Fredericton	1:00 PM	-
Byes: Oromocto, Moncton, MacNaughton
10 Man
Sa Sep. 24	St. Malachy's 6	Rothesay 50	Hampton	1:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 24	Kennebecasis 42	Simonds 18	Simonds	1:00 PM	-
Sa Sep. 24	Harbour View 0	St. Stephen 33	St. Stephen	1:00 PM	-
Week 4
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Notes
12 Man
F Sep. 30	Fredericton 41	MacNaughton 8	Rocky Stone	4:00 PM	-
F Sep. 30	Saint John 60	Moncton 7	Rocky Stone	7:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 1	Riverview 8	Oromocto 16	Oromocto	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 1	Odyssee 0	Leo Hayes 34	Leo Hayes	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 1	Hampton 21	Tantramar 20	Tantramar	1:00 PM	-
Bye: Harrison Trimble
10 Man
F Sep. 30	Harbour View 12	St. Malachy's 13	Shamrock	6:30 PM	-
Sa Oct. 1	Simonds 12	Rothesay 24	Simonds	2:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 1	St. Stephen 7	Kennebecasis 40	Kennebecasis	1:00 PM	-
Week 5
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Notes
12 Man
F Oct. 7	Moncton 7	Harrison Trimble 59	Rocky Stone	7:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 8	MacNaughton 18	Tantramar 13	Tantramar	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 8	Oromocto 0	Fredericton 16	Fredericton	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 8	Leo Hayes 2	Saint John 1	Shamrock	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 8	Odyssee 0	Riverview 36	Riverview	1:00 PM	-
Bye: Hampton
10 Man
F Oct. 7	Rothesay 41	Harbour View 0	Shamrock	6:30 PM	-
Sa Oct. 8	St. Malachy's 0	Kennebecasis 48	Kennebecasis	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 8	Simonds 7	St. Stephen 1	St. Stephen	1:00 PM	-
Week 6
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Notes
12 Man
F Oct. 14	Oromocto 61	Odyssee 0	Rocky Stone	7:00 PM	-
F Oct. 14	MacNaughton 26	Saint John 29	Shamrock	7:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 15	Harrison Trimble 6	Fredericton 52	Fredericton	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 15	Leo Hayes 0	Riverview 42	Riverview	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 15	Moncton 0	Hampton 41	Hampton	1:00 PM	-
Bye: Tantramar
10 Man
Sa Oct. 15	Kennebecasis 26	Rothesay 6	Kennebecasis	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 15	Harbour View 0	Simonds 41	Simonds	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 15	St. Malachy's 6	St. Stephen 60	St. Stephen	1:00 PM	-
Week 7
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Notes
12 Man
F Oct. 21	Harrison Trimble 63	Odyssee 19	Rocky Stone	4:00 PM	-
F Oct. 21	Tantramar 47	Moncton 0	Rocky Stone	7:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 22	Fredericton 33	Leo Hayes 0	Leo Hayes	1:00 PM	-
M Oct. 24	Oromocto 18	Hampton 17	Hampton	3:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 22	Riverview 29	MacNaughton 21	Rocky Stone	1:00 PM	-
Bye: Saint John
10 Man
F Oct. 21	St. Malachy's 13	Harbour View 14	Shamrock	6:30 PM	-
Sa Oct. 22	St. Stephen 14	Simonds 0	Shamrock	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 22	Rothesay 18	Kennebecasis 32	Kennebecasis	1:00 PM	-
Week 8
Playoffs
Quarter-Finals
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Notes
12 Man
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Score
Sa Oct. 29 A	4th West Saint John 26	1st East Riverview 7	1st East Riverview	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 29 B	4th East Tantramar 8	1st West Fredericton 48	1st West Fredericton	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 29 C	3rd East Harrison Trimble 0	2nd West Oromocto 39	2nd West Oromocto	1:00 PM	-
Fr Oct. 28 D	3rd West Leo Hayes 0	2nd East MacNaughton 16	2nd East Rocky Stone	7:00 PM	-
10 Man
Sa Oct. 29	6th St. Malachy's 0	3rd St. Stephen 51	3rd Shamrock	1:00 PM	-
Sa Oct. 29	5th Harbour View 0	4th Simonds 30	4th Simonds	1:00 PM	-
Week 9
Semi-Finals
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Notes
12 Man
Sa Nov. 5	Winner Game A Saint John 6	Winner Game C Oromocto 16	Highest Seed Oromocto	1:00 PM	-
Sa Nov. 5	Winner Game D MacNaughton 0	Winner Game B Fredericton 31	Highest Seed Fredericton	1:00 PM	-
10 Man
Fr Nov. 4	Highest Qtr. Winner St. Stephen 21	2nd Rothesay 14	2nd Shamrock	TBA 7:00 PM	-
Sa Nov. 5	Lowest Qtr. Winner Simonds 0	1st Kennebecasis 27	1st Kennebecasis	TBA 1:00 PM	-
Week 10
Provincial Championships
Date	Visitor	Home	Field	Time	Notes
12 Man
Ed Skiffington Trophy Game
Sa Nov. 12	2nd Seeded Survivor Oromocto 9	1st Seeded Survivor Fredericton 26	1st Seeded East Survivor Fredericton	TBA 1:00 PM	-
If no East team in final, game will be held at home field of highest seeded West team.
10 Man
Nick Desilets Memorial Trophy Game
Fr Nov. 11	2nd Seeded Survivor St. Stephen 14	1st Seeded Survivor Kennebecasis 41	1st Seeded Simonds	TBA 1:00 PM	-

	GP	W	L	T	F	A	Pts.
Fredericton Black Kats	6	5	1	0	183	15	10
Oromocto Blues	6	5	1	0	135	41	10
Leo Hayes Lions	6	3	3	0	44	97	6
Saint John Greyhounds	6	3	3	0	110	109	6
Hampton Huskies	6	3	3	0	94	66	6