Week 1: September 4

Knights tie Royals in opener
Moncton High, Riverview High begin season with 21-21 draw

The first game of the New Brunswick High School Football League season ended in a draw.

The Moncton High Purple Knights and Riverview High Royals played to a 21-21 tie in the 12-man division opener at Rocky Stone Memorial Field last night.

The Purple Knights had a chance to win the game when they punted for a single in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter, but Brett McNeil of the Royals kicked the ball out of the end zone and Riverview High recovered it.

The Royals held a 13-0 lead early on, but the Purple Knights stormed back and were up 21-13 in the second half. Riverview High used a 26-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Grass to Tyler Rigby and a two-point conversion to tie the game in the third quarter. Grass hooked up with Matt Sears on the two-point conversion play.

"I would have loved to have won, but I'm happy with the single point for the tie. Moncton High has 35 players back and they're a good team, so we'll take the point at this point," said Royals head coach Guy Messervier.

"It was our first game and it showed. We made some mistakes, but we also showed character in coming back in the game."

Grass, a Grade 11 rookie pivot in his league debut, threw another touchdown pass, 28 yards to Nico Sokolowski. Grass also scored on a four-yard QB sneak. B.J. Burdock kicked a convert for Riverview High.

Moncton High quarterback Dylan Rogers hooked up with receiver Matt Toogood for a pair of touchdown passes of 20 and 25 yards. Purple Knights newcomer Mark MacDougall intercepted Grass and returned it 45 yards for another score. Lucas Constantine booted three converts for Moncton High.

"We had our bright spots, we created a number of turnovers and had some positives, but they're overshadowed by big mistakes," said Purple Knights head coach John Allanach, whose team trailed 13-7 at halftime.

"We made three key mistakes on defence that cost us touchdowns. We go back to practice on Monday knowing we have to be better than that."

The rest of the teams in the division's Eastern Conference open the regular season next weekend. The three-time defending New Brunswick champion Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders play the Harrison Trimble Trojans Friday at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone. Also on Friday, Moncton High hosts the Tantramar Titans at 7 p.m. at Rocky Stone.

The Mathieu-Martin Matadors and l'Odyssée Olympiens begin the regular season in the league's new 10-man division next weekend. Mathieu-Martin visits the Harbour View Vikings Friday at 7 p.m. in Saint John while l'Odyssée travels to Saint John next Saturday for a 1 p.m. meeting with the Simonds Seabees.