With semi-final action exactly one week away, the Lo-Ellen Park Knights finally looked the part of a team that could pose a serious post-season threat when it comes to crowning a high-school senior football champion this fall.
The Knights dropped a close 9-7 decision to the Lively Hawks, featuring easily the best defensive effort in terms of slowing down quarterback Nick Rideout and the city's top offensive unit.
Lo-Ellen denied Lively a touchdown but were ultimately felled by a 19 yard field goal from Rideout with just 2:08 remaining in the game. Rideout had split the uprights early in the first quarter, nailing a chip shot, and added a single in the second quarter, to go along with a safety for the Hawks.
Trailing 6-1 at the half, Lo-Ellen made things interesting when Ben Ashley hauled in a seven yard touchdown pass from Brodie Erwin, midway through quarter three, forcing the first place Hawks to come from behind for only the second time all year.
Ultimately, the Lively win, combined with the St. Charles Cardinals thumping of the Collège Notre-Dame Alouettes and the St. Benedict Bears forfeited win over the Confederation Chargers has created a logjam for second place.
With their 5-0 record, the Hawks secured first place, with Lo-Ellen, St. Ben's and St. Charles all at 3-2, Confederation at 1-4 and the Alouettes winless at 0-5. With fewest points allowed in game involving only the three tied teams utilized as the tie-breaker, the Bears grabbed second place, with the Knights in third and the Cardinals sitting fourth.
Come Friday afternoon at the James Jerome Sports Complex, Lively and St. Charles will lead off the semi-final doubleheader, with opening kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m., following by St. Benedict and Lo-Ellen, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Closing out the regular season with a 63-0 triumph over CND, the Cardinals spread the point production wealth, right across their lineup. Running back Liam Cousineau was the only player with a pair of majors, busting in from the one yard line and returning a very short punt 22 yards to the end zone.
Alex Lockhart (71 yd run), Buyi N'Galamulume (23 yd run), Logan Wrigley (27 yd pass fromNathan Rivet), the afore-mentioned Rivet (18 yd run), Liam Williamson (8 yd interception return), Tristan Day (25 yd run) and Adrian Chitowha (25 yd run) score one TD each, with kicker Aiden Ragogna adding nine consecutive converts.
