Things are running along completely in line with pre-season predictions for the SDSSAA senior boys football loop, as the St. Charles Cardinals, Lo-Ellen Park Knights and Confederation Chargers all currently share top spot with records of 2-0.
The Chargers opened week two with a solid showing in Walden, jumping out to a 15-0 first half lead, and clipping the Lively Hawks 15-7 in a rare “home game” this year.
Curtis Theobald and Connor Sauvé recorded touchdowns for the winners, while Nicholas Rideout countered for Lively, who have opened 2016 at 0-2, but faced Lo-Ellen and Confed in their first two games of the year.
Coming off a season opening win, the Lasalle Lancers gave the St Benedict Bears everything they could handle in their head to head encounter. The favoured Bears were ahead only 21-12 with a couple of minutes to play, adding a pair of late majors to pull away with a 35-12 victory.
The game remained scoreless until late in the second quarter, when St Benedict running back Max MacGillivray spotted a seam and darted 53 yards to the end zone, also converting the TD for a 7-0 Bears lead.
The Lancers would get most of that back with less than thirty seconds showing on the clock, as Samson Recollet connected with wide receiver Ronin Makela on a 30 yard touchdown, unconverted.
The Bears struck in rapid succession in the third quarter, giving themselves some breathing room as quarterback Dakota Coggins called his own number from the one, at the 5:15 mark, before MacGillivray ran 43 yards for his second major at 7:36.
Already armed with a decent running game in the form of Luke Crepeau and Josh Leclair, the Lancers displayed some versatility, as Recollet teamed up with Makela for a second touchdown reception, this time from the ten, helping keep things close.
It wasn't until Coggins found Filippo Mazza all alone with under five minutes to play, and St Benedict running back Erik Laframboise rammed in from the three, that victory was assured.
Laframboise made the switch to fullback after suiting up with the Bears defensive unit in 2015. "I kind of knew that I was fast, I don't want to sound cocky, and I knew that I was bigger, and we didn't have a fullback," explained the 16 year old grade 11 student.
"I find that it's more intense (on offense)," he continued. "As for the hitting part, you can still "truck" kids, which is good." With St. Benedict starting back Cody Kongolo sidelined with an injury, Laframboise helped provide a look that contrasted nicely with the dash of MacGillivray.
"I came pretty close, throughout the game, to getting a touchdown," he noted of his late major. "When I heard that I was getting the ball, I knew that I was going in, I wasn't going to stop."
Both Lo-Ellen and St. Charles recorded lopsided wins on Friday night, as the Knights blanked the Lockerby Vikings 25-0, while the Cardinals manhandled the Notre-Dame Alouettes 42-0.
Graeme Stevens recorded three touchdowns in leading the Knights to victory, with Darcy Labelle adding the other, and Sam Santi making good on a point after attempt.
Bankamina "Djuwa" N'Galamulume and Matt Bell reached the end zone twice each for the defending champs, with Gage Louis and Bradley Piazza adding the remaining two TDs, and N'Galamulume going six for six in the PAT department.
The big game this week sees a rematch of the 2015 final, as Lo-Ellen and St Charles duke it out Thursday night at 8 p.m., although both Lockerby vs Lasalle and St Benedict vs Lively on Friday could prove interesting.
