NSSAFFL Preview: Playoff spots on the line in Scotia Division battle

When Sir John A MacDonald Flames and JL Ilsley Judges take to the field on Monday (7pm), the intensity and emotion will be fever pitch.

This game could essentially dictate who will qualify for the Tier 1 championships.

“This is a huge game as it is a battle for first place in our division with a playoff spot at stake,” commented Flames Head Coach Steve Majury.  “It will be very difficult for the loser of this game to make the Tier 1 playoffs, thus it is crucial for us to play a complete game on Monday night.”

Judges Head Coach Steve Saunders echoed the sentiments of Majury and conveyed the importance of this key Scotia Division matchup, which will take place at Burnside Turf at 7:00pm.

“We have put ourselves in a big hole by losing to Halifax West and losing this game could knock us out of tier one contention,” explains Saunders.  “They have to win as a loss could put Horton in first despite losing to Sir John A by a big score which certainly shows that we have a problem with our division matchup and their implications.”

With first place in the Scotia Division on the line, the 5-1 Judges will battle the 4-1 Flames in Week 7 Nova Scotia Student Athletic Federation Football League (NSSAFFL) action.  The Judges come into this contest after being handed their first loss of the season, courtesy of the Halifax West Warriors.  The Flames only defeat this season was at the hands of defending provincial champions, Citadel Phoenix.

The last time these two teams met was October 30th, 2o11 when the Flames crushed the Judges 50-1.

From the Judges perspective, the team knows they are facing some huge challenges heading into this game on Monday.

“Sir John A is one of the top three teams in the province all of whom are in their own league,” said Saunders.  “We are a small team and have had a number of key injuries over the past two weeks.”

In order to be successful against the Flames, Saunders said it comes down to the best performances of the season from both offensive and defensive units.

“Our defense will be key to our success as they have a great offense that has scored big numbers,” assessed the Judges Head Coach. ”Their defense is very tough, especially inside so we will have to move the ball around.”

“We will need a big game from our quarterback Ben LeBlanc who will have to read the pressure from Sir John A’s defensive line and linebackers.”

As for the Flames, they know the Judges will utilize their key strengths during the battle on Monday.

“JL Ilsley is a good football team and has many weapons that we must deal with, including Joe Stuckless who is a very talented running back and special teams player,” evaluated Majury.  “They also throw the ball well, thus we will have to be prepared for a diverse attack from JL.”

“Defensively, they are an attack styled defence that plays with high speed and tremendous effort that we must be prepared to challenge physically.  They are well coached and are playing good football and they will be looking to avenge their loss to Halifax West last week, so we need to be ready for a tremendous football game.”

However, the Flames have some key strengths of their own of both sides of the ball. For one thing, the offense is stacked with many potent weapons.

“Offensively, we will be led by Lorenz MacDonald who has really emerged this season as the top quarterback in our league,” described Majury, who is in his rookie season as Flames Head Coach. “Lorenz continues to get better through his work ethic and focus on mastering schemes.”

“Thomas Hoyt is having a great year and continues to challenge secondary’s frequently.  Seth Lane continues to add to his fantastic season with growing confidence each week; he is becoming an impact receiver for us.  Hayden Clarke is back from injury so he will give our offence a huge boost in our running game and Ryan Merlin returns to our lineup to bolster our aerial attack with his great athleticism. We really look to our offensive line to have a strong game as we need to control the line of scrimmage.”

However, the one player who will have the most impact and could influence the game’s outcome is Nate Rostek.

“The player that gets us going offensively is Nate Rostek,” evaluated Majury.  “Nate plays with tremendous passion to match his great skill sets; in short he is a game changer that is awfully difficult to stop and he loves to compete.”

“I expect a huge effort from Nate on Monday night as he is very focused right now.”

Furthermore, the Flames are hoping that another player will continue to build from his previous success in the team’s last game.

“We also look for Brock Samure to continue to be an impact kicker for us following his great performance from last week versus Dartmouth High,” added Majury.

Defensively is where the Flames hope to excel in and will have several key players who will contribute to the unit’s success on the field.

“We need a great effort from our defense which has been led by Josh DeGruchy, who continues to be a dominant force game in game out,” explained Majury.  “Donovan Blue has had an excellent season and I expect to see his best game of the season versus JL.”

“Scotty Logan is poised for a big day as is Zack Leger who has been very consistent this year.  Jack Chaisson has really become a strong player and a steadying influence on our defense and we need a huge day from Jack.  Brayden Culligan has been fantastic in our secondary and we need his best game of the season thus far on Monday night. We look to our secondary to have a big game on Monday.”

Overall, the Flames will bring their traditional aggressive style of play on the field in the hopes of defeating the Judges.

“We have to be extremely physical to be successful against JL,” assessed Majury.  “We need to be high energy and ensure we execute our assignments to best of our abilities on both sides of the ball including special teams where JL can be very dangerous.”

“I liked our focus in practice this week and I expect we will play Flames physical football on Monday night.”

Ultimately, the Flames are looking forward to Monday’s game.

“We are excited to play this crucial game and we will be extremely fired up to play what we hope will be our best football of the season to date,” commented Majury.

As for the Judges, they hope to turn in a solid performance while giving the Flames a run for their money.

“Realistically, I hope our kids show that we can put a good effort out on both sides and make the game interesting,” said Saunders.  “They have a lot more to lose than we do.”

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