RECAP: CFC#40 Greyhounds win, Purple Knights earn shutout as regular season concludes

The final week of the 2014 New-Brunswick High School Football League (NBHSFL) season was just a formality, as the playoff seeding went unchanged.

The Moncton High Purple Knights continued their season long dominance, blanking the Simonds Seabees 63-0. The Seabees concluded a forgettable season with a 0-7 record. Both the offensive and defensive units for the Seabees struggled mightily throughout the 2014 campaign, as the offense amassed 8 total yards throughout the season, while the defense were unable to limit opposing offenses.

Assistant coach Dylan Rogers believes that Moncton High is entering their first round matchup against the MacNaughton Highlanders playing their best football of the season.

“We’ve been steadily improving throughout the course of the season, and feel we are prepared for a playoff push,” added Rogers.

Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders concluded their 2014 regular season with a trip to Oromocto to face the third place Blues. What began as an entertaining game quickly turned stagnant as the two teams amassed a total of 350 yards in penalties and failed to convert on meaningful possessions. The second half dragged on as neither team could find a rhythm and the penalty flags continued to fly. The Highlanders managed to conclude their 2014 campaign with a winning record, defeating the Blues 19-7.

The contest did nothing to decide either team’s playoff fate, as the Blues remain in third place and will face the 5-2 Fredericton High Black Kats in the first round of the playoffs.

The Highlanders will have a tough test in the first round as they take on their city rivals in the first round, a team who crushed them 35-0 in the season opener. Head coach Ed Wasson recognizes the difficulty that lies ahead.

“Moncton High has a great football team and we will need to be firing on all cylinders in order be successful” explained Wasson.

The Black Kats squeaked out a tough victory in their season finale, besting the Tantramar Titans 20-14 in an evenly matched, back-and-forth contest. Much like the Purple Knights, the Black Kats have steadily improved throughout the season and seem primed for a successful playoff push.

Because the SouthWestern conference is comprised of two juggernauts in the Black Kats and CFC#40 Saint John Greyhounds, the remainder of the conference will struggle to compete in the opening round. The Leo Hayes Lions managed to solidify a spot in the playoffs despite their 2-5 record. The Lions will travel to Saint John next week to take on the undefeated Greyhounds. This past week, the Lions fell 17-14 to the struggling Mathieu-Martin Matadors in an evenly matched affair.

The Greyhounds, on the other hand, used their final game of the season as a tune-up and a chance to get everybody some playing time. Despite giving their starters more of a rest than usual, the Greyhounds easily handled the Harrison Trimble Trojans 42-28.

The Greyhounds coasted to a seventh straight victory and concluded their season with an unblemished record. The Trojans, on the other hand, have been eliminated from the playoffs and will have to watch the remainder of the 2014 season from the bleachers.

The final game of the week was held at Usher field in Kennebecasis Valley, where the Riverview Royals defeated the Crusaders 28-14.

Heading into the playoffs, the Moncton High Purple Knights seem to be the favorite in the Eastern Conference, while the Greyhounds and Black Kats own the SouthWest. However, nothing is decided until the games are played.

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