Bears too good

OFC: Senior Varsity Bears defense shut out the Chatham-Kent Cougars

In week 3, the Guelph Bears faced the Chatham Cougars. After a big 53-10 victory in week 2, the Bears were back and ready to take their record to 2-1. After moving into the OFC, the Bears have made their mark, dominating their competition in the past two weeks. This week they received their first shutout victory, winning 48-0.

Coach Jeremy MacLeod is proud of his team’s big win but said his team played sloppy football and has plenty of room for improvement. “I know my guys are way better then we showed.  Chatham-Kent has some very strong athletes and held the game close until halftime. I think that when it came down to 2nd half, they didn’t have enough bench on Saturday to keep up with our fresh legs,” coach MacLeod tells CFC.

Once again this week, the Bears used a versatile offense that made them difficult to keep up with. With a lot of depth in the backfield, the Bears were able to give the ball to 6 different running backs this week.  All six backs only rushed for a cumulative 150 yards on 12 carries. Leading rusher Micheal Webber touched the ball only twice but had a 93 yard rushing touchdown. The Bears had a few big breaks this week that helped put points on the board.

Quarterback Job Reinhart went 15/33 for 232 yards in the air this week. Job connected with 5 different receivers this week effectively spreading the ball around the field. Next week the Bears hope to have a more reliable offense both on the ground and through the air. They need consistency in all aspects of the game to continue winning in the future.

The defense stood up for the Bears this week and guaranteed the victory. Shutting out the competition is a tremendous feat for any team. Coach MacLeod was ecstatic about his defenses performance this Saturday, “The Defense played outstanding this weekend not allowing Chatham to get into the end zone.”

The Bears defense had some stellar players step up to help keep the Cougars off the score board in week 3. Defensive coordinator Josh Prior has ensured his players stick to the game plan each week. He provides a strong defensive force accompanied by Macleod’s versatile offense. “It was a team effort to maintain the shutout verse Chatham,” Prior says. The Bears have depth on both sides of the ball making them a tough team to compete with.

The Bears had an outstanding defensive performance this weekend. Steward Vandermade, #53, kept continuous pressure on the opposing quarterback and provided some big hits on their running backs. His great game play was accompanied by #11, Avery Reyner’s presence. Reyner had a couple timely sacks and crucial knockdowns keeping the ball out of the Cougars hands. Defensive back Nick Parisotto stepped up for the bears again and was a huge force against the run game.

The defense held the Bears in the game throughout. Not only did they provide necessary stops, they produced some points themselves. Phil Germain, #5, had an interception for a touchdown, while Ron Kinga had a pick of his own.

“I am happy with how the defense played, but there are still a lot of things to work on and need to be fixed as we prepare for the Brantford Bisons” Prior explains. His defense is continually growing and getting better and prepared to work hard in the coming week to prepare for week 4.

Once again this week the Bears played strong on special teams. 24 of the 48 points came from special teams this past weekend including an 80 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Nick Parisotto had a 51 yard punt return touchdown and a 7 yard touchdown reception on a fake field goal. Kicker Bobby Mackenzie put 3 more points on the board with a Bears field goal.

Coach Jeremy is happy with his teams overall record but knows there is always room for improvement. “This weeks practice will be crucial, as we will need to make all our corrections and adjustment from our mistakes to ensure that we play to our full potential in the up-coming weeks.” The Bears are a team on a mission. They want the competition to know that they deserve to be taken seriously in the OFC this season.

Next week we see the Guelph Bears up against the Brantford Bisons (0-3).