North Bowl – Football North Clarkson vs. Football North St. Joes

After a long and eye-opening journey down south, this will be the final test of the season for the newly minted CFC10 No. 4 Football North St. Joes team (2-7), a battle with their predecessor, CFC10 No.1 Football North Clarkson (3-6).

The first ever “North Bowl” will take place on Saturday, November 4, at 4pm at Carleton University’s field, MNP Park.

Having had a bye last week, St. Joes has had two weeks to prepare for their sister program’s visit to the nation’s capital. It has been a blessing for the team. Head Coach Blaine Scatcherd said that the difference between this upcoming game and all the others is that the team has had more practice and preparation time, and less time spent traveling.

“(The North Bowl) is going to be exciting because we get to play against a team that really is where we would like to be come next year. They are a second-year program who went through the lumps we did the first year. They’ve learned, and they’ve gotten better, and we are playing a team that we aspire to be,” Scatcherd said.

“Having said that, we are there to compete. We are not just there to go in and play a football game. We are going in to win…” he added. “It has been a learning season for us. It is our inaugural season, so, we are figuring things out. It is not easy getting a program off the ground and I think we have done a good job doing so.”

No one said that the inaugural season would be easy for St. Joes. The team captured only two victories versus their American opponents. Win number one was a 61-0 blowout over the bedraggled Silver Oaks Academy Rams (#182 in Maryland) in their season opener. It would take seven more games until the team found victory again. This time, it was a 27-12 win over the Avalon Black Knights (#67 in Maryland) in their final American game of the season.

“I think last game was giant for us. You have a big victory in Maryland and I think that did wonders for our confidence that we are on the right path and doing some good things,” Scatcherd said. “We learned along the way that there are some things that we have to fix and there are things that we are going to change in year two. But, for year one, I am definitely happy with what we’ve done.”

As the season wore on, the injuries accumulated and decimated the 38-man roster. Players like receiver Kevin Victome (#16) found himself doubling as a defensive back and defensive back Arthur Hamlin (#3) also lined up as a running back.

St. Joes didn’t have an easy schedule either. After a neutral site game in Syracuse, the team travelled to Ohio to compete against some of the state’s toughest teams. Such opponents included powerhouse 8-2 Olentangy Liberty, ranked #28 in the state, #419 in the nation, and the currently undefeated Steubenville Big Red, ranked #20 in the state, #290 in the nation.

After Ohio, St. Joes took a bit of a tour of the United States and took on teams in Maryland, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Despite all the stumbles and hardships St. Joes faced this season, there were some bright spots. Three St. Joes players ranked in CFC’s Top 100 Prospects of the Class of 2018, Hamlin, defensive lineman Lake Korte-Moore (#11) and offensive lineman Alex Berwick (#68).

All three players are captains on the team. Defensive lineman Tyler Greer (#99), offensive lineman Natale Frangione (#55) and the quarterbacks, Avery Dow-Lalla (#10) and Ben Maracle (#12) were also noted as leaders by Scatcherd.

Korte-Moore terrorized opponents’ quarterbacks and ball carriers all season, accumulating several sacks and tackles. Victome showed his speed, especially against the Chardon Hilltoppers (ranked #239 in Ohio) where he had an 85-yard pass and catch, and when he ran for a kickoff return touchdown from his own 20-yard line against the St. Thomas More Chancellors (#33 in prep school rankings).

Hamlin was a force to be reckoned with on the field. He had a 95-yard kick return versus the Hilltoppers. Against the Black Knights, he returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown from his own 15-yard line. While playing on the defense, he had his share of interceptions and fumble recoveries. Versus the Cheshire Academy Cats, ranked #2 for prep schools, Hamlin had a 70-yard pick six. He also caused a fumble and ran the ball in for a touchdown versus the Black Knights.

For Scatcherd, it was leaders like linebacker Makayeo Hall (#45) and receiver Nathan Coleman (#83) that were pleasant surprizes.

“I think that Makayeo has been a guy that we knew was a good football player, but he is so coachable, and he listens, and he is so tough, that he makes a ton of tackles. Not that I am not surprized about it…he just does everything right, does everything we ask of him to do,” Scatcherd said.

And for Coleman, who scored some touchdowns this season, Scatcherd is hoping to have the grade 11 for a year or two more. “We knew he was going to be good, but I think he was even better than what we expected in his first year,” he said.

In the end, football is a team effort. If St. Joes wants to take home the first North Bowl win, they need to execute at a high level, said Scatcherd.

“I think, early on we’ve got to establish that we are in the game. We have to compete…They’re good…We have to protect our quarterback and get after their quarterback, and if we don’t do both of those things, we are in for a very long day,” Scatcherd added.

“Our boys are excited for the first time to play in front of their parents and friends…We play on the road so much that you almost forget what it is like to play in front of them.”

 

 

The Fox 40 Prospect Challenge (FPC) is a series of elite showcase games that feature the best tackle football players from across Canada aged 10-19 years. Tournaments are played in Central Canada (ON) and the West Coast (BC).

CLICK HERE FOR #CFCFPC FACEBOOK PAGE – CENTRAL
CLICK HERE FOR #CFCFPC FACEBOOK PAGE – WEST COAST

GET REGISTERED! GET COACHED! GET RANKED!