#2 NIAGARA SPEARS (3-0) @ #4 CAMBRIDGE LIONS (3-0)Β – Fri. June 19th 20h00 Laurier University
THE MATCHUP: The Grand Daddy of all the games this weekend it doesn’t get much better than this. You have a pair of unbeaten teams, ranked second and fourth provincially, going toe-to-toe under the Friday night lights of Laurier University. Although #2 Niagara and #4 Cambridge both come in sporting identical 3-0 marks, how they got to this point couldn’t be different.
The Niagara Spears come into this one off a 43-40 shootout win over London. Offensively the Spears were a portrait of balance rushing for 143 yards and passing for another 289. QB Blair Robertson fired four touchdown passes while receiver Jack Gelbart had a breakout game snagging eight passes for 126 yards and 3 scores. Defensively Niagara had been very good heading into last weekend. The Spears surrendered under 350 yards total offense in each of their first two games, forcing eight turnovers in the process. Then along came London….although the ‘Stangs have run and scored with impunity all season, there still has to be major concern not only for the nearly 400 surrendered yards on the ground but for the yards per carry as well. London averaged an unheard of 12 yards per carry…12+ yards per carry on 33 carries.
Where all three Spears games were decided by single digits, the 2nd ranked Cambridge LIons’ outcomes couldn’t have been any more the opposite. Cambridge has yet to be in a “real game” this season outscoring opponents 127-27 en route to their 3-0 start. Their defense has been led by their secondary and their league leading 11 interceptions. A 36-7 week two road win against Etobicoke has been their biggest test thus far…..but that’s about to change.
CAMBRIDGE PLAYERS TO WATCH: LB Devin Keeling, QB Brendan Carey, REC Kaedan Jespersen, REC Gordon Lam, DB Riley Pilkey, DB Mitchell Weiler, DB Ben Slinger
NIAGARA PLAYERS TO WATCH: DB Kam McNeil, DL Lukas Brennan, DL Kaelan Reilly, REC Jordan Terrio, REC Colin O’Connor, QB Blair Robertson, REC Jack Gelbart
WHAT WILL HAPPEN: The Spears have two statement wins and another down to the wire dogfight is becoming somewhat passe for them and that experience will definitely play a factor in this one. The Spears have been tested early whereas Cambridge has not. In a game that should otherwise be pretty even, this “tight game” experience will prove the difference.
FINAL SCORE: NIAGARA 26 CAMBRIDGE 21
LONDON JR MUSTANGS (2-2) @ #8 SAULT STE. MARIE SABERCATS (3-1) – Sat. June 20th 16h00 Superior Heights HS
THE MATCHUP: The Sabercats fell out of the top five last week due to their 35-7 loss to Essex last week and will be looking to bounce back and avoid possibly falling from the top 10. The Sault’s defense played fairly well but they weren’t the stellar, turnover producing unit we had gotten to know in the first three weeks of the 2015 season. They will need to shore up and quickly as London piles points against anyone. Cole Kussman and Brentyne AndersonBrown are both capable of taking over a football game. London runs the ball, but it’s not really a clock control offense, averaging around 8 yards per carry and able to strike from anywhere.
SSM PLAYERS TO WATCH: REC Austin Wesley, DL Mitchell Standnyk QB Evan Bodnar, RB Tristian Marshal, DB Domenic Gervaasi, DB Lautaro Frecha LB Michael Reid, REC James White
LONDON PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Cole Kussman, QB Tristan Arndt, RB Brentyne AndersonBrown, DB Noah Hallett, DB Jordan Carter
WHAT WILL HAPPEN: The Sabercats freefall continues as the Jr. Mustangs ground game is too much, this one resembles a track meet.
FINAL SCORE: LONDON 38 SSM 29
OTHER TOP TEN PREDICTIONS:
OFC – #1 HAMILTON HURRICANES 39 GUELPH JR GRYPHONS 17 – Hurricanes have shown no signs of relinquishing crown in ’15
OVFL – #3 MYERS RIDERS 56 OSHAWA HAWKEYES 21 – Just like years past Myers are piling up the points and look unchallenged in the Wettges.
OVFL – #5 ESSEX RAVENS 33 HAMILTON IRONMEN 17 – Ravens are looking better each week.
OFC – #8 TORONTO JR ARGOS 22 SUDBURY 15 – The Argos keep pulling out tight wins….but for how long.
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