#CFC50 Game of the Week (ONT) PREVIEW: No. 26 Denis Morris prepared for meeting under the lights with undefeated No.27 Saint Paul

Feature Photo Courtesy of the St. Catherines Standard

No 26. Denis Morris Reds (2-0) v.s No. 27 Saint Paul Patriots (2-0)

Everybody involved knew it was coming, and finally the day is here as the #CFC50 No.26 Denis Morris Reds prepare to cross paths with the #CFC50 No.27 Saint Paul Patriots in a highly anticipated NCAA matchup.

After two weeks of regular season play, the Reds are staring eye to eye in the standings with a Patriots team who have looked dominant defeating Notre Dame 42-17, followed up with a 28-7 victory over Lakeshore. There are not many secrets between these two undefeated squads having battled each other in the past, but Denis Morris is aware that Saint Paul always have a trick or two up their sleeves when the pair collide. Reds’ Head Coach Rob Battista knows that his team will be in for a long afternoon of football, but hopes that his boys will be prepared to handle the unexpected when their opponents inevitably try to shake things up,

“St Paul is a well coached team and they are always prepared. We need to concentrate on our timing and execute well.” Battista explains. “St Paul always brings a new wrinkle on both sides of the ball. We need to prepare our guys so that they are not caught off guard.”

As announced we will play Saint Paul at Michelson Park tomorrow evening. Listen closely for details and general expectations for the game. pic.twitter.com/IOzwgViy1p

— Denis Morris (@dmchsofficial) October 4, 2016

On the flip side, a Reds’ aerial attack led by quarterback Travis Arp and his band of talented wideouts will be looking for a way to throw the Patriots off of their game. Feeding off of Arp’s experience, wide receivers Cam Calder, Hayden Riley and Dylan Warnock have all excelled making big plays for their quarterback when needed. Although Denis Morris may be a bit green along the trenches with a lot of newcomers playing bigger roles, Battista has a ton confident in his playmakers to carry the load and ease the transition for their younger players,

“Our strengths on both side of the ball are our skill positions. Newcomer Owen Wallace has been stellar on punt returns and has also made an impact at receiver, while Austin Pilato has been running the ball well. We have inexperience on both the offensive and defensive line, but our quarterback is in his second year of the program and has a strong grasp of the offence.”

On defence, the Reds main goal will be to corral a nasty Patriots’ running attack led by standout Cam Lang. In order to do so, they will be relying heavily on halfback Mike Domanico and linebacker Jack Andrews – who Battista says have been all over the field making tackles in their first two games. Denis Morris will also be looking towards their defensive line to step up and plug some holes in both the run and pass game,

“Rob Hough has been disruptive coming off the edge, and newcomer at defensive end Latrell Harris is starting to come into his own after two years away from the game.”

This #CFC50  showdown will not be for the faint of heart with each program prepared to stake their claim as the team to beat in the NCAA. With Denis Morris taking control in each game they’ve played this season – including a 36-7 win versus Saint Michael last week – Battista has a very simple message that he hopes will lead his team to victory once again,

“Keep focused and do your job first. Be where you are supposed to be.”

The action is set to kick off on October 5th at 7:00pm.

 

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