LOSSA Senior Football Championship: Holy Trinity Captures First Title; Wilson Denied a Four-peat

The Holy Trinity Titans became the first school east of Whitby to capture the LOSSA Senior Football league title since 1992 when they turned back the Donald A. Wilson Gators 33-32. The loss ended the Wilson quest for a fourth consecutive league title.

This championship also represents the first LOSSA Tier One football title for a school that is a member of the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board.

For football purists, this was not the best game of football as both teams endured multiple turnovers however from an offensive standpoint, the game offered plenty of excitement with nine touchdowns being scored including four, each of which were over sixty yards in length.

The Titans appeared to be poised to take the early lead as they were deep in the Wilson red zone. However a dropped pass in the end zone followed by an unsuccessful third down gamble resulted in a change of possession. Wilson immediately took advantage of the turnover as Omar Williams scampered 83 yards to open the scoring. Chivon Gallagher added the point after and Wilson took a 7-0 lead with 8:26 on the clock. The Williams touchdown was the only scoring in the first quarter.

Earl Anderson’s 63 yard run with 9:18 left in the second quarter coupled with a convert by Joe Mastromarco knotted the score at seven. Thirty-nine seconds later, Greg Morris, on a 37 yard carry, put the Gators back in front. The convert attempt failed and the Gators led 13-7. Mastromarco would close out the second quarter scoring with a pair of field goals from 19 and 18 yards seventy-six seconds apart. The second field goal was posted with 25 seconds remaining and it appeared that the teams would be heading to the break tied at 13. Greg Morris had other ideas though, as he took the ensuing kick off 85 yards to the house to put the Gators out in front by six at the half.

The Gators controlled action early in the third quarter with a drive culminating with a one yard run by Omar Williams which extended the lead to 25-13 at 9:48. Down by twelve, the Titans responded with a 45 yard pass and run play as David Neal connected with speedster Ryan Dus. Mastromarco reduced the margin to five as he split the uprights with the point after. There was no more scoring in the third quarter and the teams changed ends with the Gators on top 25-20.

Greg Morris increased the lead to 31-20 at the 10:36 mark with a sensational 90 yard gallop as he notched his third touchdown of the game. Just over two minutes later, Holy Trinity responded as Neal found Tyler Ganhao in the end zone. The passing play covered 18 yards and following a failed two point convert attempt, the score stood at 31-26.

With the clock ticking, the Gators were in possession of the ball. They appeared to be in a punting situation however Gallagher, on a fake punt, took off with the ball and made first down yardage. However, two plays later the Gators were facing third and short yardage while still on their side of mid field. The ensuing gamble failed resulting in the sixth turnover of the game by defending champions. Shortly thereafter, Neal connected with Dus deep in the Gator red zone. With 47 seconds remaining, Stephen Thompson carried the ball three yards to give Holy Trinity a one point lead, which was extended to two with Mastromarco’s convert.

The Gators then mounted a furious assault to retake the lead. A roughing the passer penalty provided the Gators with the ball at the Holy Trinity 31 yard line with 5.6 seconds remaining. Gallagher lined up for the three point attempt and the crowd watched with abated breath as the attempt was launched. The kick was long enough however the officials signaled wide left and the Holy Trinity fans stormed on to the field in wild celebration.

The win for Holy Trinity did represent a measure of revenge as the Titans had been knocked out by the Gators in the 2008 finals and also in the 2009 semi-finals when the Gators executed a 109 yard pass and run touchdown with 1:29 left to prevail 20-15. The Titans had been undefeated before losing the 2009 game to Wilson while the championship game loss in 2010 was the first of the season for the Gators.

The 65 points scored represented the most scored in a LOSSA Senior Championship game while the two pass receptions by Dus were his first cathces of the season.

The game took a lengthy two hours and forty-five minutes to complete, a fact that might have better suited the Titans who appeared to have only three players going on both offense and defense.

With the loss, the Gators were unable to join the 1990 Pickering Trojans, who remain the only school to successfully defend both a Senior and Junior title in the same year.

Game MVP awards went to:
Holy Trinity Offensive Player of the Game: David Neal
Holy Trinity Defensive Player of the Game: Dustin Harris
Wilson Offensive Player of the Game: Greg Morris
Wilson Defensive Player of the Game: Mike MacGregor

League MVP: Dillon Campbell, St. Mary Monarchs

LOSSA Junior Football Championship:
Wilson Defends Junior Title As Smith Records Four Touchdowns

The Wilson Gators captured their second consecutive LOSSA Junior Championship and fourth in six years as they exploded for three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter to defeat Pickering 50-27. The Trojans were seeking their tenth junior title.

Grade nine sensation Andrew Smith led the Gator attack recording four touchdowns via runs of 35, 42, 15 and 45 yards. Smith’s initial touchdown had staked the Gators to a 7-0 first quarter lead.

Pickering, however, responded with three second quarter scoring plays to take a 15-7 lead as a safety by Kyle Forde was sandwiched with touchdowns by Jesse St. John (1 yard keeper) and Nevell Provo (26 yard run converted by Dakota Parsons). The Gators were able to level the score with just over a minute left until half time when Jerome Gonsalves-Akers called his own number on a two yard keeper and Dylan Misseri added a two point convert.

The three touchdown onslaught in the third quarter was aided by numerous Trojan objectionable conduct penalties, the first two of which advanced the ball from the 30 yard line to the one where Sanjay Francis easily scored. Smith then scored his second touchdown and then Francis picked up his second on a three yard carry to extend the lead to 36-15.

In the fourth quarter, the Trojans mounted a comeback with Jesse St. John scoring his second short yardage touchdown of the game and Jackson Lyder hauling in a 15 yard pass from St. John to narrow the margin to 9 points with just over eight minutes remaining. An ensuing onside kick gave the Trojans the ball back and suddenly the once comfortable Gator lead did not seem insurmountable.

However, once the Gators got the ball back, Smith went to work recording his third and fourth touchdowns in the final four minutes to seal the deal.

Malcolm Branton was a perfect six for six in point after attempts for the Gators.

The loss was the first of the season for Pickering who had won the regular season contest over Wilson 24-22. Raekwon Grant, the league MVP, did not play for Pickering in the playoffs after suffering a season ending ankle injury in the final regular season game.

Game MVP awards went to:
Wilson Offensive Player of the Game: Andrew Smith
Wilson Defensive Player of the Game: Sanjay Francis
Pickering Offensive Player of the Game: Jesse St. John
Pickering Defensive Player of the Game: Nevell Provo

League MVP: Raekwon Grant

By: OnTheSideline