NSSAFFL: Nova Division Week 6 Recap

Week 6 is in the books for the Nova Division of the Nova Scotia Student Athletic Federation Football League (NSSAFFL) and teams are jockeying for position in the standings while prolonging their playoff chances in the process.
In the game of the week, the Sir John A MacDonald Flames defeated archrival Charles P Allen Cheetahs 32-13.  Meanwhile, the Dartmouth High Spartans upended the Cobequid Educational Cougars 16-7 and the Lockview Dragons eked out a 24-22 victory over the Prince Andrew Panthers.
Here are complete Week 6 results for the Nova Division:

SIR JOHN A MACDONALD FLAMES 32, CHARLES P ALLEN CHEETAHS 13:

At Upper Tantallon on Sunday afternoon, the Sir John A MacDonald Flames extinguished their archrivals, the Charles P Allen Cheetahs 32-13.
With this victory, the Flames are currently in second place in the Nova Division with a 3-1-0 (six points) record.  As a result of the loss, the Cheetahs drop to an even 2-2-0 (four points) mark on the season.
Hayden Clarke led the way for the Flames offensively as he amassed 143 rushing yards on 20 carries (longest was 28 yards) and scored a touchdown.  Receivers Thomas Hoyt (three receptions for 40 yards) and Chandler Tufts (two receptions for 35 yards) each found the end zone once for majors in the victory. Brian Leader also scored on a five yard touchdown reception and returned the ball on four kickoffs for 200 yards (average of 50 yards per kickoff return).
Flames pivot Lorenz MacDonald 12 completions in 19 attempts for 158 passing yards.  Running back Hezekiah Armstrong ran for 97 rushing yards on 17 carries, the longest being 24 yards while Nick Hartling accumulated 75 receiving yards on five catches.
Defensively for the Flames, linebacker Keith Langille had six tackles and Donovan Blue chipped in with four tackles.  Josh Bordage was effective in the game as he racked up three sacks and five tackles.  Mitchell James, Brayden Culligan and Scott Logan each registered three tackles apiece. Robie Holland also contributed with a sack.
The Flames had a 9-7 lead at the half.  While the Cheetahs scored a touchdown in the last two seconds of the second quarter, and again found the end zone in the third quarter, it was not enough.
“I thought it was a great, hard fought game between two very good teams,” reflected Flames head coach Alan Wetmore after the victory.  “Players on both teams gave everything they had and should be proud of their effort and play.”
Wetmore says that the Flames had to bring their top game in order to be successful against their archrivals.  While the team pulled out the victory, they know this is a stepping stone in their march towards the playoffs.
“CPA is a very good team and that required the best from our players,” commented the Flames head coach. “I was very pleased that we rose to the occasion and won the game.”
“I am sure we will see each other again so it will be imperative that we keep improving in all aspects of our game. The next time will be just as challenging and will be another great chapter to this rivalry.”
The Sir John A MacDonald Flames does not play their next game until Thursday October 26th, 2012 when they face the Prince Andrew Panthers at Burnside Turf.  Kickoff will be 6:00pm.  Meanwhile, the Charles P Allen Cheetahs will look to get back into the win column when they square off against the Dartmouth High Spartans on Sunday October 21st, 2012 at Burnside Turf.  Game time is 2:00pm.

DARMOUTH HIGH SPARTANS 16, COBEQUID EDUCATIONAL CENTRE COUGARS 7:

At Burnside Turf on Sunday afternoon, the Dartmouth High Spartans strengthened their chances of nabbing a spot in the playoffs with a 16-7 victory over the Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars.
As a result of the win, the Spartans sport a 3-2-0 (six points) record.  On the other hand, the Cougars slide to an even 2-2-0 (four points) record in the Nova Division standings.
Spartans quarterback Cody Cluett had an exceptional performance on Sunday as amassed 222 passing yards on 20 completions and two passing touchdowns (four yards, 36 yards) and a rouge.
“Offensively, Cody Cluett had yet another fantastic game,” assessed Spartans head coach Nick Barr of the quarterback.  “He also ran for 52 yards on seven carries, and had an interception when he went in as a defensive back late in the game.”
“He had complete control of the game and was able to audible us into the right plays based on his effective reads of the defense.”
Cluett connected with receiver Noah MacNaughton twice for touchdowns. MacNaughton had four receptions for 58 yards in the game. Nathan O’Quinn-Wetzel amassed 109 yards on four receptions and a rouge while Matheus Simoni was successful on two conversion attempts.  Andrew Vieira accumulated 50 rushing on nine carries and also had a seven yard reception.
“Receivers Noah MacNaughton and Nathan O’Quinn-Wetzel also had big games for us,” added the Spartans head coach.  “Running back Andrew Vieira had another solid outing.”
“The offensive line also stepped up today by providing Cody with time to find the open receivers and creating holes in the run-game.”
Defensively, Jesse Rudel led the charge as he caught three interceptions and added four tackles.  He also has two receptions for 32 yards.  Isaac Berglund registered 11 tackles while Ishmael Beals had seven tackles and Matt Whalen chipped in with six tackles. Kevin James caught an interception and also accumulated five tackles in the victory.
“Jesse Rudel had another stellar performance,” said Barr.  “Two-way players Ishmeal Beals, Isaac Berglund and Kevin James played extremely well for us on the offensive and defensive line.”
There were several keys in how the Spartans were able to be successful on Sunday afternoon against the Cougars.
“Our run defense was able to minimize big gains by the Cougars offense, and our pass defense was fantastic with five interceptions,” explained Barr.  “It was by far our best defensive performance of the season and offensively, we were extremely effective in the passing game, and ran the ball well enough to keep the Cougars honest.”
“This truly was a team victory with the offense and defence firing on all cylinders to contribute to this crucial win. Our coaching staff did a magnificent job of preparing for what the Cougars was likely to show us offensively and defensively, and in particular, our Defensive Coordinator Randy Rudel and Offensive Coordinator Nick MacLeod, deserve a lot of the credit for the installation and execution of solid game plans on both sides of the ball.”
As for the Cougars, running back Ben Petrie had 70 rushing yards on 12 carries while running back Cody Richardson had 32 yards on eight carries in the loss.  Cougars pivot Gab Bagnell had a rough outing as he had three completions in 18 attempts for 31 passing yards, threw five interceptions and had a 34 yard touchdown run.  Moreover, Bagnell amassed 43 yards on six carries.
Defensive end Adam Kaulbach registered eight tackles and also had a fumble recovery in the game.  Additionally, linebacker Patrick Smith chipped in with four tackles and a forced fumble.  Linebacker Calder Saunders and defensive back Skylar Geldart each registered six tackles a piece in the loss.
“Our offence again struggled to piece back to back good plays together to sustain drives and give our defence a chance to rest and keep Dartmouth’s best player off the field,” assessed Cougars quarterbacks coach Tom Shreve after the game.  “Defensively, Adam Kaulbach, Patrick Smith, and Calder Saunders played well for the defence.”
“Our team continues to make progress in areas of focus and our hope is to pull things together going down the stretch.”
The Spartans acknowledged that they were very fortunate to pull out a key victory against a competitive and tough Cougars squad.
“Cobequid is one of the legendary programs in Nova Scotia high school football, and they have a top-notch coaching staff,” said Barr.  “Cobequid plays tough, but they play with integrity, and we wish them all the best for the remainder of the season.”
“It is a privilege and an honour to be able to compete with them and come out with a victory.”
One area that is of some concern for the Spartans going forward is their lack of discipline play, which was evident in the victory on Sunday.
“We took far too many penalties today that stalled drives and conceded unnecessary yards to the Cougars,” commented the Spartans head coach.  “In particular, we seemed to have a big issue with holding calls.”
“We’ll have to review the game film and see where, and why, we’re out of position such that we’re holding onto defenders.”
This victory has served as a major confidence booster for the Spartans squad in their quest to make the playoffs.  The team’s focus has shifted to their next opponent and the ramifications of that upcoming game.
“This was a key victory for us as we are now in the driver’s seat in terms of qualifying for the provincial semi-finals,” explained Barr.  “Our attention now shifts to the CP Allen game next Sunday in a match-up that will likely determine the third and fourth seeds for the provincial championship.”
As mentioned above, the Dartmouth High Spartans will now face a stiff challenge as they get set to take on the Charles P Allen Cheetahs on Sunday October 21st, 2012 at Burnside Turf.  Kickoff is 2:00pm.  Meanwhile, the Cobequid Educational Cougars will host the Lockview Dragons on Sunday October 21st, 2012 in Truro.  Game time is 1:30pm.

LOCKVIEW DRAGONS 24, PRINCE ANDREW PANTHERS 22:

In an early evening matchup at Burnside Turf on Sunday afternoon, the Lockview Dragons eked out their second win of the season as the team was successful on a field goal attempt with 15 seconds remaining on the clock.  The team defeated the Prince Andrew Panthers 24-22.
The Dragons now have a 2-3-0 (four points) record on the season while the Panthers slide to a 1-4-0 (two points) mark on the season.
Early in the game, the victors jumped out to a 14-0 lead.  However, the Panthers responded back in towards the end of the first half forcing the Dragons to concede a safety and also scoring a major to cut down the lead.  At halftime, the Dragons had a 14-8 lead. Late in the game, the Dragons scored another touchdown to make the score 22-21.
“With less than a minute on the clock, and Prince Andrew on third down, the attempt was to get a good punt off and pin Lockview deep and manage the clock and seal the win,” explained Panthers head coach Joe Flemming. “Lockview sent a lot of heat, and with a slippery ball, our kicker didn’t get a clean crack at it and it as blocked.”
“This gave lock view good field position and they were able to move the ball a few more yards and get within field goal range. They were successful in putting it through the uprights and stealing the game.”
Panthers quarterback Nate Skeete connected with Spencer Wiechert, Jake Moore and Ian Melanson for touchdowns in the loss.
“We had a great back and forth battle in the cold rain,” reflected the Panthers head coach.  “Both sides played with a lot of heart, but it was that special teams play to block our punt that was big turning point.”
“They did a nice job.”
The Lockview Dragons will travel to Truro on Sunday October 21st, 2012 to play against the Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars.  Kickoff is 1:30pm.  Meanwhile, the Prince Andrew Panthers host the Citadel Phoenix on Thursday October 18th, 2012 at Burnside Turf.  Game start time is 7:00pm.

Photos courtesy of Mark Kays
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