On Sunday afternoon, two teams will reignite a rivalry once again and both know the stakes are immensely high.
The Sir John A MacDonald Flames (2-1-0) will host the Charles P Allen Cheetahs (2-1-0) on Sunday afternoon at 1:00pm for a key Nova Division matchup in the Nova Scotia Student Athletic Federation Football League (NSSAFFL).Ā While this may be the first meeting of the regular season, both teams have been anticipating this contest for quite some time.
“As much as you would like to try and downsize the magnitude of a game to ensure a level mental focus from your athletes this time it can’t be done,” says Flames head coach Alan Wetmore.Ā “This game is big and this rivalry is major.”
“These are two communities that are next to each other, all the players know each other, and none of them want to lose the battle. A lot of community pride goes into this one.”
As for the last time these two teams met, it was in the Tier 1 quarterfinals on Remembrance Day, 2011.Ā In a very windy and rainy affair at Burnside Turf, the Cheetahs defeated the Flames 47-15.
With much at stake in this game, the Cheetahs know that the Flames will be ready to compete with the goal of winning.Ā Ultimately, players have to bring forth top performances in order to be successful against the opposition.
“We all need to step up in games like this as it does require everyone’s best effort to win against a tough team like Sir John A,” explains Cheetahs head coach Michael McPherson.Ā “We cannot afford the mental mistakes and turnovers that we have had and expect to win against the top teams in this league.”
“The last couple times we have played SJA the games have been hard fought and very exciting, and I suspect this trend will continued on Sunday.”
For the Cheetahs, the key players to watch for on Sunday include quarterback Sean Muir, versatile two-way player Taylor MacDonald, kicker Chase Kodejs, receiver Alex Bayne and receiver/defensive lineman Oliver Kuehm.
“CP Allen has a great coaching staff, other than being St. Mary’s guys, and some top notch players including a very good running back, receivers and a mobile quarterback,” comments Wetmore of the opposition.
Meanwhile, linebacker Keith Langille, defensive back John Perrott, receiver Nick Hartling, running back Hayden Clarke and Nate Rostek will be looked upon to lead the charge for the Flames on Sunday afternoon. Other players expected to contribute to the Flames success include Chandler Tufts, Thomas Hoyt, Hezekiah Armstrong and Brian Leader.
“Sir John A is a very well coached team that consistently plays tough, fundamentally sound football,” adds McPherson.Ā “They give many different looks including a wild cat package that we will need to be accountable for in our defensive game plan.”
“Sir John A has a very balanced offensive attack and as recent scores have shown, are able to put up points in a diversified fashion.Ā On defense, they have a very solid unit as a whole with some very talented linebackers.”
After a winner is declared in Sunday’s contest, positioning will look a lot clearer in the Nova Division.
“Until any of us can prove that we can beat Citadel we are all playing for second,” says Wetmore.Ā “The league is starting to show itself, teams are starting to fall into their categories, and this game will say a lot.”
“CP Allen and us still have to play Truro but as of now, we will all find out who we are by the end of the weekend.”
Overall, this game will serve as a stepping stone for both teams, in their overall quest to dethrone the defending provincial champions, the Citadel Phoenix.
“We have to play our game very well in order to stay in the hunt to take down the Champ,” adds Wetmore.Ā “She is a big game for sure!”
Photos 1, 3 and 5 Joe Chrvala
(website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jchrvala)
Photos 2, 4 courtesy of Mark Kays
(twitter: http://twitter.com/vohra_ameeta)
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