NSVFL: Timberlea Renegades claim championship title (junior varsity)

“It is always nice to finish your season with a championship, but this year it seem a little bit sweeter due to the fact we lost in the championship last year and this year we were able to overcome a team that had basically shut us out for two straight games,” reflects Renegades assistant coach David Rent after the team’s championship win.  “We, as coaches couldn’t be more impressed and prouder of the young men on the team than we were when their hard work paid off with a championship.”

Nate Rostek (wide receiver/defensive back) got the Renegades on the scoreboard first as he found the end zone at 16:55 of the first quarter.  Brian Leader’s conversion attempt was good to put the Renegades up 7-0.

However, the Mustangs evened up the score as Taylor MacDonald scored a major at 17:37 of the second quarter and the subsequent successful conversion.

Running back David Nisbet rounded out the scoring in the half as he found the outside part of the end zone at the 1:31 mark of the second quarter.  At halftime, the Renegades had a 14-7 lead over the Mustangs.

In the second half, Drew Packman (running back/defensive back) scored a major on a quarterback sneak to put a huge gap between the Renegades and the Mustangs as the lead was 21-7.  The scoring was not done yet as kicker Brian Leader was successful on a field goal attempt at 5:04 of the third quarter to solidify the Renegades lead 24-7 over the Mustangs.

However, the Mustangs tried to mount a late rally in the fourth quarter.  At 2:37, MacDonald once again added to the team’s point tally as he found the end zone.  Moreover, his conversion attempt was successful to pull the Mustangs within striking distance, as they trailed 24-14.

With 17.2 seconds left in the game, Alex Bayne found the end zone; however, the fake attempt was no good.  Therefore, the comeback fell short.

The turning point for the Renegades was the ability to score the first touchdown of the game in the first quarter.

“We’ve never scored an offensive point against them in the two previous games, so once we did there was a sense that a weight had been lifted from the offense,” explains Rent.  “We also felt that if we were able to score first and have the lead, the Mustangs would feel more pressure and get away from their strengths and go for the big play.”

There were four things the league champions attributed to their success in the championship game.

“The keys were staying focused, a good rotation that allowed players to rest and stay hydrated,” assesses the Renegades assistant coach.  “Also, we had a little bit of luck not having any key injuries going into the championship game.”

As for the Mustangs, there were many factors that impacted the outcome and subsequent loss in the title game.

“It took us too long to get going on offense, too many penalties and too many two way players in key positions coping with the heat impacted our tackling and ability to get our defense off the field,” explains Mustangs head coach Greg Bayne in his postgame assessment.

Offensively for the victors, Nisbet rushed for 185 total yards and had 217 all-purpose yards.  Rostek amassed 59 receiving yards for the Renegades.  Chandler Tufts was successful on a running back option pass to Rostek.  Quarterback Lorenz MacDonald was successful on nine completions on 14 attempts, a 64.3 completion rate and 53 passing yards.  Additionally he chipped in with 37 rushing yards for 90 all-purpose yards.

“We needed to replace one of the starters on the offensive line and look to the edge of the Mustangs defense as fast as possible,” adds Rent about the offensive adjustments that were needed to be done to secure the win.  “We wanted to put pressure on them by being the first to score and have them trailing which they have not experience against us.”

Defensively, linebacker Donovan Blue led the way with 11 tackles while Rostek chipped in with eight.  Linebackers Nick Bennett and Jack Chiasson each contributed to the unit’s success that day by registering four tackles apiece.  Defensive lineman Patrick Logan and defensive back Devan Stevens each had a fumble recovery for the Renegades.

“Going into the championship we planned for a strong run game with a bit more passing,” says the Renegades assistant coach of the team’s defensive adjustments.  “We wanted to keep the pressure on their offense and force them to pass more than they were used too.”

As for key performances, Rent was impressed with Rostek’s play in the championship game.

“Nate Rostek gave a 110 percent, and when we asked for more, he delivered,” comments the Renegades assistant coach.   “He rarely came off the field, and considering the heat during the game his performance was impressive.”

Equally, Nisbet brought intangibles that were crucial in the victory for the team.

“David Nisbet was determined as he was not going to be denied the championship, and it showed with his second and third efforts during his runs,” says Rent.  “Most people would have been happy with the initial gains he got, but he wasn’t.”

“His effort and determination was a great example of the leadership he shows.”

MacDonald, the Renegades pivot faced pressure all afternoon; however, he was not fazed and led his team offensively to the championship crown.

“Lorenz MacDonald showed great poise and maturity on the field,” comments Rent.  “He was prepared for the pressure that the Mustangs were going to bring and handled with great poise.”

Meanwhile for the Mustangs, the team did have major contributions from MacDonald and Bayne.

“Taylor was the Player of the Game for us and accounted for two of our three touchdowns and most of our offensive yards,” comments the Mustangs head coach.  “He suffered from overheating issues in the second quarter and had to cool off and missed some of the second and a bit of the third quarter; his ability to make tacklers miss was amazing to watch.”

“Alex Bayne also played a solid game scoring our third and final touchdown in the end and was on the field for pretty much the whole game and in that heat. It was a lot to ask.”

Furthermore, the play of injured Mustangs quarterback Sean Muir was inspiring to watch.

“Sean was able to battle his ankle injury and stayed in the game while he remained composed under the pressure and made some great blocks while we were in our “Wildcat” formation,” reflects Bayne.

As for the Mustangs defensive unit, they had an up and down day out on the field on Saturday afternoon.

“The defense allowed more yards than usual which was due to very strong blocking on the Renegades part and the strong running of David Nesbitt,” says the Mustangs head coach.   “The long drive extended by penalties and having too many two way players in that heat killed us but the positive for the defense was the two goal line stands they made which really kept it from being a blowout.”

“Both Jay Hachey and James Pelley stepped up here and kept the defense fighting to the end.”

One thing that influenced the outcome of the game was the number of penalties called against the Mustangs.  While Bayne says it was disappointing that their opposition gained from those penalties, he does not believe the officials were biased in the calls as some fans in attendance voiced their displeasure with some of the calls.

“It something we have been talking about since the Team Nova Scotia under-16 loss:  high tackles, defensive and offensive offsides, emotional mistakes so it was very frustrating,” explains Bayne about the undisciplined penalties.  “The referees have a job to do out there and our fans are passionate and want to see the boys get a fair shake at winning and not let the outcome be determined by the officials.”

“I get it; however, the rules are the rules.  Do I think that the official sided with the Renegades? NO.. Why would they? I remember some questionable calls but I am biased and I remember a lot of undisciplined errors on the part of the Mustangs players and the bench that should have been called and I remember at least two plays where I thought the Renegades should have been called, but again I am biased. Officiating was not the reason the Renegades won that game.”

As for his postgame assessment, Bayne says that there were many reasons that the Mustangs lost in the championship game.  Lack of success in play execution in the beginning of the game, the weather conditions and the injury bug were the main factors.  Moreover, the Renegades came prepared to play the Mustangs.

“The Renegades were more disciplined and executed their game plan better while we on the other hand, struggled with our center-quarterback exchange in our the beginning which led to a turnover and the go ahead score and this threw our plan off and set us back,” reflects the Mustangs assistant coach.  “The heat was another factor that killed us as we have a lot of two way players which is tough in the best of conditions, but in this heat, a long second quarter drive extended by penalties had the defensive unit gassed three or four of those players were also key offensive players and needed to rest on offense.”

“Our manger and parents worked tirelessly to keep the kids hydrated and cooled down. We ended the season with less depth due to injuries and lack of commitment from key players in key positions so in order to have a shot against the Renegades, we needed ALL our players there and playing.”

In spite of issues with the lack of availability of players due to other commitments, Bayne was honoured to lead and instruct this season’s version of the Mustangs.  Overall, he is proud of the team performed on the field regardless of the loss.

“It’s a fantastic group of players and many of the Mustangs will be standouts with their high school programs this year and go on play in university,” comments Bayne.  “This league has great potential but needs to be reorganized a bit to accommodate the provincial program as 10 of our core players participated in the Nova Scotia  under-18 Football Canada Cup team and looking back it was too much football given their school and work responsibilities.”

“Regarding the championship game, the players gave everything they had; somebody has to win and someone has to lose. These two teams were very well matched and it could have gone either way.”

In turn, the Renegades felt the Mustangs were a formidable opponent.  The victors felt the opposing team played a competitive game.

“The Mustangs are a very talented team with good coaching,” says the Renegades assistant coach.  “They played a hard game and never gave up until the very last whistle.”

“I am not sure there is a better way to end a season then with a championship, especially against a team that had previously beaten us twice.”

Ultimately, it was a team effort which led the Renegades to the NSVFL championship title.

“All season long, we worked as a team and looked to get better each game,” adds Renegades assistant coach, Dave Kelly.  “I think the championship game showed this.”

“Some players stood out but overall, we won the title as a team.”

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