OFC: JV Sturgeon fall in rematch for division title

First Quarter Breakdown:

The Sturgeon took the field on offense first. The Predators formed tackled well and contained the Sturgeon attack. This forced a punt.

The Predators struck first and took a 6-0 lead when Tyler Woods scored on a one yard touchdown run. Lorand Guczuly added the extra poing giving the Predators a 7-0 lead.
The Sturgeon offense once again had trouble getting on track and Predators ball hawking defense continued to give the Sturgeon offense problems. The Sturgeon had to punt the ball back to the Predators following a three and out.

The Predators looked to increase their lead but the Sturgeon defense held strong and did not allow the Predators to expand on their lead.
The Sturgeon offense broke a long offensive play on a play that they are well known for, that being a reverse. Running back Mitchell Smiley got the ball on the reverse and broke free for a seventy one yard touchdown run. Blake Maxfield added the extra point and the game was tied at 7-7. This brought an end to the first quarter.

Second Quarter Breakdown:

The Sturgeon catching some momentum forced a punt when the Predators offense took the field once again. This gave the Sturgeon some confidence and their offense retook the field with a sense of purpose. Despite a strong offensive drive the Sturgeon offense could not put the ball in the end zone, which is something that they struggled with the first time they played the Predators. Despite Maxfield missing the twenty five yard field goal attempt the coverage made the play in the end zone giving them the rouge. This made the score 8-7 in favour of the Sturgeon.

The Predators have been known for having a strong backfield and they caught the Sturgeon defense on their heels when they executed a play action bootleg pass in impressive fashion. Quarterback Lucas McConnell connected with wide receiver Brendan McCracken on a fifty yard touchdown pass, the extra point was missed but the Predators remained in the lead, by a score of 13-8

The Sturgeon offense knew that they needed to answer the call. Quarterback Josh Elsley connected with wide receiver Hayden Mclean to make a big third down conversion. Elsley also converted a fourth and short to keep the drive alive. After making two important plays Elsley scored a touchdown on a one yard sneak and he also added a two point conversion. This now gave the Sturgeon a 16-13 lead.
The Sturgeon forced a three and out but could not add to their lead before half and they went into the locker room at halftime with the lead. However, they also were leading at the half the first time the teams met.

Third Quarter Breakdown:

The Predators got the ball on offense to start the second half. The Predators had little to no trouble moving the ball down the field looking to re-take the lead. The drive resulted by the Predators doing just that. McConnell threw his second touchdown pass to McCraken for twenty yards. The score was also McCraken’s second touchdown catch. Guczuly added the extra point and the Predators now had a 20-16 lead.

The next few minutes provided some excitement after the Predators recovered a short kick they gave the ball right back the Sturgeon and defensive player Jeremy Jones recovered the fumble for the Sturgeon. The Sturgeon then coughed the ball right back and defensive player Alex Weber jumped on the ball for the Predators.

The Predators then once again burned the Sturgeon on the play action pass and McConnell threw his third touchdown pass to McCraken for a fifty five yard score. Guczuly added the extra point and the Predators now had a two score lead. The scoreboard now read 27-16
The Sturgeon knew they had to score to prevent the game from getting away from them. They did just that

when they got the ball on offense. Tight end Dale Bressette caught a huge pass to convert on fourth down. Tough hardnosed fullback Yenel Olivero scored on a one yard touchdown run. Following a failed two point conversion the score was now 27-22 in favour of the Predators. This brought an end to the third quarter.

Fourth Quarter Breakdown:

After the Sturgeon defense had been burned by wide receiver McCraken another wide receiver got into the mix to make an impact for the Predators. This time it was Tyler Majaury who caught a thirty yard touchdown pass from McConnell. Guczuly added the extra point which expanded the Predators lead to 34-23.

The Sturgeon offense had to do something to keep the game close but they were denied when the Predators defense made the key play on fourth down to get their offense back on the field. Moreover, when the Predators offense took the field they knew one more score would seal the deal. Running back Tre Nicholson is rightly labeled as one of the best running backs in the league. An argument can be made that he is the best in the league; he finally got one in the end zone when he scored a touchdown from twelve yards out. Guczuly extra point made the score 41-22.

The Sturgeon added a late score when Smiley caught a ten yard pass out of the backfield for a touchdown. The Sturgeon could not convert on the two point conversion and score was moved to read 41-28. That would be the final score.

Final Thoughts:

Despite the Sturgeon’s tough performance they just could not play with the Predators for the full four quarters. The game was a tough hard hitting affair with both teams leaving it all on the field. The Predators were just too big on the lines, too fast, too skilled, and too deep.

“They just outplayed us,” said Sturgeon head coach Steve Belrose. This statement was just a statement of fact especially in the third quarter where the Predators capitalized on some Sturgeon miscues and pulled away.

“They are a great team,” added Belrose.

The Sturgeon had a great year and they should be proud of the way they played but at the end of the day the Predators are just a better team. It was a pleasure following this team and I look forward to seeing this program continue to develop and get better. As I said in last week’s article seeing that overtime game against Forest City was a true treat to watch and watching a game like that reminded me of my true love for the game of football.

The Predators will now advance to the league championship where they play the fellow unbeaten Burlington Stampeders. That one should be a dandy.