ONT (LOSSA-Durham): Titans down CFC Top 50 Saints in thriller

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Defense, special teams and adversity are the three words one could use to categorize the thriller that happened between two Lake Ontario Secondary Schools Association (LOSSA) heavyweights  on Saturday. This game was treated as a proving grounds of sorts for a Holy Trinity Titans team that felt disrespected in the CFC top 50 rankings. The Saints went into Saturday’s showdown looking to further solidify their status as the team to beat in LOSSA. There was also no doubt that last years playoff game loomed large in their heads; as one could probably guess an emotional battle ensued.

Defence and special teams would sum up the first half of the game. It began with Titans linebacker Tyler Paul picking up right where he left off by recovering a muffed kickoff and gave Titans the ball in Saints territory. Special teams would now take a break while the defence stole the spotlight as neither the Titans nor Saints could effectively move the ball. The Titans would have two chances to put up a field goal but they were blocked and missed in that order and defence would again become the star of the first half.

In the second half,  the Saints would be the first team on the board with a field goal. Later in the quarter, a special teams play would once again give the Saints points as their punter got them a rouge when a Titans returner failed to make it out of the end zone.
With seconds winding down in the third quarter; however, the Titans showed some offensive life after a booming punt by the Titans’  Johnny Codrington was mishandled and recovered by the Titans. The team would take full advantage of the field position with a strike from Chris Waldinsperger to Derek Cyr who made a fingertip grab in the end zone to put up the first major score of the day. The celebration was short lived as on the very next drive blown coverage led to a long touchdown pass from Drew Poddle to John Baron to put the Saints back on top heading into the fourth.

The story of the fourth quarter is undoubtedly adversity shown by both teams as they battled each other and at times battled some very questionable calls. Both defenses once again began to impose their will on the opposing offence and moving the ball became a daunting task. This game had mostly been a field position game and would continue to be. With 1:20 left in the fourth  the Saints (leading 11-7) decided to play field position by conceding a safety in order to try and pin the Titans deep and let their defence end the game. The decision was great in theory but when put into play the Saints could not account for the heart and adversity of  a Titans team that just refused to lose. The Titans’  Brandon Joachim willed his way to a strong return that would  set the Titans up near the Saints 40 with about 1:10 left.

The Titans opted for a much more balanced attack for much of the game with mixed results, but now the game rested squarely on the shoulders of Titans quarterback Chris Waldinsperger. The Titans knew it, and so did the Saints. What ensued was one of the best displays of  heart and character that a team on a football field could show.

The offence began the drive by moving the Titans closer and closer to field goal range, and once in it the offence would continue marching looking for six. On second down, Waldinsperger left the pocket and began to scramble for a first down but would be stopped short, but not before a flag flew into the air. A face mask penalty would give the Titans a first and goal just outside the Saints five yard line with 20 seconds left. With three downs and 20 seconds at his disposal, Waldinsperger audibled out of a quarterback sneak and tossed a clutch pass to tight end Tyson Rose who made the reception, and caught the two point conversion to make it 17-11 Titans.

The Titans pulled off an incredible win, and the Saints lost a close one. Both teams played as expected and both fought until the bittersweet end.  The Saints head to O’Neil next week while the Titans head home to take on Ajax. Credit both teams with an unbelievable game, and a surplus of heart and character.

(photo credit: Simon Sheehan)

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