PREVIEW: Titans & Saints reignite rivalry

Clash of the Catholics, Knights of Columbus Bowl, call this game whatever you want…just do not call it friendly one.

In the past two years, this game has been decided in the last minute with the team that’s losing with two minutes left taking the game. The Paul Dwyer Saints versusHoly Trinity Titans rivalry seems like a natural one. Both are catholic schools and both are very competitive in the LOSSA title hunt.

However, this rivalry has really heated up as of late.  Two years ago, the Titans sent the Saints title hopes home in the last minute of a muddy November afternoon.

Last year, the Saints was up in the last minute of a game and hoped to win in order to avenge their playoff loss.  The Saints lost the game on a miraculous last minute drive that ended with a Titans touchdown. Needless to say, the Saints are  hungry for a win against a team  that looks to make it three in a row against their catholic rival.

The Titans boasts a large returning cast on offense with with playmakers such as Derek Cyr, Nathan Jones and Alex Olay.  The Titans also bring back their incumbent signal caller Chris Waldinsperger who returns for his senior year. The offensive line returns three starters, while two newcomers look very strong in the early on.

However, the Titans has made one massive change  – abandoning their traditional jet sweep offense for a more advanced offense under new Coordinator Brad Chalmers. The offense clicked in week one, putting up 38 points with the chance to put up much more if they had not chose to run the ball on virtually every play of the second half. Now they look to execute against a much more competent defense that only allowed 14 points against the reigning LOSSA Champions.

On defense, the Titans will have to hang tough with a monstrous Saints offensive line that will no doubt try and pound the Titan defense into submission (and could very well succeed). This should be the key to the game, – whoever can control the trenches should come out on top, with the Saints breaking in a new quarterback in first year signal caller Kyle Baronet. The Saints will most likely look to feed running back Dawson Odei early and get the offensive line rolling early on. If the defensive line can hold its ground and allow the linebackers to flow freely, then they should be able to hold Dwyers offense in check.

The Titans could be considered a slight favourite in this game due to the returning talent at their skill positions, bringing back their quarterback is major asset that the Saints simply doesn’t have. That being said the Saints  looked like the favourite last year and ended up losing.

What makes these games such instant classics is how closely matched these two teams are and how the game comes down to the last minute so picking a real favourite is virtually impossible. Expect the game to go much like last years with the winner willing themselves to  victory in a character building 60 minute battle of two very good football teams.

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