Jake Sheppard Rumbles to the endzone for his third touchdown of the game for the Huronia Stallions Bantam Squad (Photo by Jason Romisher)
By Jason Romisher
VARSITY
The Huronia Stallions Varsity team finished a perfect regular season with a 17-12 victory over the Etobicoke Eagles. The Stallions seized the momentum early in the game when Gavin Wallin returned an interception for a touchdown. Etobicoke then flipped with the script with an interception for a touchdown of their own that was followed by a punt return touchdown. Jordan Travis kicked a first half field goal but also had a field goal blocked as Etobicoke took a 13-12 lead into halftime. Quarterback Justin Winn shook off a rough first half that included two interceptions to fire a long touchdown pass to William McCulloch for a 17-12 lead. Unfortunately, the referees stopped the game with two minutes remaining in the third quarter because of threatening remarks directed at the Stallions by the opposing team. The victory gave this season’s Varsity team the distinction of joining the 2013 Stallions as the only squads to finish the regular season with perfect 8-0 records. Wallin’s touchdown was the fifth defensive touchdown in the last three games for the Stallions as their defence continues to play dominating football.
The playoff quest for a championship and perfect season begins this Sunday at 5pm in a tough rematch against the Etobicoke Eagles at the Barrie Sports Complex in Midhurst. The teams played twice this year with Huronia winning 8-5 early in the season and the aforementioned 17-12 victory last week.
JUNIOR VARSITY
The Huronia Stallions Junior Varsity team finished the regular season with a 4-4 record after a 27-12 upset victory over the Etobicoke Eagles. The Eagles came into the game with a 6-1 record that included a 30-9 victory over Huronia earlier in the season. The Stallions offence set the tone by taking on early 7-0 lead on a 15-yard touchdown catch by standout receiver Payton Plesh. The Stallions clung to a 13-12 lead in the fourth quarter when Scott Laybolt stopped an Etobicoke drive deep into Stallions territory with his third interception of the game. On the ensuing drive, Huronia running back Marcus Tenney ran over several Eagle defenders on a spectacular 45-yard reverse field touchdown scamper. Plesh delivered another blow by drilling the kickoff past the Etobicoke returner who subsequently fumbled the ball at the two-yard line. Tenney then punched in another touchdown to put the game out of reach. Plesh had another spectacular game with over 100-yards receiving and two field goals. The rookie receiver continues to improve each week and has cemented his status as one of the top offensive players in the league and a threat to score on any possession. The defense was led by Scott Laybolt’s excellent play, the relentless hustle of Kyle Nesbit, a quarterback sack by Cole Rines, and outstanding pass coverage by Daniel Forbes who had four pass break ups.
The Stallions have qualified for the playoffs and will play the 8-0 Scarborough Thunder this Saturday at 4pm at Birchmount Stadium. The Stallions are feeling confident because of their improved play in recent weeks and hope to challenge a Thunder team that defeated them 13-0 and 31-14 in their two regular season matchups.
Bantam
The Huronia Stallions Bantam team finished the season on a high note with a 34-12 victory over the Etobicoke Eagles. The win is a testament to the hard work and dedication of a squad that had been winless on the season and had lost earlier in the year to Etobicoke. Jake Sheppard was the top Stallions player with three rushing touchdowns and Nick MacArthur also had a strong game notching a rushing touchdown. The offence was led by the fine play and direction of quarterback Kash Grewal. The defence was led by safety Nathan Lund who made several key tackles, Chris Cormier who did an excellent job stopping the run, and Ben Frechette who stepped up with a thumping tackle that was his hardest hit of the year.
The three victories for the Stallions left supporters of the team exclaiming how much they love sports!
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