Warriors win NSSAFFL Tier 2 Championship Title

The Halifax West Warriors are the kings of the Nova Scotia Student Athletic Federation Football League (NSSAFFL) Scotia Division.

On Sunday afternoon at Huskies Stadium, the second seeded Warriors defeated top ranked JL Ilsley Judges 42-13.

After the first quarter, the Judges capitalized on the Warriors slow start and enjoyed a 13-0 lead.  However, those were the only points the Judges would get on the scoreboard.

“We had to make some adjustments and mentally get back in the game,” explained Warriors head coach Dave Kelly in his postgame assessment.  “From the defense standpoint, we had to stop running around, each player had to do their own job and play strong team defense.”

“Their running back got hurt in the second quarter, so that limited them somewhat and we were able to send a lot more pressure and get to their young quarterback more, which in turn created some turnovers for us.”

Warriors pivot Scott Borden, who played his last career high school game for the team, turned in a stellar performance in the championship game.   Borden had 12 completions in 16 attempts for 215 passing yards and threw for five touchdowns in the victory.

Receiver Clark Hannam had a huge game for the Warriors as he found the end zone three times while registering 90 yards on five catches.  Meanwhile, Warriors offensive gun Quintynn Parsons (four carries for 35 yards, four receptions for 114 yards) scored two majors while running back Javon Parris scored a touchdown and amassed 124 yards on 14 carries.

“Scott Borden had a monster game throwing five touchdowns and controlling the tempo of the offense,” assessed the Warriors head coach.  “Quintynn Parsons and Javon Parris also had outstanding games and were unstoppable at times.”

“Clarke Hannam step up and showed what a great young receiver he is.”

Not only did the offensive unit succeed on the field, but the defensive unit were able to hold their own and ensure the Judges offensive weapons were not able to find the end zone after the first quarter.

“Our seniors really stepped up,” added Kelly.  “Also, kids like Daniel Power, Brian Guye, Luke Byrne, Ahmed Ramadan and Mahmoud Altawil.”

Warriors’ offensive coordinator David Rent said coming into the game, the Warriors knew it wouldn’t be an easy game.  Ultimately, the Warriors worked hard to ensure that they would win the Tier 2 Championship Title.  Like Kelly, Rent believed the team’s core of seniors played a pivotal role in the victory.

“We started off slowly and knew we were in a fight from their first drive,” explained Rent.  “Being down 13 points in the first few minutes was a shock.”

“JL took the game to us in the first quarter. We were able to refocus and responded and came out with the win. My hat goes off to our veterans they were able to maintain their and the teams composure during the first quarter.”

As for their opponents, the Warriors felt they were a formidable opponent in the championship final.

“JL Ilsley is a great young team,” commented the Warriors offensive coordinator.  “They have a lot of talent and deserve a lot of praise to go from a losing record to a seven wins and one loss record.”

For the Warriors, the outcome of this championship final was more rewarding compared to what the team experienced one year ago.  In 2011, the team were on the short end of the Tier 2 Championship Game as they lost to the Lockview Dragons in double overtime on a field goal.

Ultimately, Kelly said the team was successful in winning the championship due to the effort all the players put forth this season.

“Overall, we gave a great team effort and were able to overcome being down by 13 points because we played as a team all year,” added Kelly.  “They’ve worked hard and it has paid off.”

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