Capital Area Minor Football Association
Senior Bantam League
2007  Game Summaries (Ages 14-15)

Nov. 18                                          Maritime Championship

                                 Riverview Junior Royals 35 Timberlea Titans 7 

In the bantam final the Timberlea Titans came out of the gates strong behind the offensive performance of Game MVP Nick Hunsley, scoring an early TD and taking the lead. However, the Riverview Royals were not to be stopped. Led by Game MVP Brett MacNeil who scored 4 TDs the Royals powered past the Titans never looking back in their 35-7 win. Defensive MVPs were Stefan Strecko for the Titans and Robbie Diamond for the Royals. Offensive MVPs were Jordan Wallace for the Titans and Tim Jay for the Royals.

Nov. 11                                     New Brunswick Championship

                              Riverview Junior Royals 52 Oromocto Junior Blues 0 

Royals get shot at Maritime grid title

Riverview Royals are heading to the Maritime bantam football championship.

The Royals blasted the Oromocto Blues 52-0 yesterday to claim the N.B. championship and the right to advance to the Maritime final next Sunday in Dartmouth.

Led by quarterback Matt Sears and touchdown efforts from Brett McNeil, Tim Jay and Nico Sokolowski, the Royals were just too much for the Blues.

A strong defence was led by Colin Miller and Nick MacEachern.

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GUNNING FOR A PROVINCIAL TITLE: The Oromocto Junior Blues will be in Moncton Sunday looking to win the provincial bantam football championship against the Riverview Junior Royals. Among the key performers for Oromocto leading up to the big game are second year quarterback Jesse Rae, left, and featured running back Joel Toole, shown here in action against the Hampton Huskies last weekend. Blues beat the Huskies 19-16 in the semifinal game.

Blues take aim at grid title

By BILL HUNT
hunt.bill@dailygleaner.com

It's not a stunt - unless maybe they happen to be playing on defence. The Oromocto Junior Blues are playing the Riverview Royals for the provincial bantam football championship Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Rocky Stone Field in Moncton.

"It's not really a surprise," said head coach Dave Blanchard as he looked back on a season which has seen the Blues go 8-1 on the season -- including seven straight victories -- leading to Sunday's title tilt.

"We started training in the second week of August and when we set our goals, we looked to getting to the provincial championship," he said.

Here they are, fresh off a dramatic 19-16 win over the Hampton Huskies in the provincial semifinal last weekend after rolling to the Capital Area Minor Football Association crown with a come-from-behind victory over the Leo Hayes Junior Lions the week before.

"It means a lot to them," said Blanchard. "You're only 15 years old once. There were 17 teams that started out. Then it got down to five and now there's only two. They're at the edge of achieving what we set out to do. Hopefully we have two more steps to make."

Should they triumph on the turf at Rocky Stone Sunday, they'll advance to a Maritime championship game against the Nova Scotia chamnpions the following Sunday in Dartmouth, N.S.

But it's already been quite a journey for Blanchard, his coaching staff of offensive co-ordinator Joe Smith, defensive coaches Bruce MacClary and Shane Browne and the 43 players -- including two girls -- in Blues colours.

"Preparation is everything," said Blanchard. "The secret to our success has been the buy-in from the athletes. They've stepped up when they needed to."

It helps too, that the Blues have been held to less than 20 points only twice this season. Four times, their defence has held opponents to eight or less.

Blanchard would rather not tip his hand on what makes the Blues work -- he won't even confirm a starting quarterback until after practice tonight, even though second year veteran Jesse Ray completed nine of 15 passes for 125 yards against Hampton last week.

The other option is first-year pivot James Mitchell, who brings a different look. He'll get some time at QB, but he's also a tight end. His older brother Mark is the fullback, sharing time at that spot with Ryan Scott.

Joel Toole, a quick little 14-year-old -- just four foot eight and 125 pounds, he covers 40 yards in 4.9 seconds -- is the featured running back.

"He and Jesse have been instrumental in our success," said Blanchard.

They benefit from playing behind a Blue Wall of an offensive line, featuring six-foot-six inch, 240-pound guard Grayson Young; 230-pound center Jesse Stevens-Campbell and 240-pound Tommy Thompson. Jake MacKenzie and Taylor Rogers are also on the line.

They give Ray plenty of time to pick out passing targets Josh Blanchard and the 1-2 punch of Cody Arsenault and Mitchell McCoy.

"If one's not open, the other seems to be," said Blanchard.

Defensively, the Blues use "a mixed bag of tools," said Blanchard. "We do a lot of stunts on the line, and sometimes we'll play man-to-man on one side of the field and zone on the other."

Second year free safety Tyler Gillis is entrusted with calling the defensive signals.

Blues are big on defence too -- defensive ends Julien Varty and Justin Sweeney both tip the scales at 210 pounds. Six other players share time on the line as well, including Alex Pinel, Matt Fagan, Ethan Charter, and, when necessary, Young and Campbell over from the offensive line.

Linebackers include Lawrence Claridge in the middle, Warren Hickey and Jessie Gauvreau, two first year players, on the outside. Peter Wilde, Xavier Richards and Pat Healey are in the backfield.

The key this weekend will be "no mistakes on defence," said Blanchard. Offensively, "we have to use a little more variety," he said.

He's confident the Blues have what it takes to win their second bantam title in five years. He was an assistant coach on the 2003 team coached by Jeff Murdock.

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Nov. 4                               New Brunswick Semi-Final

                       Oromocto Junior Blues 19 Hampton Junior Huskies 16 


         Joel Toole scored one Blues TD on a 10 yard run. QB Jesse Rae threw a 30 yard touchdown pass to Josh Blanchard for another six points. Mitch McCoy booted two converts and a 25 yard field goal.
         Geoff Wilson and Donny Kerr had the Hampton majors.  

Oct. 28  
                           Capital Area Championship

                       Oromocto Junior Blues 20 Northside Junior Lions 15 


         The Lions jumped out to an early 15-0 lead on a pair of Peter Reimer touchdowns. Reimer added a convert and a single on a kickoff.
        
Joel Toole got loose for a 40 yard touchdown run in the dying seconds of the second quarter to narrow the gap. Mitch McCoy's convert made the halftime score 15-8.
        
Toole's second touchdown run of the game, this time a sixty yarder, narrowed the score to 15-14 after three quarters.
        Blues pivot, Jesse Rae, connected with James Mitchell on a 20 yard TD pass in the final frame to provide Oromocto with its margin of victory.  

Oct. 21  
                                     Semi-Final

                       Northside Junior Lions 2 Fredericton Junior Black Kats 0 


         Peter Reimer's two singles on a kickoff and a punt provided the margin of victory.

Oct. 14
              Oromocto Junior Blues 24 Fredericton Junior Black Kats 8 

         Ryan Scott, Mark Mitchell and Joel Toole each had a Blues TD. Mitch McCoy converted all three touchdowns.
        
Justin Kearney replied for the Kats. Jacob Andrews added the convert.

Oct. 8  
                                     North-South Bowl IX

                       Northside Junior Lions 10 Fredericton Junior Black Kats 0 


         Steve LeBlanc scored the game's only touchdown. Peter Reimer added the convert. The Black Kats conceded a safety.

Sept.  30
                Oromocto Junior Blues 40 Northside Junior Lions 22 

         Blues QB Jesse Rae threw touchdown passes to Josh Blanchard, Mitch McCoy and James Mitchell. Joel Toole had a pair of rushing touchdowns. Ryan Scott had the other Oromocto major.
McCoy and Jordan Reid added converts.
        Lions pivot Ben Hayden threw touchdown passes to Josh Campbell and Nick Jagoe. David Kennedy rushed for the final Northside TD. Eric McGarry booted a pair of converts.  

Sept.  26
              Northside Junior Lions 31 Fredericton Junior Black Kats 6 

         Peter Reimer ran for two touchdowns, kicked three converts and recorded a rouge on a kickoff to power the Lions to their first victory over the Kats since 1999. David Kennedy and John Benson had the other Northside majors.
         Kats pivot Alex Beauchamp hooked up with Garrett Gee for Fredericton's only points.

Sept.  23
              Oromocto Junior Blues 26 Fredericton Junior Black Kats 6 

         Jesse Rae scampered for two Blues majors and passed to Josh Blanchard for another. Warren Hickey returned an interception for six more points. Jordan Reid booted a convert.
        
David Greene had the Kats score.

Sept.  19
                Oromocto Junior Blues 38 Northside Junior Lions 28 

         Blues QB James Mitchell rushed for two touchdowns and passed to Joel Toole and Cody Arsenault for two more. Mark Mitchell ran for the final Oromocto major. Jordan Reid was good on four of five convert attempts.
        Mike Benson and Codi Martin ran for Lions TDs. Peter Reimer ran for one major and passed to Eric McGarry for another six pointer as well as kicking two converts. 

Sept.  16
                Northside Junior Lions 32 Oromocto Junior Blues 8

         Lions pivot Peter Reimer threw touchdown passes to Eric McGarry and Ben Hayden as well as kicking four converts to lead Northside to victory. Mike Benson and Connor Sturgeon rushed for the other Lions majors.
         Joel Toole had the lone Blues six pointer. Jordan Reid added the convert. 

Sept.  12
              Fredericton Junior Black Kats 8 Northside Junior Lions 3

         Doug Nash rumbled 35 yards for the Kats major. Alex Black kicked the convert.
         Peter Reimer booted a 35 yard field goal for the Lions.

Sept.  9
              Oromocto Junior Blues 28 Fredericton Junior Black Kats 0 

         Mark Mitchell rushed for two Blues touchdowns. Tyler Bailey-Gillis returned an interception for six more points. Blues pivot Jesse Rae threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Joel Toole. Jordan Reid booted two converts.