By Bill Hunt 
Published in the Daily Gleaner on November 10, 2008
Appeared on Page B1

The Fredericton Junior Black Kats put their noses to the grindstone Sunday afternoon at Chapman Field - and came away with the New Brunswick bantam football championship.

Running back Jake DeWolfe racked up some key yards along the ground before driving across from the one-yard line for the go ahead touchdown in the third quarter and went up the middle for 38 yards to set up the fourth quarter clincher by Garret Gee to lift the Kats to a come from behind 20-8 victory over the Hampton Huskies.

For the Kats, it represents the continuation of an unbeaten season - although the Huskies provided a bit of a scare, certainly.

Kats opened the scoring in the first quarter when starter Alex Dee connected with wide receiver Mathew MacDonald on a 26-yard pass and run on the final play of the first quarter.

Hampton got it back when Ben Shepard, their impressive pivot, put together a second quarter drive highlighted by a 44-yard pass and run to Sam Merrithew that set the Huskies up first and 10 from the Kats 30. They marched it from there to the Kats three, where Peter Morell finally cracked over. The booted convert made it 8-6 for the Huskies at the half.

No problem.

"We just put more effort into the second half I guess," said DeWolfe, who enjoys the contact and the heavy traffic inside. "It's enjoyable," he said. "There's a lot more contact involved."

The key play, everyone agreed, came in the third quarter. Kats were trailing with the clock ticking, failing to move the ball in three downs and, facing fourth and long on the Hampton 52, forced to punt it away.

Tom McGinn got downfield and pounced on a fumble by Hampton punt return man Geoffrey Wilson, and the Kats took over first and 10 from the Hampton 23.

Six plays later, DeWolfe was bringing it to the house - and the Kats were on their way to bringing home the Samuel Babb Trophy as provincial bantam champs.

"That could be it," admitted the modest McGinn, asked to find the turning point in it all. "But there was some tough running by Jake. He did a good job. There wasn't really a turning point in this game. I expected it to be a tougher game. I knew we were going to win. I had a feeling we were going to win."

Arsenault, who took over at quarterback from starter Alex Dee at the half - that was the game plan all along - agreed.

"We knew we were going to win," he said. "Our team. It's a good team. Once we got that touchdown to go ahead, we knew we were going to win."

Coach Mark Dee was proud of his team.

"They were committed today," he said. "Friday at practice they weren't ready. They were a different football team today. We knew we were going to have a hard game, but mentally, I think the boys were prepared. At halftime, we made an adjustment defensively, and we went back to basics, pounding the ball off tackle. When they started bringing the house, we rolled out of the pocket and had some crossing routes and threw the ball."

There's a medal collection in the Dee household, with head coach Mark and sons Oliver and Alex sporting gold from the bantam championship and youngest son Charlie earning his gold earlier in the day with the Crusaders.

"It's a happy household," he said. "Matching medals. Now we're looking forward to next week."