Played in summer-like conditions, the sights and sounds of fall are upon us around area football fields as the high school season kicked off on Thursday.
The Barrie North Vikings travelled to take on the Maple Ridge Ravens and rode away with a hard-fought 15-6 win to open the new senior boys campaign for both teams, played at the gleaming athletic field and track facility in the city's south end.
“I’m happy, I think this win puts us in good position for our next game,” said Vikings head coach Burke Erwin, in reference to his team’s upcoming tilt next Thursday against the Eastview Wildcats, which will also be played at Maple Ridge.
That game is part of a day-long Football Festival designed to raise awareness of the sport locally and support the Barrie Food Bank.
Erwin is back coaching North’s senior team after a three-year run with the Vikings junior squad. North lost in last year’s Simcoe County Athletic Association (SCAA) final to the Bear Creek Kodiaks, who went on to win the Georgian Bay title by defeating Catholic loop champion St. Joan of Arc Knights.
Dylan Lathanque scored his team’s lone touchdown in the first half and kicker Ryan Minns added two field goals – one in each half – and a single point. The Vikings were awarded a safety when the Ravens took a knee in their own end zone to close the third quarter.
Soon after, Ravens quarterback Jake Archer punched in the ball on third down from the Vikings' one-yard line to account for the Ravens scoring.
The Vikings had stopped the Ravens without scoring, but were called for a late tackle to give the hosts another chance to punch the ball over and Archer, who was poised all game in the face of relentless North pressure, took full advantage.
Up by as many as 15 points, the Vikings threatened to break it open, but the Ravens' defence bent but rarely broke, including a key interception by Jack Famiglietti within the shadow of his own goal line.
The Ravens looked like they were going to make the game interesting in the final moments after Emerson Schwartz picked off another Vikings pass and ran the ball back deep into North territory. But the Vikings' Dallin Woods intercepted an Archer pass soon after to snuff out any chance that remained for the home side.
The SCAA loop will have eight teams this season with Bear Creek, Maple Ridge and Barrie North joined by fellow Barrie schools Eastview and Innisdale. Innisfil’s Nantyr Shores, Alliston’s Banting and Collingwood round out the Simcoe County loop.
Teams will play a six-game schedule with every team making the playoffs for a minimum of seven games for each squad.
Handicapping high school sports can be a mug’s game, but it appears as though both the defending champions from Bear Creek and Barrie North will be strong again this season. And Maple Ridge is no slouch to start this season, just their second since fielding a program.
In other SCAA action on Thursday, Collingwood downed Innisdale, 27-0.
The semifinals are slated for Nov. 1 and the finals a week later, with the winner crossing over to play the Catholic champion on Nov. 14 to crown a Georgian Bay champion, who will earn a spot in the provincial finals Nov. 25-27 in Windsor.
In other gridiron news, the SCAA is holding a Football Festival next Thursday at Maple Ridge (225 Prince William Way) with all eight senior teams in action starting with Eastview playing North at 9 a.m., followed by Collingwood versus Banting at 11:45 a.m., Innisdale versus Bear Creek at 2:30 p.m. and the hosts taking on Nantyr Shores to close out the day.
League convenor Keith Jackson, who is the coach of Bear Creek, says the plan is to have as many as 1,000 people attend over the course of the four games, with an eye to mount a food drive two weeks ahead of Thanksgiving.
“We are trying to create a community event in which we can showcase football in Simcoe County,” explained Jackson, “and (to) give back with a huge food drive for the Barrie Food Bank pre-Thanksgiving.”
All those in attendance, players included, are asked to bring a food item or small donation.
Beyond the food drive and football showcase, Jackson says that he’s hopeful events, such as the one slated for next Thursday, can spur on more community involvement in recruiting coaches and on-field officials, and to generally raise awareness of the sport.
“It’s a real challenge,” said Jackson, pointing out that he’s optimistic area high school football can overcome more recent challenges such as recruiting players, insurance and transportation issues, but that finding coaches, and especially referees, is particularly difficult.
“We’ll be recruiting on Thursday,” he said, only half in jest.
