Photo courtesy of Bill Smith

A look back at the three Ontario Conference games in Week 8 of the CJFL season

St. Clair Saints 53
London Beefeaters 20

In a game that was pegged as a first-place showdown, finished with a lopsided score that has left little doubt who the top dog in the Ontario Conference is in 2022, at least to this standpoint. 

The Saints picked apart the defending Conference champion Beefeaters gaining 445 yards of total offence while their defence held them to 152 yards and only 34 through the air. 

On the ground the Saints featured 10 different ball carriers who pounded for 290 yards.  Quarterback Andrew Brush rushed six times for 81 yards and lead the game and scored a touchdown.  Jonathan Cartier scored a pair of majors and Boriz Wright had another.   Through the air Brush found Enzey Youyoute for a touchdown and threw for 110 yards.

The defence and special teams also got into the scoring.  Tynan Braymiller blocked a kick, picked up the bouncing ball and got into the endzone to complement his six solo tackles, 1.5 sacks and recovered a second fumble.   Linebacker Josh Allen also recovered a fumble and rumbled 50-yards the other direction for a touchdown. 

The Beefeaters didn’t have much of an answer and were shutout in the fourth quarter.  With the passing game virtually non-existent they had to rely on the ground game which didn’t do much better against the Saints defence.  Quarterback Ethan Chambers was able to get into the endzone for their lone offensive touchdown.   

Defensively lineman Dylan Clarke scored a major after picking up a fumble and sprinting 71-yards to paydirt in the second quarter.

This coming Sunday the Saints (5-0) travel to the nation’s capital to face the second-place Ottawa Sooners (4-1) in their only match-up this regular season. The Beefeaters (3-2) will stay on the road and will battle the Hamilton Hurricanes (3-2) in a massive game for playoff positioning on Sunday.  It’s the first of two meetings between these two teams.

Ottawa Sooners 40
GTA Grizzlies 7

Make it four in a row for the Ottawa Sooners moving into sole possession of second place after crushing the GTA Grizzlies.  The Sooners scored in every quarter including 14 points in the first putting the Grizzlies behind the eight-ball early on.

Richard Graham had one of the strangest stat lines a linebacker has every had.  He was inserted into the offence, carried the ball five times for minus 11 yards but scored two touchdowns.  Then in the fourth quarter, he blocked a kick, picked up the loose ball and scored his third touchdown of the game.  To round out his stats he also had 3.5 tackles and recovered a second fumble.  

Outside of Graham’s performance, Rogean Wilson rumbled into the endzone, and quarterback Owen Cowan completed 12 passes for 186 yards and found Noah Avery and Antony Kolacek for touchdowns.

The defence held the Grizzlies to 80-yards of total offence and forced five turnovers. 

The lone Grizzlies touchdown came in the final frame when quarterback Ryan Boyd punched it in from a yard out. 

This Sunday the Sooners (4-1) will host the St. Clair Saints (5-0) in their only regular season meeting while the Grizzlies (0-5) will visit the Quinte Skyhawks (0-5) in battle of winless teams. 

Hamilton Hurricanes 37
Quinte Skyhawks 27

The Hurricanes stormed out of the gate this past weekend and scored 28-points in the first quarter on route to their third win of the season. 

Quarterback Keiran Dej was named the Offensive Player of the Week after throwing four touchdown passes and 249 yards.  He hit Anthony Grigg for a pair of touchdowns including one of 70 yards.  He also found Quinn Robertson and Isaiah Parkinson for majors.   Running back Kadien Williams added a touchdown on the ground. 

Defensively they held the Skyhawks to 99 yards on the ground and forced five turnovers.  Both Adrian Allen and Zach Chaddock intercepted passes while Hunter Craig had two sacks. 

Despite being down by 28 points after the first quarter the Skyhawks did battle back and outscored the Hurricanes 13-0 in the final frame.  Quarterback Brody Fairbairn threw for 159 yards and found Jack Kelly for a 54-yard touchdown.  Running back Adam Misiewicz rushed for 80 yards and scored a pair of majors. 

This Sunday the Hurricanes (3-2) will welcome the London Beefeaters (3-2) and the Skyhawks (0-5) host the GTA Grizzlies (0-5).