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Friday, December 5, 2003
Memorable season for MVP
BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
scott@northernlife.ca
Steven Gravel was easily the best player in the local high school football league, says coach Brandon Dougan
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With out a doubt, Stephen Gravel’s last season in the Sudbury and District Secondary School’s Athletic Association (SDSSAA) Varsity Football League was a memorable one.
Gravel was unanimously selected as the league MVP. Gravel collected a total of 25 points, including three first place votes, to take home the coveted Sid Forster Memorial Award.
“It means a lot because they call it the Sid Forster Award and he was a great football coach and I met him once in 1993,” said Gravel. “It’s also nice to be mentioned along with the other great football players who have won the award.”
Gravel, a running back, helped the Lo-Ellen Park Knights gain a playoff spot by playing inspired football all season.
In five games (statistics from two games were unavailable), Gravel rushed for a whopping 750 yards, scored 10 touchdowns and recorded 60 points.
Gravel gives plenty of credit to his offensive line for allowing him to have a remarkable season.
The five-foot-11, 228 pound Gravel never has problems getting fired up to play games.
“I just love the game of football,” said Gravel. “It’s easy to do well when you love something. I feel lucky because not everybody can play football, so I gave it my all everytime I am out on the field.”
Gravel worked hard to improve his speed with leg strengthening exercises. He knows that contributed to his solid performance.
“I have a low centre of gravity and as long as I keep my legs chugging, I can knock people over,” said Gravel. “I developed more speed this year, so I was able to run away from people besides running through them.”
Although the Knights didn’t win the city championship, Gravel felt he and his teammates accomplished a lot during the season.
“We made the playoffs and we felt we could repeat as city champions, but we came up short,” said Gravel. “I had a great time and I played for a great team.”
Last year, DeVaughn Harper, another running back from Lo-Ellen, captured the MVP award. Gravel is honoured to continue the tradition of success at the school.
“It’s tremendous for the school,” said Gravel. “It just goes to show how awesome the football program is here.”
Head coach Brandon Dougan called Gravel the best football player in the league without hesitation and watched Gravel play all out in every game.
“He’s a deserving MVP,” said Dougan. “He has the attitude, work ethic and talent. He’s the best player I have ever coached.”
Besides superior skill, Gravel showed a lot of clutch play during the season.
“With two games left in the season we played Lockerby and we needed the win to make the playoffs,” said Dougan. “Stephen went out and scored four touchdowns for us. It was unbelievable. On top of that, when we needed him to play defence, Stephen stepped in and made an immediate impact.”
Besides being a nightmare for opponents, Gravel also puts up big numbers in the classroom. He maintains a 85 average and has his sights set on Canadian university football.
Friday, November 14, 2003
High school football final goes tonight
Lasalle, Confed meet at Cambrian field at 7 p.m.
By Bruce Heidman/The Sudbury Star
It’s a high school football final that could have come right from Hollywood.
The undefeated Lasalle Lancers take on the Cinderella Confederation Chargers for all the marbles tonight at Cambrian College field at 7 p.m.
The Lancers will be looking to go an unprecedented 9-0 on the season with a championship victory, while the Chargers will be looking to capture the championship title in only their second season of boys’ football competition.
The two met once during the regular season, Lasalle coming out on top 28-16 on Nov. 3.
Lasalle head coach Mike Derks said he just wants his team to play the same as they have all season, while taking a healthy respect for their opponents into the game.
“I think that we’ve got to go out and play our game of football like we have all year, just harder,” he said. “Confed has shown they are capable of winning it all, and we have to cognizant of that.
“We faced them just more than a week ago, so we have some memories, and they did some good things against us and some new things against St. Charles last week they didn’t do against us, so we’ll have to tighten up and be the best we can be and let chips fall where they may.”
Keeping his game plan close to his vest, Derks said only that turnovers will be a key to victory.
“Turnovers are always a factor, especially in big games, and we have to protect the ball on offence and create turnovers on defence,” he said. “If you come out even that’s fine, you just don’t want to be a minus in that category.”
Derks declared his players pretty much ready on Thursday.
“Our guys are excited,” he said. “They have done a great job all year long, and this was our focus all year, to show everybody what we’ve got in this ball game, and the guys have been working hard and will be ready to go. They are working hard and are very focused.”
Confederation head coach Kevin Ellsworth was also keeping his team’s game plan specifics to himself, but did name a couple of keys to success for his team.
“I just want my kids to execute well and play the best they can,” he said. “If you’ve prepared well and follow the game plan, we should have a chance. But execution will be key on both sides of the ball for us.”
Ellsworth also wants his charges to be pumped up from the opening kickoff.
“I think we want to come out and have a strong start,” he said. “Lasalle is a team that can play with lots of emotion, and we may be able to take some of that away. The key for us is to get over our nerves early. This is a young team that has not been in this situation before, so we just want a good start.
“This is their game and it’s up to them to perform on the field,” he added. “They are ready and hopefully we can cap it off with a championship. We think they’re ready for this.”
A longtime high school football coach, even Ellsworth is impressed with what his team has accomplished in such a short time, even though he’s guided them through it.
“These kids have been outstanding,” he said. “They have come so far in two years, and I don’t think anyone thought they could get this far this fast.
“They’ve learned and applied an awful lot, and have a chance to walk off with the city championship,” he added. “That would be incredible.”
Ellsworth said his team has a healthy respect for their opponent.
“We’re up against a tough team,” he said. “they’ve beaten us before and they are an emotional and aggressive team that will play hard, and we expect a good game.”
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BOYS VARSITY FOOTBALL
Standings as of November 4, 2003
|
GP |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
PTS |
| LaSalle
| 7
| 7
| 0
| 0
| 221
| 69
| 14
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| St Charles
| 7
| 6
| 1
| 0
| 197
| 40
| 12
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| Confederation
| 7
| 5
| 2
| 0
| 170
| 99
| 10
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| Lo-Ellen
| 7
| 3
| 4
| 0
| 171
| 126
| 6
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| Lockerby
| 7
| 3
| 4
| 0
| 130
| 159
| 6
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| St Benedict
| 7
| 2
| 5
| 0
| 118
| 159
| 4
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| Notre Dame
| 6
| 1
| 5
| 0
| 137
| 202
| 2
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| Sud Secondary
| 6
| 0
| 6
| 0
| 13
| 293
| 0
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Semi-Finals @ Cambrian College
Nov. 7, 2003
4:30 PM - Lo-Ellen vs LaSalle
7:30 PM - Confederation vs St Charles
Championship @ Cambrian College
Nov. 14, 2003
7:00 PM
LaSalle vs Confederation
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Friday, October 31, 2003
Lancers still perfect
By Bruce Heidman/The Sudbury Star
John Dainton (75) of St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School is gang tackled by Lasalle Lancers players during boys’ high school football action at St. Benedict school on Thursday. The Lancers won 36-14 to remain a perfect 6-0 with only one game remaining on the regular season schedule.
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Inspired by protecting their perfect record and defending a league record by a former teammate, the Lasalle Lancers left nothing to chance, defeating the St. Benedict Bears 36-14 on Thursday at the St. Benedict field.
The Lancers went into Thursday’s game as the only undefeated team in the local boys’ high school football loop, and can finish the season without a loss by defeating the upstart Confederation Chargers on Monday.
The Lancers were also inspired Thursday by trying to preserve the league’s all-time rushing record by former Lancer Byron Murray, whose record has been put in jeopardy this season by St. Ben’s Will Terris, who needed about 116 yards heading into Thursday’s game to break the record.
In the end Lasalle reached both goals, getting the win and holding Terris to about 65 yards in St. Benedict’s final game of the season, preserving Murray’s record.
“St. Ben's stuck in there well and they came out and played really well again and forced some turnovers and made some good things happen,” Lancers coach Mike Derks said. “Will Terris had a chance to break the rushing record, so our defence was pretty fired up, though maybe we keyed on him too much.”
The contest was a close one, Lasalle holding a 14-7 lead at the half before breaking the game open in the fourth quarter.
“Our offence struggled here and there, but the kids ran well and the offensive line hung together and picked it up in the fourth quarter and we managed to get it home,” Derks said.
While proud of his team’s undefeated record, Derks said the record brings with it its own challenges.
“I’m really happy about it, but you have to sit there with a big bull's eye on you every game because everyone wants to beat you,” he said. “You are the target.”
What impresses most is that Lasalle hasn’t fashioned their record on the backs of a few star players, but instead by playing a true team game.
“We’ve got a lot of good guys really contributing this year,” Derks said. “It’s not one guy but a host of ball carriers and receivers, and both lines coming together and giving time for everyone else, and guys who just keep chugging and not ever giving up and trying for that extra yard every time and on defence everyone flying around and gang tackling.
“We have no true heroes, nobody on the top of the stats, but a lot of guys who are around and doing good things every game,” he added. “They have blended together and don’t quit ’till it’s over.”
Monday’s game will be Lasalle’s third in eight days, but the Lancers should get some extra adrenaline from guarding their record one more time.
“That game is for all the marbles. The winner of that game takes first place,” Derks said. “That will be a good football game, and our guys are truly motivated. We control our own destiny, and it’s a luxury we appreciate.”
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October 25, 2003
Football Chargers taste defeat for the first time
St. Charles College wins 24-14 in varsity boys football action
By Bruce Heidman/The Sudbury Star
The Confederation Chargers are undefeated no more.
The upstart Chargers had their bubble burst by none other than the hard-charging St. Charles College Cardinals on the Cards’ home turf Friday afternoon.
The Cards defeated the Chargers 24-14 to leave the teams tied with identical 4-1 records heading into the final two weeks of the Sudbury and District Secondary Schools’ Athletic Association Varsity Boys Football League season.
Longtime St. Charles head coach Chris Bartolucci, who was concerned about his young charges at the start of the season, was sporting a wide grin after the contest.
“This has the potential for a three-way tie for first place if they can go on and beat Lasalle,” he said. “Then it will come down to points for and against, and anything can happen from there.”
Bartolucci said a few on-field adjustments helped bring the Cards to victory.
“We knew coming in that they like to run a bit of a stack on defence, so we spread them out and then came back inside up the middle,” he said. “We also have two running backs who can really go, so it’s hard for them to key on any one back.
“I was a little disappointed in the way we executed though,” he added. “We lacked a bit of discipline and took far too many penalties, but we managed to cross the goal line, and that’s the main thing.”
St. Charles running back Aaron Rheal said the Cards were anxious to play the undefeated Chargers.
“Knowing they were coming here undefeated, we were pumped and we knew we would have to play our best to beat them, and we did great,” he said. “Our offensive line stuck up good, our defence stuffed them good, and we’re really moving the ball now and playing a down and dirty game.”
October 16, 2003
Running back determined to lead team to playoffs
BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
scott@northernlife.ca
For the St. Benedict Bears football club, if there’s a will, then there’s a way to get into the playoffs for the first time in their history.
For the 2003 Bears, that “Will” happens to be one talented teenage running back named William Terris.
The 18-year-old has been running on a record-setting pace in the high school football league and making opponents extremely wary of his offensive prowess.
In five games, Terris has 118 carries and has racked up an incredible 1,168 yards. He’s also rumbled for eight touchdowns. In one game alone, Terris ran for an incredible 400-plus yards.
Terris credits a terrific offensive line for his remarkable rushes.
“This year our offensive line is one of the best I’ve ever played with,” said Terris. “We have a good offence in general with a lot of seniors.”
Last year, Terris scampered for just over 1,000 yards in six games.
This year’s incredible rushing statistics have been accomplished by playing on a better team and getting and listening to some sound advice, said the modest teenager.
“My coach, Franco Rocca helps me out a lot and he motivates me,” said Terris. “His advice is always good and helpful.”
Terris didn’t expect to achieve the incredible numbers he’s put together so far this season —numbers that saw him rack up almost 900 yards in his first three games alone.
“It feels great, but I am not really thinking about it too much. It’s a nice extra bonus.”
Terris’ mind is focused on a bigger goal: helping his team reach the playoffs.
“I want to make the playoffs. It’s my last year and we’ve never been in the playoffs. To me, that’s the most important thing,” said Terris. “Our team is going to have to come together and finish the season better than it started.
As of Thursday, the Bears sported a 1-4 record.
Rocca sees Terris as a highly motivated and mature individual, who’s dedicated to the team.
“Will has a great work ethic and leads by example,” said Rocca. “Will is a true team leader, as he wants to do anything he can to help the team. He’s in the game at all times rooting for his teammates, when he’s not on the field. Truly great players make a difference when the game is on the line and Will thrives on making the big plays that turn games around.”
Terris has helped make St. Benedict a school to respect on the gridiron.
“Will is a tough player. He reeks confidence and it’s contagious to younger players on the team,” said Rocca. “We’re fortunate to have Will as one of our captains. He along with other veterans have helped raise the standard for football at St. Benedict.”
Terris is a product of the Joe MacDonald Youth Football League. He began playing football when he was in Grade 8.
Terris continued to progress as a player as he grew up and this past summer he played for the Sudbury Northerners football club.
Even though he’s on fire right now, Terris maybe putting out fires in the future.
He would like to pursue a career as a firefighter and is looking at attending Cambrian College for the pre-service firefighter program.
Last semester, Terris completed a co-op placement with the Sudbury Fire Department and it was a beneficial experience.
“I think it would be a really rewarding job. The firefighters all become really good friends and they told me stories about how they’ve saved people’s lives,” said Terris. “I’ve wanted to be a firefighter for a long time.”
October 6, 2003
Best effort of season for football Cardinals
St. Charles College wins 47-0 in high school varsity boys football action
By Bruce Heidman/The Sudbury Star
Not wanting to drop below .500 for the season, the St. Charles College Cardinals boys football team came up with their best effort of the season on Saturday.
Facing the possibility of falling to 1-2 on the year and facing an uphill battle to reach the playoffs in the Sudbury and District Secondary Schools’ Athletic Association Varsity Boys Football League, the Cardinals left nothing to chance in handing the Lockerby Vikings their first loss of the season, a 47-0 pasting that ended up leaving both teams’ records at 2-1.
“I thought we finally started to jell as a team tonight,” longtime Cards head coach Chris Bartolucci said. “We knew it would be a slow start at the beginning of the season looking for combinations that would work, and tonight we hit upon a lucky combination, a good combination that we can work with. We have a good, strong running attack now, our lines are starting to gell, so I think you’ll see more of a passing attack from us the rest of the way. We’re coming along.”
The Cards defence was also strong on the night, Bartolucci pointed out.
“Everything came together real well,” he said. “Our defence played a crackerjack game, they shut down the pass well and kids were tackling hard, and offensively we’re not sputtering anymore and we’re running on six cylinders with only two left to go. We’re a young team, but it’s not how start, but how you finish.”
Lockerby head coach Geoff Richer just tipped his hat to the opposition.
“St. Charles were more ready and came out firing, while our guys were one their heels,” he said. “A couple of mistakes in the first quarter hurt us and we never recovered from them and it went downhill from there.
“St. Charles ran well, they ran hard and their defence hit hard and they were more ready to play than we were.”
Aaron Rheal, with two, Craig Tyson and Jason St. Jean all scored first half touchdowns for St. Charles to stake the Cards to an 26-0 halftime lead. Tyson, Rheal and Dave DiCarlantonio struck for majors in the second half.
St. Jean lead the St. Charles attack with 223 yards rushing on 16 carries. Rheal added 105 yards on 10 carries, Tyson chipped in with 98 yards on six carries, while quarterback DiCarlantonio added 47 yards on four carries.
DiCarlantonio completed one of six passes on the day for 18 yards.
St. Jean, a 16-year-old running back and Grade 11 student, gave all the credit for his fantastic performance to his teammates.
“The offensive line made the holes, all we had to do was run through them, and our defence stopped them all night,” he said. “I’m a bit surprised by the final score though. I thought it would be a tougher game.” Neil Petrin amassed 69 yards on 11 carries for Lockerby, with Kyle White adding 28 yards on five carries.
Knights quarterback Nick Shelswell was five for 11 passing for 43 yards and three interceptions.
James McDowell led the Cards’ defence with eight tackles, while Andrew Kolbasolvski and Karl Fellbaun led the Lockerby defence with three tackles each.
Bartolucci defended his team’s high margin of victory.
“It’s going to be so close this year that points for and against are really going to matter,” he said. “It’s a crazy league this year. Everyone is jumbled together and it is going to come down to points for and against to see who makes the playoffs, with the top four in and the top four gone, so points count.”
September 26, 2003
Lo-Ellen hangs on after late charge by Bears
By Bruce Heidman/The Sudbury Star
Last year’s defending boys’ high school football champs are putting the rest of the league on notice that they are angling for another title this year.
The Lo-Ellen Park Knights scored a 23-14 win over St. Benedict Bears at Lo-Ellen Park’s field on Thursday to push the defending champs’ record to 2-0 on the season.
Knights head coach Brandon Dougan said Thursday’s win was a total team effort.
“Our defence came up big and forced turnovers and we recovered three fumbles,” he said. “Our offence moved the ball well, although we had a lot of mental mistakes and had some big runs called back because of offside penalties. We had about nine or 10 called on us, so that’s something we’ll be working on.”
Dougan tipped his hat to the opposition, however.
“St. Bens played a great game,” he said. “It was back and forth. Their defence stood tall and made some big plays. They made us work for everything.”
Lo-Ellen owned the first half, veteran quarterback David Laking hooking up with receiver Rob Deprat for an 82-yard touchdown pass. A Lo-Ellen kick for a single point completed the scoring in the first quarter.
Lo-Ellen veteran fullback Stephen Gravel, who finished the game with 181 yards on 27 carries, scored on a six-yard run midway through the second quarter to put Lo-Ellen up 13-0.
The Knights added a field goal for a 16-0 advantage at the half.
The Bears then made a game of it in the second half, running back Will Terris, who piled up an impressive 257 yards on 22 carries, scored third quarter touchdowns of one- and 82 yards to make it a 16-14 game heading into the fourth quarter.
However, Gravel wrapped up the win for the Knights with a two-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
“We came back in the second half and scored two touchdowns, so that showed a lot of character,” St. Benedict head coach Frank Rocca said. “They put one in late in the game that was crucial for them. They are last year’s champs and they still have a solid team.”
Rocca had high praise for Terris’s play on the day.
“He really made a couple of plays that sparked things on offence,” Rocca said.
Laking finished the game six for 10 for 135 yards passing, while St. Bens went one for seven through the air.
Deprat led the Lo-Ellen receiving corps with two catches for 92 yards, while J.C. Berry led the Knights defence with seven tackles.
The Bears are now 0-2 on the season.
September 25, 2003
Confederation charges past North Stars
By Bruce Heidman/The Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Secondary North Stars hope to be where the Confederation Chargers are this season in the near future.
The North Stars, in their first season back on the boys’ high school football scene in more than a decade, took it on the chin from the second-year Chargers by a tune of 55-0 at the Confederation field on Wednesday evening.
The win leaves the Chargers at 2-0 on the season, already matching their win total from last year.
“We’ve already matched our win output from last year, so that’s kind of nice,” Confederation head coach Kevin Ellsworth said. “Our line play has improved significantly. The offensive and defensive lines are stepping it up and opening holes for our running backs and making it hard for other teams to run against us. We won’t be taken lightly this year.”
Ellsworth said contributions from everyone on the team lifted the Chargers to victory.
“The offence was spread out nicely, and it was not the same one or two guys doing everything,” he said. “Six different guys scored our seven touchdowns, so that was nice. It was a good game for our team because we got everyone in for lots of playing time. It’s very helpful to get the young guys their playing time for down the road.”
The loss was another bump in the long learning curve for the North Stars, but head coach Dave St. Amour is already seeing some progress.
“There’s going to be growing pains for our team,” St. Amour said. “We don’t expect to come out and dominate, we just want to see guys come out and get better every week, and we think in certain players there has been some progress, so it’s good to see that happen. We had some bright spots.”
However, inexperience and illness slowed the North Stars.
“Our starting quarterback was sick so we had to go with backup and that affected us a bit,” St. Amour said. “But they have more experience and were better prepared than we were. We still have lots to learn.”
Though perfect on the season, the Chargers aren’t celebrating just yet.
“The guys are really looking forward to playing Lo-Ellen, the defending champs, next week,” Ellsworth said.
“We’ll get to see where we really stand after we play them.”
September 22, 2003
Football Cardinals win 35-14 in re-scheduled game
By Sudbury Star Staff
Dave Dicarlantonio and Jason St. Jean scored two touchdowns apiece to pace the St. Charles College Cardinals to a 35-14 win over the College Notre Dame Alouettes in Sudbury and District Secondary Schools’ Athletic Association Varsity Boys Football League action on Saturday night at Cambrian College Field.
The game was re-scheduled from Friday night as a result of the sidelines being flooded due to heavy rains.
Dicarlantonio scored his majors with runs of 35 yards in the first quarter and one-yard in the fourth quarter.
St. Jean scored both of his majors in the second quarter.
His first came on a five-yard run. He then hooked up with quarterback Adam Rivard for a 34-yard completion.
Craig Tyson scored the other major for the Cardinals on a one-yard run in the second quarter.
Salvano Constantini was successful on all five extra-point attempts.
Mike Langlois (one-yard run in the first quarter) and Eric Ethier (six-yard run in the fourth quarter) scored the touchdowns for the Alouettes.
Kicker Pat Paquin added the other two points for the Alouettes.
Dicarlantonio, St. Jean and Aaron Rheal combined for 256 yards rushing on 28 carries. Dicarlantonio had 112 yards on eight carries, St. Jean had 80 yards on 11 carries and Rheal had 64 yards on nine carries.
Rivard was 2-for-3, good for 42 yards passing.
Top rushers for the Alouettes, who trailed 28-7 at the half, were Mike Langlois (18 carries for 84 yards) and Eric Ethier (15 carries for 50 yards).
Ethier and Jacob Gauthier shared the quarterbacking duties for the Alouettes.
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September 12, 2003
Are you ready for some football?
BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
scott@northernlife.ca
 The Sudbury District Secondary School Athletics Association (SDSSAA) will be hosting a football night in Sudbury at Cambrian College on Saturday, Sept. 13.
It will be an opportunity for the entire football community to come together.
All eight high school football teams will be participating in the annual North versus South Classic, complete with a skills competition.
Admission is $2 for the entire affair. All proceeds go towards high school football.
Sudbury Secondary returns to the gridiron to face Lockerby in the first game at 6 pm. Confederation will tackle St. Benedict in the second game at 6:45 pm. The 3rd annual skills competition will take place at 7:30 pm. Notre Dame plays LoEllen Park at 8:30 p.m. Lasalle squares off against St. Charles in the last game, which starts at 9:15 pm.
The scores carry over from game to game. The winner will be the side that accumulates the most points. Last year, the North captured the title with a 49-6 combined-score victory.
The night of football promises some intense action.
"This will be a chance for football fans to see all the teams, at one time, in one place," said Paul Schutt, convener of the Sudbury high school football league. "It will be the only time people will get that chance."
The night of football will have a carnival like atmosphere.
"It will be a festival atmosphere at Cambrian," said Dave Makela, Rainbow District School Board athletic administrator. "It will be a celebration of the game."
The skills competition will allow fans to see a vast array of talented young football players competing in individual tests.
There will be pass, kick and punt competitions and trophies will be awarded to the winners.
The pass competition will focus on a player's accuracy and strength of their arm. They will throw a football at a target set up in the uprights. The player who nails the target from the furthest distance will lay claim to the crown.
The punt competition will focus on the raw power of the kickers. The winner will be the player who boots the longest punt.
The kick competition will focus on the player's ability to kick field goals. The winner will be the one who successfully kicks a field goal from the furthest distance.
"The skills competition is always a crowd pleaser," said Makela. "The kids get a bang out of it too."
There will be a special presentation made at the event to Russ Boettger, recognizing his outstanding dedication to high school football in the Sudbury area. Boettger was the head coach of LoEllen Park for many years.
"It's important to acknowledge people's contributions and commitment to the game," said Makela. "These people make the difference in our community and help make it a better place to live in."
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2003 Boys Varisty Football Schedule
| Date | # | Time | Site | Visitor | Home | Notes
| | Sat, Sept. 13 | Ex1 | 6:00 | CC | Lockerby | Sudbury Sec | N-S
| | Sat, Sept. 13 | Ex2 | 6:45 | CC | St Benedict | Confederation | N-S
| | Sat, Sept. 13 | Skills | 7:30 | CC | Skills Competition
| | Sat, Sept. 13 | Ex3 | 8:30 | CC | Notre Dame | Lo-Ellen | N-S
| | Sat, Sept. 13 | Ex4 | 9:15 | CC | St Charles | Lasalle | N-S
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| | Wed, Sept. 17 | 01 | 4:00 | LC-N | Sudbury Sec | Lockerby
| | Thu, Sept. 18 | 02 | 4:00 | St Ben | Confederation | St Benedict
| | Fri, Sept. 19 | 03 | 1:30 | Lasalle | Lo-Ellen | Lasalle | Buy-Out
| | Fri, Sept. 19 | 04 | 7:00 | CC | St Charles | Notre Dame
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| | Wed, Sept. 24 | 05 | 4:00 | Confed | Sudbury Sec | Confederation
| | Thu, Sept. 25 | 06 | 4:00 | Lo-Ellen | St Benedict | Lo-Ellen
| | Fri, Sept. 26 | 07 | 4:00 | LC-N | Notre Dame | Lockerby
| | Fri, Sept. 26 | 08 | 7:00 | CC | Lasalle | St Charles
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| | Wed, Oct. 1 | 09 | 4:00 | St Ben | Notre Dame | St Benedict
| | Thu, Oct. 2 | 10 | 4:00 | Lasalle | Sudbury Sec | Lasalle
| | Fri, Oct. 3 | 11 | 4:00 | Lo-Ellen | Confederation | Lo-Ellen
| | Sat, Oct. 4 | 12 | 7:00 | CC | Lockerby | St Charles
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| | Wed, Oct. 8 | 13 | 3:30 | Lo-Ellen | Notre Dame | Lo-Ellen
| | Thu, Oct. 9 | 14 | 3:30 | St Charles | Sudbury Sec | St Charles
| | Fri, Oct. 10 | 15 | 3:30 | LC-N | St Benedict | Lockerby
| | Fri, Oct. 10 | 16 | 7:00 | CC | Lasalle | Confederation
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| | Wed, Oct. 15 | 17 | 1:30 | St Charles | St Benedict | St Charles | Buy-Out
| | Thu, Oct. 16 | 18 | 3:30 | Lasalle | Lockerby | Lasalle
| | Fri, Oct. 17 | 19 | 3:30 | Confed | Notre Dame | Confederation
| | Fri, Oct. 17 | 20 | 7:00 | CC | Lo-Ellen | Sudbury Sec
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| | Wed, Oct. 22 | 21 | 3:30 | Lo-Ellen | Lockerby | Lo-Ellen
| | Thu, Oct. 23 | 22 | 3:30 | St Ben | Sudbury Sec | St Benedict
| | Fri, Oct. 24 | 23 | 3:30 | St Charles | Confederation | St Charles
| | Fri, Oct. 24 | 24 | 7:00 | CC | Lasalle | Notre Dame
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| | Wed, Oct. 29 | 25 | 3:00 | Confed | Lockerby | Confederation
| | Thu, Oct. 30 | 26 | 3:00 | LC-N | Notre Dame | Sudbury Sec
| | Fri, Oct. 31 | 27 | 3:00 | St Ben | Lasalle | St Benedict
| | Fri, Oct. 31 | 28 | 7:00 | CC | St Charles | Lo-Ellen
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| | Fri, Nov. 7 | 29 | 4:30 | CC | Fourth Place | First Place | Semi
| | Fri, Nov. 7 | 30 | 7:30 | CC | Third Place | Second Place | Semi
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| | Fri, Nov. 14 | 31 | 7:00 | CC | Winner Semi #2 | Winner Semi #1 | Final
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Schedule Legend
CC = Cambrian College
LC-N = Lily Creek North
Confed = Confederation
St Ben = St Benedict
School Team Names
St Charles Cardinals
Sudbury Secondary North Stars
LaSalle Lancers
St Benebict Bears
LoEllen Knights
Lockerby Vikings
Conferdernation Chargers
Notre Dame Alouettes
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July 02, 2003
North Stars to make return to gridiron
Sudbury Secondary will restart its boys’ football program in the fall
By Bruce Heidman
The Sudbury Star
After an absence of more than a decade, the Sudbury Secondary School North Stars are heading back to the gridiron.
The North Stars’ inclusion in the Sudbury and District Secondary Schools Athletic Association football loop has been confirmed by the team’s new head coach and the league’s convenor.
A school with a proud sporting past which included football, coach and Sudbury Secondary teacher Dave St. Amour is hoping to bring back the glory days.
“We used to have a strong sports tradition at the school, but lately it’s been overshadowed by other things,” he said. “But we want to bring this opportunity back to good athletes at the school.”
The North Stars couldn’t ask for a more decorated and experienced teacher of the game. A perennial all-star for 15 years with the Sudbury Spartans, and less than two weeks removed from being inducted into the Northern Football Conference Hall of Fame, St. Amour will be able to pass on more than two decades of intimate knowledge of the game.
“I think more importantly I can share the knowledge of what it takes to be successful — hard work and dedication and athletic ability,” St. Amour said. “I want to pass on what I learned from playing, and that’s not only being successful in football, but in life, and any other sports you play.”
St. Amour said the idea to bring football back to the school has been welcomed by staff and students alike.
“There’s lots of staff members interested who played football before and want to share their time and knowledge, “ St. Amour said. “We have the full support of the school and athletic department, and the entire staff is encouraging people to take part.”
St. Amour was impressed by the interest shown by the students after holding a mini-camp for potential players.
“We had more than 40 people come through our two-week camp and we had 30 kids at every practice, some who had never had football equipment on before,” he said. “We already have training camp scheduled for the fall and we’re expecting more than 30 kids there.”
St. Amour expects the North Stars to take their lumps in their return to the league, but he is hoping he and his fellow coaches can help soften the blow.
“There will be a learning curve for the students, but I’m hoping that with the number of coaches we have around — there’s about 10 on staff — that we will have a good level of expertise of coaching, and that should help a great deal,” he said. “As long as we can have people out at every practice and have fun and learn throughout the year it will be all positive.”
High school football convenor Paul Schutt is eager to welcome the North Stars, who will become the eighth team in the local loop.
“It’s beautiful for scheduling and a sign of the growth of the game in Sudbury,” said Schutt, who also serves as the head coach of the Sudbury Northerners of the Ontario Varsity Football League. “I played with Dave with the Spartans, and I know his heart motives are unquestionable. He’s going to develop a strong program there and hopefully we never see it disappear again.”
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April 30, 2003
Varsity football may return to Sudbury Secondary
By Scott Hunter Haddow
NORTHERN LIFE
It has been a long, long time since a Sudbury Secondary School football team has stepped onto the gridiron. Some dedicated faculty are hoping to change all that come this spring.
“If we have player commitment then we will have a varsity football team,” said Dave St. Amour, head coach, offensive co-ordinator and former Sudbury Spartans legend.
“We already have a committed coaching staff and total support from the administration.”
A total 13 faculty members have expressed an interest in coaching.
“I was amazed at the response of people interested,” said St. Amour. “It’s almost unheard of.”
There has also been 49 students sign interest forms.
“We need at least 30 players to make it reasonable for practices and scrimmages.”
St. Amour and the staff will run a two-week spring camp soon to evaluate player desire and commitment.
“We will make a decision on whether we go ahead or not after the camp,” said St. Amour. “That will be the big test to see if players show up.”
If the commitment is there the team will begin playing this Sept.. St. Amour will not be discouraged if the players don’t commit.
“If we don’t get enough interest then we will shelve it and try again next year.”
If the team becomes a reality, it will bring the number of teams in the league to eight.
“Everybody from other teams are excited to get another team,” said St. Amour. “It gives everybody an extra game to play during the season so that’s nice.”
St. Amour, one of the greatest receivers in Northern Football Conference history, is hoping some of the other high school teams will be offering spring camps.
“We would like to play an exhibition game against Confederation Secondary School if they have a camp going,” said St. Amour. “It would be extremely beneficial for us to further judge the team.”
St. Amour and staff have attended all league meetings and have found other teams are keen on having another team.
“(Head coach) Paul Gauthier from Notre Dame will lend us football equipment for the camp and other teams have given us support to continue.”
Starting up a football team is hard work, but financing one is equally as difficult.
“We need about $15,000 for equipment alone,” said St. Amour. “We have a great fundraising campaign going and we’ve even had alumni express interest in supporting the team.”
St. Amour believes the team would be a boon to Sudbury Secondary School as a whole, as varsity sports programs increase school spirit.
“It would give the school spirit and pride a huge boost,” said St. Amour. “It also gets more students involved in sports.”
St. Amour sees the effort put forth by everybody involved already to be rewarding.
“The staff is excited to get football back,” said St. Amour. “Football is the first major sport of a new school season and sets the tone for the rest of the year.”
Like any new team, the Sudbury entry will experience growing pains, but they will be offset by a large, knowledgeable coaching staff.
St. Amour brings 16 years of playing with the Sudbury Spartans to the table along with his university and high school g gridiron exploits. He also brings a knowledge of what it takes to be successful in this sport.
“Being a new team we will have to stress the basics like blocking, tackling and keeping things fairly simple,” said St. Amour. “We will concentrate on work ethic and skill level.”
For St. Amour, helping re-establish a football program at Sudbury Secondary is a chance for him to give back to the game and honour Sid Forster, the legendary Spartans coach who remains the foundation of keeping high school football alive and well in Sudbury.
“It would be nice to lend my knowledge to the young players because so many people took the time when I was playing to share their experience.”
St. Amour credits Roberta Zadow-Roy, a computer teacher, as a major cog in the engine that is driving this potential club.
“She got everybody’s butt in gear and she has been looking after the fundraising.”
The last time a football team from Sudbury Secondary won a league championship was in 1984.
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POST GAME REPORT - Nov. 12, 2002
City football final goes into overtime
There was no shortage of drama during the Sudbury high school boys’ football championship Sat night.
 The Lo-Ellen Knights won 34-28 in overtime.
With a second remaining in regulation time, the St. Charles Cardinals lined up on Lo-Ellen’s 20-yard line. A punt either out of the side or the back of the endzone would snap the 28-28 deadlock and give the Cards their fourth straight title.
“I thought about faking the punt and running a reverse since we were successful with the play early in the season, but the assistant coaches waved me off,” said Cards head coach Chris Bartolucci.
But Craig Tyson’s punt veered right and struck the upright. Dead ball and overtime.
“All I thought was ‘thank you, thank you’,” said Lo-Ellen head coach Brandon Dougan of the kick.
Going to a controversial shoot-out format where each team begins an offensive series on the 35-yard line and attempts to score, St. Charles went four and zero and set the stage for Lo-Ellen’s winning strike.
On the first play of its series, Lo-Ellen took advantage of a dinged-up Cards defence. Quarterback David Laking hit receiver Rob DaPrat in the right flat. DePrat eluded one defender and sprinted in for the score.
“They were giving Rob one-on-one coverage and we noticed that the defensive back kept cheating to the inside,” explained Dougan “So that meant they were vulnerable to a quick pass.”
Bartolucci admitted it might have been a tactical error to take the ball first in the overtime session. Of course, it’s been about 25 years since the last overtime contest in Sudbury high school competition, so it’s unfamiliar territory for the local coaches.
“We probably should have let Lo-Ellen take the ball first,” he said. “When we failed to score, Lo-Ellen knew what they had to do.”
The game lived up to expectations with both teams establishing formidable running games.
For Lo-Ellen, DeVaughn Harper finished the game with 164 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns, while fullback Steven Gravel amassed 136 yards on 24 carries and also notched a pair of touchdowns.
“Those two kill you,” said Bartolucci. “Lo-Ellen pounds you inside with Gravel, and then when you start looking for that, they bounce Harper to the outside.
“We controlled them pretty well in the second half, but our problem was that we just couldn’t take one aspect of their game away.”
Fielding a younger team, the defending city champs hoped to control both Gravel and Harper and use reverses and a short passing game to keep pace with the high-octane Knights.
Quarterback Ed Tyson managed two completions for 67 yards as his receivers struggled with retooled pass routes. St. Charles’ attack was paced by Ryan Muncaster’s 178 yards on 26 carries. Muncaster scored all four of the Cards’ touchdowns, including one on a punt return.
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