Senior Boys Football
Colonel By Cougars come up short in bid for Tier 2 championship
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Colonel By quarterback Brett Foster looks for an opening as he takes off with the ball against the St. Patrick's Irish in the NCSSAA Tier 2 senior boys football championship on Thursday. Fred Sherwin/Photoo

The Colonel By Cougars came within a heartbeat of pulling off one of the most improbable playoff runs in National Capital high school athletics history on Thursday, but unfortunately it was not to be as the St. Patrick's Irish beat them 24-18 in overtime to win the Tier 2 senior boys football championship.

At one point in the third quarter the Cougars were trailing 18-6 before they stormed back to tie the game on a pair of touchdowns by running back Greg Power who was a powerhouse all game for Colonel By in racking up 240 yards on 23 carries.

One of the key moments in the game came on the Cougars' opening drive. Facing a third down and short yardage situation near midfield they pulled off the old fumblerooski whereby the quarterback takes the snap and places the ball on the ground. As the running backs fake the run to the right, the guard picks up the ball and runs it to the left.

In the Cougars case the play worked to perfection as the Irish totally committed themselves to the run. As a result, Colonel By not only picked up a first down, they moved the ball to inside the 10-yard line.

After failing to score on their first two plays from scrimmage, the Cougars were faced with a third and goal situation on the three yard line. Ninety-nine point nine per cent of the time, a team in a similar situation would send their field goal unit on to the field and attempt the 13 yard field goal. But unfortunately, in Colonel By's case they do not have anyone who can kick field goals on a consistent basis, despite the fact that the school has both a decent soccer program and a good rugby team. In fact, Power is a provincial level rugby player, but he doesn't normally take penalty kicks in rugby.

The lack of a place kicking capability would cost the Cougars dearly. So rather than attempt the punt they handed the ball off to Power who ended up getting stopped short of the goal line. A touchdown or a field goal on the play and the Cougars would have won the ball game.

They would also have won the ball game if they had of been able to make any of their two-point conversion attempts. Instead they were stopped all three times. St. Patrick's made their only two-point convert attempt after their opening touchdown and it would end up winning them the game.

The Cougars got on the board thanks to a 90-yard touchdown run by Power in the first quarter. The Irish then answered back with a long drive that carried over into the second quarter, culminated by a one yard touchdown plunge by quarterback Mitchell Baines. After the two-point convert attempt the Irish were up 8-6. They would extend their lead to 11-6 before the end of the opening half on an 32-yard field goal by Mohammed Joudeh.

After the half-time break, St. Pat's put together their most impressive drive of the game on their opening series, marching the ball 65 yards on eight plays culminating in a 12-yard run by Chris Burke. Instead of going for the two point conversion, they had Joudeh kick the point after to go up 18-6.

The game looked to be well in hand for the Irish who were undefeated heading into the championship game having only given up one offensive touchdown all season. The Cougars, however, had other plans. Thanks in large part to Power's running prowess, they were able to answer back with an impressive drive of their own, marching the ball 70 yards downfield to narrow the deficit to 18-12 -- but once again, they were unable to convert the two point convert attempt..

Aided by a couple of ill-timed penalties by the Irish and some outstanding defensive plays by the likes of Lamar McCormack and Mathieu Belair, the Cougars were eventually able to tie the game on a nine-yard touchdown run by Power on a crucial third and goal play

St. Pat's had a golden chance to win the game on a 36-yard field goal attempt by Joudeh with 2:55 left on the clock, but the snap from centre was off target and he ended up kicking the ball into the line.

Without a reliable place kicker, the odds were definitely against the Cougars in the extra session. According to OFSAA rules, each team is given a chance to score from the 35 yard line. If the score is still tied after the first set of possessions, they do it again until one team scored more points than the other.

After winning the coin toss, the Irish elected to let the Cougars have the first crack at the end zone. After picking up three yards on first down, Power ripped off a 22-yard run to the 10-yard line only to have the play called back on a border line holding call.

Power then carried the ball six yards to set up a third and one situation. But rather than hand the ball off to the speedy back again, the Cougars tried to catch the Irish off guard with a pass play, only to have the ball fall incomplete and end the series.

With the championship hanging in the balance, the Irish ripped off a pair of runs by Baines and Dickson to set up a 10-yard touchdown dash by their feature back to win the game and end the Cougars' Cinderella playoff run.

After the game, Cougars head coach Cam Baird had nothing but praise for his players, many of whom went through the entire season doing double duty on both offence and defence.

"I couldn't be more proud of these kids, honestly. To be such huge underdogs in three straight games and make it to the championship and then force St. Pat's to overtime is just amazing," said Baird.

Asked how his team was able to muster enough guile to comeback after the Irish went up by two touchdowns early in the second half, Baird pointed to their first two playoff wins over Sacred Heart and Immaculata.

"I think because of the two upsets we pulled off in the first two playoff games, we knew we could play at their level and come back," said Baird, who had some special praise for his star running back Greg Power. "He's just a phenomenally gifted athlete. He's a provincial level rugby player, but I don't think his football career is over yet."

Power ended the game with 240 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns. St. Patrick's star player was Ashton Dickson who had 204 yards on 24 carries and caught the ball three times for another 46 yards.

(Posted 1:30 p.m., Nov. 14)

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