Senior Boys Football
Knights fall to Coyotes in high school football showdown
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

St. Peter Knight quarterback Jake Molinski gets taken down by a pair of St. Francis Xavier defenders during second half action on Thursday. Fred Sherwin/Photo

Prior to Thursday's showdown against the St. Francis Xavier Coyotes, the St. Pete Knights senior boys football team had not lost a regular season or playoff game in five years.

Their winning streak, which includes four straight city championships, dates back to November 2007 when they lost in the playoffs to the St. Mark Lions.

But every streak in sports must come to an end sooner or later, and for the Knights their streak came to an end against a highly-skilled St. Francis Xavier team in a likely preview of this year's city championship game.

The Knights started out strong enough, scoring on a one yard run by Jacob Molinski after the Knights' QB connected with Tyrone Pierre on long pass inside the red zone.

The Coyotes tied the score early in the second quarter when quarterback John Bolzanello hit Dimitri Vaillancourt over the middle and the elusive back scampered through the Knights' secondary for the major.

Unfazed, St. Peter answered back with their second touchdown of the game on a 25-yard pass from Molinski to Jaylen King.

The momentum would swing back in the Coyotes favour on the very next series when Bolzanello completed a long pass inside the five yard line that set up a two-yard touchdown plunge by Nathaniel Hamlin. A missed extra point attempt, however, left them trailing the Knights 14-13.

St. Francis would wipe out the deficit on a highlight reel punt return by Vaillancourt late in the quarter to give the Coyotes a 20-14 halftime lead.

The Coyotes would add to their lead with a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter. Hamlin scored his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard plunge up the middle to put the Coyotes up 27-14 and then Vaillancourt hauled in an 85-yard long bomb from Bolzanello to put the game out of reach.

A string of turnovers by both teams and a terrible decision by Bolzanello would set up the Knights third touchdown of the game. The Coyotes' pivot was about to give up a safety on third and 10 on the five-yard line when he inexplicably threw the ball away.

After the change of possession, Molinski ran the ball in from the three yard line and then added a two point conversion to cut the deficit to 34-22.

A poorly executed onside kick would eliminate any hope of a miracle comeback and the game ended with St. Francis handing the Knights their first regular season loss in five years.

Knights head coah Jim Mick chalked the loss up to poor tackling and the two big plays in the second quarter.

"We didn't run the ball exceptionally well and we didn't tackle, especially at the line of scrimmage. They don't have one skilled played, they have three very skilled players and we didn't contain them. Once they got into space it was tough," said Mick.

If everything goes according to form, the Knights should get a chance to redeem themselves in the city championship. If they do get a second shot at the Coyotes they have to contain Vaillancourt and limit their turnovers, especially in their end of the field.

(Posted 10:30 p.m., Oct. 11)

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