Three teams enter Week 7 undefeated on gridiron
Home teams combined to go 4-2 as the Niagara Regional Minor Football Association kicked off the second full month of the season with games in Fort Erie and Niagara Falls.
Mason Arbic scored three touchdowns and a two-point conversion, and the Fort Erie KLIX Sports Photography Longhorns defeated the visiting West Niagara Home Hardware Steelers 36-13 to improve to 5-0 in bantam league play.
The Longhorns, one of only three undefeated teams in the fourdown, 12-per-side league, also got scoring from Drew Beam and Kaiden Craft, with a touchdown each; and Anthony Gomez and Steven Phillips, two-point conversions; in Sunday’s game at Crystal Ridge Community Centre.
Josh Keizer and Tyler Richardson, each with a touchdown; and Evan Reece, one-point convert; scored for the 0-5 Steelers.
Jack Portfilio and Josh Tripola each scored two touchdowns and Marshall McCray one to help lead the host Niagara Falls Legion Branch 51 Argonauts to a 35-6 victory over the Niagara Barron Roofing Titans 6.
Elijah Dappin and Aiden Maxim Maxim, with a two-point convert apiece; and Liam Bartolini, one-point conversion; rounded out the scoring for Niagara Falls in bantam action at Westlane Secondary School.
Sacade Kasamba scored a touchdown for the Titans, who are stocked with players from St. Catharines and Welland.
The Argonauts improved their record to 5-0. Niagara dropped below .500, falling to 2-3.
Week 7 action next Sunday has two 1:30 p.m. games: Steelers at Longhorns, Crystal Ridge; and Titans at Argonauts, Westlane.
Peewee Division
Jayden Gurzi-McDonald threw two touchdowns, ran for another and scored a one-point convert to give the visiting West Niagara Pneu Hyde Falcons a 20-0 victory the Fort Erie Golden Horseshoe Footwear and Apparel Longhorns.
Ryden Lapcevich had two touchdown receptions as the Falcons soared to 5-0. Fort Erie fell to 1-4. Defensive standouts for West Niagara in Sunday’s game at Crystal Ridge Community Centre included Cole Haan, nine tackles, three sacks; Jayce MacArthur, seven tackles, including three that prevented touchdowns; Evan Lewis, six tackles; and Tyler Crawford, five tackles.
Alec Kosinski played a strong game on defence for Fort Erie.
At Westlane, the Welland Port Colborne Optimist Club TigerCats snapped a four-game losing streak with a 25-18 victory over Niagara Falls Condotta Merritt Insurance Argonauts.
Dylan Dellemonache, with two touchdowns, one-point conversion; Colton Kizlyk and Nick Jokic, one touchdown each; scored for the Ticats.
The Argos fell to 2-3 despite touchdowns from Tyrell Kelman, with two; and Alessandro Dimaurizo, one.
The St. Catharines Paul’s Kids Seahawks, 3-1 and coming off a bye week, face the Argos this Sunday at Westlane and the Longhorns are at Crystal Ridge playing the Tiger-Cats. Both games start at 11:30 a.m.
The Falcons have the bye.
Atom Division
Grant Spada scored three touchdowns, Jordan Payne one and Ryan Shultz had a convert, and Fort Erie J& A Athletics blanked the visiting West Niagara R. Bailey Transport Steelers 20-0.
Fort Erie improved to 4-0-1, while the Steelers lost for the first time after starting the season 3-0-1.
The Niagara Falls E-Quip Rentals Lions improved to 3-2 with a 44-30 victory over the Welland Tiger-Cats.
Austin McKay, four touchdowns; Marco Angelini, two touchdowns, one-point conversion; Blake McKinnon, one touchdown; and Shahen Shirzadi, one-point convert; scored for the Lions.
Ben Tsanoff, three touchdowns, two two-point conversions; Calem Smith, touchdown; and Mason Davies, two-point convert; put their names on the scoresheet for 0-5 Welland.
This Sunday’s early games – 9:30 a.m. games – has the 1-3 Seahawks at the Lions, Westlane; the Ticats at the Longhorns, Crystal Ridge; and the Steelers in their bye week.