Resurrection wins District 8 championship
Phoenix advance to CWOSSA semifinal
WATERLOO — The last-minute gamble came up short and the Resurrection Phoenix are District 8 senior football champions.
The Phoenix stopped a twopoint convert attempt with 15 seconds remaining and held on for a 20-19 win over the St. David Celtics on Thursday night at Warrior Field. Celtics quarterback Sam Hepditch pulled the Celtics to within one when he connected for a six-yard touchdown pass with Tyreese Griffith but the decision to go for the win failed to provide the desired result.
“We knew they’d give us everything we could handle and that’s exactly what happened. They’re a very good football team,” said Phoenix head coach Matt Gallagher.
“We had a week to game-plan for them and I think that was the difference.”
Phoenix quarterback Max Le Duc gave his team a 20-7 lead on a one-yard keeper with 5:34 to play but the Celtics responded on the next drive with a 17-yard TD pass by Hepditch to Braydan Schneider.
Resurrection turned over the ball on downs on its next possession to set up the thrilling finish.
The Celtics coaching staff decided to go for the win, rather than kick for a tie, while driving for their final touchdown.
“We thought we had the momentum and we wanted to take it to them,” said Celtics coach Steve Ennis. “We’ve been working on a two-point play all week and it was there.”
Resurrection led 14-0 at halftime, thanks in part to a 40-yard touchdown pass from Le Duc to Jaxon Matcheski with 1.6 seconds remaining. Le Duc threw a perfect strike down the middle and Matcheski reached out with his right hand to catch the ball and ran 15 yards to the end zone.
Earlier in the second quarter, Jackson Lewis scored a 23-yard rushing touchdown to cap an impressive drive that featured two key runs by Devante Russell.
Both teams committed a pair of turnovers in a scoreless first quarter.
Resurrection advances to a CWOSSA semifinal game next week against Guelph’s St. James Lions or the St. Mary’s Mustangs of Owen Sound. Those teams play Friday night in Guelph.
The league renamed its MVP award during a halftime ceremony and St. David slotback/defensive back Braydan Schneider became the first recipient of the ‘Father Mike Award.’ The honour was named after Fr. Mike Cundari, the former St. Jerome’s High School principal who was killed in a 1986 car crash.
Earlier, the Resurrection Phoenix won their fourth consecutive District 8 junior championship with a 34-20 win over the St. Benedict Saints.
Vivayk Patel and Tyler Putzu scored two touchdowns apiece for Resurrection and Steven Pahl returned an interception for a another major. Joe Gorman rounded out the scoring with four converts.