Slow start in final dooms Hurricanes
Their quarterback set a new Canadian junior football playoff record, but the Hamilton Hurricanes will be watching the national championship from a distance.
The Hurricanes surrendered 17 points in the first quarter on their way to a 34-20 loss to the Windsor AKO Fratmen in the Ontario Football Conference Sunday in Windsor.
The Fratmen will now play host to the powerful Saskatoon Hilltops in the 110th Canadian Bowl on Saturday Nov. 11, with the winner emerging as Canadian Junior Football League champions.
“Three big plays put them inside our 20 right away,” said Hamilton head coach Jason Hayes, who was looking to win his fourth Ontario title in his 10 years in the eye of the Hurricanes.
“We had a slow start and we were in chase mode all game. We played well in the second and third quarter, and closed the gap, but we couldn’t get within one score again.”
Hamilton’s Jake Marquette, the OFC’s allstar quarterback, threw a stunning 52 passes, completing 36 of them, both CJFL playoff records, for 468 yards, and rushed for a touchdown.
“We think Jake’s the best player in the league,” said Hayes, who’ll be back with the Hurricanes next season, as will his star QB.
Fratmen QB Brandon Reaume rushed for four short-yardage touchdowns in the game and the Windsor defence rang up five sacks and forced five fumbles, despite Hamilton registering 509 net yards of offence.
Marquette and receiver Brandon Bettencourt scored touchdowns for Hamilton, while Trea Ivey caught a dozen Marquette passes for 135 yards and Angus Button nine more for 115. Hamilton won the OFC crown in 2016, the final season the league played as a 23-and-under loop. To conform with CJFL regulations, all players must now be 22 or younger during the calendar year, and as a result, Marquette was the only one of last year’s 24 starters to return for 2017.
“That was happening throughout the league,” said Hayes.
“But we had a huge turnover, and so it was a bonus year for us because we were so young. Next year will be a senior-heavy team and there will be expectations.