Mosquito Steelers win semifinal thriller

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

The Westpark mosquito Steelers, a football club that played the entire season with a roster of no more than 25 players, have qualified for the big dance.

The Steelers will meet the Sun Youth Hornets this Saturday afternoon at 2:30 at the Université de Montréal’s CEPSUM Stadium with all the marbles on the line.

Head coach James Buteau’s troops earned that right by registering a thrilling 35-29 overtime win over the Boucherville Grizzlies in a regional crossover semifinal affair on Sunday afternoon at Glenn McHugh Field in Dollard des Ormeaux. “The Grizzlies were big, tall and disciplined, and the stuff they did, they did well,” said Buteau. “But at the end of the day, our offence and overall team speed was too much for them. Now we have one more game to win, and it’s on Saturday.”

In one of the most exciting seesaw amateur football games seen in the West Island in a long time, the Steelers won the coin toss heading into overtime, the game tied 29-29. With a shootout format in place, Buteau chose to start on defence. A Justin McInnis over-the-shoulder interception put an end to the Grizzlies first drive. On their ensuing possession, the Steelers won the game on a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback McInnis to wide receiver Evan Leibenger. “The play was designed for McInnis to fake a run to the right,” said Buteau. “He would then bootleg to the left and pull up and throw to a hopefully wide open Leibenger in the end zone. It worked.”

McInnis, the Steelers’ best player on the day, finished the day with three touchdowns while Kalial Nesfield added another. Eric Yagilashek added a two-point conversion.

Besides the Steelers, five other area teams will be vying for provincial titles this weekend, including the atom Ile Bizard Vikings, peewee Alexander Park Roughriders, bantam AAA North Shore Lions and midget AAA North Shore Mustangs.

For starting times and locations of all the games, go to www.footballquebec.com.