Lions claw their way to another championship

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

Area bantam peewee and atom clubs found themselves at McGill University’s Molson Stadium last weekend, participating in prestigious provincial final showdowns.

When all was said and done, it was a good news/bad news situation. As expected, the bantam AAA North Shore Lions took care of business on Sunday, but for the peewee Lakeshore Cougars and atom St. Lazare Stallions, Saturday turned out to be a rainy and damp exercise in futility.



Lions win 29th provincial title

Ask anyone who has followed the exploits of the Pierrefonds-based bantam AAA North Shore Lions over the past many years, and the one thing he or she will say is opposing teams simply cannot afford to commit turnovers against the boys in orange and white. Do so, and they will pounce on you like bloodthirsty cats, making you pay for it where it really hurts — on the scoreboard. The Hochelaga Archers learned that lesson the hard way on Sunday. The Lions converted two interceptions and a blocked punt into touchdowns while adding a pair of field goals in the first half alone to lead 27-7 at the break. They literally toyed with their opponents in the second half, inserting most of their second-line players, cruising to a 37-16 victory.

“We had a hard week of practice, and didn’t want to take these guys too lightly,� said Lions defensive back and placekicker Joseph Fulginiti, named Most Valuable Player for his team after intercepting two passes, playing outstanding defence and kicking three field goals while adding four converts. “We focused on their key guys and stopped them.�

Quarterback Matt Leblanc led the Lions with a pair of touchdowns both on keepers, while running back Spencer Karls added another on a 10-yard sweep. Linebacker Jessy St-James blocked that punt, returning it 45 yards to the end zone to account for the other Lions TD.

The closest the Archers got in the game was midway through the first quarter, marching downfield thanks to three costly Lions penalties worth about 60 yards, capping it off with a 20-yard Charlie Simard-Duguay touchdown reception from quarterback Kevin Silla. That made the score 10-7 Lions, but on the ensuing possession, Fulginiti registered his second field goal of the game and it was off to the races for head coach Jason Jourdenais’ troops.

“You can criticize the referees all you want,� said Jourdenais. “Every team and coach does. There’s always going to be good and bad calls, and at the end of the day, you just have to accept it. The coaching staff stayed calm and our kids did their jobs.�

Cougars come up short

No team likes to make excuses for a loss, but you have to feel the Lakeshore Panthers felt a bit slighted by the schedule maker following their 33-7 provincial peewee final loss to the Vimont Patriots on Saturday. Head coach Bill Mitchell’s club hadn’t played a real game since Oct. 21, when they defeated the A Ma Baie Alouettes in the North Shore Football League inter-league final. That victory capped off a five-game winning streak, but the three-week layoff seemed to sap all that momentum away.

“Any football coach will tell you two weeks off is difficult, but three is a killer,� said Cougars head coach Bill Mitchell. “Our kids simply came out flat and couldn’t execute. That being said, the Patriots were a better team on the day. They had a very effective attack up the middle, managed the ball well all day, and ate up the field five yards at a crack. Still, our kids showed heart, never giving up.�

The Cougars actually led 7-0 in the game early in the first quarter on a long Matthew Orsini touchdown run from scrimmage. But the lead would not last long, as the Patriots tied it up, took the lead and cruised to the win.

Stallions go down to defeat

The St. Lazare atom Stallions put in a solid effort in the first half of Saturday morning’s game against the Sun Youth Hornets, but couldn’t contain a strong attack during the final two quarters. As a result, head coach Michel Dutton’s side lost 34-22. The defeat put an end to the Stallions’ four-game winning streak.