Ladies and Gentleman…the moment that you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived!
After an incredible week of Semi-Final action, OFC fans will now get the chance to see the top-ranked Hamilton Hurricanes (8-1 including the post-season) host the always dangerous Windsor AKO Fratmen (7-2 including the post-season) in what should be the game of the year.
After a fairly dominant season from both teams, this should be an interesting battle in what will be the final game of the 2013 season. In addition, the winner of this game will not only be the champions of the OFC, but they will also get to represent Ontario in the Jostens Cup, as they face-off against the British Columbia Football Conference (BCFC) champions for the opportunity to play in the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) National Championships, which will be hosted by the Prairie Football Conference (PFC) champions.
In other words – there’s a lot riding on this game.
Last week, Hamilton was able to fend off the defending champions from 2012 – the London Beefeaters, with an impressive 41-10 victory. The Canes dominated the game from the very first kick-off, and continually applied pressure right up until the final whistle. With only one loss in the regular season to the Ottawa Sooners, the Hurricanes are obviously looking to go all the way this weekend and win the Ontario Championships for the third time in the past four years.
With both teams each having a handful of players on the OFC All-Star team, the Hurricanes and the Fratmen are well-represented on the field.
Against London, Hurricanes QB Kyle Sewell had another stand-out performance, as he helped to lead his team to victory. He had a fantastic game through the air as he picked the Beefeaters’ defensive core apart with an impressive 345 yards on the day and three touchdowns. Also, Sewell managed to hook up with receiver Andrin Massoti for what ended up being an astounding and game-changing 100-yard touchdown pass. Sewell was definitely a dominant force during the regular season, and he ended the year with the most proficient quarterback rating in the entire conference. The victory over London also earned Sewell the honours of OFC Offensive Player of the Week.
The Fratmen on the other hand, were also able to successfully dominate their game, as they pushed the St. Leonard Cougars out of championship contention with an impressive 39-7 victory.
Fratmen running back Tarrence Crawford had an impressive day on the gridiron, as he lead the Fratmen to their semi-final win. Crawford rushed for 123-yards on 16 carries, which then resulted in two touchdowns. Crawford also hauled in one pass for seven yards, giving him 130 total yards on the day.
Other Fratmen players that stood out last week were defensive back Austin Crumb, linebacker Joe Iatzko, and defensive lineman Spencer Anger. Each player was able to put up 12 points defensively. Combined, all three players had 11 solo tackles, three assisted tackles, one special teams tackle, one quarterback sack, and one interception.
Both teams had an extremely impressive day on the field by scoring early and often. They successfully kept the opposition off the board, which led to decisive victories for both teams. The Fratmen and the Hurricanes are now both ready for the OFC Championship game, and are a great representation of the high caliber amateur football that Ontario has to offer at the Junior (ages 17-22) level.
It should be noted that when these two teams met during the regular season, Hamilton dominated the Fratmen and won (in Windsor) by a score of 36-3. This no doubt left a sour taste in Windsor’s mouth, who are most certainly looking for a shot at redemption, and will leave everything they have out on the field in an attempt to come home with that OFC Champion title.
This weekend will prove who is the best in the OFC.
Game time starts is 7:00 p.m. on Saturday October 19 in Hamilton at the St. Thomas Moore Secondary School.
Best of luck to both teams.
by Jake Bellamy
Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.
