Raiders KO Crusaders

Oak Park upsets two-time undefeated champions

Fri Nov 2 2007

By Ashley Prest

IT was a mammoth upset but the Oak Park Raiders did it by beating the two-time defending champion St. Paul's Crusaders on Thursday night in the Winnipeg High School Football League playoffs.

The Raiders recorded a 9-8 win in the Potter Division semifinal at Canad Inns Stadium over the previously undefeated Crusaders, who were 20-0 over the last three regular seasons.

With just 12 seconds left in the game, Victor Kawa caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Oak Park quarterback Tye Noble for the game-winning touchdown, sending Raiders fans into a frenzy.

Oak Park is off to the ANAVETS Bowl championship game on Nov. 9 at Canad Inns Stadium, where they will meet the Sisler Spartans. Sisler is going to the final for the third year in a row but this time the Spartans have a different opponent.

"To beat a team that hasn't been beaten in three years, it's just unbelievable. I'm so happy for our team," said Noble.

Sisler beat the Churchill Bulldogs 29-7 in the other Potter Division semifinal Thursday.

"The trick and the honour is to get to the championship game and we're in the game," said Sisler head coach Rick Hudson. "This is just awesome."

The Centennial Bowl (A) between Murdoch McKay Clansmen and Sisler Spartans II is also slated for Nov. 9 at 3 p.m., followed at 5:15 p.m. by the Free Press Bowl (AA) between Kildonan East Reivers and Kelvin Clippers. Both games are at Canad Inns Stadium.

Raiders 9 Crusaders 8

(Potter Division AAA)

St. Paul's led 1-0 after the first half following Brett Cameron's 30-yard single.

After Oak Park kicker Jeremy Lomonaco kicked a 24-yard field goal to give his team a 3-1 lead in the third quarter, St. Paul's running back David Anderson set up his own touchdown with a 54-yard run and then plunged two yards for the major. It gave St. Paul's an 8-3 lead, setting the stage for Kawa's late-game heroics.

Spartans 29 Bulldogs 7

(Potter AAA)

The Spartans, who got TDs from Owen Ternowetsky (20 yards) and Michael Dawes (38 yards), led 15-7 with 1:14 left in the first half.

Then, with the ball on the Sisler 12-yard line, the Bulldogs gambled on third down and quarterback Tyler Parks' pass was incomplete, turning the ball over on downs.

After that, the Spartans did the only scoring with a 13-yard touchdown run by R.J. Cornish in the third quarter and a three-yard run with 2:55 left in the game by Spartans quarterback Devin Cox. Kicker Michael Cocozza booted four converts and a single.

"It will be three years in the row (in the final). It means a lot," said Cornish. "We're going to work hard in practice and see if we can win this year."

Running back Sean Clark scored Churchill's only major on a six-yard run and kicked the convert.

"Sisler played very disciplined and Devin Cox had a great game at quarterback," said Churchill coach Kelsey McKay.

Clippers 31 Huskies 10

(Vidruk-AA semifinal)

Kelvin led 17-10 at the half on a six-yard touchdown catch by Braxton McIntosh and a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown by Yembeh Moiba. Kicker Tyson Farago, who kicked converts on both TDs, booted a 15-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Sturgeon Heights scored all its points in the first half with a 61-yard touchdown by Anthony Coombs and a 50-yard field goal by Mike Grapentine. The Clippers added two fourth-quarter touchdowns to complete the scoring -- a 47-yard run by Abdul Sesay and a two-yard rumble by Simon Rodrigues.