August 20, 2011
The temperature was 33 C but the St. Paul's Crusaders barely broke a sweat.
The Crusaders AAA team shut out the Churchill Bulldogs 43-0 at the Grant Park High School field to open the 2011 Winnipeg High School Football League season in the Potter AAA division on Thursday.
Crusaders QB Theo Deezar scrambles through the Churchill defence. (PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
An undermanned Churchill team defended hard and made some highlight-reel tackles, but this St. Paul's team is likely going to be tough for any team to handle the season.
Engineered by quarterback Theo Deezar, the Crusaders threw down a little ground-and-pound as the team ran amok with the football. Leading the way was running back Blair Mattes with 16 carries for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
"We have a great O-line this year, quarterback, receivers and everyone is blocking well. We've got a good back in Mark (Mahon) as well, so I hope there's more of this (ground game) to come," said Mattes, who opened the game's scoring about five minutes into the first quarter, stuffing in a two-yard touchdown rush. He also had a touchdown run of about 35 yards early in the third quarter to build a 30-0 lead.
The Crusaders made it to the final last season but came up short.
"It is brought up (the loss), but we're not looking too far down the road, game by game. The best thing we can do is keep working hard."
Mahon also scored two touchdowns and had five carries for 45 yards. Matthew Hanks, a receiver who also lugged the football, had two carries for 58 yards.
Slotback Trysten Dyce, son of former Bombers assistant coach Bobby Dyce, emerged as St. Paul's most versatile player. He scored a touchdown and the two-point conversion, kicked a 30-yard field goal and four converts while booting a pair of kick-off singles.
"We pride ourselves on trying to be balanced, but today the ground game was working. Churchill has a smaller roster and it was a hot day so you could say it was part of our game plan to try to wear them down," said St. Paul's head coach Stacy Dainard, who had backup quarterback Jamie Dzikowicz run the offence in the fourth quarter.
Dainard said having a veteran quarterback like the 6-foot-5 Deezar leading the team allows players to be versatile on offence.
"Theo was the first and only grade nine to make our AAA team, he was a backup in 2008 to Nicholas Cobb and he's been our starter for three years," Dainard said. "He's a special kid. Talented, smart, a really good student athlete."
Churchill was led by grade 11 quarterback Nolan Jackson, who also played defensive back, and running back Matthew Miles, who ground out some key yards for the Bulldogs. Miles led the team to first downs on three third-down gambles in his team's final series which set up a long pass attempt for a touchdown in the final seconds.
Churchill is having a new facility built on school property so will be without a home field this season.
Thursday's scores
Murdoch 41 Kelvin 7
Sisler A 13 DMCI 6
Neelin 26 St. Paul's AA 18
Miles Mac 37 Kildonan East 7
River East 31 West Kildonan 7
St. Paul's AAA 43 Churchill 0
St. John's 18 Tec Voc 7
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 9, 2011 C6