THUNDER BAY -- The Hammarskjold Vikings and Superior Collegiate Gryphons already knew they had a date in the first round of the junior varsity football playoffs.
Thursday’s Fort William Stadium tilt was a chance for one side or the other to gain momentum heading into next week’s win-or-go-home match.
The Vikings drew first blood, scoring a 32-18 triumph, but the Gryphons outplayed their opponent in the second half, showing they won’t be a pushover come playoff time, despite finishing the regular season with an 0-4 mark.
Hammarkskjold’s Zachery Hynna, who hauled in a 53-yard reception from Marti Martinez midway through the second quarter and later scored on a 54-yard punt return to put the Vikings up 23-0 at the half, said it was an important win for a couple of reasons.
“Winning this first game definitely helped us out, coming off a loss. We kind of got killed by (St. Ignatius). Winning this game heading into the playoffs, I think it’s motivated our team even more than we were before,” Hynna said.
It was a tale of two halves, the Vikings conquering the first, the Gryphons owning the second.
Vikings running back Will MacDonough opened the scoring on a 60-yard run, the lone touchdown of the opening quarter.
But buoyed by the momentum of Hynna’s touchdowns, which came 75 seconds apart late in the second quarter, the Vikings couldn’t carry their strong play into the second half.
The Gryphons got on the board quickly to start the third, Caleb Niitynen charging through the gap from a yard out, after Sean O’Connor connected with Brendan Stark on a 31-yard completion that marched Superior to the Vikings goal line.
O’Connor found the magic touch again later in the quarter, aided by a spectacular one-handed Tyler Russell catch that added six more to the board, the Gryphons trailing 23-12.
In the fourth, after the Vikings opted not to kick a field goal deep within Superior territory – despite Devon Hoier already kicking a 43-yarder in the opening half – the Gryphons made it a one-score contest.
O’Connor broke free on run up the middle, evading a pair of Vikings defenders desperately chasing him down, scoring on a 100-yard run, the longest in junior varsity football this season.
Up by just seven – the Gryphons failed at a two-point convert for the third time in the contest – the Vikings put it away on the next possession, capped by a 39-yard MacDonough scoring run.
“That last touchdown was almost a lifesaver. Superior battled hard. They had a 100-yard run. Next game, who knows what’s going to happen,” Hynna said.
Hammarskjold coach Mike Steele said he was happy with the fast start.
“We were looking to respond to our tough loss to Ignatius last week. We started quickly, showed some compete and saw some adversity,” Steele said.
“Superior competed at a really high level. We were really content with what we saw and how the boys responded in the second half toward the end. Superior put up a great fight.”
St. Ignatius 37, St. Patrick 6: The Falcons easily won the battle of the unbeatens, finishing the regular season at 5-0. Nic Cull ran for 210 yards and scord from 83 yards and 77 yards out to lead the St. Ignatius charge. Anthony Valente also had a 40-yard rushing major. Sebastian Foglia had the lone touchdown for the Saints (4-1), a 23-yard scoring play.
Churchill 29, Westgate 21: Stefan Nahachewsky had TD runs of two yards and one yards in another first-round playoff preview. He finished with 135 yards rushing. The Tigers Cayden Boucher led all rushers with 156 yards, scoring on a four-yard run to cap the scoring in the fourth.
