THUNDER BAY – All season long, the Hammarskjold Vikings had an answer for just about every opponent who came along.
But, one victory away from capping a perfect season with their first high school senior football championship in a decade, the Vikings could not come up with an answer for Nicholas Doucet.
The St. Ignatius Falcons running back carried the ball 22 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns, his team scoring 22 unanswered points to grab their fourth title in five seasons with a 22-7 triumph on Saturday afternoon at Fort William Stadium.
The second-year player said the win brought him back to last season, when the junior Falcons brought home a sixth straight championship.
“I’m just so shocked. I was not expecting this, but I’m so happy and I’ve got a chance to go to OFSSA this year,” the second-year player said.
Looking at his numbers for the game, Doucet said he thinks he could have done better.
“It’s not as much as I wanted to get. I wanted to do better, but I tried my hardest. I know my team put all they could on the field and it’s all the (offensive) line. They helped me out. They’re the only ones who make those holes so I could get through and get those touchdowns,” said Doucet, who plays for St. Ignatius, but attends La Verendrye High School.
“It’s just the best feeling every to get some touchdowns, get those points and just shove it in their face.”
Doucet’s first score came eight minutes into the second quarter, a one-yard run set up by his own 57-yard scamper up the middle that landed the Falcons in the red zone after a 15-yard facemask penalty was tacked on to the end of the play.
Quarterback Jordan Maki, who made just two passing attempts all game, had a shot on a keeper from the two, but gave way to Doucet after picking up just a single yard.
Kicker Leo Pernia added a single point rouge, booting the ball 75 yards into the Vikings end zone, Hunter Campbell unable to run it out.
Doucet added another major two minutes later after Jesse Massaro blocked a Hammarskjold punt and the Falcons took over on the Vikings 23. One play later they were up 15-7, a lead they took into the halftime break.
The Vikings, who opened the scoring on a one-yard Gavin Perkins keeper midway through the first, just couldn’t keep the offence going after that.
Perkins struggled throwing the ball, going just 4-for-17 for 120 yards and the run game was slowed by the Falcons defence, the quarterback leading the ground game with just 48 yards on five carries. Campbell was held to just 33 yards and Caleb Perzan could only manage three yards. Ryan Laukka made three catches for 91 yards, adding another 21 yards on the ground.
Defence was huge, said Bradley Macklin, who won a third straight title in 2018, having won with junior team the past two seasons. The slow start was never a concern, he added.
“Football games are really long and there’s a lot of time to come back. We were not going to allow one touchdown put us down. We’re a strong team and I was confident we were going to come back,” Macklin said.
“Our defence yet again was a powerhouse. Every one of us we work hard in practice. We wanted this so bad.
Vikings coach Mike Judge, whose team lost the championship match for a third straight year, was disappointed at the outcome, but not the effort.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow right now. This one won’t go away quickly. But congrats to St. Ignatius,” he said.
The Falcons take on Toronto's Northern Red Knights in the Metro Bowl at 1 p.m. on Nov. 27 in Ottawa.
