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Vikings rally late to edge Gryphons

Superior Collegiate comes close to pulling off the upset of the junior football season, will take plenty of confidence into the postseason.

THUNDER BAY – The Superior Gryphons sure don’t play like a first-year football team.

On Thursday they gave top-seeded Hammarskjold a serious run for their money, the Vikings needing a late one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ethan Porter to secure a 17-14 triumph at Fort William Stadium to wrap up regular-season play undefeated at 4-0.

Superior's Owen Steele, who rushed for two scores and picked up 96 yards on the ground in the second half alone, gave full credit to the Gryphons defence for keeping his team within striking distance throughout the tightly contested match.

“They were stopping the offence, giving our offence a chance to score,” Steele said.

It’s a definite confidence boost for the expansion squad, with a postseason berth on the horizon.

“It feels good because in junior football teams all teams make the playoffs, so the first four games are just building blocks for the playoffs,” said Steele, coming off a four-touchdown outing last week, delivering Superior’s first win since returning to the gridiron after a two-season absence.

“We think we’re good. We started off with not a lot of experience and we’ve been getting better each game.”

The loss was partially self-inflicted.

The Vikings struck first, Keghan Davidson grabbing a muffed punt on one bounce and rumbling 36 yards to the end zone and a 7-0 advantage 5:25 into the game.

“It hit him and I just saw it and picked it up and ran as fast as I could. It was awesome. It’s my first high school touchdown. I would never have thought I’d get a touchdown. I’m an offensive lineman,” said Davidson, a captain with the Vikings. “It’s kind of surprising.”

But Hammarskjold couldn’t take advantage of a pair of Gryphons turnovers in the opening quarter and it was Superior who found pay dirt next.

Steele took the pitch midway through the second quarter and found an outside seam, taking it home from 18 yards out. He then kicked the extra point and the two teams hit the break tied at seven.

Hammarskjold jumped back in front in the third, Carter Oikonen booting a 26-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead with three minutes to go in the quarter.

But the Gryphons kept pressing and it paid off early in the fourth.

On a second and seven from the Vikings eight, Steele took a lateral and raced eight yards for the score.

“I couldn’t have done what I did without my team, Steele said. “The O-line played great, the receivers played great, everyone was making their blocks.”

A questionable onside kick gave the Vikings the ball on their own 47. Then, during a play that saw Justin Nadon hauled down in the backfield for a nine-yard loss, a 15-yard penalty instead gave Hammarskjold the ball in enemy territory.

Porter then hit Oikonen for a 23-yard gain, and after a pair of direct snaps to Nadon, the Vikings QB plowed in from a yard out.

Superior (1-3) made one final drive, but receiver Cale DeFrancheschi dropped a deep ball from Ari Uusitalo that might have given the Gryphons the go-ahead score.

That was a little too close for comfort.

“Our team, I was surprised how awful we played today,” Davidson said. “We could have played better. I was expecting we’d play better.”

Vikings coach Matt Steele said the Gryphons deserved every ounce of respect for the game they played.

“They proved their point. They were very resilient and were a tough team to play against on both sides of the ball; well coached, well executed, lots of grit, lots of determination from Superior today.”

St Ignatius 21, Westgate 6: Nick Doucette scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground, the first a 25-yard run, the second from four yards out, to lead the Falcons to victory and a 3-1 second-place finish. Jalen Francoeur had a two-yard touchdown run for St. Ignatius. Jacob Jones rushed for an eight-yard TD for Westgate, who finished last at 0-4 and will take on Superior in the four-five playoff game.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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