Raiders take title with impressive win

Knock off favoured Spartans

BY AVI SAPER

STAFF REPORTER

avi.saper@canstarnews.com

Officially, Monday night’s championship game in the Winnipeg High School Football League’s Potter Division was called the ANAVETS Bowl.

But it may as well have been dubbed the Lomonaco Grand Prix.

As in Jeremy Lomonaco, the Grade 12 soccer and basketball star who was convinced by his Oak Park Raiders coaches before the season to give it a shot as a defensive back instead of merely handling the kicking duties as he did in 2006.

It looked like that decision was a good one as Lomonaco had three interceptions and a fumble recovery to power the Raiders to a come-from-behind 29-19 victory over the Sisler Spartans under the lights at Canad Inns Stadium.

“It felt great. I just played fundamentally sound, played hard, and got my job done,” said Lomonaco after the game.

“It was my last game as a player so I had to give it my all.”

The fumble recovery and two of the interceptions came in the game’s waning minutes as the Raiders completed their comeback from a 13-0 first-half deficit.

Stu Nixon, the jubilant Oak Park coach, explained what he saw in Lomonaco on the basketball court.

“He’s just incredibly athletic. He anticipates and steals the ball,” said Nixon. “With his defensive skills in basketball (we thought) he can’t just be a kicker for us. He needs to play defensive back.”

Oak Park quarterback Tye Noble also had a night to remember, throwing for one touchdown to Anthony Malott and running for a pair of scores in the game’s final three minutes as the Raiders claimed their first title since 2002.

Kelvin dominates

Earlier in the evening, the Kelvin Clippers ran roughshod over the Kildonan East Reivers, 49-10, to win the Vidruk Division’s Free Press Bowl.

After two seasons spent at the bottom of the standings, Kelvin linebacker Jordan Ethans was overcome with emotion after the win.

“It’s the best feeling of my life. I can’t even describe it. It’s just amazing,” he said as tears made a mess of the eye black painted on his face.

“You can’t end any better than winning a championship,” said the Grade 12 student, who hopes to continue his playing career in college, but won’t have any complaints if Monday was his final football game.

Kelvin coach Jon Romu said the veteran leadership on his team was a key factor in its remarkable journey from worst to first.

“Luckily this year we had a lot of Grade 12 athletes,” he said.

“We’re going to lose those guys next year, but high school sports is cyclical.”

Quarterback Benjamin Allen led the offensive charge for the Clippers with two touchdowns runs, including an 86-yarder early in the second half.