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Week 2 of the local high school varsity football season brought rivalry games, big scores and plenty of touchdowns across the league Friday.
The spotlight was on the annual Mud Jug game between the Simcoe Sabres and Delhi Raiders, a rivalry dating back to 1970.
And when the mud settled, the Jug was heading back to Delhi.
The Raiders shut out the Sabres 29-0, reclaiming the coveted trophy and giving Delhi another strong result early in the season.
Delhi continued to pound away with its strong running game, using the ground attack to move the chains and control the football. Simcoe found some success through the air, completing a number of deep passes to stretch the Raiders’ defence.
Despite the loss, Simcoe Head Coach Owen Van Dyk saw some positives, particularly on defence.
For Delhi, Head Coach Marshall Greenham said the Mud Jug still carries plenty of weight with his players.
The Raiders won’t have much time to admire the hardware. Delhi returns home this Friday for its annual Friday Night Lights game.
Over at Pauline Johnson Collegiate, the Thunderbirds welcomed the Cayuga Warriors for the annual Every Child Matters Game and came away with a 35-7 victory.
But the day was about much more than football.
The game has become an important community event that celebrates Indigenous culture while raising money for the Woodland Cultural Centre. It also provides another opportunity for the community to learn, come together and take meaningful steps toward Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.
On the field, the Thunderbirds gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about with a convincing win over the Warriors.
Elsewhere, the Waterford Wolves came out howling, rolling into Simcoe and leaving with a 36-20 victory over the Holy Trinity Titans.
And in Caledonia, the McKinnon Park Blue Devils proved devilishly difficult for Valley Heights, handing the Bears a 41-13 loss.
With two weeks now in the books, the season is starting to heat up and Friday Night Lights in Delhi will provide the next big stage.
Written by Jeremy Hall
