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The Holy Trinity Titans have their first win of the season after surviving a dramatic late comeback by the Valley Heights Bears.
Both teams entered Friday’s game with 0-2 records, meaning someone was going home with their first victory.
Holy Trinity jumped ahead early and carried a 13-0 lead into halftime.
Titans head coach Matt Tait said the victory was another sign that his young team is heading in the right direction.
The game changed late in the third quarter with Holy Trinity leading 13-6 and threatening to score. Valley Heights made a strong goal-line stand before forcing and recovering a fumble.
Bears quarterback Brady Smith then went to work. A 60-yard completion helped move Valley Heights into the red zone before Smith connected for a touchdown. The convert tied the game 13-13.
Titans running back Akin Eccleston answered, finding the corner of the end zone on a sweep to put Holy Trinity ahead 19-13. The Titans later added a rouge for a 20-13 advantage.
Tait was encouraged by his offence’s ability to sustain drives.
But the Bears weren’t finished.
Starting from his own 40 with little time remaining, Smith completed six of eight passes on a late drive and found the end zone, cutting the Titans’ lead to 20-19.
Valley Heights went for the win with a two-point conversion, but the pass fell incomplete. The Bears attempted an onside kick, but Holy Trinity recovered and kneeled out the remaining seconds to secure the victory.
Elsewhere around the league, a battle of undefeated teams took centre stage under the Friday Night Lights in Delhi.
The Pauline Johnson Thunderbirds improved to 3-0 with a 34-14 victory over the Delhi Raiders, who entered the game with a matching 2-0 record.
The Waterford Wolves picked up a 33-12 win over the SCS Sabres.
And in the Battle of the Grand River, McKinnon Park defeated the Cayuga Warriors 33-13. The win keeps McKinnon Park perfect on the season with a 3-0 record.
Written by Jeremy Hall
