N.S. titles, times two, for Bulldogs football

BY JOHN DECOSTE

Kings County Register

It will stand as arguably the greatest weekend in the history of Valley Minor Football – so far.

Sunday, Nov. 9, the Bantam Bulldogs capped an undefeated season by topping the Halifax Chargers 20-7 at Huskies Stadium to win the provincial Tier 1 title, just 24 hours after the Peewee Bulldogs claimed their own provincial Tier 2 title with a 14-6 win over Bedford.

Defense and special teams were the difference for the Bantams, holding the Chargers to a single touchdown and providing the offense with great field position all afternoon.

Defensive lineman/ punter Andrew Jennings-Lindsay was named the game MVP.

The offense, for its part, was able to move the ball against the Halifax defense, with quarterback Robert Adams and running back Iain MacMillan both scoring touchdowns. MacMillan, Alex McCarthy and Brandon Patterson all had strong games.

One of the biggest stories for the Bulldogs was the return of Mitch Getson, who missed most of the second half of the regular season after breaking a collarbone.

Getson was used sparingly, to kick field goals and converts, his teammates having been given strict instructions not to let him take a hit. He ended up making a difference, kicking a pair of field goals and converting both Valley touchdowns.

“Mitch has been a valuable part of our team all year,” says head coach Larry Priestnall. “For him to be able to be a part of this win was huge for him and for his teammates.”

Though he felt the win was a total team effort, Priestnall agreed the defense deserved to come in for a lot of the credit.

“They played great, great, great,” he says, “both Sunday and all season for us.”

The defense allowed just 25 points in 10 games this season.

The players, Priestnall said, “felt they had something to prove” after both the Bantams and Peewees lost in last year’s provincial finals.

“They set themselves a goal, they gave themselves a chance (to win) and they succeeded,” he says. “That’s the thing I’m the most proud of.”

The Bulldogs now get to travel to Fredericton this weekend to contest the Maritime championship against the top team from New Brunswick. The only downer for Priestnall and the Bulldogs is the trip is likely to cost $2,200.

Victory was also sweet for the Peewee Bulldogs who won their first-ever provincial title.

After an 0-3 start to the season, which ended up relegating them to the Tier 2 level, the young Bulldogs, with just a handful of returning players, won six of their final seven games, culminating in Saturday’s victory over Bedford which avenged an earlier loss.

Zack Gouthro played a great game on both sides of the ball and scored eight of his team’s points, including the only Valley touchdown. Rory Graham had a field goal and two singles, and Brandon Whitman contributed a single. Defensively, cornerback James MacDonald, according to head coach Steve Melanson, “had the game of his life.”

The Bulldogs led by just 2-0 at halftime (they had two touchdowns called back on penalties), but got things going after the intermission, with a 14-0 lead before Bedford scored its only touchdown with just 17 seconds left on the clock.

Melanson is “very pleased, very excited and very proud” at the win.

“For them to go from where they were at the start of the season to where they are now is quite an accomplishment,” he says.

“They played hard and practiced hard all season, and did what they had to do in order for us to win as a team. My assistant coaches all deserve a lot of credit, too, for allowing us to finish the season on such a high note.”

Both Melanson and Priestnall also “felt very good for the organization of Valley Minor Football, which has done so much over the years to make football a reality in this area. This year, for the first time, “we’ll have two provincial trophies at our closing banquet.”