BY JOHN DECOSTE
Kings County Register
In only their second year, the Northeast Kings Titans are provincial football champions.
Senior tailback Marco Visentin rushed for 264 yards on 36 carries and three touchdowns as the Titans captured the NSSAF provincial Tier II championship with a decisive 36-20 win over the Prince Andrew Panthers Nov. 24 in Canning.
“It was an outstanding effort on the part of everyone on the team,” NKEC co-head coach Wally Archer said after the game. “The kids really put their heart into it, and deserve full marks for the win.”
NKEC quarterback Logan VanBlarcom, who rushed for 64 yards on nine carries, many of them gambles on third down, set the tone for the afternoon with a 35-yard touchdown run (on a third-down short-yardage play) to open the scoring.
It looked like it might be a long afternoon when the Panthers’ Jon Senman then ran Prince Andrew’s first play from scrimmage for a tying touchdown.
It would be one of only a few positive moments for PA. NKEC regained momentum led by strong running from Visentin and Dustin Parsons and intelligent play selection by VanBlarcom and the Titans’ coaching staff.
Both teams had trouble holding on to the ball in the frigid weather conditions: steady at minus 4C, with a wind chill of minus 11C. NKEC fumbled three times in the first quarter.
As it was, the Titans took a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter on a six-yard run by Visentin. NKEC might have added more on their next possession but for a fumble - their fourth of the game - on a third-and-goal play.
The Titans’ defense held. Jeff Zwicker, who had a great game on special teams, ran the ensuing punt back to Prince Andrew’s seven-yard-line, from where Visentin scored his second touchdown a couple of plays later to increase to 21-7.
Prince Andrew narrowed the gap to 21-13 when Downey broke a lengthy run from scrimmage, but the convert attempt was blocked by NKEC’s Isaac Ueffing. An interception by the Panthers of a rare VanBlarcom pass kept the score 21-13 at halftime.
Ball control problems continued in the second half, with a Panthers’ fumble leading to a 30-yard field goal by NKEC’s Ryan Carrie to make the score 24-13 at the end of the third.
In the fourth, the Titans scored on a run by Jason Gerrits. The convert was missed, but the Titans still led 30-13 with 11 minutes to play.
On the next series, Gerrits ran an identical play for an apparent second touchdown, called back on a holding penalty. Undeterred, VanBlarcom handed the ball off to Visentin, and he ran up the middle for his third touchdown.
The convert attempt hit the crossbar, but NKEC now led 36-13 with four minutes left.
The Titans were content to run out the clock, but the Panthers had other ideas. Quarterback Rickey Raine threw a long pass in the direction of Downey that was tipped once, then twice, then (briefly) intercepted by a NKEC defender. Downey then stole the ball back and found himself with a clear path to the end zone, which served only to make the final score a bit more respectable: 36-20.
In addition to Visentin and VanBlarcom, Parsons had 47 yards on 12 carries and Gerrits 65 yards on four carries and one touchdown, plus a 35-yard pass reception.
Defensively, Alex Pearl had nine tackles, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. Kris Bigelow had eight tackles and a forced fumble, Alex MacQuarrie had six tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, and Alex Sarsfield eight tackles and a sack.
NKEC finished the year with a 7-3 record and a 2-0 record in playoff action.
“It was an awesome game, and a great boost for football here in the Valley,” Archer said. “The kids really deserve it after the great year they had.”
BY JOHN DECOSTE
Kings County Register
In only their second year, the Northeast Kings Titans are provincial football champions.
Senior tailback Marco Visentin rushed for 264 yards on 36 carries and three touchdowns as the Titans captured the NSSAF provincial Tier II championship with a decisive 36-20 win over the Prince Andrew Panthers Nov. 24 in Canning.
“It was an outstanding effort on the part of everyone on the team,” NKEC co-head coach Wally Archer said after the game. “The kids really put their heart into it, and deserve full marks for the win.”
NKEC quarterback Logan VanBlarcom, who rushed for 64 yards on nine carries, many of them gambles on third down, set the tone for the afternoon with a 35-yard touchdown run (on a third-down short-yardage play) to open the scoring.
It looked like it might be a long afternoon when the Panthers’ Jon Senman then ran Prince Andrew’s first play from scrimmage for a tying touchdown.
It would be one of only a few positive moments for PA. NKEC regained momentum led by strong running from Visentin and Dustin Parsons and intelligent play selection by VanBlarcom and the Titans’ coaching staff.
Both teams had trouble holding on to the ball in the frigid weather conditions: steady at minus 4C, with a wind chill of minus 11C. NKEC fumbled three times in the first quarter.
As it was, the Titans took a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter on a six-yard run by Visentin. NKEC might have added more on their next possession but for a fumble - their fourth of the game - on a third-and-goal play.
The Titans’ defense held. Jeff Zwicker, who had a great game on special teams, ran the ensuing punt back to Prince Andrew’s seven-yard-line, from where Visentin scored his second touchdown a couple of plays later to increase to 21-7.
Prince Andrew narrowed the gap to 21-13 when Downey broke a lengthy run from scrimmage, but the convert attempt was blocked by NKEC’s Isaac Ueffing. An interception by the Panthers of a rare VanBlarcom pass kept the score 21-13 at halftime.
Ball control problems continued in the second half, with a Panthers’ fumble leading to a 30-yard field goal by NKEC’s Ryan Carrie to make the score 24-13 at the end of the third.
In the fourth, the Titans scored on a run by Jason Gerrits. The convert was missed, but the Titans still led 30-13 with 11 minutes to play.
On the next series, Gerrits ran an identical play for an apparent second touchdown, called back on a holding penalty. Undeterred, VanBlarcom handed the ball off to Visentin, and he ran up the middle for his third touchdown.
The convert attempt hit the crossbar, but NKEC now led 36-13 with four minutes left.
The Titans were content to run out the clock, but the Panthers had other ideas. Quarterback Rickey Raine threw a long pass in the direction of Downey that was tipped once, then twice, then (briefly) intercepted by a NKEC defender. Downey then stole the ball back and found himself with a clear path to the end zone, which served only to make the final score a bit more respectable: 36-20.
In addition to Visentin and VanBlarcom, Parsons had 47 yards on 12 carries and Gerrits 65 yards on four carries and one touchdown, plus a 35-yard pass reception.
Defensively, Alex Pearl had nine tackles, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. Kris Bigelow had eight tackles and a forced fumble, Alex MacQuarrie had six tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, and Alex Sarsfield eight tackles and a sack.
NKEC finished the year with a 7-3 record and a 2-0 record in playoff action.
“It was an awesome game, and a great boost for football here in the Valley,” Archer said. “The kids really deserve it after the great year they had.”
