Photo courtesy of Greystoke Photography

Defensive Players of the Week
LB Mark Straw – GTA Grizzlies
In a losing effort on the road in Windsor, the Grizzlies’ linebacker Mark Straw was seemingly all over the field accumulating eight tackles on defence, including six of the solo variety while also contributing two more solo tackles on special teams.

Special Teams Players of the Week
K Brenden Brody – Windsor Fratmen
Whenever the Fratmen offence were forced to punt, Brenden Bondy’s leg was able to constantly flip the field and pin the Grizzlies with poor field position throughout the game. In total Bondy had seven punts with a gross average of 35.57 yards with an even more important net average of 32.57 yards.

The Beefs scored early and often in St. Catharines on Sunday and walloped the Niagara Raiders 72-0. Seven different Beefeaters scored majors and kicker John-Kurt Andreacchi converted all 10 touchdowns and added 2 singles on booming kick-offs. With over 570 yards in total offense to the Raiders 68-yards, it was no contest from the beginning.

Tazie Vang-Bell opened the scoring 3:36 into the first quarter on a 4-yard run, culminating a 6-play drive from the Beefs’ 23-yard line. Tazie had four carries in the drive for 61 yards while quarterback Clarke McCallum completed passes for 26 yards during the drive. Less than four minutes later, Clarke plunged in from the 1-yard line.

A 59-yard run by Felix Noel set up Clarke’s score. Two minutes later, Clarke found Josh Waller in the endzone to up the score to 21-0 following John-Kurt Andreacchi’s third of ten converts. By the end of the quarter it was 28-0 following an 18-yard completion to Josh Waller by Jake Pow as the first period ended.

John-Kurt boomed the ensuing kickoff for a 75-yard single and before the second quarter was over the Beefs added 3 more touchdowns and another long kick-off single. Spencer Foster caught a 27-yard pass from Jake Pow for one touchdown, Daniel Jaffe hauled in another Pow pass for a 24-yard score and Juquon Uylett plunged in from 1-yard out for the third touchdown of the frame.

In the second half, with the clock running quickly, Tazie picked up his second major on a 17-yard run four minutes into the third quarter. Felix Noel got on the scoreboard with a 28-yard burst five minutes later and Daniel Jaffe finished the scoring with a 10-yard pass from Clarke McCallum.

The fourth quarter was scoreless as the Beefs constantly attempted field goals from well beyond the 40-yard line.

The Beefs had 28 first downs to the Raiders 6.

Next up are the Hamilton Hurricanes on Saturday, August 24 at City Wide Sports Field. Game time is 2:00 pm.

by Coleen Houlder
GTA Grizzlies Media

On Saturday, August 17th, the GTA Grizzlies travelled to Windsor to take on the AKO Fratman for their CJFL 2019 season opener.

The GTA Grizzlies Football team is a member of the Ontario Football Conference who strives to provide an opportunity for young men aged 17 – 22 in the Greater Toronto Area to pursue their passion of competitive football at a higher level.

The game started on a rocky note with the GTA Grizzlies fielding a new offense with a team consisting mostly of first year players. Overall the game was mostly one-sided with the Fratman holding a 26-0 lead at half time. The Grizzlies showed great resilience by battling hard and holding the Fratman scoreless in the second half.

The Grizzlies are looking at this experience as a starting point to find its identity on the offensive side of the ball and trying to get the ball into the hands of its key players.

The Grizzlies are excited to announce the addition of veteran offensive coordinator O’Neil Holness and are looking for his expertise to develop a long over due presence on the offensive side of the ball. Coach Holness has spent numerous years coaching in the OVFL and is excited to create a winning culture within the Grizzlies organization.

Key players in the game were middle line backer Mark Straw and Defensive back Arvind Randhawa.

The Grizzlies will be looking for their first win as they host the Niagara Raiders at their first home game this season. The game is currently scheduled for Sunday, August 25th, 1:00 PM at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke.

By Jim Parker
windsorstar.com

Fratmen head coach Mike LaChance has high hopes for this year’s team, which opens on Saturday against the GTA Grizzlies at Alumni Field. Game time 3:00pm.

“If we don’t win an OFC championship, it’s a failure to me,” LaChance said. “We have enough talent back.”

Quarterbacks Daniel Mailloux and Colton Allen, who combined for over 2,000 passing yards and 23 touchdowns last season, both return along with leading rusher Nash Prieur, who averaged six yards per carry. But it’s at receiver where the Fratmen could be really dangerous.

“We’re going to start five receivers that run a 4.5 (40-yard dash) or better,” LaChance said. “There’s not too many teams that do that, even at the university level, so I think we’re pretty fortunate that way.”

Branden McCraney, who led the team in receiving yards last season, Omar Hayes-Williams and Dante Lewis return while the club has added Herman high school product Cody Holmes, who played in the British Columbia Football League last year with the Westshore Rebels after spending 2017 at Saint Mary’s University.

“I’m glad to be home, so my family can comeback to the games,” the 21-year-old Holmes said. “When I was away, everyone had their family at the game and you’re just sitting on the bus.”

The five-foot-11, 180-pound Holmes led the Rebels in receiving yards last season, but is happy to be back playing with people he grew up playing with and against.

“These are guys I played high school with and that’s fun,” Holmes said. “Everyone comes and works hard and has fun. It’s about not getting things too complicated. We’re doing what we’re good at and playing ball.”

The one area of concern for the Fratmen is at offensive linemen where three eligible starters did not return this season. That leaves LaChance with just Corey Levesque and Mark Speller to build around.

“We didn’t expect it, so we didn’t recruit for it,” LaChance said. “It really kills you.

“If the offensive line just holds their weight offensively, I expect our offence to put big numbers up against people.”
Defensively, the team also got another player to return home from Westshore in defensive end Lawhya Lako.

“Playing for Windsor, I just missed it,” said the 22-year-old Lako, who is a St. Joseph high school product that previously played for the Essex Ravens and Windsor Lancers. “There’s nothing like playing at home and that hometown feel.”

The six-foot-one, 220-pound Lako will give other teams someone to think about up front aside from nose tackle Jordan Krug.

“I know a lot of people I played with, so it wasn’t a hard decision,” Lako said. I know most of these guys and won a championship with some of these guys with the Ravens. I’m excited and I think we’re going to kill it this year. I’m ready to get going.”

Lako adds more speed to a unit that also three of the league’s top defenders in Elijah Blythe, Jalen Butcher and Dalmas Lynch.

“Defensively, we’re pretty loaded,” LaChance said. “We’re not extremely deep, but we’re really loaded. A lot of good linebackers and the secondary is lights out.

“Defensively, I don’t know if teams are going to want to throw the ball a lot against us because we’re very dynamic. Even the linebackers, everyone can run. It’s a very fast team.”