Beefeaters Buck Their Historical Trend And Earn Saskatoon Showdown

London Beefeaters 28 Windsor Fratmen 20

By Ryan Pyette
London Free Press

Much of the Beefeaters’ recent history has been a broken record of third-place finishes and season-ending losses to Hamilton or Windsor.
Not anymore.

London still finished third again, but earned its first Ontario Football Conference title in seven years thanks to big road wins over, first, the defending champion Hurricanes, and then against the Fratmen on their home field in the provincial championship game Sunday night.

“We punched them in the face and bullied them in every aspect of the game,” first-year Beefs coach Jesse Maddox said. “We ran the ball down their throats and took what was there. This was a championship approach of all gas, pound the ball and take some shots (down the field).” Neither of these defining victories can be considered upsets.

On the opening play in Windsor, London turned over the ball on an interception and and the Fratmen quickly scored.

The Beefeaters shrugged it off, recovering for a 28-20 victory that would’ve been even more lopsided if not for a couple of rare dropped punts.

“We could’ve folded (after that bad start),” Maddox said. “If you have never won a big game, you don’t know how to win. But we went right down after that and punched in a touchdown. We had already knocked off Hamilton and the players believe in the process.

“It’s taken some time, but we’re gelling at the right point of the season.”

The Beefs are never out of games because they boast one of the top defences in the country. It was supposed to be a rebuilding part of the roster this year, but the new starters stepped up ahead of schedule.

“Our D has been our backbone,” Maddox said. “We gave up 87 points in eight (regular-season) games and that was No. 1 in Ontario and right up there in the country. Our front seven and the guys on the back end are doing their jobs and holding us in games.” Now, they move on to the greatest test.

The Beefeaters will face the famed Saskatoon Hilltops in the Canadian Junior Football League semifinal round Saturday evening at TD Stadium. The unbeaten Hilltops roll in having won eight of the past nine national titles.

“They lose very seldom and when they do, it’s rarely in a championship game,” Maddox said. “Coach Sarge (Tom Sargeant) is the winningest coach in CJFL history and he’s the Bill Belichick of this league. They play hard-nosed football. They don’t make mistakes, don’t talk and just do their jobs.
“They have a $300,000 budget, their own field and locker room and it’s the closest thing to a (USports) program.”

Only one Ontario team in the past 20 years – Windsor in 1999 – has won a national championship. When the Beefs advanced to the semifinal round in 2012, they lost to Hilltops 51-7 at the Gordie Howe Bowl in Saskatoon.

“It’s an opportunity to see the big boys first-hand and see how you respond to it,” Maddox said. “The odds are not in our favour, but anyone watching what we do and looking at the film will know we have a pretty good squad here and are dynamic in all three phases of the game.

The Beefeaters will face the famed Saskatoon Hilltops in the Canadian Junior Football League semifinal round Saturday evening at TD Stadium. The unbeaten Hilltops roll in having won eight of the past nine national titles.

“They lose very seldom and when they do, it’s rarely in a championship game,” Maddox said. “Coach Sarge (Tom Sargeant) is the winningest coach in CJFL history and he’s the Bill Belichick of this league. They play hard-nosed football. They don’t make mistakes, don’t talk and just do their jobs.

“They have a $300,000 budget, their own field and locker room and it’s the closest thing to a (USports) program.”

Only one Ontario team in the past 20 years – Windsor in 1999 – has won a national championship. When the Beefs advanced to the semifinal round in 2012, they lost to Hilltops 51-7 at the Gordie Howe Bowl in Saskatoon.

“It’s an opportunity to see the big boys first-hand and see how you respond to it,” Maddox said. “The odds are not in our favour, but anyone watching what we do and looking at the film will know we have a pretty good squad here and are dynamic in all three phases of the game.

“We have to make sure we make tackles this week and eliminate mistakes.”

Getting to this point was an achievement in itself. But the way the Beefs have handled themselves suggests they are not satisfied just yet.

“You’re like a salesman,” Maddox said. “At the start of the year, you’re telling kids (what it takes) and most roll their eyes when they meet you. But when you get out there and achieve your goals, it’s just a great feeling. I had kids come over and say this is the first championship they have ever won at any level and they appreciate everything it took. The kindness and gratitude in those words that goes with winning something and becoming a family.

“The players have work and some have kids or maybe some financial (concerns), but this is one thing that keeps them motivated and brings them together.”

And if they plan to get to the mountain top of junior football, they must start with the Hilltops.

rpyette@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/RyanatLFPress