CORNWALL – The Summerside Waterwise Spartans and Cooke Insurance Clippers posted road victories over the Cornwall Timberwolves on Friday night.
The Spartans won the P.E.I. Bantam Tackle Football League contest 77-0, and the Clippers pulled out a 17-1 decision in the P.E.I. Varsity Tackle Football League. Both games were played at the Terry Fox Sports Complex.
The wins improve the regular-season records of both Summerside teams to 2-0 (won-lost). The Spartans host the undefeated Charlottetown Privateers in an early-season showdown at Eric Johnston Field on Friday at 6 p.m. The Clippers will also host the Privateers immediately following at 8 p.m.
Exciting game
In one of the most exciting games in recent years, the Clippers defeated the Timberwolves in a battle of undefeated teams that was not decided until late in the fourth quarter.
The Clippers scored on their opening drive of the game on a Caleb Dawson 10-yard rushing touchdown, and his convert gave the visitors a quick 7-0 lead, but it was a defensive battle the rest of the night that featured blustery conditions.
Summerside’s defence, which hasn’t allowed a touchdown this season, recovered two big turnovers. The first one was by Finn Turner in the first quarter, and the second was on a fumble recovered by linebacker Brayden Lawless in the third quarter as the Timberwolves were driving and on the Clippers’ five-yard line.
“This play was probably the turning point in the game, along with the touchdown we got right before half that gave us a two touchdown lead,” commented Clippers defensive co-ordinator Jeff MacDonald.
Cornwall’s defence limited Summerside’s offence to only two offensive touchdowns – the second one at the end of the first half on a Dawson three-yard run, and a late 30-yard field goal by Dawson.
“They have a really good team in Cornwall, and this is exciting for the league and makes for good entertaining football games,” added MacDonald. “We did what we wanted to do as a team, especially in those windy conditions.
“Our recipe for success this season will be to play great defence, take care of the football, win the turnover battle and play the field-position game. We checked all those boxes (Friday), and we got the win.”
Five touchdowns
Once again, Kieran Arsenault led the Spartans offensively with a five-touchdown performance. Lucas Doucette, Sam Friesen, Luke Quinlan, Brexton MacLeod, Sean Matheson and Evan MacDougall all had single scores against the young and inexperienced Timberwolves.
