UPDATED: Clippers overcome early-season adversity to win another Potato Bowl

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — An early-season loss helped pave the way for another Summerside Cooke Insurance Clippers’ championship.

The Clippers defeated the Cornwall Timberwolves 35-12 in the 2019 Potato Bowl on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The Clippers have now won five straight Papa John’s P.E.I. Varsity Tackle Football League titles for players in Grades 10 to 12.
“Hats off to the coaching staff and players,” said Clippers head coach John Turner. “After we lost (22-14) in Cornwall (in Week 2), it was probably the best thing that could have happened to us. It was a wake-up call for the players and coaching staff.
“We worked that much harder with game film and the players worked so much harder in practice so we could be ready to play in this game.”
Turner proudly noted that since Week 2 the Clippers’ defence has only allowed three offensive touchdowns.
“Our defensive coaches, Brian Doucet and Jeff MacDonald, did just an outstanding job,” emphasized Turner. “We were going to win with our defence and hope our offence wouldn’t turn the ball over.”
The Clippers followed that game plan perfectly on their home turf in the final, played before a big crowd at Eric Johnston Field.
“It’s always key to get off to a good start,” emphasized Turner in a post-game interview with the Journal Pioneer. “We wanted to kick the ball to them first and play defence.
“It was three and out, we got the ball back and went down and scored (a touchdown by Mike Friesen).”
Brayden Lawless scored the two-point convert and the Clippers were off and running with an early 8-0 lead.
“It was a battle like we figured it would be,” said Timberwolves head coach Mark Green. “Summerside came out with a solid game plan and executed it.”
With the Clippers leading 15-6, a key point in the game occurred late in the second quarter. Quarterback Nic Gunning found Kyle Cameron, who made an acrobatic catch, in the right corner of the end zone to send the Clippers into halftime up 22-6.
“A one-score game isn’t really much, but their last drive (of the first half) took the wind out of the sails a bit,” said Green.
Friesen added a second score while Gunning and Breton Brown’s interception return accounted for Summerside’s other touchdowns. The Clippers’ coaching staff was quick to praise Ethan Gallant-Smith, who applied pressure on Cornwall quarterback Hunter Prus that led to Brown’s interception.
“Our goal was to get better every week,” said MacDonald. “We did not want to be the best team we could be back in October. We wanted to be the best team we could be (Saturday).
“Our defence fulfilled that goal. We got better every week, we worked hard and by far (Saturday) was our best game.”
MacDonald quickly deflected praise for the defence’s strong showing all season.
“Brian Doucet is every bit responsible for the play of our D as I am,” said MacDonald, who is strongly considering retiring from coaching after this season. “We are very fortunate as coaches and were given a tremendous group of athletes.
“They learned very quickly, were willing to listen, willing to play hard and play for each other. They made our job easy.”

Game management
Gunning, who is from Summerside, felt the Clippers “managed the game well” against the Timberwolves.
“We tried not to have any turnovers, which I think we might have had one, a fumble,” said Gunning, 17. “We did what we wanted and chewed the clock out the last quarter.”
Turner praised the play of his senior quarterback and said he was deserving of the game’s top offensive player award.
“Nic has played a lot of football since atom,” said Turner. “He took a couple of years off in bantam and was our starting quarterback the last two years.
“He got better and better every game and I was pretty hard on him for two years. He came through again (Saturday) for us.
“He didn’t turn the ball over, made good decisions and had some big runs to keep the chains moving.”
Colin Walsh’s punt return and a catch by Ben Coles on a passing play with Prus accounted for Cornwall’s two touchdowns. Both teams entered the Potato Bowl with identical records of 5-1 (won-lost).

Emotional win
Turner, who has not made any decisions regarding his coaching future, agreed this year’s Potato Bowl victory was an emotional one for him and his family.
“It’s a little bittersweet,” said Turner, who proudly told his sons “I am proud of you” as he posed for a photo with them and the Potato Bowl. “I have been coaching my kids, the twins (Finn and Charlie), since Grade 5 and this is the last time I will coach them. They are in Grade 12 and in that sense it’s sad.
“It’s nice to win this because everybody thought we were done after we lost in Week 2. They thought there was going to be a new champion, but the boys would not let it happen.”

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