THUNDER BAY – The Westgate Tigers have the St. Patrick Fighting Saints number this season.
Three weeks after the Tigers earned a 21-4 decision over the defending high school senior football champions, Westgate rolled over the Saints 49-0, a game that included an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and plenty of passing from quarterback Mitchell Papineau, whose prowess through the air also set up the Tigers powerful ground game.
Toss in a little early-game trickery and the 3-2 Westgate squad showed just how determined they were to climb back over the .500 mark for the second time this season.
Papineau was 10-for-17 passing, throwing for 240 yards, including 24-yard touchdown strike to receiver Andrew Romeo, who also authored the lengthy kick-off return on the opening play of the third quarter.
“The offensive line played amazing and our coach was calling great plays,” said Papineau, whose first two pass attempts landed incomplete before he hit speedy Lance Basalyga for receptions of 32 and 35 yards, the receiver later hauling in a third for 40 yards to finish the day with three receptions and 107 yards, adding an eight-yard score on the ground.
“The receivers were running routes. It’s the first game we’ve put together a full game.”
“It was a good team effort overall,” chimed in Romeo, after running for 32 yards and going for 66 yards on three receptions.
Any drama that might have unfolded was quickly snuffed out by the Tigers.
Romeo circled wide right from two yards out to score the game’s first major, crossing the Saints end zone at 8:57 of the first.
The Tigers tried a successful onside kick on the ensuing kick-off and took control of the ball on the Saints 46.
A pass to Basalyga landed the ball on the St. Patrick 14 and four runs later Hudson Gerry rumbled up the middle as Westgate took a 13-0 lead as the buzzer sounded to end the first.
After the Tigers recovered a fumble on the Saints next possession, Cole McVety booted a 35-yard-field goal to make it 16-0.
St. Patrick, held to just 16 yards of offense in the opening half, went three-and-out on their next two possessions and the Tigers seized on the opportunity to add another score before the half came to a close.
Papineau hit Basalyga for a 40-yard pass that brought the ball to the Saints 13 and Basalyga made a quick cut on a run up the middle and scored from eight yards out, a blocked kick making it 22-0. Another three-and-out have the Tigers the ball on their own 53 and Papineau took charge, firing a pinpoint pass to Brock Macsemchuk, who carried it 49 yards to pay dirt, as Westgate upped their lead to 29-0.
The clock didn’t stop in the second half, due to the 29-point Tigers lead, but that didn’t stop Westgate from adding three more scores.
Romeo authored the first two touchdowns and Zach Gothard burst up the middle from six yards out for the third, with five minutes left in the game.
The Saints finished with 69 yards, 37 on the ground and 32 through the air. Five of St. Patrick’s dozen rush attempts were stopped for a loss.
In the other senior contest, Owen Renn had three touchdown runs, including one from 57 yards out and another going for 65 yards, as Hammarskjold (4-0-1) downed St. Ignatius 35-13. Lucas Dupuis had a 75-yard touchdown run for the Falcons (0-2-2).
