The Orillia Secondary School (OSS) junior football team is rushing into the Simcoe County Athletic Association (SCAA) semifinals.
The Nighthawks shut out Barrie's Innisdale Invaders, 44-0, on a cold Monday afternoon at OSS. They were led on the ground by running back Isaac Jackson, who found the end zone four times.
"I was blown away and happy that I got to four touchdowns," the Grade 9 student said. "This is a game I will always remember."
Jackson credits the big boys up front for his success during the quarter-final game.
"I think blocking was a big part of our success today," he said. "The gaps were wide open for me to run through."
In the last regular-season game of the season, OSS was beaten by Collingwood, 24-9.
Jackson says the team learned a lot from the loss.
"(In) our last game, we really struggled with blocking," he said. "Today I saw a big improvement."
Jackson credits his coaches for making the adjustments needed to turn him loose.
"They see the gaps well and know how to scheme up our offence to succeed," he said.
Rylan Mitchell, a defensive end for the Nighthawks, says the team played their "best game of the season" on Monday.
"We all saw our gaps and where to get through," the Grade 10 said. "We had our angles spot on and our ball coverage was there when we needed it."
Mitchell thanks the team's coaches for dedicating their time to getting the defence back on track for the playoffs.
"From our first game we've gotten better every week," he said. "I think our defence is an entirely different unit than it was at the start of the season."
Mitchell says he's looking forward to the semifinals on Monday, but their opponent has yet to be determined.
"We have to lock in," he said. "I think we should be confident going into this game, but we have to stay focused."
In other SCAA junior quarter-final action Tuesday, the Bear Creek Kodiaks fell 46-14 to Innisfil's Nantyr Shores Tritons in a frosty game played at Maple Ridge Secondary School in the city's south end.
Today, the Barrie North Vikings will host the Eastview Wildcats at 2 p.m. in a battle of Barrie schools as the two teams try to punch their ticket to the semifinals. The winner will face the Orillia Nighthawks.
Nantyr Shores will hit the road to face the Collingwood Fighting Owls on Monday at 11 a.m.
The SCAA junior final is set for Friday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. at Maple Ridge in Barrie's south end.
Meanwhile, in senior SCAA action today, the Maple Ridge Ravens will be at Barrie North for a noon kickoff, while Eastview and Innisidale clash at 1 p.m. at Georgian College's J.C. Massie Field.
