The Bluevale Knights are on a roll.
After starting the
The Knights won’t look past the Hawks, the top team from the B division, but quarterback Wes Palmer admits he would like another shot at the teams that handed his team those early setbacks.
“We’re going one game at a time and this week it’s Jacob Hespeler, but Rez and Cameron are in the back of the mind. We’d love to have another shot at those teams,” said Palmer.
“But we couldn’t any more excited than we are for this playoff game. We are ready for this.”
The Knights finished third in the A division standings with a 4-2 record, while the Hawk topped B division with a 6-0 mark. Those numbers mean nothing now as both teams enter the playoffs with a clean slate. This intriguing matchup is set for 2 p.m. at Bluevale.
The Knights have been getting it done with a balanced attack and a stingy defence since those early losses to
Palmer has a number of offensive weapons at his disposal and he’s been using them all. Spiros Trasias and Jesse Collins are the top two options in a running-back-by-committee backfield and Karsten Beney leads a talented group of receivers.
As for the Hawks, they wrapped up the regular season with a 21-0 win over the Galt Ghosts last week and, by avoiding Rez and Cameron, got the matchup they wanted. The Hawks are big along the lines with 310-pound Erik Krebs playing both ways. QB Connor Paddock has been solid and running back Brandon Golding is elusive.
“I think Jacob Hespeler is a great team,” said Knights head coach Chris Wolf. “I don’t know if people give them enough credit because they are from the B-division but they are a strong, contending team.
“They are well coached (by Greg White and his staff), they have some good players at the skill positions and some big, physical kids on the line. It should be a good game.”
When the teams played last year, the Knights scored a one-point win after punting into the Hawks’ end zone for a late rouge. So this could be close.
Palmer can’t wait for Thursday to arrive.
“We’ve improved so much since the start of the season. I actually think it was a great way to start the season with a couple of hard games to get us on the right track and now we’re back to playing Bluevale football,” he said.
This has the makings of a great game. The pick here is Bluevale, but it could go either way.
Here’s a look at the other first-round matchups:
A DIVISION
Galt (8) at Resurrection (1), Wednesday, 2 p.m.
Believe it or not, the Phoenix were actually sluggish during the regular season before receiving a wakeup call from Cameron Heights in the most exciting game played this fall, when the defending champions needed OT to edge the Gaels. Galt is coming off a loss to Jacob Hespeler in a B division fight for first and this is not the matchup that Ghosts head coach Brad Marsh was hoping for. The
These two teams are tough to figure out. The Highlanders looked great in their season-opener – a 37-3 win over the Panthers – and have looked pretty ordinary since. The Panthers, meanwhile, have beaten the teams they’ve supposed to beat and lost games everyone figured they’d lose. They managed to turn a few heads in giving Rez a scare though. This one should be closer than the blowout at University Stadium, but the Highlanders will prevail.
Southwood (7) vs. Cameron Heights
Despite their loss to Rez, an argument can still be made for the Gaels as the team to beat in the playoffs. The team has no glaring weaknesses and running back Tyler Varga has been downright scary this season. The Sabres could be in for a long game on St. David’s fast plastic surface. The Gaels want another shot at Rez and will handle Southwood.
B DIVISION
St. David (5) at
This one should be close as the teams met on Oct. 30 and the Huskies scored a 28-25 victory. There’s no reason to suggest this game will be any different. The Huskies are the pick.
Grand River (6) vs. WCI (3), Thursday, 7 p.m., St. David
One of the interesting matchups as the best team in C division takes on a team with a so-so record in the B division. A hunch, and it’s just a hunch, says the Renegades will score the upset.
KCI (8) at
The Raiders are the feel-good story of the year, rising from the dead and finishing third in the C division standings by pulling out a clutch win over Waterloo-Oxford in their final game. The Lancers struggled in their first year of A division ball but did show an ability to run the ball. The feel-good story ends here.
The Trojans have had an awful season to date, going 0-6 in A division. But consider this: Jacob Hespeler went 0-6 in the A division in 2008 and ended up winning the B division title. Anything is possible, but it’s not likely here. Look for the Panthers to pull of an ‘upset.’
Last week: 6-0. Overall: 47-13.
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