John Cudmore

Warriors, Kerry Blues prepare for trench battle

Eight days ago, the mission was to avoid being the first graduating class to surrender the York Region Athletic Association crown since the Huron Heights Warriors took possession in 2005.

The Warriors tucked their three titles under their arm with the resolve of the most sure-handed running back in a 42-6 rout of the Brother Andre Cardinals for a fourth straight regional championship last Saturday.

The goal has been adjusted as the Warriors, who haven’t lost in 37 straight regular season and playoffs games against York Region rivals over four seasons, aim to become the first graduating class to go out with a win in the final game.

But this ain’t York Region any more, Toto.

Standing in the way of the coveted prize is the two-time defending Metro Bowl champion St. Michael’s Kerry Blues, who spoiled Huron Heights’ title bid last year with a 16-14 victory in the final at Varsity Stadium.

The teams meet in a rematch when Metro Bowl semifinal action kicks off Thursday at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York. Game time is 11 a.m.

Later in the day, the Toronto champion Northern Red Knights face the Durham Region champion Donald Wilson Gators of Whitby in the other semifinal matchup to round out the field for the Dec. 3 Metro Bowl final at the Rogers Centre.

“We’re playing a team that is as good as us, so it’s like playing ourselves,” said Warriors’ Joel Belerique, a third-year guard on an offensive line lauded as the best in high school football in Ontario. “We’ll have to play the best game we can to beat them.”

So dominant was the Warriors offensive line, it was named MVP of the YRAA title match.

“We’re going up against one of the best defensive lines in the GTA and I’m excited about that,” said Belerique, a Holland Landing resident. “If we can play our best, we can win it.”

There is little question, though, the action in the trenches will impact the outcome. For the Warriors, it figures to be the sternest test of the season against the highly touted Kerry Blues’ defensive line.

“You can’t walk in against St. Mike’s and play power football all day,” offensive co-ordinator Heath Weir said. “When you run up against a defensive line as good as your offensive line, you can’t run north and south all day. St. Mike’s is good enough to stop that.”

For the Warriors, preparing for St. Mike’s will be just like going to the movies.

“I watched so much film getting ready for Brother Andre ... we knew what they (would) do in advance,” said Belerique, 18, who also lines up at defensive end when the Warriors don’t have possession of the football. “We’ll do the same this week. We’ll do our best to have a game plan for their bread-and-butter plays.”

While Huron Heights enjoys an 11-day break between plays to add wrinkles to its game, the Kerry Blues will have been off for nearly three full weeks by the time the teams step on the field Thursday.

The Warriors’ last loss against a YRAA opponent was in the 2004 regional final, a 27-7 loss to the Richmond Hill Raiders.

Golden Eagles grounded

It was two and out for the Aurora Golden Eagles at the OFSAA senior girls basketball championships in Sarnia.

The York Region champions were bumped from medal contention Thursday afternoon following a 58-36 loss at the hands of the fifth-seeded Sarnia Northern Vikings.

Earlier in the day, Aurora dropped a 53-40 verdict to the No. 2 seed Waterloo Collegiate Vikings.

Meanwhile, the Denison Huskies dropped two straight contests in the 3-A championship tournament at St. Catharines.

Shutout streak now at 12 periods

The Aurora Golden Eagles extended their shutout streak to 12 periods Thursday afternoon in an 8-0 victory over the Huron Heights Warriors in YRAA senior girls hockey action at Hollingworth Arena in Newmarket.

In posting a third straight win in regular season action and fifth overall, the Golden Eagles received shutout netminding from Sierra Thomson, while Julie Hebert scored six goals to run her season total to nine.

Aurora’s shutout streak also includes a 4-0 win over the host side in the championship game of a tournament hosted by Uxbridge Secondary School.

Falcons swoop past Raiders

Miraya Groot had a game-high 14 points as the Toronto District Christian Falcons topped the Newmarket Raiders 38-28 Monday night at Keswick High School to claim the York Region Athletic Association Tier 2 junior girls basketball title.

Hilary Lam had 10 points to lead the Newmarket offence.

In senior action, the Father McGivney Magic (Markham) rolled to a 36-18 victory over the St. Joan of Arc Thunder as Nikki Raymond led the way with 14 points.