Crocus tops Massey in JV football thriller

The Vincent Massey Vikings and Crocus Plainsmen rivalry on the football field never seems to have a dull moment, and this week two junior varsity matchup was no exception.

The Plainsmen came out on top against the Vikings 30–18 in what can best be described as a back-and-forth battle filled with turnovers and big-time plays during junior varsity action in the Winnipeg High School Football League at Crocus on Wednesday.

Fans had barely settled into their lawn chairs when Crocus’ defence recovered a fumble by Massey quarterback Aiden Clisby on the opening drive, just after the snap on second down, giving the Plainsmen their first possession at the Vikings’ 20-yard line. Crocus capitalized on Massey’s costly turnover almost immediately after first-year quarterback Jake Cory delivered a perfect throw to Daniel Adetoro in the end zone to draw first blood.

On the following play, Cory converted on the Plainsmen’s two-point attempt after running the ball on the outside to make it 8-0 Crocus.

Massey running back Asher Glover moved the chains twice in a row on his team’s second drive, pushing into Crocus territory. But the Plainsmen defensive line continued to cause problems for Clisby, who fumbled again, leading to another Crocus possession.

On the ensuing drive, Plainsmen receiver Kayven Brown made a few nice grabs off play action to move the ball upfield, while running back Gage Emberly followed that up with some efficient runs to get Crocus down to the Massey five-yard line.

However, the drive came up empty after a turnover on downs.

In the second quarter, Clisby connected with Glover and wide receiver Reese Duthie to land on the Crocus 20-yard line before Lota Okaekwu put the finishing touches on a nice drive for Massey by finding the end zone off a catch he had to jump for. The Vikings also went for two points to even the game at eights, but Clisby’s pass to Duthie was overthrown by a few feet.

Just when it seemed Massey may have been gaining some momentum off their first successful drive of the game, Daniel Emenogu returned the Vikings punt for an 80-yard return after flashing by the entire special teams unit to make it 14-6 Crocus.

Massey answered back on the following drive, as Clisby floated a smooth pass to receiver Samual Hamilton at the five-yard line before running it in himself to cut the lead to 14–12. The score stayed that way after Okaekwu was stopped just short on the one-yard line during the conversion attempt.

A few possessions later, Crocus added some insurance. After quarterback Cory didn’t like what he saw, he tucked the ball and scrambled for a five-yard gain. Running back Gage Emberly then broke loose for a 25-yard touchdown run and followed it up with a two-point convert to stretch the lead to 22–12.

Massey struggled to convert on its next few drives but caught a break after Crocus’ Jasmin Ameh fumbled a punt return following a solid run to midfield. Massey recovered the ball at the 50-yard line. Lexan White and Duthie combined for 60 rushing yards on the ensuing drive, setting up Clisby to find Duthie in the end zone on third down, closing the gap to 22–18.

That small gap didn’t last long, though, as Cory once again escaped the pocket and found open space, taking off for a 60-yard touchdown run. He capped off a standout performance by threading a high-traffic throw to Emenogu in the middle of the end zone for the two-point convert.

“I was pretty nervous to start the game, but I got more comfortable as the game went on,” said Cory. “It was such an important game to everyone, so to win in my first year like this is just crazy. It feels awesome.”

Heading into this year, Cory had never played quarterback before, as he had always preferred the wide receiver position. That is, until one of his coaches believed he had many attributes a great quarterback has and recommended he try out for the position in high school.

So far, the returns are good.

“I always thought that I could be OK at it, but this just feels great,” he said. “This will definitely boost my confidence a lot because this game proves that we can beat these teams, so I think it’s going to be a great season.”

Hi teammate, Emberly, who was also a big part of Crocus’ success in Wednesday’s win with more than 90 rushing yards, said beating Massey makes the victory feel even sweeter.

“After losing to Massey last year, it meant a lot for the team this year,” he said. “It was great to get them back, and it’s just a super big win, so the boys are hyped.”

Crocus’s JV team will hit the field next on Tuesday when they face the Windsor Park Royals.

» mdelucataronno@brandonsun.com