Sports

UCC, St. Mike’s start new Friday Night Lights tradition

Battle of the Blues sees UCC trample the Kerry Blues, 35-15

BRIAN BAKER/TOWN CRIER AVOIDING THE TACKLE: St. Mike's quarterback, Jonas Hatcher, squeezes out of UCC defender Patrick Stevenson's grasp during the two teams' Friday Night Lights match, Oct. 23.
BRIAN BAKER/TOWN CRIER
AVOIDING THE TACKLE: St. Mike’s quarterback, Jonas Hatcher, squeezes out of UCC defender Patrick Stevenson’s grasp during the two teams’ Friday Night Lights match, Oct. 23.

Upper Canada College Blues and St. Michael’s College School Kerry Blues are hoping their Friday Night Lights game on Oct. 23 will be a long-standing tradition.

The two teams met on Varsity Stadium’s turf at the University of Toronto for some Texas-style football that resulted in a 35-17 win for UCC.

Dubbed the Battle of the Blues, students, coaching staff and parents braved the chilly single-digit weather in their love for a rivalry revival.

Though St. Mike’s coach Frank Trentadue was on the losing side of the ball, he said he was happy with the inaugural match.

“We’re committed to giving the boys the best football experience we can and I think a venue like this and a tradition like this with two in-town rival schools gives the boys something to remember,” he said. “We’re trying to build champions for life, not necessarily champions on the field, and this speaks to them being champions for life.”

UCC’s coach, David Brown, was thrilled by the experience offered to his charges, and the opportunity to start a new tradition.

“That’s the plan going forward. It’s what the St. Mike’s crew has decided and is hoping for, so we’ll see,” he said.

As for the game, UCC Blues’ started off sluggish.

Still, getting a second touchdown in the last minute of the half of the second quarter gave them the momentum heading into halftime.

“We were within three going into the halftime. It was a close one,” Brown said. “We had great field position that gave us a chance to score that seven. That was a big one for me.”

The Blues scored 21 points in the second half, and held St. Mike’s scoreless, resulting in their easy victory.

A subdued Trentadue agreed St. Mike’s performed well out of the gate, taking an early, safe lead of 17-7 before the team’s offence ebbed.

“We had a running game planned. There were a couple of wrinkles in that plan, but we caught them off guard,” he said. “We made a couple of adjustments to that attack, and countered but it didn’t work out.”

UCC named running back Rasheed Tucker, responsible for scoring two touchdowns, their player of the game, while St. Mike’s gave the nod to their stalwart, Jaeden Washington.

The two teams are set to square off again, Oct. 31 at UCC.

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