Thunderbirds score first win of football season

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It was a double celebration for Pauline Johnson Collegiate on Friday.

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Ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday, the Thunderbirds hosted their annual Every Child Matters game at Kiwanis Field, coming out with a 20-18 Athletic Association of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk non-CWOSSA varsity win against Simcoe’s Holy Trinity Catholic School.

“My dream for this event is to have one of these in every major Canadian city,” PJC coach John Macdonald said of the Every Child Matters game.

“It blends my two passions of Canadian football and Truth and Reconciliation. Being from Six Nations and having family there, it’s so special to put those things together and to bring the community together to celebrate it so close to Truth and Reconciliation Day.

“It’s a great feeling today.”

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With hundreds of fans taking part in a pre-game prayer and participating in a pair of half-time dances, the mood was one of happiness and joy. When the game ended, that mood was only enhanced by a Thunderbirds win.

“That’s the monkey of our back,” said Macdonald. “The first win is always the hardest.”

In a Week 1 game against Delhi District Secondary School, Pauline Johnson was beaten 48-17. Obviously things didn’t go according to plan in that contest so Macdonald was happy to see his team perform better against the Titans (0-2).

“We were 10 times better than last week,” the coach said. “We were cleaner and we were more disciplined.

“We clearly have athletes. Once they get in space we’re going to have a lot of success.”

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With a win in their pocket, Macdonald is looking forward to seeing where his team winds up. He’s hopeful they can achieve their goal.

“It all depends on our injury status and how our kids respond to this,” he said.

“We have to work hard next week and roll into the remainder of the season. Getting into the playoffs is the goal.”

Things couldn’t have started much better for the home team as King David Dapaah took a punt return to the house in the first quarter. Following Lane Theriault’s convert, it was 7-0 for PJC.

Connor Mendes trimmed Holy Trinity’s deficit in the second quarter when he nailed a 21-yard field goal but it wasn’t long before the Thunderbirds responded.

Following a long pass and run play between quarterback Anthony Parsons and Malichai Neptune, PJ was in business and two plays later Parsons took the ball over the endzone for his team’s second touchdown.

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Once again Theriault kicked the convert.

In the third quarter Holy Trinity fought back.

After quarterback Mark Logan and Cameron Czerlau connected on a touchdown pass, Logan found Andrew O’Neail for a two-point convert that made the score 14-11.

Later in the third, Parsons and Neptune teamed up on a receiving touchdown. Going for a two-point convert, the Thunderbirds were unsuccessful.

Both teams had unsuccessful field goal attempts in the fourth quarter – Holy Trinity missed and got a rouge while PJC faked and came up short.

With the score at 20-12, the Titans made it interesting when Logan found O’Neail with a late touchdown toss that covered 50 yards. Down two, Holy Trinity attempted a two-point convert but PJC’s defence held the Titans at bay to secure the win.

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