Varsity

Junior

The team came to Hamilton to gage itself against the very best the League had to offer. The defending champions Steel City Ironmen brought a seasoned 50 man roster to their home field, but the Cats showed an unexpected combination of discipline and skill in defeating the champs predetermined advantages of size and speed. Epitomizing that was the play of RB Cleon Holmes, who rushed for well over 100 yards and a TD. But it was his defense, where he not only laid out the cocky Ironmen running backs with decapitating hits but he rattled them enough to force 5 turnovers. He was one player that represented a huge team effort that should serve them well as they enter the regular season

Both teams had to deal with the deluge today. But it was the Cats who adjusted better to it then the Panthers. The Cats opening drive saw a trend that would continue all game...Allistair Blair left, right and middle. But it was a 35 yard pass completion from new QB Ryan Clutterbuck to Kevin Logan who got behind a poorly positioned Panther DB to score. The PAT failed. When the visitors had the ball, they ran into a train...that is "A-Train" Anthony Thomas. This guy reeked havoc with the Cumberland defense all half. The Cats carried a 6-0 lead into the half. The second half saw the Cats take over. A long 3rd quarter drive was capped off with a TD run by Roland Fletcher and the defense was again very tight. DB Matt Black and Defensive lineman Michael Stewart closed down the outside and inside run thus allowing the offense to continue to work. The third quarter was typified by a clearly shaken Panther offense that could not get anything going. When they did , the Cats D forced them into turning the ball over. That allowed Blair and a very effective O-line to carry the Cats offence for a long drive and TD early in the fourth by Blair. The Panthers were able to take the ball on their next possession deep into the Wildcats zone, only to turn the ball over on downs. Just when the Panthers bench breathed a sigh of relief when Blair rested, seasoned back Nick Kordic unleashed a 70 yard TD run that showed the depth of the Cats running attack. Fletcher kicked the PAT and the Cats went on to win 25-0.

The Junior Cat shocked and awed the Bulldogs on this day. A 5th ranked and heavily favored Brampton team came to the Wildcats home of the week De La Salle College expecting to beat a Wildcats team they had beaten by big scores in 2002. But the Cats started strong in the first quarter when RB Cleon Holmes took a handoff around the left side and galloped 85 yards for the TD (see photo above and clip above). The D stymied Brampton on a long drive and took over the ball in the second quarter when co- starting QB Jansen Shrubb from St. Mikes tossed an 30 yard TD strike to Milan Jovanovic to put the Cats up 12-0. The defense was solid all day and when the Bulldogs took over on the next series, Lawrence Park's Alex Kaju picked off a pass and ran 75 yards to put the Cats up 20-0 at the half. The second half saw the defenses dominate with each team scoring. The Cats running combination of Jamie Harling and Cleon Thomas (on a day when running the ball was king, the duo of Holmes and Harling combined for 306 yards) were  too much for the Dogs as they took 7 minutes off the clock en route to a 10 yard play action TD pass from Shrubb to Lawrence Park's Rob Mitchell. Harling had the 2 point convert. Dogs scored after the Cats fumbled on their own 35 yard line.  The final 29-7 Cats.

This game began in scary fashion when LB Adam Bosomworth went down during stretching in excruciating pain determined later to be appendicitis). The team, clearly shocked by paramedics loading Adam into an ambulance, kicked off and allowed for a 35 return by the Northerners to the Cats 40. It was 3 and out for the home team however but scored a punt single. The Cats O started slowly with its own three and out but got on the board when Ricky Clarke took Sudbury's next punt, 95 yards to paydirt. After another 3 and out by Sudbury, QB Ryan Clutterbuck drove the Cats downfield to the home teams 15 yard line. RB Allistair Blair scored on a toss to the right side. Sudbury's offence never got on track the entire second quarter thanks to some great pass coverage and devastating run stops by LB's Scott Fitzpatrick from Del, and D lineman and Joel Kovshoff and Samuda Valencia. The Cats pass offense then took over, scoring two long TD's from Ryan "Cutterback" (as the announcer called him) to Clarke (40 yards) and Kevin Logan (45 yards), who clearly outmatched their cover DB's. The Cats took a 28-1 lead into half time. The team then played the rest of the game playing non-starters, led at QB by #2 Robin Legault, who all contributed to easily closing out the expansion Northerners 28-1.

Played July 10
This was the finest performance by a Wildcats team in franchise history. In a rescheduled  game played on Thunder home turf, the Wildcats came on a mission and it showed on the first defensive series as the defence forced the Thunders vaunted offence into a 4 and out. The offence then took over the ball and marched more than half the field to take the lead 7-0 on a Clutterbuck to Legault recption. The Thunder then returned the favor on their next drive and drove 55 yards for the unconverted TD making it 7-6 Cats. The Cats D again was solid and forced the Thunder punter to take a safety giving the Cats a 9-6 lead. After going back and forth for several minutes, the Thunder took advantage of a Cats turnover and marched in for TD and 2 point convert to take a 16-9 half time lead. The Cats had 5 turnovers in the first half. In the third quarter the Varsity Cats took over and scored 12 points on successive drives t take a 21-16 lead. Keys on these drives were the running backs #34 Allistair Blair and #32 Roland Fletcher. This attack opened up the passing game for Clutterbuck to  Legault, Clarke and Logan. The Fear Factor Ricky Clarke also went 65 yards on a punt return for a TD. But before the 3rd was done the Thunder scored again after a pick and took a one point lead 22-21.  Another lead change was in the works on the next drive and again Blair and Fletcher teamed up to lead the team to a TD score and 27-22 lead. The Thunder then took advantage of Wildcats penalties and strong field position to retake the lead 28-27 in what was turning into an absolute heart stopper. With less then 3 minutes left the Cats re4covered a Thunder fumble but needed to drive 60 yards for the win. On their opening series the Offense faced a 3rd and 7 when the Thunder took a UC penalty leaving the Cats in Thunder Territory. The running attack again took over and gained huge chunks of field leaving the cats on the 22 yard line. Blair then took the ball right side and scored with 30 seconds left but a holding call brought it back. Far from dejected, Blair then took the team on his shoulders and got the tem to the Thunder 1 yard line, where on the 3rd attempt and with 10 seconds remaining, he took the ball over for the biggest score in Wildcats history to date. The defense then held the Thunder and game was won!

The Junior Cats looked for a good showing in the first regular season home game at Esther Shiner Stadium against the #2 ranked Ottawa Myers Riders. But it was the Riders who looked more at home in the facility by taking advantage of a poor Wildcats punting game and great field position to score 2 early touchdowns. The Wildcats Offense was alive early but could not convert third down opportunities to keep scoring chances alive. The Riders then scored on a long heave against a blown coverage any took a 21-0 advantage into half-time. The third quarter saw a more aggressive Wildcats defense and the offense began to roll until two fourth down conversions were shutdown by the visitors in their own territory. The Riders then retook the momentum and scored 10 in the fourth quarter including an impressive 32 yard field goal. Jamie Harling again went over 100 yards and QB Jansen Schrubb  had a solid game throwing for 77 yard. On defense newcomer from St. Mike's  Michael Enright had a very strong game with 11 solo tackles. The team will look to have a solid week of practice and rebound against Kingston next week.

The Senior Wildcats had one goal coming into their game versus Brampton: earn the league's respect.  The Cats used a strong defence and the even stronger arm of Ryan Clutterback to defeat Brampton.  Ryan had his best game of the season, going 13 for 19 with 223 yards passing and 2 TDs.  Ricky Clarke scored early for the second consecutive week, receiving a pass from
Clutterbuck.  The defence was led by Captain Matt Black.  Matt stole the show with 2 interceptions, one of which he returned for a TD.  As if that wasn't enough, Matt was involved in some special teams trickery.  From the
Brampton 40, the Cats lined up to punt.  Roland Fletcher received the snap and threw to Matt, who broke a few tackles and reached the endzone.  Soft spoken, Kevin Logan let his actions speak volumes.  With seconds left in the first half, Ryan launched a Hail Mary.  Ricky Clarke batted it up in the air and, amazingly, Kevin came down with it.  However, he struggled to keep his balance and fell inches in front of the endzone (which was a questionable call by the refs).  Kevin would not be denied in the second half.  He made another great catch and kept his balance on his way to the endzone. Although the Cats relied heavily on the passing attack, Alistair Blair scored a TD in his third consecutive game.  The Cats defence has been stellar all season, despite allowing their first and only TD this week versus Brampton.  The Cats have been mauling opponents so far this year, and deserve to be ranked higher than number 7 in the OVFL.

This was to be the Wildcats first real test against the #3 ranked Ottawa Myers Riders at their home. It would be made more difficult with the absence of 3 starting O-lineman. But they were here to play.The Wildcats struck early with a 70 yard punt return by Ricky Clarke but could not hold off the Riders first drive and the home team tied it at 7 with a short dive over the right side. After a penalty on the next drive put the Cats on their own 3 yard line, QB Ryan Clutterbuck hit Clarke on a quick out and Ricky broke one tackle en route to a 103 yard catch and run. The Riders then struggled against the strong Cats defense led by LB Anthony Thomas and could only muster a FG before going into the half down 14-10.The 2nd half saw the defence stymie the Riders on their first drive but on the ensuing punt took a roughing the kicker call and making matters worse Clarke fumbled the ball inside the Cats 30yd line. The Riders capitalized to make it 17-14 on 4 plays from scrimmage. On the next drive the Cats took another penalty which placed them inside their own 10 to start. Ryan Clutterbuck was then blindsided by a blitzing Myers LB and fumbled the ball on the one yard line. Riders scored on one play and in less than 3 minutes had gone up on the Cats 24-14.They then added a field goal making it 27-14 before FB Roland Fletcher took a hand off and took the ball 41 yards against a surprised Riders D. Great call by Coach Danischewsky. With the score 30-21 after a Riders field goal, the Wildcats drives stalled twice on drive killing dropped passes. In the fourth quarter in the pouring rain a tipped ball landed in the hands of a fortunate Myers LB who took it to paydirt and again the Cats gave the opponents a score, now down 37-21. But with the leadership of Thomas and Fontin on the sideline, the Wildcats took the final drive 55 yards and scored on a Clutterbuck sneak. The two point conversion failed. Final 37-27 Myers. 

The Junior Cats needed this one desperately. They opened strong with a drive to the Bisons 17 where QB Jansen Shrubb rolled right and hit a well covered Jesse Myers who made the catch of the season to put the Cats up 6-0. A few series later Shrubb hit TE Milan Jovanovic for a 21 yard TD on an out pattern. The defense was equal to the task forcing the Bisions offense to several 3 and outs. Coming into the second half 12-0 the Cats opened up the Jamie Harling show. The train dominated the drive and eventually broke one 49 yards for the TD and a 18-0 lead. The Bisons showed some grit on the following drive with a long bomb pass and from well in their own territory to set up a series of FB dives into the Cats endzone. The Cats continued to dominate however and Jamie Harling scored two more TD's before the Bisons answered back late in the second half to get to 31-12. On the ensuing kickoff, Jovanovic took the ball at his own 35 and sliced his way to an 85 yard TD return. The juniors will need 2 more wins to solidify a playoff spot and this kind of win should give the team some momentum going into Wentworth next week. Again, a must win.

Varsity Comes up Short Despite Heroic Effort
Team takes lead with 20 seconds left only to lose 24-22 on last play field goal by the Thunder. An incredible game ends in an incredible way. What a great season by the Varsity Cats!!! Awards banquet and equipment return details to be announced shortly.