The much anticipated battle between two tough football teams for the city championship did not disappoint.
D.J. Idehen's 89 yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter lifted the Sir James Dunn Eagles to the high school football senior division city championship with a 10-7 victory over the Korah Colts on a soggy Friday night at Rocky DiPietro Field.
Idehen's return came a play after Korah had regained the momentum when Jourdan Morin scored on a 16 yard run to give the Colts a 7-4 lead.
"The ball just bounced in front me, I took it and looked for my buddies (Mike) Beharriell and (Anthony) Orazietti. They told me to follow them in the huddle before the kickoff. I didn't think I was going to make but I just ran for hopes and dreams," said Idehen.
With the win, the Eagles will now advance to the Northern Ontario Secondary Schools Association (NOSSA) semi-final game against Sudbury's Lockerby Vikings next Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rocky DiPietro Field.
The winner will then host the NOSSA final on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. against a Nippissing District opponent.
Following the win, league convenor Barry Rushon presented the Eagles with the Hollingsworth Family Trophy as city champions and the Tom Tipton Trophy as league champions during the regular season.
"I dreamed about this for so long, I can't explain how it feels," said Eagles running back Kofi Osei. "We just came out hard on every play and we were firing on all cylinders."
Both teams entered the contest as evenly-matched running teams with a load of toughness on the offensive line and on defense.
With a steady mist glazing a packed Rocky DiPietro Field, each team went to their strengths and pounded the ball at each other along the ground.
The Eagles took a 3-0 lead into the half on a 10 yard field goal from Matt Irving. The Colts had a golden opportunity to take a halftime lead but the Eagles defense forced a fumble on their own eight yard line to stall the drive with 1:44 remaining.
In the second half, the Eagles added a single point to their score in the third quarter off a missed 21 yard field goal attempt by Irving.
In the fourth quarter, the Colts completed and impressive 75 yard drive with Morin's touchdown to take a 7-4 lead with a Colin Edwards' convert with under 10 minutes remaining.
But Idehen's scamper on the ensuing kickoff put the Eagles back into the lead and quickly deflated the Colts momentum.
"We knew it was going to be a game of big plays and we hoped to be the team that made the big plays," said Eagles head coach Tom Keenan, in his first year at the helm. "It was hard hitting old-style football out there.
"We knew we had weapons on kick returns with D.J. and Irving back there and we were surprised that they kicked to them."
Idehen and Morin were selected as co-winners of the College Prospects of America player-of-the-game award for their efforts.
For many Eagles, the victory was especially sweet after feeling heartbreak in each of the previous three seasons. Three years ago, the junior Eagles dropped the city championship by a single point while senior Eagles have dropped the past two city championships to St. Mary's.
"We had a lot of veterans who stepped up this year that knew just how important this is," said Keenan. "I am really happy for the kids who had their last crack at a city championship."
Osei, who also played a solid game, paced the Eagles attack with 126 yards rushing on 24 carries. Nigel Milne added 42 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 23 yards.
Mike Beharriell led the Eagles defense with 11 tackles and a fumble recovery while Graham Weija added six and Nick Lang five. Idehen also returned a late game interception 32 yards.
Morin led the Colts offense with 155 yards on 22 carries while Pat Koski added 57 yards on 14 carries and caught a 10 yard pass.
"Our guys worked hard all year and to be honest, we exceeded our expectations this season," said Colts head coach Scott Gray.
"They fought right to the end and a couple of mistakes made the difference. In a match between two tough disciplined teams like this, a mistake will kill you.
"(Idehen's) returned swung the momentum. We take the lead and have a break down on the next play. The fumble inside the 10 yard line in the first half also hurt us."
Tysen Vanderloo recorded eight tackles defensively for the Colts with B.J. Gagne adding 6.5. Koski and Alex Semeniuk, who stopped two Eagles drives in the first half with fumble recoveries, made six tackles each.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS WILL BE ADDED.