Going into the game, the Huron Heights Secondary Warriors of Newmarket were ranked #1 in Canada, thus, #1 in Ontario, were undefeated for two years and finished last year ranked #1 and called themselves the National Champions. Our Laurier Rams were #2 ranked in Ontario, #8 in the Country. Huron billed this game as the National Championship ... well ... we can at least say it was the Ontario Championship as #1 played #2. There were 9 Bowl games that conclude the Ontario football season, but, this was the one the pitted the best two teams!
It was a tight defensive struggle, with a 12-7 halftime score, and a 12-12 score with less the 3 minutes left. Huron Heights tries to kick a Rouge point with less than 3 minutes left but Laurier manages to kick it out of the end zone to preserve the tie. The downside to kicking it out the end zone is you give the ball back to the other team ... On Huron's second play it was a FUMBLE and Laurier gets the ball back with 2 minutes left. The boys drive for about 45 yards and end up on the Huron 25 yard line or so with no time remaining. Tied 12-12, it was our turn for our punter to try to kick a Rouge single point. To avoid conceding the point, the Warrior player either had to run the ball out of the end zone or kick it out. The kick was a beautiful line drive into the end zone. The Huron player is running it out of the end zone and BOOM ... big number 52, Jayden Bragg ... and he can brag about this for the rest of his life, makes an incredible tackle to stop the Warrior immediately inside the end zone before he could escape ... and we win with NO time remaining! What a finish! The alumni, parents, current students and fans all remarked how we had NEVER seen a football game end with such drama across a final 2 and half minutes.
Congratulations to your Laurier Rams Senior football team! OFSSA All Ontario Football champions for the first time ever! What a thrill to share the moment with so many wonderful alumni and family and fans! What an afternoon ... a real life highlight!
Enjoy this five minute video of my perspective of this historic day for our high school.
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