By Larry Moko
A couple of turnovers in the late stages of Friday’s senior high school football game proved costly to the St. Thomas More Knights.
The visitors from More held a six-point advantage and appeared to be in control against the two-time defending Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic champion Bishop Tonnos Titans. However, the Titans regained a 25-24 lead on a 40-yard fumble return touchdown by Daniel Carson with two minutes, 43 seconds remaining.
That’s the way the score stayed, too, thanks to defensive back Adrian Tassone’s interception that halted More’s final drive at the BT 36-yard line.
The outcome evened the Knights record at 1-1 while, for Tonnos, it marked their season opener.
Other senior games saw the St. John Henry Newman Cardinals top the Cathedral Gaels, 45-27, and the Bishop Ryan Celtics defeat the St. Mary Crusaders, 28-10. The St. Jean de Brébeuf Braves were idle.
Tassone also ran the opening kickoff back 99 yards up the middle for a touchdown as Tonnos built an 18-0 second-quarter lead.
“We have a lot of resilience and character,” Tonnos coach Anthony Tassone said. “Down the stretch, that’s what allowed us to be successful.
“More is a well-coached team. They are never out of a game.”
The other first-half touchdown by Tonnos came by way of a one-yard plunge by quarterback Hudson Taylor that was set up by Joseph Cafagna’s 57-yard punt return. Kicker Matt Jurcic also booted a 12-yard field goal along with a pair of conversions and a punt single.
Just before the intermission, an interception and 40-yard return down the sideline by More’s Noah Cannon advanced the ball to the Tonnos seven-yard line. Two plays later, running back Caleb Kowalchuk scored on a four-yard off-tackle run.
Adrian Klindzic-Dovial added the convert.
Adrian Tassone, a Grade 12 student, is the coach’s son. Brother, Luca Tassone, also played defensive back for the Titans OFSAA championship squad and is currently a university-league rookie with the Western Mustangs.
“He (Adrian) has been in some key situations in the past,” the Titans coach said. “The pressure didn’t get to him.”
A blocked punt by Christian Chukwuali sparked More’s second-half rally. It gave the Knights the ball at BT’s 14-yard line and set the stage for Kowalchuk’s one-yard TD carry. Quarterback Marcus Perri then tossed a two-point conversion pass to Rogan Monaghan.
The Knights went on to take a 22-18 lead when Cannon caught a short pass, broke a tackle and raced 58 yards for the touchdown.
Faced with poor field position, Tonnos conceded a safety touch with 3:25 left in the fourth quarter.
“We’re proud of the way we battled back, but mistakes at the end hurt us,” More coach Claudio Silvestri said. “We showed a lot of heart.
“In the first half we had too many breakdowns on special teams. We didn’t really play fundamental football. We made too many mistakes and turnovers against a good team.”
Silvestri said the Knights Grade 11 quarterback, Perri, showed poise, composure and has “an incredibly high ceiling.”
“I don’t think we played to our true potential, but coming out with a win is always a good thing,” Adrian Tassone said.
“Someone needed to step up and make a play or we weren’t going to win the game. We rose to the occasion.”
On Carson’s touchdown run, he gained possession when teammate Mark Yeudall stripped the ball from the More rusher.
“Those two have been working together since Grade 9,” defender Tassone said of Yeudall and Carson. “It was nice to see them get a touchdown like that.”
More and Tonnos each played an exhibition game recently in the United States. The Knights travelled to Grand Rapids, Mich., while the Titans went to Bellaire, Ohio.
Photos by R.F. (Bob) Butrym, RFB Sport Photography
More photos on the HWCDSB Athletics Facebook Page Here
