St. Roch Ravens Defeat St. Thomas Aquinas Cardinals 37-16 at the Rogers Centre
St. Roch Ravens Defeat St. Thomas Aquinas Cardinals 37-16 at the Rogers Centre
At the midway point of the Region of Peel senior high school football season, the St. Roch Ravens undefeated record remains in tact, as the Ravens improved to 4-0 on Friday.
Led by four touchdown passes from quarterback Kyle Gouveia, the Ravens exploded for 29 points in the second half, en route to a 37-16 homecoming victory over the St. Thomas Aquinas Cardinals at the Rogers Centre.
Sep 10, 2014; Separated by only 12 kilometres, St. Roch and St. Thomas Aquinas are familiar opponents with one another. (Image Credit: @ROCHsports)
St. Roch now sits tied a top Peel Region with the St. Marcellinus Spirit as the only two undefeated teams in the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association.
After a penalty filled first half of the game that saw both teams exchange turnovers and flags back-and-forth, Ravens quarterback Kyle Gouveia would hit slot receiver Jamal Nkrumah for a 55-yard touchdown pass to put the Ravens up 16-9.
Prior to Nkrumah’s 55-yard catch-and-run, the Ravens trailed the Cardinals 9-8 early in the third quarter. But after looking out of sync all throughout the first half, the Ravens aerial attack got going in the second half, as St. Roch ripped off 29 unanswered points to close out the game.
Next up on the Ravens schedule is a road matchup on Friday against the St. Joan of Arc Arch Angels. After ending St. Roch’s season in the ROPSSAA semi-finals last year, the Ravens will be out for revenge on Friday.
Following Friday’s upcoming matchup with St. Joan of Arc, the Ravens will then travel to Notre Dame to take on the 1-3 Knights, and then host Our Lady of Mount Carmel (3-1) in their regular season finale on October 29th.
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With three games left on the schedule, St. Roch is looking for the senior program’s second undefeated regular season in the school’s short four-year history.
Beyond the ROPSSAA standings, Canada Football Chat.com has the St. Roch Ravens ranked as the 18th best high school football team in Canada, and the 7th best team in Ontario.
Play of the Game:
Just as St. Thomas Aquinas scored a touchdown to go up 9-8 on the Ravens, St. Roch quarterback Kyle Gouveia would immediately find wide receiver Jamal Nkrumah for a 55-yard touchdown pass, putting the Ravens up 16-9.
Although Nkrumah showcased his speed on the 55-yard screen pass, the rest of the speedy Ravens receiving corps showcased their downfield blocking skills. Wide receivers Akeem Knowles and Nick Adeyeye led the charge down the field, as a flurry of key blocks helped Nkrumah reach the end zone.
The Ravens looked rejuvenated after the touchdown, as they exploded score 29 unanswered points in the second half, en route to a 37-16 victory.