Trailing 10-0 late in the first half and at the risk of falling to 0-2 with just a five game regular season schedule, the Lo-Ellen Park Knights senior boys football team needed a spark last Friday at the James Jerome Sports Complex.
Deep in the territory of the St Charles College Cardinals, with time ticking down, quarterback Ben Kawa let sail with a pass that had plenty of arc, with several players on both teams closing quickly towards the ball.
None, however, were quicker than Lo-Ellen sprinter Levi Blouin, darting across from his intended route and outleaping a few Cardinals to put Lo-Ellen on the board.
For as much as this passing play gave the Knights some life, it was the Lo-Ellen running game behind a line that consistently opened holes for Blouin and company, as well as a shutdown defensive effort that ultimately allowed the school that have advanced to the city finals in each of the past five years to rebound with a 27-10 win over St Charles.
"We lost to Ben's (28-10 loss to the St Benedict Bears) last week and I didn't want it to happen again," noted Lo-Ellen lineman Malakai Mayers, who pulled plenty of double duty in the come from behind win that evened the Lo-Ellen record at 1-1.
"I kept motivating the guys that we don't want to feel that again."
With Mayers and his brethren showing the way, Levi Blouin would finish the contest with four touchdowns, three of which were converted by Devun Panella - who also later racked up some yards on the ground for the Knights.
"I liked that our O Line really stuck together, especially on that big run by Levi," said Mayers. "We just wanted to open up a gap and if he hits it, he hits it. I want him to follow the O Line - don't bounce it out."
"If he follows the O Line, we're going to win."
Coming off an impressive 42-42 tie versus the defending champion Confederation Chargers, the Cardinals got things going offensively early against LEP, with Emmanuel Apiah-Hagan finding the end zone, Sele Arewa making good on the point after and then adding a second quarter field goal to stake SCC out to their first half lead.
In game two of thew triple-header, Confederation played like a team with something to prove, manhandling the Lively Hawks 49-0 after bursting out to a 35-0 lead at the half.
The running game that powered the Chargers to their title last fall was on full display as Ryley Clarke (5 yd run; 11 yd run; 15 yd run), Evan Doyle (22 yd run), Meeka Duguay (8 yd run) and Domadius Aziz (5 yd run) all recorded rushing majors for Confederation.
Cameron Quesnel hauled in an 18 yard pass from Tyson Vitali, accounting for the other six-point score, with Domadius Aziz going 7/7 in the PAT department as the Chargers' defense atoned for a rough opening game performance.
In the nightcap, St Benedict flexed at the expense of the Lockerby Vikings to the tune of a 49-0 win as the Bears sit all alone in first place with a record of 2-0.
Dylan Nelson scored the first three touchdowns of the game, all in the first quarter, scampering 67 yard on a running play, recovering a blocked punt and making his way to the end zone and connecting with QB Evan DeMarchi on a 40 yard pass and run.
Nelson also accounted for the final TD of the game, with teammates Eddy Roy, Holden Beange and Zachary Arsenault joined him in that particular statistical column while place-kicker Gabe Matozzo was flawless on all seven convert attempts.
Week three action pits Lockerby against St Charles in the opener (3:00 p.m.), followed by St Benedict and Lively and then a rematch of the 2025 final between Lo-Ellen and Confederation, all at James Jerome on Friday.
