The final week of SDSSAA (Sudbury District Secondary Schools Athletic Association) junior football action served as the prelude: be ready for fireworks when the playoffs begin next week.

Teams averaged more than 41 points per game Thursday night as a pair of matchups set the stage for the upcoming semi-finals, with the Lively Hawks holding off the Lo-Ellen Park Knights 38-35 and the Confederation Chargers outscoring the St Benedict Bears 52-40 in the nightcap.

Finishing the season with a record of 3-2, good for third place and a battle on Thursday against the Chargers, Lively jumped out to a 28-12 half-time lead as the running game was clicking on all cylinders.

Jones Paajanen (41 yd run; 2 yd run) and Avery Mackinnon (38 yd run; 41 yd run) paced the Hawks attack with two touchdowns apiece, with the remaining scoring courtesy of Tyler Ralph (4 yard interception return) and Kade Naponse (18 yard 4th quarter FG + five converts).

Just one game back of the Hawks at 2-3, Lo-Ellen spread the ball around nicely with Angus Rayburn (42 yd pass from Nathaniel Miller and 96 yd run), Tristan Dagostino (4 yard run), Griffith Roberts (77 yard kickoff return), Matt Michon (3 yd run + two 2-PT conversions) and Nathaniel Miller (PAT) replied in a losing cause.

Lively interceptions at a couple of key junctures were key, as was a 96 yard pass and run play from QB Reid Bentley to slotback Carter MacLennan, setting up the short Paajanen run to the end zone.

"Their quarterback (Miller) has a great arm," said second year lineman Callum St Jean, performing double duty as a left guard on offense and defensive tackle after suiting up at defensive end in grade nine.

"When they connected, it's challenging for us to defend; but our coverage was really good, our DBs (defensive backs) were staying on their men and getting picks."

Picking up the sport of football only as he arrived at LDSS, St Jean was able to draw on some of his background as a defender with high level minor hockey teams over the years.

"I got asked to go out last year and found out that I was pretty alright - but this year, I've really excelled," said St Jean. "The hitting in hockey helps with hitting in football, but you really have to remember to wrap rather than drop your shoulder."

"Usually dropping my shoulder works anyways," he added with a smile.

Individual performances were also at the forefront in game two as the 4-1 Chargers, who could not move up or down in the standings in this game, faced a 1-4 St Benedict team that has shown substantially more signs of life and progress later in the fall.

Bentley Dhinel racked up no less than five majors in helping to make sure Confed eased into the playoffs on a winning note while slotback Nicholas Folino slid over to QB in the second half for the Bears, sparking a rally by scoring three touchdowns and adding a two point conversion in the high-scoring affair.

Also hitting the scoresheet for Confederation were Marshal LePage (2 TDs), Dakota Del Papa (TD) and Camden Nadeau (4 PATs) with Jhon Castro (TD), Emmanuel George (TD), Elect Faleyi (TD) and Christian Perez Diaz (2 PATs) doing likewise for the Bears.