In the Junior game, Brantford got out of the blocks quickly, taking a 14-0 lead with touchdowns on their first two possessions. A conceded safety and quarterback Matt Beardwood’s 25-yard completion to Spears receiver Andrew Arcari closed the gap to 14-9 at halftime. Niagara took the lead in the third quarter with rushing majors from Nathan Zavarella (15 yds) and Devon Egerter (7 yds). Zak Marchant extended the Spears lead to 29-14 with his 30-yard interception return for a touchdown to close out the quarter. The Bisons stormed back in the fourth quarter however, with Brandon Flick’s third rushing TD of the game and a stunning 100 yd flea-flicker pass to Bison receiver Kyle Cogger. A successful 2-point conversion knotted the score at 29 with five minutes remaining. Driving the length of the field on the ensuing Spears possession, Justin Hipperson punted from the Branford 30-yard line for the decisive single point as time expired. With the win, the Junior Spears locked up home field advantage for a July 28th wild card game. Final score: Niagara Spears (6-1) 30 – Brantford Bisons (1-6) 29.

OFFENSIVE STATS - JUNIOR
QB Matt Beardwood: 11/19 passing for 169 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
RB Nathan Zavarella: 18 carries for 146 yds, 1 TD
RB Andrew Barry: 11 carries for 70 yds
Devon Egerter: 9 carries for 58 yds, 1 TD
WR Andrew Arcari: 1 catch for 25 yds, 1 TD
WR Jake Harper: 5 catches for 66 yds
WR Gary Spero: 3 catches for 57 yds
TE Andrew Birnie: 2 catches for 33 yds
K Jon Demetriades: 3/4 PAT, 0/1 FG (17 yds)

DEFENSIVE STATS - JUNIOR
DB Justin Hipperson: 7½ tackles
DB Zak Marchant: 4½ tackles, 1 INT returned 30 yds for TD
LB Ryan Saunders: 4½ tackles
LB Cody Herbert: 4 tackles
DE Zack Davis: 4 tackles, 1 sack

In Varsity action, the Spears and Ironmen traded punts for most of the first quarter before Hamilton quarterback Michael Chase connected with Tydell Price for a 41-yard TD pass early in the second quarter. Julian Tropea’s 14-yard field goal closed the gap to 7-3, but Chase then hit Paul Gerbording for a 72-yard TD pass and a 14-3 Hamilton lead. Spears starting quarterback Nick Coutu responded with a bomb of his own, finding Jedd Gardner for a 72-yard major, narrowing the Hamilton lead to 14-10 at halftime. The Spears dominated the second half however, exploding for 5 touchdowns. Running back Jerimy Hipperson’s rushing majors of 17 and 6 yards got things started, and Ricky Savage ran into the end zone from 9 yards out to give the Spears a commanding 31-14 lead after three quarters. The Spears passing game took flight in the fourth quarter, as second half quarterback Evan Burke connected with Jason Gagnon on a 16-yard TD pass and with Gardner on a 75-yard TD bomb. Gardner finished the day with a staggering 218 yards receiving and two touchdowns on four catches. With the win, the Spears have wrapped up their third consecutive Golden Horseshoe Division championship and a first round playoff bye. They will host an Adam Conference semi-final game on the weekend of August 4-5. Final score: Niagara Spears (7-0) 45 – Hamilton Ironmen (3-4) 14.

OFFENSIVE STATS – VARSITY
QB Nick Coutu: 1/7 passing for 87 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
QB Evan Burke: 5/7 passing for 246 yds, 2 TDs
WR Jedd Gardner: 4 catches for 218 yds, 2 TDs
RB Jerimy Hipperson: 11 carries for 127 yds, 2 TDs
RB Ricky Savage: 14 carries for 53 yds, 1 TD
WR Jason Gagnon: 2 catches for 28 yds, 1 TD
K Julian Tropea: 6/6 PAT, 1/1 FG (14 yds)

DEFENSIVE STATS – VARSITY
LB Ryan Chmielewski: 6½ tackles, 2 FR
DB Jordan Duncan: 6½ tackles
DE Steve Cecchini: 5½ tackles, 1 sack, 1 BK
DB Andrew Meyer: 2 tackles, 1 BB, 1 INT
DL Shane Baxter: 3 ½ tackles

NEXT UP: After the OVFL bye week, the Varsity Spears (7-0) travel to Brantford for a game against the Bisons (5-2) on Saturday, July 21st at 1:00pm. Meanwhile, the Junior Spears (6-1) travel to London on Sunday, July 22nd for a 2:00pm game against the undefeated Falcons (7-0).