Gemini seniors down London’s Clarke Road in last week’s gridiron rematch

Gemini left guard/defensive tackle Trevin Patrick (left) chases IDCI’s Jacob Guttierrez. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

The Tillsonburg Gemini senior boys’ football team scored a convincing 28-13 Thames Valley Regional Athletic Association (TVRA) senior boys’ football playoff victory during a rematch with the London Clarke Road Trojans, played out Thursday, Oct. 23 at London’s City Wide #1 Field.

The victory backed up a 33-28 Gemini regular season-closing win the week before at Glendale. In London, Tillsonburg quarterback Landon Dodsley, running back Dorian Park-Thomas, wide receiver Gavin Wernham and wide receiver Matteo Barnabi each scored a touchdown, Dodsley adding a two-point convert and the defence a shared two-point safety.

With the win, the Gemini were scheduled to return to London’s City Wide field for a Thursday, Oct. 30 semi-final against the London Saunders Sabres kicking off at 2:15 p.m.

A Tillsonburg Gemini junior football touchdown at the end of the second half of a 20-6 TVRA quarter-final playoff loss to the homefield Ingersoll DCI Blue Bombers Thursday, Oct. 23 provided a positive punctuation point to the 2025 season.

Had the Gemini had a little more time at the end of the first half however, they might have pushed an earlier TD across that could potentially have affected the game’s outcome says Tillsonburg coach Jordan Fitzpatrick. The clock ran out on a Gemini possession near the IDCI five yard line.

“I think we get two more tries, we score there and it changes momentum going into the second half.”

“I think we would have had more stuff going in the second half,” agreed Gemini quarterback Carver Schott.

Tillsonburg got on the scoreboard with 1:05 remaining in the fourth quarter, Schott linking up with wide receiver Hazekiah Cato for an 87-yard pass-and-run combination down the right sideline.

“I didn’t expect him to come to me like that,” Cato admitted. “But tried my best and made something out of it.”

Gemini defensive halfback Lucas Thompson set up the play with an interception on his own 23, with 1:21 left in regulation time.

“Never give up, keep trying,” he said.

Blue Bombers quarterback Rhys Johnson was pressured on the play says Thompson.

“And I was right there.”

Tillsonburg tried a little trickery on a two-point conversion gamble, but James Strathern’s pass attempt, pressured on the release, fell incomplete. The Gemini played out the string, attempting to recover an onside kick, but IDCI’s Tyler Paton recovered to effectively lock up the victory.

The Blue Bombers opened scoring early in the first half on a Jacob Gutierrez TD, converted to a 7-0 advantage on Deacon Janess’ point-after-try. Noah Rodgers and Hayden Edwards added IDCI touchdowns, Janess his second PAT to round a 20-0 halftime advantage.

Fitzpatrick praised his defence for responding to the Bombers’ first-half challenge with a second-half shutout.

“Proud of the guys, they always gave us everything they had.”

Looking back on a ‘really good year’, Fitzpatrick pointed to significant progression from a team featuring a significant and ‘pretty raw’ Grade 9 contingent at the start of the season.

“They learned fast and did a good job doing it. We’ve got a good group to lead the team next year.”

“A very good season,” Cato added in conclusion. “We all played the best we could and we all had fun.

“That’s the most important thing.”

GEMINI SCOREBOARD

Senior Girls Basketball

Thursday, Oct. 23

Gemini 31, St. Thomas Central Elgin 28

Junior Girls Basketball

Thursday, Oct. 23

Gemini 39, Central Elgin 30

Tuesday, Oct. 21

Senior Boys Volleyball

Central Elgin 25, 25, 26; Gemini 16, 14, 24

Junior Boys Volleyball

Central Elgin 25, 25, 19, 25; Gemini 19, 20, 25, 19

PLAYOFFS

Tuesday, Oct. 28

Senior Gemini basketball girls at Lord Dorchester,

3 p.m.

Central Elgin at Gemini junior basketball girls, 3 p.m.

Gemini senior boys volleyball at Lord Dorchester,

1 p.m.

Gemini junior boys volleyball at Ingersoll DCI,

2:30 p.m.