Junior Gemini open with 16-0 football victory

Junior Gemini James Strathern cuts against the grain trying to elude a CASS tackle. (Chris Abbott Photo).

Chris Abbott, Post Correspondent

Glendale High School kicked off its TVRA football season with a senior/junior doubleheader in Tillsonburg on Thursday.

A senior Gemini comeback fell just short in a 35-28 loss to College Avenue Secondary School. The junior Gemini shut out CASS 16-0.

Junior football

Guided by quarterback Carver Schott, the junior Gemini scored on their first drive, scoring with a James Strathern touchdown. Glendale added a second touchdown in the third quarter, going up 14-0 on a touchdown by Hezekiah Cato, then chalked up two points on a late safety.

“He (Schott) did well – he was kind of getting pretty beat up because he’s playing both ways, quarterback and linebacker, so he gets in a lot of action,” said Gemini junior coach Jordan Fitzpatrick. “That might be something we have to adjust going forward.

“The second years, they’ve had that year of learning. Now they are ready for that next step and some of them end up playing both ways for us. It’s a hard game to pick up. Further into season, we can some more guys in better places and not have as many guys going two ways. But at the start of the season, having two-way guys, its’s pretty crucial having that football IQ.”

The junior Gemini travelled to London Thursday, Sept. 24 to play Saunders.

“I think we’ve got a lot of promise this year, I’m really looking forward to it,” said Fitzpatrick. “Lots of talent on offence, a lot of talent defensively - donut on the scoreboard today, that’s what you like to see. Coach Scott Hamilton ‘s doing a great job with the D.”

Senior football

The Tillsonburg Gemini seniors lost their TVRA Williamon Division opener 35-28 to College Avenue Secondary School on Thursday, Sept. 17.

Glendale trailed the visitors 16-6 at half-time.

“A bit of a slow start,” said Glendale senior football coach Sean Van Beers.

“Once we got going - kind of woke up in the second half – we got the offence going, everything was moving fine. The boys stayed strong, came back and got it within one (touchdown). Almost recovered an onside at the very end of the game – they (CASS) knocked it out of our hands at the last second.

“So they stayed in the game right until the very last play. The defence played great. We had four offensive turnovers, kind of left our defence in a rough spot.

“First game of the year, nobody quit, and we stayed healthy,” Van Beers smiled. “We’ve got a good squad. We’ve got a real, real big team, lots of linemen. Thirty on the roster and I think 12 linemen, so a good crop of big guys, which is amazing.”

The senior Gemini had a big game coming up in Week 2 with a trip to London Saunders on Wednesday, Sept. 24.

“That’s going to be tough, they are the Tier 1 team that came down this year,” said Van Beers.

“A good group, they’re working hard. We’ll do our best in the city next week, then we’re back here at home against East Elgin (Thursday, Oct. 2, 11 a.m.), that’s always a big game too.”