Park-Thomas TD ‘hat trick’, Dodsley pair lead Gemini seniors past Clarke Road Trojans

This Landon Dodsley pass was just out of the reach of receiver Kypton Lofthouse. (Jeff Tribe Photo).

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

Is Landon Dodsley a throwing quarterback who can run, or a running quarterback who can throw?

The answer was ‘Yes’ Wednesday, Oct. 15 at Glendale, in that the Grade 11 pivot proved proficient at both through a 33-28 Thames Valley Regional Athletics (TVRA) Williamson Division senior football victory over the visiting London Clarke Road Trojans.

“I’d say I’m a running quarterback that throws,” assessed Dodsley, who contributed two rushing touchdowns, including the game-winner, to the victory.

“Can still sling it, though,” interjected Gemini centre Dante Bortolussi.

Dodsley scored the game’s final and deciding major with 7:09 remaining in the fourth quarter. The play was set up by advantageous field position resulting from two solid defensive series, the first forcing Clarke Road to punt on third-and-17 from their own 23, returned by Dodsley to the Trojans’ 32.

A first-down pass to Kypton Lofthouse and 13-yard Park-Thomas run took Tillsonburg to first-and-goal at the eight. While stalling there and turning the ball over on downs, a swarming gang tackle at the two on first-and-14.5 from the 4.5 featuring Hunter Vinnai, Luke Mullen, Nolan Janzen and Malek Whyte, and open-field solo tackle on a swing pass completion by Gavin O’Donnell forced a third-down punt from the endzone.

The Gemini return, compounded by a face-masking penalty, set Tillsonburg up with a first down at the Clarke Road 11. Dodsley took it in from there, again untouched, on an 11-yard fake counter and keep, right up the gut. Park-Thomas ran a two-point covert in, upping the home team’s lead to 33-28.

The Gemini defence made the five-point advantage stand up, Ethan Pasztor and Parker Elliott closing out the ensuing series with pressure on the Trojans’ quarterback as he pulled the ball down and tried to scramble for a first down to his left.

“Just saw him ‘leaking’ - had to make sure I contained,” said Elliott.

Following the punt, Park-Thomas broke a first-down run up the gut outside to the right for 32 yards to the 13. A third-and-six Janzen end-around finished a half-yard short of a first down, giving the Trojans the ball at their own 4.5.

But that field position gave the Gemini defence enough of a cushion to grind out the clock. Of note, Odin Oatway, Vinnai and Mullen combined on a tackle for a loss of two on one first down, O’Donnell fired up from his defensive halfback position to make another fine solo tackle, and also committed an intelligent pass interference infraction rather than getting beaten as the last-man back in the dying seconds.

That play set the Trojans up on the Gemini 50 with a single second remaining, a desperation pass attempt falling incomplete to conclude the contest.

Tillsonburg’s final game of the regular season played out as a see-saw battle against a worthy foe. The Gemini led 13-6 after a quarter and 19-14 at halftime on a trio of Dorian Park-Thomas touchdowns, the second of which was converted via a Nolan Janzen point-after-try (PAT).

Clarke Road’s Tyler Black responded with the first Trojans’ major, added a PAT on his team’s second (scored by Brown) and then a second-quarter rouge. Black kicked his second PAT as the Trojans opened second-half scoring on a Carter Los touchdown, giving the visitors their first lead of the day at 21-19.

Dodsley scored his first rushing TD on a third-down-and-four gamble from the Clarke Road 14, faking a handoff before heading directly up the middle of the field, untouched into the end zone. His rush restored Tillsonburg’s lead at 25-21, however Black countered with his own third major of the afternoon on a 55-yard-pass-and-run play, converting it for a 28-25 lead with 4:44 remaining in the third quarter. The fourth quarter’s lone touchdown would finally decide the issue.

“Back and forth, back and forth,” said Park-Thomas of what he described as a ‘huge game.'

Both teams had displayed quality offence and defence added the speedy Gemini running back.

“But our offence was better.”

At the time, based on the regular season-closing victory and 3-2 won-lost record, the Gemini had hopes of opening playoffs at Glendale. However, after sharing a four-team tie for second place in final standings between Clarke Road, Woodstock College Avenue and London Montcalm, Tillsonburg, although technically the ‘home’ team, will begin the post-season Thursday, Oct. 23 at London City Wide Field, ‘hosting’ Clarke Road in a rematch scheduled to kick off at 2:15 p.m.

Although not knowing their opponent at the time of their season-closing win, Dodsley and O’Donnell displayed a similar mindset.

“We’ve just got to focus on our first playoff game and go from there,” Dodsley concluded.

“Can’t get too far ahead of ourselves, take it one game at a time,” O’Donnell added.

The junior Gemini had kicked off a doubleheader sweep with a 35-0 shutout victory over Clarke Road. Strathearn had three touchdowns, a field goal and two PATs, Cato and Thompson a touchdown apiece.

The juniors, who also finished their regular season with a 3-2 won-lost record, are scheduled to open playoffs Thursday, October 23 at Ingersoll DCI with an 11 a.m. start.

Tillsonburg did not face the Blue Bombers during the regular season. IDCI finished with a 3-1-1 won-lost-tied record.