Senior Blue Bombers end 57-year gridiron drought with championship win over London Saunders

The TVRA Southeast Tier II champion Ingersoll DCI Blue Bombers. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

The Ingersoll DCI Blue Bombers 18-7 Thames Valley Regional Athletics Tier II senior football championship triumph over the London Saunders Sabres on Nov. 7 at 1Password Park in St. Thomas came as the result of laying it on the line.

Classic Canadian rockers reference aside, the Bombers played to win, rather than not lose. And a resultant series of big decisions, big plays, a big team effort, a little luck and a tiny bit of disregard for a mother’s concern culminated in IDCI’s first senior football championship since 1968.

“Nineteen-sixty-eight,” Bombers coach Nick DiCiocco echoed. “Fifty-seven years.

“That was the goal from day one. Day one, we knew we had to play eight games this year, and we were going to play eight and here we are.”

Each play in a championship game is critical, a potential turning point. But a third-quarter Logan Janzen punt block returned for a touchdown still stood out. With Saunders trying to answer IDCI’s second-half-opening touchdown and driving from their own 34 to the Ingersoll 30, Janzen subbed in for a guest appearance in the Bombers defensive secondary. His mission was to tighten the gap defensively on pass coverage, despite his mother Vanessa’s fears of aggravating an earlier injury.

“My mom, right there, just told me, do not go on defence, because you can’t overdo it,” he smiled post-game.

Following a short ground gain on first down, Bombers teammate Kolton Stewart read the ensuing screen pass attempt perfectly, tackling the recipient for a loss.

“I just read it, took him down… took him down and celebrated,” said Stewart.

Although generally uncertain about specific duties, Janzen, who entered on second down, recalled coaching instructions to block the punt.

“I was like okay, go do the edge, do something cool,” he said, throwing his body in front of a kick projected to pin the Bombers deep in their zone. He picked up the loose ball and ran it 70 yards for a major.

“That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” said Janzen, his performance mollifying even his mother’s concern.

“Umm… no, yes, no,” she responded, smiling. “I just wanted him to play safe and he did and proved us all wrong.”

Ethan Butt’s point after try gave IDCI a 15-7 lead, and following a Gavin Laidman onside kick recovered by Aaron Petit on the ensuing kickoff, possession on the Saunders 50 with 37 seconds left in the third quarter. The Sabres recovered possession on their own 45 via interception, advancing to the IDCI 38 where following a Butt knockdown on a second down pass, Saunders quarterback Cameron Couchie was swarmed short of the line of gain on third down.

Taking over on their own 37 with 8:41 remaining, IDCI quarterback Delwo was forced to punt, but a second special teams gamble, lining up players behind him onside, paid off. Spencer Krajewski ran onto a designed short punt along the sideline to retain possession at the Saunders 50, emphasizing ‘playing safe’ was not in the Bombers playbook.

“Not today,” said DiCiocco. “There is no tomorrow and there is no next game. We knew they were tough and we needed that one extra possession to seal the deal.”

Krajewski pulled down a Delwo pass at the Sabres 10, running to the four for first and goal. Following a short run and a delay of game penalty, Ingersoll was pushed back to the 13 on second down. The turn of events compounded by a fumble gave Saunders possession on its own three. The Sabres were stopped at their 27 on a Doug Cattrysse open field tackle on a reverse, advancing, but turning the ball over on downs inside their half of the field with 2:24 to play following a Stewart open field tackle and Nathan Burton knockdown.

Delwo took the ball into field goal range with a gutsy keeper, redemption for an earlier miscue. Butt split the uprights with a 32-yard field goal on third-and-11 from the 25 for a two-score, 18-7 lead with 1:11 remaining. Laidman and Burton had defensive knockdowns and Janzen and Carter Whitsworth combined on a sack as time and downs ran out for the Sabres, IDCI taking over with 20 seconds remaining.

“We needed this,” said Laidman. “We haven’t won a trophy here in what is it, 50 years? I play four sports here, I’ve never won anything. I think the whole team needed this. This brings something to the school.”

The Bombers opened scoring with under three minutes to go in the first half. A drive from their own 30 to the Saunders 13 featured a 24-yard Delwo to Laidman pass, six-yard QB keeper on third-and-one from the Sabres 43 and a 28-yard Krajewski reception to the ten. A field goal attempt sailed wide, going for a single point and 1-0 lead.

A subsequent 67-yard Couchie pass and run completion to Dominic Espino set the Sabres up first-and-goal at the IDCI eight. The Bombers defence made two stops before Cjay Reid found paydirt on a jet sweep left, adding the PAT for a 7-1 lead. A Saunders drive in the final minute led to a 32-yard field goal attempt with three seconds remaining, blocked by a Bombers surge and recovered by Burton.

Laidman opened the second half with a kickoff to the Sabres five, returned to the 21 but leading to a punt from the ten and great IDCI field position. Delwo gained 15 yards on a first-down keeper, eventually capitalizing on a third-and-one gamble behind the left side of the line and a Janzen lead block. Butt added the PAT for an 8-7 lead.

“Our whole line was giving us some great blocks,” said Delwo. “I just found the hole.”

The Bombers QB admitted his expectations rose as the season progressed, growing confidence in what could be accomplished.

“It feels great, I’m just glad I could do it with these guys one last time. I’m going to miss this team and going to miss this sport.”

DiCiocco recruited two members of the 1968 Bombers championship team, Roger Henhawke and Dave Cussons, to act as honorary captains.

“They were super excited, super excited,” said DiCiocco. “It was awesome to support us like that.”

He also appreciated a pre-game query from an onsite broadcast crew focussing only on Delwo and Laidman, which fired up the rank and file through a true team victory.

“We had playmakers all over the field today,” said DiCiocco, celebrating the championship not only for itself, but what it represented.

“Honestly, the football part of it is just the medium to show them what they can do if they all commit, if they come together as one. What they accomplished could have been done in soccer, could have been done in volleyball.

“But football is special because there are so many people involved and they haven’t done it in so long.”