Cardinals a step closer to league championships

A 22-yard fourth-quarter field goal by Brad Mackenzie lifted the St. Charles College Cardinals to a 10-7 quarter-final playoff win over the Lockerby Vikings as SDSSAA football teams move a step closer to crowning a league champion.

The Vikes opened the scoring when running back Ian Christakos turned the corner and found the end zone, with Blake Wisniewski making good on the point-after attempt.

The Cards answered before the end of the half as coach Mike Fabiilli inserted linebacker Andrew Kohut in a short yardage situation, with the impressive rookie punching in for the game-tying score, as Mackenzie split the uprights on the convert.

St. Charles now advance to face the Lively Hawks in the 4 p.m. semifinal encounter on Halloween night. The late game that night will feature the Lo-Ellen Park Knights and St. Benedict Bears, after the Bears ran over the Confederation Chargers 49-12.

As the final score indicates, St. Benedict received plenty of contribution across the roster, with Josh Girolametto and Adrian Apan scoring two touchdowns apiece, and Aidan Hurley, Bradley Mansfield and Connor Vande Weghe each hauling in a TD pass from Chase Pressacco.

Pressacco would finish the game with four touchdown passes, the other being to Girolametto, who also returned an interception for a pick six. Josh Kiley, Roman Leblanc and Vande Weghe also recorded interceptions for the winners, who should provide a solid test for a top-notch Lo-Ellen defensive crew.

Confederation quarterback King Gil-Afau and Riley Barbeau connected on a 41-yard pass and run in a losing cause, with Austin Pharand scoring a rushing TD from three yards out after Curtis Theobald picked off a pass deep in St. Benedict territory.

In the junior ranks, the surprising final will find the third- and fourth-place teams in regular-season play going toe-to-toe following semifinal play last Thursday.

The Lively Hawks upended the St. Benedict Bears 28-26 in a battle that went right down to the final buzzer. Nicholas Rideout threw for three touchdown passes, ran from one and also recorded an interception, as did Andrew Elliot.

Elliot was on the receiving end of one TD pass from Rideout, with Charlie Dow snagging the remaining two. St. Benedict pivot Andrew Rocha picked up a pair of rushing touchdowns, with Cody Nkongolo taking a punt return all the way back, and Gianfranco Carniel adding an interception and two converts.

The Hawks will face the Confederation Chargers on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at the James Jerome Sports Complex. Confederation signal-caller Kyle Preseau was impressive, yet again, running for a pair of majors, joined on the scoresheet by Brandon Charette and Hunter Busch (short TD runs) and Andrew North, with a safety touch.

Ban N'Galamulume countered with the only major for St. Charles, as the Cardinals saw the tables turned following a 34-8 victory over the Chargers back on Sept. 24.