Burlington's Nelson High School junior football team, the newly crowned Halton champions, opens the Junior Metro Bowl playoffs at home on Thursday, Nov. 19. The Jr Lords host the St. Roch Ravens in a West Division quarterfinal at Nelson Stadium, with kickoff at noon.
It is a meeting of two regional champions. St. Roch, a school from Peel, arrives as the ROPSSAA champion, the title for high school teams in the Peel region, Nelson Lords Football says. The Lords earned their place in the Metro Bowl by winning Halton.
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Nelson High School calls the game a rematch. The Lords already beat the Ravens 28-14 on the same field on Wednesday, Oct. 21, in a non-conference game.
The Halton title is one Nelson knows well. Last season the juniors lost the championship for the first time in a bid for 10 straight. This year they won it back, beating Georgetown 34-9 on a beautiful day in south Oakville, with the starting defence combining for four quarterback sacks. Getting there took a 43-0 semi-final rout of Iroquois Ridge, the team's 12th straight trip to the Halton final.
The season did not start that way. The Lords lost both early non-conference games by three touchdowns or more, then turned it around with wins including 52-0 over Milton, 34-0 at Iroquois Ridge and 54-14 at Frank Hayden.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 18 | A.N. Myer (home) | Lost 35-14 |
| Sept. 25 | at Huron Heights, Newmarket | Lost 45-14 |
| Oct. 8 | Milton (home) | Won 52-0 |
| Oct. 16 | at Iroquois Ridge, Oakville | Won 34-0 |
| Oct. 21 | St. Roch (home) | Won 28-14 |
| Oct. 30 | at Frank Hayden | Won 54-14 |
| Halton semi-final | Iroquois Ridge | Won 43-0 |
| Halton final | Georgetown, in south Oakville | Won 34-9 |
The Junior Metro Bowl championship is set for Friday, Dec. 4, at St. Michael's College in Toronto. Thursday's game is at Nelson Stadium, on the Nelson High School grounds, at noon.
