Breakout stars ignite Ramara Flag Football opener
Updated: Sep 3
Grayson McPeake explodes for 245 rushing yards as Peggy’s Chip Truck and Brechin Lions Club open the season with victories, while Pitch Management wins a Week 1 thriller
Grayson McPeake needed only one night to put the rest of Ramara on notice.
The Peggy’s Chip Truck standout piled up 310 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns Tuesday evening at the Ramara Centre, delivering the headline performance of a wild opening night that featured four games, big plays on both fields and plenty of new names making an immediate impact.
SportsKlub’s fall Ramara Flag Football season officially kicked off Sept. 1 with the 8-11 division taking the field at 5 p.m., followed by the 12-14 division at 6 p.m.
And if Week 1 was any indication, there will be no shortage of offence this fall.
Peggy’s Chip Truck 33, BMR Pro 19
Lincoln Oliver gave BMR Pro an early spark, taking one of his carries 45 yards for a touchdown, while Knox McCarrel turned in a strong all-around performance with 116 rushing yards and a touchdown.
But the night ultimately belonged to McPeake.
The Peggy’s Chip Truck playmaker rushed four times for an eye-popping 245 yards and two touchdowns, then added 65 receiving yards and another score. He even stepped behind centre, completing two passes for another 75 yards and two touchdowns.
That gave McPeake 310 combined rushing and receiving yards, three touchdowns as a runner and receiver and three additional try points in Peggy’s 36-20 victory over BMR Pro.
Peggy’s had other contributors, too. Xander Doaherty turned his lone reception into a 55-yard touchdown, while Jacob Hancock caught a touchdown and contributed 20 receiving yards.
BMR Pro countered with James Verschuuren, who produced an 85-yard touchdown reception, while Nathan Flint threw for 85 yards and a score.
It was exactly the kind of back-and-forth opening-night football SportsKlub hopes to create: different players getting opportunities to throw, run, catch and make something happen.
Pitch Management 20, Kiwanis Club of Orillia 19
The other 8-11 matchup came down to just two points, with Pitch Management edging Kiwanis Club 22-20.
Kiwanis spread the football around and found several different ways to reach the end zone. Edward Fisher connected with Mateo Capriotti for a touchdown, while Gabe Cleaveley and Camden Heitzner also recorded touchdown receptions.
Heitzner was particularly dangerous whenever the football found him, finishing with 90 rushing yards in addition to his touchdown catch. Max Cook added 93 yards on the ground, giving Kiwanis another explosive option.
Pitch Management had an answer. Carter Acebo was lightning in a bottle, breaking loose for a 55-yard rushing touchdown, while Sam Cameron accounted for two scores — one rushing and one receiving — and accumulated 95 yards from scrimmage.
Alexa Canellos also threw a touchdown pass, while Fin Patchell supplied two try points that became particularly important in a game decided by the narrowest of margins.
Grand Harbour 27, Cordery Electrical Contracting 18
When the older division took over at 6 p.m., the Lions Club wasted little time producing one of Week 1’s most impressive team performances.
The Lions defeated Byers Equipment 40-8, with Ryan Salwonchuck at the centre of much of the damage. Salwonchuck caught three passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns, while also throwing two touchdown passes himself.
Defensively, he added an interception. Harmony Seguin made her opportunities count, completing her only pass for 15 yards and a touchdown and turning her only reception into a 30-yard score.
Grayden Kostur provided perhaps the most explosive throw of the game, completing one pass for 95 yards and a touchdown, while Jasper Kotekar also went 1-for-1 with an eight-yard touchdown pass. Sam Leboeuf made an impact on both sides of the ball. Leboeuf caught a 15-yard touchdown and intercepted two passes defensively.
Byers had its own opening-night moments. Gibb Ferry completed two passes for 30 yards and a touchdown while adding 45 rushing yards, and Weston Clay hauled in a 10-yard touchdown reception. Melanie Cimbron led the defensive effort with three flag pulls.
Brechin Lions Club 40, Byers Equipment Motorsports 8
The night’s highest-scoring team came from Cordery Electric, which opened its season with a 48-27 victory over Grand Harbour.
Elias Fisher provided the home-run threat. Fisher caught only two passes, but turned them into 105 yards and two touchdowns, an average of more than 50 yards every time he touched the ball through the air. He also added 15 rushing yards.
Landon Kostur threw for 105 yards and two touchdowns, while Keenan Hughes added another touchdown pass. Evan Hill contributed a 30-yard touchdown reception.
The Cordery defence also kept finding the football. Hughes recorded four flag pulls, while the team forced Grand Harbour into three interceptions. Still, Grand Harbour produced some of the most impressive individual numbers of the evening.
Brothers Luke and Kelton Henderson were everywhere.
Luke Henderson caught three passes for a staggering 170 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing a 45-yard touchdown pass and recording an interception on defence.
Kelton Henderson added 45 rushing yards and a touchdown and picked off a pass of his own.
Ryder Demuth also had a major night, throwing for 100 yards and a touchdown, rushing for another 35 yards and a score and adding an interception defensively. Gage McIntyre caught two passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Cordery ultimately had too much firepower, but Grand Harbour showed enough big-play ability to make the rematch worth circling.
One night, plenty of new stars
Week 1 was never going to be about polished football. It was the first night of a new season, with new teammates learning names, quarterbacks finding receivers and young players getting their first chance to see what they could do when the whistle blew.
By the end of Tuesday night, though, some storylines had already begun to emerge.
McPeake announced himself with one of the biggest statistical performances of the night. Fisher showed that one touch can change a game. Salwonchuck found the end zone three times as a receiver. The Henderson brothers gave Grand Harbour two dynamic playmakers. And across all four games, touchdowns came from players throwing, running and catching the football. That is a pretty good way to start a fall in Ramara.
Week 2 returns to the Ramara Centre on Tuesday, Sept. 8, beginning with Pitch Management against BMR Pro and Kiwanis Club against Peggy’s Chip Truck at 5 p.m. The 12-14 division follows at 6 p.m., with Lions Club facing Grand Harbour and Byers Equipment meeting Cordery Electric.
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