Week 4 delivers thriller finishes, statement wins

Rick Grant Landscaping edges Orillia Synergy Healthcare in a classic, McLean & Dickey breaks through, and the playoff race tightens

Week 4 of Sunshine Superwash Orillia flag football brought five teams within a point of each other in the standings, complicating the road to Power Bowl 39. 

Sunday's slate opened with one of the most complete performances of the season as the Santa’s Nook Huskers defeated the Wagner Lawn Care Trojans 22-13.

Lucas Di Mattia controlled the game early, throwing for over 240 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 72 yards on the ground. He spread the ball effectively, but when the Huskers needed a play, he kept going back to Mike Black.

He finished with over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, consistently breaking open plays and giving the Huskers a reliable target in every situation. Calvin Hale added another touchdown on a deep strike as the Huskers jumped out to a 14-0 lead.

But the Trojans didn’t go away easily. Tyler Hinds flipped the game in the second half, leading a comeback effort that reminded everyone why the Trojans opened the season 2-0. He broke loose for a long rushing touchdown, then followed it up with a 47-yard strike to Mathieu Bolduc to pull the Trojans within one. Suddenly, it was 14-13, and the momentum had completely shifted.

That’s when the Huskers responded, Chandler Harrison stepped in and delivered the biggest sequence of the game, connecting with Mike Black on a 66-yard gain that swung field position and gave the Huskers life. Two plays later, Harrison found Zach Moreau in the end zone, and the Huskers added the conversion to seal it.

At 2-2-1, the Huskers now look like a team that can beat anyone when their offence finds rhythm. The Trojans drop to 2-3, but their offence continues to show flashes of being one of the most dangerous units in the league.

The Thunderbolts exploded for one of the most dominant offensive performances of the season Sunday night, pulling away for a 49-8 win over the Silver Bombers in a game that flipped completely after the opening quarter.

The Silver Bombers struck first, and they did it clean. Jesse Bremner led a sharp opening drive, completing multiple passes before finding Ethan Phillips, who turned a short gain into a 22-yard touchdown. Moments later, the same connection delivered again on the two-point conversion, giving the Silver Bombers an early 8-0 lead.

At that point, the Silver Bombers looked in control, then everything changed. On the very next possession, Colby Shaw answered. After a stalled first drive, Shaw came right back and delivered a deep strike to Mitchell Hurtubise, who broke free for a 44-yard touchdown. The Thunderbolts added the two-point conversion, and just like that, the game was tied at 8-8.

From there, it became a takeover. Shaw and Kayden Halloch began to carve up the Silver Bombers defence, combining for one of the most efficient passing performances seen all season. The Thunderbolts finished with 358 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns, spreading the ball across multiple weapons.

Halloch found his rhythm in the second quarter, connecting twice with precision throws that turned into touchdowns, while also adding a conversion pass to Hurtubise to extend the lead. And then came the play that broke the game open. Early in the third quarter, Halloch dropped back and delivered a deep ball to Hurtubise, who turned it into an 82-yard touchdown, the longest play of the night. From that moment on, there was no coming back.

Hurtubise was everywhere. He finished with 199 receiving yards and three touchdowns, dominating downfield and consistently turning short catches into explosive plays. Ethan Barber added two touchdowns of his own, including a 48-yard catch-and-run late in the fourth quarter that highlighted just how stretched the Silver Bombers defence had become.

Even as the game got out of reach, the Thunderbolts kept pushing. Their final touchdown came on a short connection to Hurtubise to cap the night at 49 points, completing a run where they scored on nearly every meaningful possession after the first quarter.

For the Silver Bombers, there were still individual bright spots. Ethan Phillips was outstanding, finishing with 153 receiving yards and a touchdown, continuing to prove he is one of the most dangerous playmakers in the league.

Bremner added 161 passing yards and showed flashes of control early, but after the opening drive, the offence struggled to sustain momentum against a Thunderbolts defence that tightened up and forced stops.

The numbers tell the story. The Thunderbolts recorded nine first downs to the Silver Bombes three, out-gained them 363 to 264, and most importantly, finished drives. After giving up the opening touchdown, they didn’t allow another point. For the Thunderbolts, it’s the kind of performance that changes how the rest of the league looks at them.

The offence clicked. The ball moved. The big plays came in waves. If that version of McLean & Dickey shows up again, they’re not just a team in the middle of the standings, they’re a problem.

The final game of the night featured a rematch of Power Bowl 38. 

The Rick Grant Landscaping Blues erased a fourth-quarter deficit and stunned the Orillia Synergy Healthcare Augies with a 28-26 win in what instantly becomes an early game-of-the-year contender.

The tone was set right away. The Augies opening possession ended in disaster, as Alex Winacott was picked off deep in his own end. The Blues wasted no time capitalizing, with Rick Grant finding Vince Pitines for a 36-yard touchdown to open the scoring.

The Augies answered immediately. Nolan Inglis marched the Augies down the field and connected with Steve Hamilton for the tying touchdown, then added the conversion to give the defending champs their first lead of the night at 7-6.

That’s when the fireworks really started. Early in the second quarter, Matt Planta delivered one of the biggest plays of the season, a 95-yard touchdown run that flipped momentum right back to the Blues.  

But again, the Augies had an answer, and his name was Blake Cruise. The 2025 spring season MVP took over the game in the second quarter, breaking loose for an 82-yard touchdown, then following it up with another long score to give the Augies a 20-13 lead heading into halftime.

By that point, it felt like the Augies had control. Cruise was unstoppable, finishing with a massive 256 receiving yards and three touchdowns, consistently turning short passes into explosive plays. And when he struck again in the third quarter on a 34-yard touchdown, the Augies pushed their lead to 26-20.

The Blues needed to answer, and Planta led a clutch third-quarter drive, finding Connor Woodbeck for a touchdown before converting to tie the game at 20-20. Still, heading into the fourth, the Augies held the edge, until one play changed everything.

Facing third down, Planta dropped back and found Pitines deep. What looked like a routine play turned into the game-winner, a 56-yard touchdown that gave the Blues a 27-26 lead with time running out. They added the conversion to make it 28-26.

One last chance for the Augies. Winacott moved the ball into midfield, but on the final third down play, his pass toward Cruise was broken up by Pitines, sealing the comeback win. 

For the Blues it was a complete offensive performance. They piled up 399 total yards, including 166 on the ground, using a balanced attack to stay within striking distance all night before delivering the final blow.

Planta was at the centre of it all, accounting for multiple touchdowns through the air and on the ground, while Pitines delivered the biggest plays when they mattered most, finishing with two touchdowns and over 150 receiving yards.

For the Augies, the loss stings. They generated 406 yards of offense and got a historic performance from Cruise, but couldn’t get the one final stop they needed late.

Through four weeks, the standings now tell the story. The Blues (4-0-1) sit alone in first. Behind them, the Huskers (2-2-1) hold second place, while the Thunderbolts, Trojans, Augies, and Silver Bombers all sit at 2-3, separated by tiebreakers and point differential.

Every game now matters, and Week 5 sets up another massive night at the West Orillia Sports Complex.

At 8:30 p.m., the Wagner Lawn Care Trojans take on the Orillia Synergy Healthcare Augies in a matchup between two teams fighting to climb out of the middle of the pack.

At the same time, the Rick Grant Landscaping Blues face the McLean & Dickey Insurance Thunderbolts, with the league leaders looking to stay unbeaten and the Thunderbolts trying to break through into the top tier.

Then at 9:30 p.m., the CMF Automotive Silver Bombers meet the Santa’s Nook Huskers, a game that could reshape second place and push one team firmly into contention.

Four weeks in, and nothing is settled. If anything, it’s just getting started.

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