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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 20, 2007 - 33 OT boys win second OFSAA rugby bronze in past three years By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF It's a long road to an OFSAA medal, and it was three long runs that secured the bronze for the Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils. The Devils added to their rugby program's rich history, defeating Brantford's St. John's 38-13 in the bronze-medal game at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championships recently in Markham. It was the second medal in three years for OT, which struck for 21 points in a fiveminute span on its way to securing the bronze. With OT clinging to a 12-10 lead at the half, Ben Sprawson got the Devils rolling by blocking a kick, scooping up the ball and running it the length of the field for a try. Shortly after, Graham Turner jarred the ball loose from a St. John's opponent and Chris Dickenson ran it downfield for another try. The points kept coming for OT as Grant Schneider, who had three tries in the bronzemedal game, started from the left sideline, cut across the width of the field and ran up the right sideline for another try. David Slattery, who also had a try, converted all three and finished the game with four converts. "After last year, when we got knocked out (in the quarter-finals at OFSAA), the guys had that as their memory and they didn't want that to happen again," said OT coach David Schaffler. "Those points totally took (St. John's) out of the game." Old nemesis OT could have been easily playing for gold had it not run into an old nemesis. Barrie Central, which would go on to win the gold, blanked OT 10-0 in the semifinal. Barrie Central also knocked OT out of gold-medal contention in 2005 when the Devils won bronze. Despite the loss, Schaffler said his team played a strong game against the provincial champions. "We had the ball 80 per cent of the game but couldn't score," he said. "They got one lucky break and scored. You couldn't fault the kids. It wasn't a bad performance. You can't argue when you lose to the gold medalist." OT set the tone for the tournament early with a 29-0 victory over Applewood Heights. However, it was the critical second game -- one in which a loss would have sent the Devils home -- that impressed Schaffler. OT defeated the sixth seed, Belleville Centennial, 29-12 to advance to the medal round. "The second game has always been our stumbling point," he said, "but they defended really well and used their speed and athleticism. When the guys won that one, they actually believed they could go all the way." OT will lose 10 of its 15 starters next season, including Dickenson, a national junior team player who will attend McMaster University next year, and Schneider. However, among those likely to return are Sprawson, Slattery, Spencer Bowers, Scott Asselstine and Simon Ward-Able. The OFSAA experience should also benefit those who were not starters this year. "Those (Grade) 11s who don't start willingly accept their role and bide their time until it's their turn the following year," Schaffler said. "The trick is getting them enough playing time so that you're not expecting them to magically play at a new level the following year." The Devils will also get some help from the Halton champion junior squad, which reached the quarterfinals at the Barbarian Cup. Ryan VanderVliet, Cory Hudson and provincial team member Adam Johnson should all push for starting roles with the seniors. Catholic track The region's top Catholic elementary school track-and-field athletes competed in the Halton Catholic District School Board's system meet Thursday in Burlington. Three local residents set new records and Our Lady of Peace won three relays at the meet, which featured the top two finishers from regional competitions. See Friday's edition of The Oakville Beaver for results and photos from the meet. COLLECTIBLE SHOW Sunday June 24, 10am ­ 3 pm O.E. Banquet Hall 2245 Speers Road, OAKVILLE **** NEW LOCATION **** Admission $2, Kids under 10 Free 85 tables of Sports Cards, Beanies, Toys, Golf, Star Wars, Coca Cola, Pins McFarlanes, Die Cast, Dolls, Comics Hot Wheels, Action Figures, Pez, WWE Free Parking, Info 905-643-6883