Sports Oakville Beaver By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2006 31 Longhorns confident heading into NFC semifinal But Oakville will be without head coach for tomorrow's clash with Milton Marauders T had one win this season, I'd still be saying to myself that they're a dangerous team," Milton head coach Barry Emo o loosely borrow Knute said Wednesday. "They have some good Rockne's famous quote from athletes and a tradition to uphold. Notre Dame football lore, the Emotion and desire are dangerous Oakville Longhorns will be trying to components." win one for their Gipper this weekend. The biggest key to Oakville's lateOakville will be without its head season resurgence? Both Kustor and coach, Karl Kustor, when it visits the Molnar point to the defense, which division rival Milton Marauders tomor- held the Outlaws -- who averaged row in a Northern Football Conference nearly 30 points per game in regularsemifinal contest (a 4 p.m. kickoff at season play -- to eight points last Milton District High Saturday. "If I were playing School). "We're just getting betKustor's reason for Oakville and they ter on a per-game basis missing the game doesn't had one win this and per-down basis," said exactly compare to that of season, I'd still be Molnar, who coached the the Gipper himself, Longhorns for a couple saying to myself George Gipp, who is said decades before stepping to have been on his that this is a down in 2003 and now deathbed when he asked dangerous team." serves in an advisory role Rockne to lead Notre with the club. "It's not Dame to victory over Navy Milton Marauders that we haven't made in the 1920s. Kustor is coach Barry Emo errors; we've bent but getting married near haven't broken." Lakefield tomorrow, meaning he is Oakville allowed a touchdown on temporarily handing over the Tri City's opening possession last weekLonghorns reins to former longtime end, then stiffened the rest of the game coach Tony Molnar. and gave the Longhorns' inconsistent Regardless of who is patrolling the offense a chance to catch up. The Oakville sidelines, the Longhorns will 'Horns trailed 8-0 at the half but closed have their work cut out for them. to within 8-3 on a 46-yard field goal by Milton finished the regular season atop Dana Segin, then took the lead on a the Southern Division with a 6-2 seven-yard touchdown pass from Mark record, then routed the Sudbury Demerling to Danny Bobb. Spartans 41-14 last weekend in the That play, which took place on a opening round of the NFC playoffs. fourth-and-inches gamble, was set up The Longhorns are on a bit of a roll by a long fumble return by Marco themselves, however. Oakville won its Pereira. final game of the regular season to finThe Longhorns defense will be testish 4-4 and earn a playoff spot, then ed again tomorrow against the traveled to Waterloo last weekend and Marauders, who have overcome some upset the defending NFC champion Tri early-season offensive struggles to put City Outlaws 9-8. The Longhorns also some serious points on the board in believe they can compete with the recent action. Milton has scored 108 Marauders, pointing to a 14-5 loss in points in its past two games, albeit Milton last month -- a game that was against weaker competition. very much up for grabs until the final "Offensively we've had some chalminute. lenges, but we're optimistically confi See Kustor page 32 "If I were playing Oakville and they RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER BIG D: Oakville Longhorns defenders Lincoln Downs (42) and Jeff Hardiman (8) bring down a Tri City ball carrier last weekend in Waterloo. The play of the Oakville defense is a major reason the Longhorns have advanced to tomorrow's Northern Football Conference semifinal game against the Milton Marauders. For all your landscape needs visit us at 2082 Queensway Dr.