The second-ranked Bulldogs will take on the top-ranked Dartmouth Destroyers Nov. 15 at 8:30 a.m. on the turf at Saint Mary’s University.
It will mark the first time the atom Bulldogs will have played for a provincial title since they captured the Tier 1 championship back in 2011.
To reach the final, the atoms came out on top against Timberlea, with Nate Oickle, who rushed for more than 150 yards in the game, scoring the game-winning touchdown in the second half.
The winning drive featured several key runs by Oickle, who, according to head coach Paul Arsenault, “took the offence on his back” in the second half.
Oickle got key blocks from Daniel Ehler, Parker Walsh and Grant Logan in amassing his rushing total.
In the first half, the Bulldogs opened the scoring on a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown by Nick Boutilier. Emmitt Mailman was good on the convert for an 8-0 Valley lead.
Timberlea tied the score on an broken play. The Timberlea fullback picked up a fumble on a snap from centre and ran the ball for 35 yards into the end zone. The convert tied the score at eight points apiece.
With nine minutes to go, the Bulldogs’ offence, according to coach Arsenault, “gave the defence a big thank-you for their performance on the day (and on the season) by eating the clock and not allowing the Timberlea offence back on the field.”
Peewees host Truro in Tier 2 championship
The peewee Bulldogs, meanwhile, will host Truro Blue Bombers in the provincial Tier 2 championship game Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. on the turf at Acadia’s Raymond Field.
Valley Minor Football last won a peewee championship in 2008. Last season, the peewee Bulldogs lost in the provincial Tier 1 final, so they will be looking for redemption this weekend in front of the local football community.
The peewees advanced to the Tier 1 final courtesy of a 42-0 win over Cape Breton Nov. 8 in Canning. Sami Whidden, who has had an outstanding season, led the way offensively with a pair of touchdowns.
Nick Hamilton, Malcolm Sweet and Mat Cote, with his first touchdown of the year, also had major scores. Owen MacRae was good on four converts, Cote had a convert and Cole Potter forced a safety.
First-year peewee Ethan Pineo led the Bulldogs defensively with some huge plays, including an interception.
Bantam season ends
The bantam Bulldogs, on the other hand, saw what head coach Kevin Hayes called “and up-and-down season” come to an end with a 35-0 loss to Bedford in their Tier 1 playoff semifinal Nov. 9.
“The day started in promising fashion,” said Hayes, but the Bulldogs were soon hit by the injury bug, losing both their available quarterbacks, their starting outside linebacker, wide receiver and free safety to in-game injuries.
This left limited options for offence. Jack Hayes, who had only taken one series of snaps all season, ended up running the offence for a large portion of the game.
“These were some of our most productive series of the game,” but while the Bulldogs were able to move the ball, they couldn’t turn their offence into any points on the scoreboard, the coach added.
Logan Potter had a breakout game for the Bulldogs with multiple tackles and pass receptions.