SACKVILLE, N.B. — Not only do our two fine football teams work closely at the coaching and administrative levels, but also to the benefit of their strong fan base, as they have gotten together to eliminate the chance of having both play at home on the same day or at the same time.
Even when they have scheduled home games on the same day, and that occurs on only two occasions, they have allowed fans time to move from the Titan game to the Mounties with plenty of time to spare.
This should prove more than adequate since the high school games consist of just 12-minute quarters and so under normal circumstances they should be completed in just slightly over two hours.
And this season finds the Titans competing in a full seven-game schedule in a league consisting of six teams. They meet Moncton and Riverview on two occasions and the remainder – Saint John, Leo Hayes and Fredericton- once each.
Due to some scheduling difficulties, the Titans will play four times on the road and just three at home before the semi-finals take place on Nov. 1.
The NBIAA ruled last year that a high football league must consist of at least eight teams and so they regarded each game as an exhibition. However, the teams moved on and the Titans wrapped up an undefeated season with a 42-0 whitewashing of Riverview for the crown – their fourth in succession.
However, it appears as though it will require several players to step up their game this year, with offensive start Oliver Longpre missing much of the first half of the season due to injuries sustained competing for Team New Brunswick, while about a dozen seasoned veterans graduated, with several jumping to play at the university level.
Meanwhile, the Mounties will play an eight-game schedule – home and home against Acadia, St. Mary’s, St. FX and Bishop’s. They have their eyes perfectly aimed at moving up from their 2-5 record of last season and have amped up the coaching staff and recruited some of the top talent available.
The coming together of Titans and Mounties dates back not all that many years – during the tenure of Kelly Jeffrey with the Mounties and the Titans’ Scott O’Neal and has continued under other coaches. The support by the Mountie coaching staff has provided some special expertise while, in turn, the high school team continues to develop talent for the senior group.
And construction of Alumni Field has brought them even closer with athletic director Pierre Arsenault arranging for the Titans to use the field from time to time. As a result, the fan base has grown to the point where Sackville has been termed “a little Texas town” by none other than long-time Titan leader David Burns.
Both teams have had their ups and downs. The Titans won a trio in 1981, ’82 and ’83 and not again until l997. Meanwhile, the Mounties tried for years before making it to the Vanier in 1984 and again in 1991. Other than that, it has been a long series of dry spells, only ending under the leadership of Kelly Jeffrey following years of ineptitude.
So it will be interesting over the next three to four months – first to see if the Titans can overcome many hurdles and bring home their fifth consecutive title – and second, to hope that coach Peter Fraser will be successful in making the Mounties serious contenders.
Tantramar Titan Schedule
– Sept. 14 – Moncton at Titans – 1 p.m.
– Sept. 20 – Titans at Fredericton
– Sept. 28 – Riverview at Titans at 11 a.m.
– Oct. 5 – Leo Hayes at Tantramar at 1 p.m.
– Oct 11 – Titans at Moncton
– Oct. 19 – Titans at Riverview
– Oct. 26 – Saint John at Titans at 1 p.m.
Mounties schedule
– Aug. 24 – Mounties at St. FX
– Aug. 31 – St. Mary’s at Mounties at 2 p.m.
– Sept. 14 – Mounties at Bishop’s
– Sept. 21 – Mounties at Acadia
– Sept. 28 – St. FX at Mounties at 2 p.m.
– Oct. 4 – Mounties at St. Mary’s
– Oct. 19 – Bishop’s at Mounties at 3 p.m.
– Oct. 26 – Acadia at Mounties at 2 p.m.
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