With SDSSAA football semi-finals set for tomorrow and Friday, the Lo-Ellen Park Senior Knights would be more than happy to just keep doing things the way they have done for the past five weeks.

While the LOE offense has deservedly been spotlighted many a time, coach Alex Vendramin suggested earlier this week that his defensive unit has actually acted as the pulse of the team this fall.

“Our defense has a lot of experience, a lot of guys who have not only played a couple of season in the high-school ranks but also played summer ball,” stated the man at the helm of the two-time city champs. “They have those extra reps and they are good at playing with each other in a system that is kind of familiar to them.”

“We’ve actually given up more points on offense (8) than when our defense was on the field (7),” added Vendramin.

In terms of pleasant surprises, the young coach is thrilled with how quickly his offensive line has come together, as well as his last line of defense.

“Adam Scott (safety) comes at this mostly with a basketball background; he did not play summer ball,” said Vendramin. “He’s just a game changer, a stellar athlete who has seen the game really kind of click for him this year.”

Despite running roughshod over every opponent they have faced, Vendramin is quick to sound a cautionary tone with his teenage troops. “We played St Ben’s in week one of the season and they have gotten steadily better each and every week since then."

"They are a really, really well coached team with coach (Junior) Labrosse and his staff. And our offense has been predicated a lot on moving the ball through the air which, as we know, can be a little more difficult to do when the season turns and gets colder and rainy.”

The final playoff position was decided in the final game of regular season play as the St Benedict Bears downed the Confederation Chargers 20-14 to slide into fourth place.

The Bears started quickly, registering the only scoring of quarter one thanks to a 5 yard TD run from Noah Conde (and PAT from Paolo Grossi) and really opening things up later in the half.

A field goal and rouge from Grosse gave way to a 30 yard TD pass from Anthony Gutschier to Jacob Dillabough, with the convert making the score 18-0 at the half.

The Chargers got on the board in the third as QB Braedan Beggs ran it in from the three (Owen Gauvreau with the two-point conversion) before Confederation added a late touchdown to make things close.

It will be interesting to see how much carry-over, if any, exists from the Lively Hawks - Lasalle Lancers playoff preview in Week 5 as the Hawks grounded the Lancers 30-14.

Koen Palmquist kicked a field goal to open the scoring, was on the receiving end of a touchdown pass from Ian MacDonald late in the first half and also added three converts, with the remaining Lively scoring coming courtesy of Aiden Fautheux (35 yd TD pass from MacDonald), Kadin Broomhead (2 yard TD pass) and Owen MacDonald (58 yard TD run).

Mason McLaughlin and Silas Asare-Corbiere reached the end zone in a losing cause, with Zidain Allen making good on both of his point after attempts.

The St Charles Cardinals forfeited their game to Lo-Ellen, unable to dress sufficient numbers for the contest to safely proceed.