The game was still very much up for grabs, both figuratively and literally, when St Benedict Bears' safety Ava Poryckyj stepped up to intercept an errant pass, her team having scored two plays earlier to increase their lead over the St Joseph Jaguars from Ottawa to 22-8.

Moments later, Caileigh Ryan hauled in her second touchdown pass in less than a minute with time winding down in the first half of play, increasing the Bears lead to 29-8.

Given the eventual score of 50-8, it might be easy for the Poryckyj pick to get lost in the shuffle - but at the time, it was certainly big.

"Their one girl wasn't quite close enough to that ball and I saw it wide open," said Poryckyj, a 16 year-old second year tackle football talent who mans the same position for the St Benedict girls flag football team in the fall.

"Since I was a little further back, I felt that I could get to that ball. I was a little shocked that I caught it - but once I did, I just tried to run as far as I could."

Caileigh Ryan would make it three majors on the day, with Awosika Olaterere (3 TDs), Sienna St Laurent (TD), Ella O'Shaughnessy (7 converts) and Emma DeMarchi (rouge) all joining in the St Ben's scoring brigade.

The Bears' defense surrendered a second quarter touchdown to Avery Ronberg (2 yard run), but held firm the rest of the way.

"I liked how much we worked together and how we kept it together," said Poryckyj, singing the praises of her defensive counterparts. "There were a couple of times that we were a bit nervous, especially at the beginning, in the first quarter."

"But I think gradually, we got a lot of confidence and that really helped."

Standing perhaps five feet tall, Poryckyj very quickly determined that size and strength alone would not be enough to allow her to excel when it came to tackling opponents with a full head of steam.

"Getting low really helps me a lot," said the young woman who is related, on her dad's son, to former Northland Athletic Club and Lockerby Composite running sensation Veronica Poryckyj.

"I'm kind of aggressive, I would say - so I just go for it. As long as you try (to make the tackle), that's what counts."

St Benedict moves on to face the St Mark's Lions from Ottawa in what amounts to a de facto OFSAA final this coming Thursday afternoon at the James Jerome Sports Complex.