Nov 15, 2008 - 06:36 PM

By Shawn Cayley

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OSHAWA -- Not even pouring rain and dreadful field conditions could get in the way of the Wilson Gators winning another LOSSA championship.

The Gators, behind a solid defence and some impeccable special teams play deflated the Holy Trinity Titans 23-0 in the senior boys’ football final, played at Oshawa’s Civic Stadium.

Earlier in the week, the weather forecast called for rain on Saturday, and plenty of it came, turning the natural grass field essentially into a pit of mud as the two teams fought for a championship.

The elements forced the teams to alter their games plans, and Wilson, who used predominately a passing attack in beating Pickering last week to advance to the final, utilized some of their other weapons.

Specifically special teams, were they blocked three Holy Trinity punts, one that set up a touchdown and another that went for a safety after the Titans recovered in their own end zone.

“We found some things that we could take advantage of,” Gators coach Adam Papadakos said afterwards, while still basking in the championship glory. “Credit the kids, and the coaches who made the right call at the right time. It turned out similar to last years final actually, where we blocked a punt for a touchdown.”

The key block he referred to came with 46 seconds remaining in the first half as the Gators broke through, knocked the ball down and recovered inside the Titans 15-yard line. A few plays later Rashad La Touche ran the ball in from the one-yard line and kicked the subsequent convert to give Wilson a 16-0 lead at the half.

Moments earlier, quarterback Josh Smith connected with receiver Austin Giuntoli, who took the ball 65 yards for the major to open the scoring. Up until that point, Titans coach Fred Zinkie felt his club was hanging tight with the Gators.

“I thought we played pretty well today. I felt like we had them a little bit on the ropes midway through the second quarter,” he said. “The mud made it so hard to move the ball and we had gained field position and (then) they blocked that punt which really turned things. They had that one good pass.

For us, it was five or six bad minutes in the quarter that really hurt us. Once your down and in the mud, it’s really hard to get some offence going.” At times Saturday, the play of the two clubs was almost as sloppy as the field. Prior to the game’s first score, the two teams had combined for three fumbles, an interception and blocked punt.

Leith Fisken, on a fourth quarter run, scored the other Wilson touchdown.

In the junior game played earlier in the day, Pickering routed Holy Trinity 41-9 with touchdowns coming from Anthony Thomas with two, Evan Joynes, Tristan Clough, Mike Stobbart and Doron Williams.

Svend Tamburro accounted for the only Titans major.