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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 6, 2007 - 25 'Horns rout Toronto in NFC opener Three Oakville quarterbacks competing for starting job By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Barry Emo and the Oakville Longhorns enjoyed the best of both worlds Saturday. Not only did the Longhorns earn a victory in their opening game of the Northern Football Conference season, a 34-13 decision over the Toronto Maddogs at Bronte Athletic Field, but Emo -- Oakville's new head coach -- also had an opportunity to utilize nearly his entire roster and evaluate the talent at his disposal. Josh Spanik, Mike Hyatt and Tom Denison -- all battling for the starting quarterback's job -- each saw at least a quarter of action, with all three of them throwing at least one touchdown pass in the win. Emo was also able to shuffle players in and out throughout the contest, particularly on defense, allowing his players to stay fresh despite Saturday's hot and muggy conditions. "It was a good way "We have three to start the year," said quarterbacks that Emo, a former could start for any Longhorns player team in this who coached the league." Milton Marauders the past several seasons Oakville Longhorns before rejoining coach Barry Emo Oakville this year. "We have three quarterbacks that could start for any team in this league, and defensively we had 22 different bodies in the game. Between our No. 1 and No. 2 guys there is not a lot of drop-off talentwise, but there are things people do differently, so we're trying to insert players to fit certain packages." Not that the Longhorns showed many of those defensive packages Saturday night. With the defending national champion Oshawa Hawkeyes on hand to scout Oakville, the Longhorns only utilized about 10 of their 60 defensive plays against Toronto, Emo said. The Hawkeyes and Longhorns will clash this weekend in Oshawa. Hyatt will get the start against the Hawkeyes, while Denison is expected to be under centre at the beginning of Oakville's third game, June 16 in Sault Ste. Marie. Spanik started Saturday and played the entire first half. Emo said the club will decide on a full-time starting quarterback after those three games, acknowledging that, with a large and deep roster, it will be nearly impossible to keep everybody happy. Competition for playing time "There will be 24 guys that will love me to death, and 31 that will want to bury a hatchet in my back," he said. "I have to be able to justify why guys start. No. 1 on the list is practice attendance, then it's financial commitment to the team, then it's athletic ability. If everything is equal, it will come down to athletic ability." Vaughan Swart had 107 yards receiving and three touchdown catches, and Nate Smith added another major reception for Oakville, which led 14-0 at halftime and 21-6 after three quarters. Mike Long contributed 24 yards on the ground, including a three-yard touchdown run. Dana Segin accounted for the other Longhorns points with three converts. Defensively for Oakville, Liston Bates was credited with 3.5 tackles, a batted ball, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt. Stafford Wilson made 1.5 tackles, 2.5 quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery, while Wayne Sliwinski also jumped on a loose ball for Oakville. Sean Roberts and Dion Clarke picked off passes for the Longhorns, whose next home game is scheduled for June 23 against the Quinte-Limestone Panthers. Bosada, Campbell win three at Gough RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER Oakville Longhorns receiver Nate Smith (80) goes up for a pass against a pair of Toronto Maddogs defenders. Smith had a touchdown reception in the Longhorns' 34-13 win over Toronto Saturday at Bronte Athletic Field. Buzz suffers first loss of year The Oakville Buzz's quest for an undefeated Ontario Lacrosse Association junior B season came to an end last week with a 10-7 loss to the league-leading Clarington Green Gaels. The Green Gaels built a 4-2 lead after one period and an 8-4 advantage after two during Thursday's game in Clarington, keeping their perfect record intact (now 11-0-0) and dropping the Buzz to 9-1-1 on the season. Oakville rebounded the following night at Glen Abbey Recreation Centre to thump the Scarborough Saints 16-10, scoring the first eight goals of the game and cruising to the comfortable victory. The Buzz then played to a 6-6 tie Sunday in Huntsville and currently maintains a two-point lead over the Mimico Mountaineers for top spot in the South East Division. Ryan Abu-Ali and Reggie Traccitto each scored twice for the Buzz (10-12) against Clarington, with Spencer Taugher, Harry Hristopoulos and Connor Gamble notching the other Oakville markers. Hristopoulos busted out against the Saints for seven points (three goals, four assists). Braden Gallant had a hat trick and Dylan Gilbert and Traccitto added two goals each, while Taylor Sykes, Brendan Gamble, Mike Bentivegna, Josh Barrick and Abu-Ali netted singles. Gallant and Barrick scored twice each against Huntsville. Brendan Gamble and Connor Gamble rounded out the scoring for Oakville, which returns to action Friday for a divisional showdown with Mimico at Glen Abbey (8 p.m. start). Devon Bosada and Neil Campbell were the top individual local performers at the Halton District School Board's Gough elementary track-and-field meet, held recently in Burlington. Bosada, a Brookdale Public School student, won the intermediate girls' 100-metre, 200m and high jump titles, while Campbell, who attends New Central Public School, earned victories in the senior boys' 100m, 200m and long jump events. Also winning events at the Gough meet, the fifth and final track-and-field competition that the Halton District School Board held last month, were New Central's Angus Scott (junior boys' 1,500m), Mitchell Shannon (intermediate boys' shot put) and Brittney Phannenhour (senior girls' 100m), Brookdale's Michael Teasdale (intermediate boys' long jump and high jump) and Chris Dachuk (senior boys' triple jump), and Joshua Creek's Roshan Sahu (junior boys' triple jump), Mike Malo (intermediate boys' 800m), Braden Stephens (senior boys' 800m) and Austin Baril (senior boys' 1,500m). New Central finished second in three divisions (junior boys, senior girls and senior boys) and won three relays (junior boys, intermediate boys and senior boys) en route to a secondplace overall finish. Joshua Creek won the senior boys' pennant and finished sixth overall, while Brookdale was fifth overall. Thirty-three records were set at the meet, mostly because this was only the second year that the Gough meet -- which features the smallest schools in Halton -- was held. The Halton District School Board created the meet last year to accommodate the increased number of schools throughout the region. Following is a list of all local top-three finishers: Junior girls 800m -- 2. Hailey Francis, JC · Shot put -- 3. Hailey Francis, JC. Junior boys 100m -- 2. Ryan McAnuff, NC · 200m -- 2. Ryan McAnuff, NC · 400m -- 2. Angus Scott, NC · 1,500m -- 1. Angus Scott, NC; 3. Colin Davidson, NC · Triple jump -- 1. Roshan Sahu, JC; 2. Ryan McAnuff, NC · Shot put -- 3. Mahmoud Husain, JC. Intermediate girls 100m -- 1. Devon Bosada, Bkd · 200m -- 1. Devon Bosada, Bkd; 2. Jody Sears, Bkd; 3. Brittany Kok, JC · 400m -- 2. Alanna Haynes, JC · 800m -- 3. Kristen Wharin, NC · Long jump · 2. Caelan Crerar, NC · High jump -- 1. Devon Bosada, Bkd · Triple jump -- 3. Hannah Grimson, Bkd. Intermediate boys 100m -- 2. Michael Teasdale, Bkd; 3. Thomas Willie, Bkd · 200m -- 2. Thomas Willie, Bkd; 3. Mitchell Shannon, NC · 800m -- 1. Mike Malo, JC · Long jump -- 1. Michael Teasdale, Bkd; 3. Matt Smith, NC · High jump -- 1. Michael Teasdale, Bkd · Triple jump -- 2. Sushant Bhasin, JC; 3. Travis Penney, Bkd · Shot put -- 1. Mitchell Shannon, NC; 3. Alex Therien, Bkd. Senior girls 100m -- 1. Brittney Phannenhour, NC · 200m -- 2. Brittney Phannenhour, NC; 800m -- 2. Kristie Mitton, Bkd; 3. Sonya Cabral, Bkd · 1,500m -- 3. Sonya Cabral, Bkd · High jump -- 2. Kristie Mitton, Bkd · Triple jump -- 3. Marsha McLeod, NC · Shot put -- 2. Brittney Phannenhour, NC. Senior boys 100m -- 1. Neil Campbell, NC; 3. Nick Yikos, JC · 200m -- 1. Neil Campbell, NC; 3. John Back, JC · 400m -- 2. Nick Yikos, JC · 800m -- 1. Braden Stephens, JC; 2. Cortez Ranieri, NC; 3. Jordan Munroe, Bkd · 1,500m -- 1. Austin Baril, JC; 2. Cortez Ranieri, NC · Long jump -- 1. Neil Campbell, NC; 2. Chris Dachuk, Bkd; 3. John Baek, JC · High jump -- 2. John Baek, JC · Triple jump -- 1. Chris Dachuk, Bkd; 2. Braden Stephens, JC; 3. Ricky Singh, JC · Shot put -- 2. Danny Stephenson, NC.