Mayor Rob Ford’s Don Bosco Eagles fall in Metro Bowl
A day after breaking a local conflict of interest law that had him removed from office, Toronto Mayor (for now at least) Rob Ford was back on the sidelines leading the Don Bosco Eagles football team into the school's first ever Metro Bowl.
Unfortunately for Ford and the Eagles, their opponent, the Huron Heights Warriors of Newmarket, Ont., jumped out to an early 21-0 lead that proved to be insurmountable en route to a 28-14 victory Tuesday night.
"We made a couple of big mistakes early in the game," Ford told reporters following the loss. "You cannot get down in a championship game that early, by that much."
Ford was likely referring to the four lost fumbles given up by the Eagles in the first half that allowed the Warriors to get out to the early lead. Don Bosco found the endzone twice in the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome the early deficit.
While his future in municipal politics appears to be in serious question, Ford vowed Tuesday that his problems at City Hall wouldn't stop him from coaching football at Don Bosco again next season.
"I'm not going to stop coaching these kids," Ford said. "They're fantastic, I'm not going to turn my back on these kids."
The 31st Metro Bowl was played inside the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto Tuesday and was a battle between the top two high school football programs in the Greater Toronto Area, both of which were undefeated heading into the game. The venue has been the site of plenty of football action over the last week with the Vanier Cup and 100th Grey Cup both being played in the city over the weekend.
It was Huron Heights' first ever Metro Bowl victory and the school's first appearance in the game since 2007. Their quarterback, Kaleb Scott, was named the game's MVP after rushing for 125 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Scott was also named the York Region Athletics Association (YRAA) most valuable player this season.
"He was excellent as usual," Huron Heights head coach Al Rover said of his quarterback after the game. "I couldn't believe how poised he was in such a big game."
