The Summerside Bantam Spartans claimed their first P.E.I. Bantam Football League Championship in a tight contest with the Charlottetown Bantam Privateers, 21-14 in Cornwall on Saturday.
Ty Wright earned the offensive player of the game award, scoring all three touchdowns for the Spartans.
Summerside took advantage of good field position in the first half, and the defence played a highly aggressive style, penetrating Charlottetown's backfield often.
Halftime score was 14-0 for the Spartans.
The Privateer's offence woke up late in the third quarter, when the running game started clicking and Quarterback Daniel Dillon hit Cory Ford in the corner of the end zone for a nine-yard-touchdown pass. The extra point run by Zak Jarvis was good.
But after exchanging possessions in the fourth quarter, Wright scored his third touchdown on a 35-yard-run with less than two minutes left in the game.
A late Privateers touchdown by Ford did little to salvage the game, and the Spartans watched the time run out to preserve their victory.
"It was all about commitment", said Spartans Head Coach John Turner, reflecting on his team's growth throughout the season.
"The boys dug down deep. The coaches are committed, the players are committed. And it stayed that way. This is something special."
Wright was surprised he had such an impact on offence.
"It was great blocking from the boys up front," said Wright.
"We had been working on this all year, and in the finals the boys came to play. I just ran with the ball."
In the third-place contest, the Cornwall Bantam Timberwolves put a disappointing season behind them, edging the Souris Bantam Wildcats 20-13 in Cornwall on Saturday.
Ryan Johnson had two rushing touchdowns, and Nathan Ford had the winning score in the third quarter to break a 13-13 deadlock.
Wildcats Quarterback Thomas MacKenzie had both rushing scores for his team.
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