High school roundup (NS) [8]: Playoff matchups set after thrilling regular season finish

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The final week of regular season play in the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation High School Football League was an exciting one, to say the least.

The Scotia conference required a three-way tie breaker after solid finishes from CPA and Lockview, and the Auburn Drive Eagles’ perfect season came to an end on the road against the #CFC50 no. 21 Citadel Phoenix.

CEC Cougars (25), Sackville Kingfishers (20)

The Cougars bounced back from their Week 7 loss to the Phoenix and earned a bye heading into the playoffs.

CEC was led by the versatile Riley Gabriel, who completed five of eight passes for 77 yards and two touchdown strikes, both to receiver Mike Adams.

Running back Torro Gabrielli finished the game with 73 yards and a touchdown on the ground for the Cougars.

Linebacker Jordan Waller had a huge impact for the Cougars on defence, racking up six tackles, one sack and a fumble recovery against the Kingfishers.

CEC fought their way to a fourth place finish in the highly competitive Nova Conference, achieving a  3-5 record and moving ahead of the Kingfishers with the important win.

Dartmouth Spartans (6), CPA Cheetahs (42)

The Cheetahs earned a bye heading into the playoffs after rolling over the Spartans for a 42-6 road victory, bouncing back from their tough 8-3 loss to the SJA Flames in Week 7.

CPA finishes with a 6-2 record, and with a three-way tie breaker the Cheetahs claim first place in the Scotia Conference by finishing the season with the fewest points allowed.

Halifax West Warriors (6), Horton Griffins (33)

Quarterback Caleb Melanson led the Griffins to the playoffs as the team defeated the Warriors on the road and won their fourth game in a row.

Horton’s impressive offensive attack has helped the team rack up 159 points since their tough loss to the Auburn Drive Eagles in Week 4.

Lockview Dragons (25), SJA Flames (20)

The Dragons capped of a tremendous season in style with a win over the high-powered SJA Flames on Monday, rallying to a five-point victory.

Connor Clark scored three touchdowns for the Dragons, and the team rushed for over 200 yards against the Flames.

Kicker Mitch Wiswell contributed three conversions and a field goal for Lockview.

The win was an important one, as it created a three-way tie in the Scotia Conference with Lockview, SJA and CPA all holding 6-2 records.

With CPA winning earlier in the week and claiming first place due to least points allowed, the final two-way tie break between CPA and SJA came down to Monday night’s battle.

While both Lockview and SJA are heading to the playoffs, the Dragons will now start out at home while the Flames will be on the road.

JHG Royals (20), Central Kings Gators (53)

The Gators completed their perfect season with a 53-20 road win against the Royals last Friday.

The Royals managed to score more points against Central Kings than any other team this season, but it was ultimately not enough to stop the juggernaut Gators.

Having scored an incredible 311 total points this season, the Gators are entering the playoffs as a team that looks unstoppable. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that their defence has held opponents to single digit points in five of eight games. Wow.

Sydney Academy Wildcats (12), Prince Andrew Panthers (13)

The Wildcats and Panthers did not play like teams that were eliminated from the playoffs last Saturday, battling it out to a one-point decision in Sydney.

With both teams looking for their first win of the season, the Panthers found a way to come out on top and avoid a win-less campaign. Both teams gave their all every week this season, and they will look forward to turning things around in 2018.

NKEC Titans (50), Avon View Avalanche (21)

The Titans ended their season on a high note against Avon View in a highly competitive matchup last Sunday, rallying past the Avalanche for a 50-21 victory on home field.

With the win, the Titans finish with a 6-2 record and jump ahead of the Avalanche to claim second place in Division 2. The two teams will meet again in the playoffs, but it will be the Titans that host.

J.L. Ilsley Judges (7), Cole Harbour Cavaliers (0)

The Judges won a close won against the Cavaliers in a true defensive battle last Sunday, and both teams will grind it out again in the first week of the playoffs.

With the win, the J.L. Ilsley finishes with a 3-5 record after starting the season 1-3.

Millwood Knights (35), West Kings Wolverines (6)

Millwood cruised to a victory against the Wolverines for their third win of the season, earning a playoff spot after finishing fourth place in Division 2 with a 3-5 record.

Coming up in the first week of NSSAFFL playoff action…

The first week of playoff matchups are set. The CEC Cougars, Dartmouth Spartans, CPA Cheetahs and  #CFC50 no. 21 Citadel Phoenix have earned first-week byes.

Four playoff battles will unfold this Sunday.

The NKEC Titans (6-2) will host the Avon View Avalanche (5-3) in a repeat of their Week 8 matchup.

The dominant Central Kings Gators (8-0) will have home field advantage against the Millwood Knights (3-5) in a rematch of their Week 7 game. The Knights lost 37-9 in the previous Oct. 22 matchup against the undefeated Gators.

The Auburn Drive Eagles (7-1) will face off with the SJA Flames (6-2) for the first time this season in a game that is sure to come down to the final moments.

The Halifax West Warriors (2-6) will travel on the road to face the Sackville Kingfishers (3-5).

Monday will see two games, with the Lockview Dragons (6-2) squaring off against the Horton Griffins (6-2) in a evenly-matched showdown. Both teams are on winning streaks, and they will meet for the first time in this crucial game.

The final game of the opening playoff week has the JL. Ilslsey Judges (3-5) hosting the Cole Harbour Cavaliers (1-7).

*CFC50 teams will not be featured here. You will find them in the #CFC50 GOTW Previews and Recap articles. Some information was not available at press time. It will be added as it becomes available. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated. Let us know if there are any inaccuracies in the reports below.

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