Wildcats in tough against Panthers

Their road in the Ontario Varsity Football League doesn’t get any less rocky this week.

Coming off a stellar performance in a 21-7 home loss to the province’s top-ranked team, the Toronto Thunder, the Cornwall Wildcats’ reward this week is. . .

A road game against the team that probably should be ranked first in the province.

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Like the Thunder, Ottawa Cumberland is 4-0, but the Panthers have looked a lot more impressive in charging to that unbeaten mark.

“I think they’ll jump up (when the latest rankings are released), probably to number-one,” Wildcats head coach Wayne Blakely said at Cornwall’s Thursday night workout at St. Joseph’s Secondary School field.

“If (the Panthers) aren’t (rated first), they probably should be.”

The 1-3 expansion Wildcats play at Cumberland, at Millennium Field (corner of Trimm Road and Innes Road) on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

The Wildcats got that big confidence boost last week when they battled well against Toronto, but the first-year team is quickly finding out there are no easy marks on the schedule.

Blakely, a longtime former coach with the Cumberland organization, is well aware of that.

“It’s not going to get any easier for us,” Blakely said. “But absolutely, we showed (last week) that we can stay in games with the top-ranked teams.”

The Hamilton Ironmen are currently rated second behind Toronto, with the Sault Ste. Marie Sabrecats holding down the third spot in front of Cumberland.

The Panthers are coming off a 25-0 win against the Kingston Grenadiers last week, and that’s three shutouts (one by forfeit) in four games for Ottawa Cumberland.

WILDCATS NOTES– Cornwall’s

next home game is July 10 at Joe St. Denis Field, when the Kingston Grenadiers visit. Kingston is 1-2-1 through four games. . . Jean-Philippe Begin leads the Cornwall defensive unit with 12 solo tackles and 17 assisted tackles. Begin, a defnensive back, has a first-place points ranking for Cornwall, with 54. . . Defensive back Michael Helmer has 10 solo tackles and a 41 score, and linebacker Nick Lapierre scores a 40. . . Jordan Wurah leads the rushing attack with 55 total yards. Jason Leduc is at 52 and Jesse McPhail has 44.

PICTURE:
Cornwall Wildcats head coach Wayne Blakely (right) talks with assistant coach Al Primeau at a team workout on Thurday night at St. Joseph’s. The first-year team in the Ontario Varsity Football League faces another huge challenge on the weekend, playing at Cumberland against the unbeaten Panthers.(Staff Photo/Hambleton)