Amongst a sea of ANAVETS Bowl regulars including the St. Paul’s Crusaders (most recent title was in 2019), Vincent Massey Trojans (most recent title was in 2018) and Oak Park Raiders (most recent title was in 2014), it’s the Grant Park Pirates who currently hold top spot in the WHSFL’s five-team Division 1 standings.
The lone 2-0 squad, and on the bye entering week three play, the Pirates beat the Raiders 56-15 in week one, and last Friday they upset the No. 8 nationally-ranked Trojans 11-7 on the road. The win was Grant Park’s first over the program since returning to Division 1 under head Doug Kovacs in 2014, but it means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Wins, losses and records are not why Kovacs, or any high school coach for that matter is involved in the sport. Instead, it’s about changing lives and empowering student-athletes to be the best they can, while learning core values for life along the way.
It’s safe to say that Kovacs has gotten the most out of his 2021 group. It’s a team that hasn’t lost a regular season game dating back to their 2019 JV title, and who refuses to fold when faced with adversity.
A great example came against the Trojans, after senior quarterback and vocal leader Solomon Bond went down with a lower body injury with five minutes to play in the third quarter. Starting halfback Jake Deneka, a class of 2023 product who’s also the team’s long snapper, took over under centre and calmly executed the game-winning drive with just 1:25 to play.
First, while rolling to his right, he found shifty receiver Mick Derosa for a massive gain into the red zone. Then, Deneka used his legs to get a first down before hitting paydirt on a QB sneak. He was given spectacular protection up front by the likes of two-way standouts Kyle Watt, Tiano Pasta and Nathaniel Lisak, as well as Tom Haight, Ben Keno, Magnus Arnedso and Liam Barker.
For players like Deneka, the game of football has provided so much. It’s been an avenue to meet new friends and an opportunity to demonstrate commitment to a common goal. When one of those friends, Bond, went down, he took it upon himself to step up, but he wasn’t alone. On every drive, from the end of the third quarter to the fourth, he had his teammates right beside him, pumping him up and supporting him.
That should come as no surprise to anyone who’s followed along with this group since 2018. When they’re not in class, they’re together, either studying film, playing football or walking to subway to get team meals. It’s a band of brothers who have each other’s backs and who love the game through and through.
Postgame, with tears in his eyes, Deneka – who didn’t leave the field after Bond went down – reaffirmed the above.
“I am the happiest I’ve ever been man,” he said.
“What a game. What a team win from everybody. Our defence stepped up, our offence played when they needed to. Amazing. We’re a family. We do everything together. We trust each other, we know what we’re going to do. A minute and half we’re down. The o-line gets together and they have the best game they’ve ever had.
The mindset on the last drive was to just get in the end zone, just go. We had a big play with Mick and then we just drove the ball in there. Our o-line, on the last play they called Michigan, and I’m like, I don’t know what to do. I’m just taking it. What a heck of a push by [Haight] on the QB sneak. He got me in there. Everyone won us this game.”
The tilt between the two sides was a defensive slugfest. Massey got all kinds of production from their Player of the Game Grayson Williams, a grade 11 linebacker who flew to the football all evening, while the Pirates front four of Pasta, Watt, Lisak and grade 11 defensive end Carlito Ardiles had solid push, recording a number of sacks while keeping senior pivot Luke Thalman on his toes all evening.
The quartet, along with Deneka and seniors Seth Chizda and Junior Munyaka made their presence felt in big ways, including a Munyaka forced fumble that ended the contest as Massey was driving late.
Off the field, the group strives to better themselves in many ways, and that’s what really matters to Kovacs. Lisak, a captain who had seven tackles, five of which were for a loss, and a fumble recovery, holds a 95 percent average for example, while Ardiles – a captain at just 15 years old with a motor that never quits – spends his free time coaching the Valour Patriots. He’s also a straight A student taking AP English.
In fitting fashion, Kovacs had just one thing to say about his team’s win post-game. It’s the same thing he’ll be saying all year, preaching that his squad will let their play do the talking on a week-to-week basis.
“We did some good things,” he said briefly and with purpose. We knocked some people down.”