Old Gaelic traveled down 83 on a beautiful October Saturday taking on first place North Bay in a top of the table match. With a star-studded backline, OG knew it would have to bring the grit to take home the W and regain its place on top of the division standings. 

The visitors struck first with an opening blow about 15 minutes into the match, as lock JT Hammond pounded it in after a series of picks got the Gaelic close. North Bay swung back with two straight tries and a conversion to take 12-5 lead. With the game getting close to halftime, rookie back Lucas Schneider scooped up a dropped box kick, offloaded before he hit the deck to Sergio Acala, who swung the ball wide to wing Alex Schaefer, who then popped to reserve center Alex Schlager (Alex2Alex2.0). Center Tyler Johnson, kicking for injured Captain Brady, slotted the conversion to make it 12-all. That scored held as the combatants took the halftime break. 

Early in the second half, the North Bay outside center got loose and the home team regained a 7-point lead after the conversion. Next it was Gaelic with a powerful try from prop Broc Shives after another series of picks got the Gold close. With the game knotted up, center Max De’llano, recently returned from a first half injury, broke through the North Bay line for the bounceback try, and the Johnson conversion knotted it up again, 26-all. 

Shortly after, eight man Lee Townsend picked off a NB pass and took it back to paydirt for the 33-26 lead, but there was still plenty more work to be done. After North Bay regained the lead but missed the conversion, Gaelic again pounded the ball deep in the hosts’ territory. The trusty pack inched closer and closer with yet another series of picks before Acala broke the line to seal the game, with the conversion making the final score 40-31.

In the short match, a short-handed Silver side put up a strong fight with five tries, but ultimately fell short to North Bay. Down three tries to nothing, Townsend doubling up for some action at wing, kicked deep and recovered his own to give Gaelic a spark. The visitors came out firing in the second half, with four tries. Two thundering RJ Fisher tries sandwiched veteran prop Levi Harmon’s. Paul Holmes threw on the boots to help close the match and scored the game’s final try; veteran Dean Ashton played a steady 12 and chipped in with two conversions. 

MOTM: Alex Diegel
Hard Hat: Lee Townsend

MOTM: Amer Alic
Hard Hat: RJ Fisher