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Matt Snyder liked the response.
The London Beefeaters lost by 30 in their Ontario Football Conference home opener against long-time rival and defending champion St. Clair Saints. They rebounded with three straight wins – including outscoring Hamilton by a combined 115-14 in back-to-back games – and will try for a fourth straight victory against the 0-4 GTA Grizzlies Saturday (3 p.m.) at City Wide Sports Park.
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“We kind of took it on the chin there (against St. Clair),” Snyder, the Beefs head coach, said. “I’m not sure we were ready for their physicality. We had gotten away from the stuff that we were really good at it. We got a little too (systematic) and circled back to get what makes us a good program.”
Snyder called the 65-3 home win over Hamilton Aug. 31 “probably the best game we’ve had” in his three-year tenure.
“Everything was clicking,” he said. “We went to Ottawa last week and were better at special teams and more disciplined (in a 28-19 win over the Sooners). We were able to walk away from stuff and they took some big penalties.
“We deserved that one.”
A road rematch with St. Clair (4-0) looms next Saturday. London (3-1) would like to earn first or second place, which comes with a first-round playoff bye this year in the six-team league.
“The OFC went to an unbalanced schedule where the top four teams play each other twice each,” Snyder said, “and everybody gets a shot in the playoffs this time.”
Brody Fairbairn, a Quinte transfer who is studying at Western University, has handled the Beefs quarterback duties. All-Canadian running back LJ Dyer has returned to form after the South grad had sought a release last summer to play in the British Columbia conference of the Canadian Junior Football League.
Noah Williams, a defensive lineman out of Clarke Road, has been a steady presence at defensive tackle.
The Beefs were to hold a team fundraiser Friday by playing host to three high school games at City wide – Laurier-Catholic Central, Mother Teresa-St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Andre Bessette-Banting.
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