While wet, windy weather surely played a factor, there's no doubting the Ravens' defence.
But as the rain subsided on Friday., Maple Ridge finished its third consecutive shutout—An 11-0 victory over Barrie North—at home to claim the senior SCAA football championship for the first time in program history.
The Ravens finished the 2025 regular season tied atop the standings with Bear Creek at 5-1, and boasted the best defense in terms of points allowed (21). The school's only loss coming to the Kodiaks on October 22 and it reached the SCAA final after shutout wins over Collingwood and Eastview.
Keeping its opponents scoreless through the SCAA playoffs is a feat Barrie North accomplished in 2024. However, the Vikings added a shutout in GBSSA title game to its impressive season.
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As Barrie North entered 2025 as the defending GBSSA champion, it lost many veteran players, leading to its first losing season in well over a decade. However, despite finishing 2-4, the Vikings reached the SCAA Final with blowout road playoff victories over Innisdale and Bear Creek.
The previous matchup between the two teams was another low-scoring affair to open the season, won by Maple Ridge on the road 13-3. But this game had a much slower pace.
Rain and wind heavily affected the first half, with both teams combining for two pass attempts before the break. Each team's first-half game plan reflected the expectation of a run-heavy game.
"We've been a serious run team," Maple Ridge two-way player Zion Bailey said postgame. "We love to run the ball, and we just showed that we're the best in Simcoe [County] to do that."
"We threw it up a couple of times, but the receiver said he couldn't even grip it," Maple Ridge head coach Josh Scott said postgame.
The first quarter could not have been worse offensively for Barrie North, which lost a fumble on the first play of the game from scrimmage.
On the ensuing drive, a too-many-men penalty gave Maple Ridge a first down after what would've been a three-and-out. But after an offside penalty negated what would've been a field goal by Lachlan Tayler, Ravens head coach Josh Scott opted for a chance on third and goal from the four-yard line, but his offence was stopped.
Maple Ridge's next drive was kept alive by a key third-down conversion, which led to another field goal attempt. But a bad snap led to holder Zion Bailey having to make a desperation pass to Tristan Schmidt, but it fell incomplete.
On the bright side for the Ravens, the turnover on downs pinned the Vikings deep into their own territory. And, after forcing third down near its own goal line, Barrie North quarterback Milo Murphy kneeled in the end zone for an intentional safety.
Two botched snaps hurt Maple Ridge later in the quarter. One ended in a tackle-for-loss by Romeo Pollex, followed by the next play when another field goal attempt was squandered.
Barrie North began the second half boldly, surprising the Ravens with an onside kick, which they recovered. But they wasted the stolen possession with a lost fumble out of the hands of Oliver Bowler.
Four plays later, the Vikings lost another fumble to start its second drive of the half. They fumbled six times over the course of the game, losing five of them.
"Experience was a key part of that," Barrie North head coach Burke Erwin said postgame. "We have 10 guys that never played football before... and in a championship game, I think nerves rattled us a little bit."
Later in the quarter, Maple Ridge took advantage of a short field from a punt, and after a first down run by Tristan Hyder, Bailey got into the end zone on a three-yard run for the only offensive score of game. Tayler followed it with a made conversion.
The Ravens' kicker was key immediately after, when his kickoff evaded the left sideline and bounced into the Barrie North endzone, allowing the special teams unit to pin the Vikings at their three-yard line.
After two runs, Barrie North once again opted for the intentional safety, proving the coaching staff's lack of confidence in the punt unit to prevent a return score.
The play of Ravens defender Austin McTaggart defined the final three defensive possessions of the game for his team. He recovered a late fumble and then provided what proved to be the dagger with a sack of Vikings quarterback Nash Hodgins with less than two minutes left.
Maple Ridge outscored its opponents 93-0 in its three playoff games, and limited Barrie North to just four first downs on Friday.
It's the first title for the Ravens' program in just its third season.
"Their program's developed so quickly because of their coaches," Erwin said of his opponent. "A lot of hard work's clearly gone into that, and I'm happy they're in the league. They're going to make us all better. "
Bailey earned the game MVP award for Maple Ridge after rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown, along with strong play in the Maple Ridge secondary and on special teams.
"As much as I got the MVP, everyone worked their butts off to get here," he said. "I think this team deserves it the most."
"He's our team MVP," Scott said. "Special teams, offense, defense, doesn't matter. He does it all."
For the Vikings, Bowler was named the team's MVP for the game.
UP NEXT
In the GBSSA championship game on Tuesday, Maple Ridge will play St. Joan of Arc which defeated Patrick Fogarty in the CSASC Final Thursday evening in Orillia.
"They like to air it out," Scott said. "So we'll see if they're really built for this cold weather or not."
Since Maple Ridge is ineligible to appear in an OFSAA bowl due to an early-season player eligibility issue, Barrie North will represent the SCAA. The Vikings' opponent is yet to be determined.
