BY MICHAEL HAYAKAWA

The Markham District High School Marauders offence was not in total sync during their Metro Bowl semifinal football game against the Donald Wilson Secondary School Gators (Whitby) at Etobicoke Centennial Stadium yesterday.

In fact, the York Region Athletic Association champions did not record an offensive touchdown during the contest. On the outside, that should have spelled trouble for the Marauders, who have relied heavily on their explosive offensive attack during the regular and postseason.

What mojo the Marauders had going for them was their defence as the D-men scored two touchdowns en route to a 16-7 win over the Gators and berth in the Metro Bowl final to be played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto Nov. 25 at 8 p.m.

The Marauders will face the Birchmount Park Secondary School Panthers (Scarborough), who won their semifinal game later that day against the Trinity College School Bears (Port Hope) 16-10.

"It definitely wasn't a good offensive game for us," conceded Marauders head coach Mike Feasby upon conclusion of the game.

"But our defence picked it up big for us. When they had to they played an awesome game," added Marauders' assistant coach Greg Pritty.

Pritty's son, Connor, a linebacker when playing on defence, scored the Marauders' first major enabling them to tie the game at 7-7 in the second quarter when he picked off Gators' quarterback Stefan Edwards' pass from his 29-yard line and returned it into the end zone.

The Marauders took the lead for good on the final play of the third quarter when punter Brendan Gaunce booted a ball from 40 yards out that sailed into the end zone and out of touch for a single.

With the Marauders nursing a one-point lead in the fourth quarter, they gained some breathing room with under three minutes remaining when cornerback Scott Lyall picked off Edwards' pass from their 25-yard line and returned it unscathed into the end zone.

Matt Coates' second convert of the game gave the Marauders a 15-7 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Marauders regained possession of the ball when Gaunce booted a high, onside ball that was hauled in by Coates.

Five plays later, Gaunce booted another single point for insurance.

Feasby thought his team got into a rhythm in the second half as their inside running game anchored by Andrew Baillie and some timely receptions from Coates, Gaunce, Connor Pritty, Aaron Gordon, Spencer Nelson and Riley Ward, enabled them to move the ball.

The last time the Marauders played in the Metro Bowl Championships was in 2003 when they played in the Golden Horseshoe Bowl and lost to St. Andrew's College (Aurora).

In 1992, the Marauders played in the Metro Bowl against West Hill Collegiate and lost.