Barry Wright
It was a triple threat of a different kind when three members of the same family won championship trophies in all three divisions at the Sarnia Minor Athletic Association (SMAA) football finals.
“It was pretty cool,” Ethan Hacker, 8, said of his team capturing the Atom Division crown, while cousins Nolan Hacker, 11, and Blayne Hacker, 13, won their respective titles in Pee Wee and Bantam play at Norm Perry Park.
It was the second straight title for the youngest of trio, who played last year for the team his team beat out for the trophy this season.
“We went undefeated this year and last year we were undefeated too,” said the Holy Trinity student, who plays both fullback and defensive line.
The Iron Hides beat the Razor Claws, 30-6 for the trophy.
Cousin Nolan, a slot receiver and defensive back, was playing in his fourth straight championship game, winning his second title when the Sky Fire beat the Vortex in the Pee Wee final.
“It was a close game at the start,” noted the St. Anne's student. “Then, in the second half, we got more first downs and they couldn't score and we ended up winning 24-8.”
Having won two trophies, it all came down to the third game of the day, and it was a nail-biter from start to finish with Blayne Hacker and his Toros eventually prevailing in overtime in the Bantam final.
Unfortunately, the 13-year-old defensive tackle had to sit out the title game because of a concussion, but the St. Anne's student was still pleased with his season as a whole.
“I had four fumble recoveries and lots of sacks,” he said.
Ethan and Nolan plan to return to SMAA football next season in search of more hardware, while Blayne has his eye on making the junior football roster at St. Pat's.