I was listening to Mike Hogan on the Fan 590 this week and was inspired by his hour long phone in segment about the trials and tribulations of high school sports in Ontario. I felt it was high time I get out and watch some high school sports to show my support. Friday afternoon I had some free time and decided to take in a high school football game a few minutes from my house in Newmarket, Ont.

Not just any football game, but the Huron Heights Warriors taking on their archrivals in York Region; the Brother Andre Cardinals from Markham. The Warriors are considered "the football program" north of Toronto and had two players from their 2007 team get full scholarships at Eastern Michigan University.

Coached by Al Rover, the Warriors are built around a punishing running game and an equally punishing defence. The Cardinals are coached by Rick Maloney. Making the most of the strong arm of his quarterback D.J. Frank and his speedy group of receiver, Maloney has gone to a wide-open spread offence complete with six receiver sets.

With hundreds of students basking in the glow of the afternoon sun, the game turned out to be a great battle between two teams with completely different ways of the playing the game. The power game and timely passes of the Warriors versus the all-out aerial assault of the Cardinals spread offence.

The game was a tense back-and-forth affair until late in the fourth quarter. After not being able to get any pressure of Brother Andre's Frank all day, the Warriors defence stripped the ball out of hands on a backside blitz.

Warriors quarterback Troy McClusker, a Gr. 11 student; hit Blake Marshall for the go-ahead touchdown with :53 seconds left to play.

On the ensuing kick-off, the ball softly landed in the hands of the Cardinals speedy receiver Cush Hibbert. Using his long, lanky strides, Hibbert got into open space and it was over. No one on the Huron Heights special teams had a hope of catching a player like Hibbert in full speed.

The score was tied at with :33 seconds left to go. At this point, coaches and players from both teams are going crazy. Neither team was able to pull off a miracle finish and the game ended up in a very entertaining tie.

Frank and the players on the Cardinals walked off the field were celebrating like they won the Metro Bowl.

Rover and the Warriors walked off the field in a mighty foul mood. The reigning York Region football champions and Metro bowl finalists were not all happy about starting the season with anything but a win.

Rover and Maloney are a great example of the hundreds of high school football coaches from across the country that put in hundreds of hours of their own time to teach young men how to play the game they love.

At Huron Heights, players have a half hour of film study every day. During the season, they're in the weight room twice a week. At Brother Andre, Maloney makes do with a totally dedicated 24-man roster.

High school football coaches in Ontario don't make any extra money for their countless hours of extra work. They do it for the love of the game.

Friday's game between Huron Heights and Brother Andre was yet another reminder of why I love football so much. I am just lucky that there are so many dedicated teachers who give up so much of themselves to coach high school sports.