OUA Recaps: Hobbs leads Gaels, Vandervoort scores 4 TDs in win, Campbell runs over Lions, Mustangs & Gryphons stomp [video]

McMaster 55, Toronto  33

After a shaky first half the McMaster Football team dominated in the second half and defeated the Toronto Varsity Blues 55-33 in the OUA opener for both teams.

Heading into the 2015 season, the McMaster football team knew that there would be some growing pains because of the youth that had to be injected into the line-up.
The amount of growth from the first half to the second was impressive.

The first half saw the Marauders struggle at times, committing turnovers and penalties that allowed the Varsity Blues to extend several scoring drives.   The Blues held a 26-17 advantage late in the second quarter, but a late major on a pass from Asher Hastings to Danny Vandervoort trimmed the Toronto advantage to 26-24 at the intermission.

Kicking off to start the third quarter, Marauder Steve McNicholl absolutely blew up Toronto receiver  Domenic Battistella, causing a fumble which McMaster recovered deep in Blues’ territory.

McMaster took advantage of the turnover with Vandervoort catching his third touchdown pass to put the Maroon ahead 31-26.

The Marauders continued to apply pressure on both sides of the ball, and before the end of the third quarter Hastings had hit Vandervoort for a fourth touchdown and connected with Dan Petermann for another major score. After three quarters, Mac was in control 48-33.

In the final stanza, McMaster added a touchdown from Wayne Moore while keeping Toronto off the scoreboard.

There were many statistical highlights for McMaster.  Danny Vandervoort showed his All-Canadian form with 10 catches for 168 yards and four touchdowns.   In his first career start, quarterback Asher Hastings completed 26 of 34 throws for 383 yards and five major scores.  Along the ground, Moore rushed for 100 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Marauders sacked Toronto’s Simon Nassar four times.  Cole Munden led the team with eight tackles, while Robbie Yochim and Adam Poole had interceptions.  It took the opening two quarters to get their legs under them, but the Mac defense held the Blues to just seven points over the final two quarters.

McMaster will enjoy a bye week in the schedule and then prepare to face the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the home opener on Saturday, September 12 at 1 pm.

Season Tickets and single game tickets can be purchased online at Maraudertickets.com.

Box Score

Queens 34, Carleton 24

KINGSTON, Ont. (August 30, 2015) – The Gaels (1-0) opened up their OUA season at home to the Carleton Ravens (0-1) and came back from an early 14-0 deficit to win 34-24 thanks to Jesse Andrews (Arnprior, Ont.) and Doug Corby (Burlington, Ont.) who each had a pair of touchdowns.

Andrews finished with 21 rushes for 178-yards and two touchdowns while Corby had nine receptions for 137-yards and two touchdowns. Gaels quarterback Nate Hobbs (Mississauga, Ont.) finished the game 24 of 36 with 338-yards and two touchdowns while on defence Nelkas Kwemo (Montreal) led all players with seven tackles. The Ravens were led by Nathaniel Behar who caught four passes for 105-yards and one touchdown.

GAME FLOW
The Ravens got off to a quick start against the Gaels Sunday afternoon jumping out front 14-0 early in the first quarter. First it was Ravens quarterback Jesse Mills hitting Dexter Brown for a 16-yard score followed by a big play from Mills to Nathaniel Behar for a 74-yard score at the 8:50 mark.

The Gaels answered back before the end of the quarter with a nine-yard touchdown reception by Corby to cut the lead down to 14-7. The Gaels went six plays for 71 yards on the drive which saw Curtis Carmichael (Scarborough, Ont.) with two big catches one for 40 yards and one for seven yards which set up the Corby score.

Both teams slowed down offensively in the second quarter until Andrews took over and continued to give the Ravens nightmares. He finished off a 65-yard drive with a punch in from two yards out to even the game at 14-14. The Ravens finished off the second quarter with two drives ending in field goals to take a 20-14 lead heading into half-time.

In the second half it was all Gaels. First up was a 39-yard field goal from Dillon Wamsley (London, Ont.) and four minutes later Queen’s quarterback Hobbs threw a 50-yard bomb to a wide-open Corby for an easy score to put Queen’s ahead for the first time 24-20. The third quarter was capped off with Andrews breaking four tackles on a 21-yard rushing touchdown, his second of the afternoon. In the fourth quarter the Ravens recorded two straight safety’s on back-to-back drives to bring the game within a touchdown 31-24. Wamsley put the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter with a 27-yard field goal and Chris Mackey (Oshawa, Ont.) picked off Mills to finish the game.

FINAL SAY?
“I think we can be more consistent on defence and if we can have the second half that we had all season than we’ll be in good shape. We had a pretty good end to the game today but we can’t sit back and we need to bring more, there are always things to correct and I know the defence is prepared to step it up a notch.” – Linebacker Nelkas Kwemo

I thought that it was a typical first week game, there was nearly 1000 yards offensive, there was a lot of big plays made today and some mistakes as well. On our side I thought we did a good job managing the penalties, and that our big guys played well for us. Defensively I thought we were a little up and down, the closer they got to our goal line the more stubborn we got and that bows well for us in the weeks ahead.” – Head Coach Pat Sheahan?

BY THE NUMBERS
1995 – The last time Carleton beat Queen’s was September 16, 1995
338 – Passing yards for Hobbs in his first career CIS start. He finished the day 24-36 with two touchdowns and no interceptions while rushing three times for 20 yards
422 – Rushing yards for Jesse Andrews in his last two games against the Ravens
1:26 – Difference in possession time in favour of Carleton
137 – Number of receiving yards caught by Doug Corby
74 – Longest play on the day a catch by Behar that he took in for a touchdown for the Ravens
7 – Tackles made by Nelkas Kwemo, a game high for either team
2 – Number of touchdowns scored by both Andrews and Corby

UP NEXT
The Gaels (1-0) will travel to Ottawa next Sunday to face the Ottawa Gee-Gees on September 6th at 1pm. Ottawa was on a bye-week for week one and will host Queen’s for their first football game of 2015. The Gaels return home the following week on September 12 to take on Waterloo.

Source: Shawn MacDonald, Queens University [Photo: Robin Kassem]

LAURIER 38, YORK 21

The York University Lions football team fell to the Laurier Golden Hawks by a score of 38-21 in their season opener on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 30) at York Stadium.

The Lions showcased multiple offensive looks by utilizing all three quarterbacks on the roster.Jahmari Bennett (Mississauga, Ont.) started the game behind centre, followed by appearances by first-year pivots Brett Hunchak (Calgary) and Eric Kimmerly (Oshawa, Ont.). Hunchak had an impressive debut, going 3-3 with a 55-yard touchdown strike to fellow freshman Nathaniel Pinto(Toronto). Hunchak displayed poise in the pocket and worked efficiently leading the squad down the field.

Bennett played the majority of the game, going 8-of-21 for 70 yards and an interception. He was much more dangerous on the ground, rushing for 88 yards on seven carries, including a 21-yard touchdown.

Pinto was tremendous in his debut game with the Lions, catching seven passes for 108 yards and the touchdown.

The first quarter remained scoreless until the very end, when Laurier finally broke the deadlock with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Eric Morelli to Greg Nyhof for a 7-0 lead. The Golden Hawks extended it to 14-0 early in the second on a 43-yard touchdown by Zeph Fraser, but less than five minutes later Hunchak’s bomb to Pinto cut the lead to 14-7.

Laurier pushed the lead to 14 once again on an interception return by Malcolm Thompson, and added a field goal before the half for a 24-7 lead.

Marcus Arakarakas added a six-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter before the touchdown runs by Bennett and Kimmerly cut the deficit to 31-21. That was as close as they would get, however, as Morelli ran in a 27-yard score with three minutes remaining for the last points of the contest.

Kimmerly went 4-of-6 for 43 yards and a rushing touchdown, and revealed that not only can he sit in the pocket and have vision down field but can move outside the pocket and be a running threat.

There is no lack of receiving talent on the Lions, and in addition to Pinto, second-year receiverJoey Ricottone (Hamilton, Ont.) was also a consistent option, catching six balls for 51 yards.

Kicker Nick Naylor (Abbotsford, B.C.) consistently locked Laurier deep into their own territory, placing three punts inside the 20-yard line and going perfect on extra point attempts.

For Laurier, Morelli finished strong at 19-of-28 for 258 yards and three touchdowns. Reigning OUA most valuable player Dillon Campbell (Whitby, Ont.) was contained on the afternoon with 20 rushes for 116 yards.

The Lions are back on the gridiron on Monday, Sept. 7 at 7pm against the Western Mustangs in London, Ont., and will be back home for their highly-anticipated Homecoming game against the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1pm.

Source: York U Sports

 

WESTERN 76, WINDSOR 7

WINDSOR, Ont. – The Western Mustangs couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2015 OUA football season, opening the scoring just over two minutes into the game and never looking back en route to a 76-7 win over the Windsor Lancers on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.

“It was good, a little sloppy,” said Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall on the team’s performance. “Overall I thought our offensive line controlled the ball. Our fitness showed up. We have been going no huddle-high tempo for two weeks in training camp. I know our offensive line has probably been complaining about me but you can see our fitness level out there.

“We were trying to hold back but our line was still coming off the football and that was the key in the end. We were just knocking them off the football and making it easy for our running backs.”

The purple and white offence looked at times to be in mid-season form, scoring 62 unanswered points to begin the game on a scoring run that lasted into the fourth quarter.

The Mustangs running backs picked up the majority of the team’s yardage on Sunday, accounting for 484 of the team’s 749 total offensive yards. All four of the Mustangs backs found the endzone, including Alex Taylor, who racked up 144 yards on 11 carries with one touchdown. Also impressive was rookie Cedric Joseph as the Champlain College product scored the first two touchdowns of his CIS career while also picking up up 88 yards on only five carries.

“Great blocking up front by my line,” said Joseph when asked to describe his first career touchdown. “I love the big guys up front. I come from a program that likes to run the ball. I come here, Western loves to run the ball. Western has five good guys, a good crew of [offensive linemen], and downfield blocking by the wide receivers. It’s a lot easier when everyone is in sync and is doing their jobs at 110 percent.”

Quarterback Will Finch controlled the Mustangs attack, completing 20-of-27 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another score on the ground. Josh Beach added another 57 yards passing and his first career touchdown pass after Finch was removed from the game late in the third quarter with the Mustangs holding a large lead.

“I thought we played well,” said Finch. “[We] stalled a little here and there in the first half, just feeling it out. The first game always is like that. Overall I thought we played well, and everyone contributed. Anytime you win 76-7 its good.”

Senior receiver Matt Uren led the team’s receiving corps, hauling in eight passes for 104 yards and a touchdown, while Matt McDougall and Justin Sanvido also scored their first touchdowns of the year.

Defensively the Mustangs were led by Jean-Gabriel Poulin as the St. Nicholas, Quebec, native registered six total sacks as well as the defensive highlight of the day, grabbing a mishandled snap and returning it 15 yards for his first career CIS touchdown. Malcolm Brown also made an impact, making 4.5 tackles while also grabbing two of Western’s four interceptions. Overall the Mustangs defence limited the Lancers to only 188 yards of total offence, and coach Marshall was quick to point out how well his defenders performed.

“They played really well,” said Marshall. “They came in and did a good job shutting the pass down. I think it was a boost for our secondary coverage when they locked up in man.”

Ben Kelly opened the scoring not only on the game, but also on his CIS career, hitting a 22-yard field goal a little over two minutes into the game to give Western an early 3-0 lead.

After recovering the ball on an interception on the following drive, the Mustangs extended their lead to 10-0 midway through the frame on a 16-yard pass from Finch to Uren.

With neither team able to solve the other early in the second quarter it looked like the game may become a lower scoring affair before Taylor broke things open with a fantastic 59-yard touchdown run to increase the Western lead to 19-0.

Yannick Harou appeared to close out a strong first half for the Mustangs with a 30-yard touchdown run to give Western a 26-0 lead, however Jordan Beaulieu blocked a punt on the ensuing drive, giving the Mustangs one more shot before the end of the half. Finch made sure to take advantage of the extra play, connecting with a wide-open Justin Sanvido to send the purple and white into the half with a 33-0 lead.

Western’s offence continued to roll in the second half, scoring 29 points in the third quarter off of touchdowns from Finch, Joseph, Poulin, and McDougall. McDougall’s score came off of a 22-yard pass from Beach to give Western a 62-0 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Lancers broke the shutout in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run from Tarrence Crawford, however it would be their only points of the day as Western closed out the quarter with touchdowns from Joseph and Adam Sinclair to claim a 76-7 victory.

Next up for the Mustangs is the team’s home opener on Monday, September 7, against the York Lions. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at TD Stadium, and fans can watch all the action live on OUA.tv and Rogers Cable 13 in London, or listen live on CHRW Radio 94.9 FM or on Newstalk 1290 CJBK with Tom McConnell and legendary Mustangs coach Larry Haylor calling all the action.

NOTES: Sunday’s win was the eighth straight season opening victory for Western, with the Mustangs outscoring their opponents by a 440-102 margin in those debut contests. Western’s last first game loss came at the hands of Queen’s in 2007… Receiver Jamal Kett’s 21-yard catch late in the second quarter was the first of his CIS career. The Simon Fraser transfer finished the day with three catches for 40 yards… Adam Sinclair’s 107 yards rushing nearly matched the London native’s career high of 114 yards achieved against Carleton in Western’s 2013 season opener.

Source: Tony von Richter Western Mustangs

BOXSCORE

 

 

 

GUELPH 78, WATERLOO 7:

GUELPH – Sunday night at Warrior Field, the Gryphons kicked off the 2015 OUA Regular Season with a convincing 78-7 victory over the University of Waterloo. Quarterback James Roberts accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing), running back Johnny Augustine ran for three while receivers Jacob Scarfone and A’dre Fraser hauled in two touchdowns apiece. The Gryphons will now return home to face Laurier (1-0) on Monday, September 7.

The first touchdown of the 2015 season for the Gryphons came from third year receiver Jacob Scarfone who hauled in a 53-yard touchdown pass from Roberts. That was the beginning of a career night for Scarfone as the London, Ontario native racked up a career high 201 yards on eight receptions. After Gabriel Ferraro split the uprights on a 38-yard field goal, the Gryphons would get a big play from senior James Ingram who came up with a great catch to set up the Gryphons with a first-and-goal inside the Waterloo 10-yard line. From there, third year running back Johnny Augustine (Welland, ON) would punch in his first of three touchdowns on the day as the Gryphons took a 17-0 lead to the second quarter.

The lead would only grow larger from there as Guelph would go on to score 29 points in the second quarter alone. After already having returned a punt for a touchdown in the first quarter only to see it called back because of a flag back, All-Canadian Ryan Nieuwesteeg was at it again in the second quarter. This time, there were no flags as Nieuwesteeg received the punt and blazed 79-yards for the score. He finished the night with 164 yards on 10 punt returns. Shortly after receiving that spark from the special teams, the Gryphons offence would go back to work as Roberts and A’dre Fraser would connect on a 38-yard touchdown to give Guelph a 32-0 lead. When halftime rolled around, the Gryphons went into the locker room leading 46-7.

Johnny Augustine’s third touchdown of the game came in the form of a 43-yard run in the third quarter to put the Gryphons up 53-7. Augustine finished the day with 156 yards rushing on 14 carries, good for an average of 10.6 yards per carry. Quarterback James Roberts would provide an exclamation mark on his day by airing it out for OUA All-Star receiver A’dre Fraser for a 63-yard touchdown pass. Fraser had 114 yards receiving on just four catches. But the top stat line in the receiving corp belonged to Jacob Scarfone. In the fourth quarter, Scarfone would haul in a 67-yard touchdown pass from Laval transfer Alex Skinner to make it a 69-7 game. The Gryphons finished the game with over 700 yards of total offence.

Defensively, the Gryphons held the Warriors to just 111 yard passing and 93 yards rushing. Linebacker Andrew Graham accounted for two of the Gryphons four sacks on the day as the U of G defence suffocated the Waterloo attack for all four quarters.

The Gryphons will now return home for a Labour Day Monday matchup with the Laurier Golden Hawks on September 7. Laurier was also victorious in their week 1 matchup as they picked up a road victory over the York Lions. Kickoff is set for 1pm at Alumni Stadium and the game will be televised live on Rogers TV Cable 20 and streamed live online at OUA.tv.

SOURCE: Andy Baechler, Guelph Gryphons

BOXSCORE