NFC Recap: A battle for more than bragging rights

The Ottawa Invaders and Oakville Longhorns met on Saturday with playoff positioning on the line and the end of the regular season only one week a way.  A must win game for both teams quickly proved to be one of the more exciting contests of the 2012 NFC campaign.

The 3-3 Longhorns got off to a solid start, scoring a 75 yard touchdown on their opening drive.  The marker came courtesy of an incredible pass from quarterback Kyle Sewell to Chris Hibbert.  This huge play not only set the tone for the game but also resulted in Oakville’s tragic downfall.

The Invaders stepped up enormously on the defensive end of the field with Bobby Massie and Andre Charron in particular, catching three interceptions each.  Charron’s three picks give him nine in total on the year, tying a Northern Football Conference record.

These interceptions were also key in swinging momentum for the Invaders and eliminated Oakville’s chance at another big-gain-play. Ottawa’s offence came to play as well, going on to score 29 unanswered points after surrendering the first touchdown.

The Invaders received clutch offensive performances from TJ Williams who carried the ball 7 times for 54 yards and a touchdown.  Wendell Beloney caught an 87 yard touchdown for his first score of the season and Danny Mullins, who also notched two touchdowns bringing his season total to 10 and setting another Ottawa record.

Quarterback Jeff Hildreth continues to rewrite Invader record books with another incredible outing and pushed his single season stats to new heights.  Hildreth now has 20 touchdowns and 1,894 yards passing on the year which also ties him for second in the NFC.

Ottawa’s kicker Jeff Morris completed all four conversions and added a single to help seal the victory for his squad.

Ottawa moves to 6-2 and sits in second place in the conference. Having clinched home field advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Invaders wait comfortably during a bye weekend while their opponent is decided.  Playoff action gets underway Saturday August 4th.