SHERBROOKE – The Bishop’s Gaiters want to make noise in the RSEQ University Football conference in 2013 and they sent a clear message on Sunday afternoon. The Gaiters beat the No.8 Sherbrooke Vert & Or 28-27 in front of 2,750 fans at Coulter Field.
The visitors got off to a great start and grabbed a 7-1 lead after the first quarter; the result of a touchdown scored by Sherbrooke’s running back Beni Ngunza Djock (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo).
The Gaiters fifth-year quarterback Jordan Heather from Oromocto, New Brunswick played well throughout the game. He threw two spectaculars touchdown passes in the second quarter, one to Geoff Coventry (Orleans, Ont.) and another to Alexander Fox (Montreal), of 46 yards and 79 yards respectively. The pair of strikes helped the Gaiters grab a 15-14 lead, however thanks to a 38-yard field goal made by Mathieu Hebert (Sherbrooke, Que.) the Vert et Or returned to the locker-room with a 17-15 advantage.
Following a relatively quiet third quarter that saw the Vert & Or maintain a 24-18 lead, Heather responded in the final frame. He threw an eight yard touchdown pass to Fox that put Bishop’s ahead by a single point. The teams exchanged field goals and the Gaiters’ O’Shane Daley (Scarborough, Ont.) came up with the biggest play of the game when he intercepted a Jeremi Roch-Doyon (Montreal) pass on the goal line. The Vert & Or had one last chance after converting on third and five. When their 40-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the game sailed wide and the Gaiters were able to run the ball out of the end-zone, Bishop’s earned their first victory of the season. It was also the purple and silver’s first win against their cross-town rivals since October 8, 2010.
“We’re extremely happy about this victory,” said Gaiters head coach Kevin Mackey as he put the emphasis on the positive aspects of the game. “It is great to see that we played as a team against the eighth best team in Canada. We do however have to work on some aspects of our game specifically the unnecessary penalties.”
The Gaiters will have little time to celebrate their 28-27 win over the Vert et Or. They are back in action on Friday, September 6 in Montreal as the face the No.5 Carabins at 7 p.m. The game will be live on Estrie 107.7 FM radio. Follow the undefeated Gaiters anytime at the new-look www.gaiters.ca.
Notes: Heather was 26-37 for 387 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions…Coventry caught 7 passes for 142 yards and 1 touchdown…Fox grabbed 6 balls for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 79-yard catch and run…Daley finished with 6 tackles, including 1 for a loss, 2 interceptions and a pass breakup.
Before the game, a moment of silence was observed for the victims of the Lac-Megantic tragedy… All the proceeds ($555) of the game’s 50/50 tickets sale went to Avenir Lac Megantic
Photo credit: Andrew Dobrowolskyi
Source: Marty Rourke, Bishop’s Gaiters Sports Information
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