MCMASTER claims 104TH YATES CUP with victory over Western (video)

LONDON, ONT. – McMaster quarterback Kyle Quinlan threw four touchdown passes to lift the Marauders to a 41-19 victory over the Western Mustangs in the 104th Yates Cup at TD Waterhouse Stadium.

Quinlan, from South Woodslee, Ont., captured the Dalt White Trophy as the game MVP, posting completing 16 of 24 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns. He was also a driving force in the McMaster ground game, amassing 103 yards on 10 carries.

McMaster posted just eight yards of net offence in the first quarter, but regrouped from its lacklustre start with a run of 34 unanswered points to claim its first OUA football title since 2003. The win also marked the first time that McMaster has won a Yates Cup on the road.

Marauder receiver and 2011 OUA MVP Michael DiCroce, of Hamilton, Ont., led McMaster receivers with 128 yards on four receptions and a pair of touchdowns, including a 102-yard receiving major. Chris Pezzetta, of Burlington, Ont., topped McMaster rushers with 145 yards on 19 carries, including one touchdown.

In the losing effort, Western’s Tyler Varga, of Kitchener, Ont., the winner of the 2011 Norm Marshall Trophy as the OUA rookie of the year, gained 154 yards on 30 carries. Quarterback Donnie Marshall, of London, Ont., threw for 187 yards, connecting on 14 of 27 attempts and a single touchdown.

Linebacker Aram Eisho, of Hamilton, Ont. led the Marauders defenders with 9.5 tackles, including two tackles for a loss.

“I am awestruck at how well our defence played—they exceeded every expectation we had of them this game,” said a jubilant McMaster head coach, Stefan Ptaszek, celebrating his first Yates Cup banner as a head coach.

The first quarter saw Western failing to capitalize on numerous opportunities and a sluggish McMaster start. Mustang place kicker Lirim Hajrullahu, of St. Catharines, Ont., missed two field goal attempts in the first quarter, his initial try being the victim of a bad hold, and the second being partly blocked by the McMaster line and rattling through the end zone for a single point. McMaster, which posted just single first down in the opening frame, conceded a safety touch rather than punt into the wind from its own end zone, giving Western a 3-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The Marauder offence sputtered to life in the second quarter, capping their first drive of the quarter with a 29-yard field goal by Teddy Peters, of Mississauga, Ont. Pezzetta added a major score on a seven-yard rush to give McMaster a 10-3 advantage

McMaster’s defence made a dominating goal line stand with three minutes remaining in the quarter, stopping the Mustangs on three straight plays from within their three yard line and forcing a turnover. In the dying seconds of the half, Western had again driven the ball to the McMaster 16 yard line, but a 40-yard interception by McMaster defensive back Joey Cupido, of Hamilton, Ont., again kept the Mustangs off the score sheet.

The Marauder offence dominated the second half, widening its lead with DiCroce’s 102-yard major and a 15-yard Peters field goal in the third frame.

McMaster opened up a 34-3 lead the opening minutes of the final quarter with Quinlan finding, in succession, Robert Babic, of Oakville, Ont., and Bradley Fochesato, of Windsor, Ont., for a pair of touchdowns.

Largely unheard of since the first quarter, Western’s offence finally found the end zone at the 7:22 mark of the final frame, capping an eight-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard rushing score from Varga.

Quinlan and DiCroce connected for one final McMaster major in the final minutes of the game, followed by Donnie Marshall connecting with Zach Bull, of Port Colborne, Ont., for a seven-yard touchdown at the 13:39 mark.

McMaster advances to the CIS semi-final Uteck Bowl, against the AUS-champion Acadia Axemen, this Friday, November 18th at Moncton, N.B..

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

UWO – Safety Team (McMaster concedes) 8:40
UWO – Single Hajrullahu 18 MFG 14:06

Second Quarter

MAC – FG Peters 29 3:42
MAC – TD Pezetta 7 run (Peters kick) 5:17

Third Quarter

MAC – TD DiCroce 102 pass from Quinlan (Peters kick) 8:36
MAC – FG Peters 15 14:06

Fourth Quarter

MAC – TD Babic 12 pass from Quinlan (Peters kick) 1:22
MAC – TD Fochesato 33 pass from Quinlan (Peters kick) 4:41
UWO – TD Varga 1 run (2 pt: Varga run) 7:22
MAC – TD DiCroce 4 pass from Quinlan (Peters kick) 12:22
UWO – TD Bull 7 pass from Marshall (2pt: B.Marshall pass from D.Marshall) 13:39

Attendance: 6,556

Source: Ian Speers

Western Mustangs playoff run spoiled 41-19 by McMaster Marauders

LONDON, Ont. – A third quarter field goal from Teddy Peters (Mississauga, Ont.) of the No. 4 nationally-ranked McMaster Marauders was the decisive blow in the 41-19 defeat of the No. 3 Western Mustangs this afternoon at the 104[SUP]th[/SUP] Yates Cup. The game, played at TD Waterhouse Stadium in front of 6,556, is the first game the Mustangs have lost at home since September 2010.

The Western offense proved dominant in the first quarter going 79 for 15 on rushes, holding McMaster to only 19 yards on their first four rushing attempts.

At 6:56 the Mustangs earned the first two points of the game when the Marauders conceded a safety.

Three drives later, the Mustangs, deep in the red once again, attempted the field goal. It was tipped by the Marauders line, but made it to the end zone, good for a rouge and one more point.

Donnie Marshall (London, Ont.) who made a return to the gridiron after a four game absence, completed three for five pass attempts. OUA Rookie of the Year Tyler Varga (Cambridge, Ont.) was held to 75 rushing yards on 13 attempts.

The Mustangs led 3-0 after the first fifteen.

On their first drive of the second, McMaster carried the ball 43 yards, completing the drive with a 29-yard field goal from Peters, his first of the game.

Their second drive of the game resulted in a seven-yard rush for a touchdown for Chris Pezetta (Burlington, Ont.). Peters (Mississauga, Ont.) kicked the convert.

Marshall completed four of 10 pass attempts, two of which were blocked. Another of the attempts was intercepted by McMaster’s Joey Cupido (Hamilton, Ont.). The Mustangs were only able to gain 32 yards in the quarter.

By halftime, the Marauders had taken the lead 10-3.

McMaster’s solid offense continued to frustrate Western right through the third and into the fourth quarter allowing a run of 34 unanswered points.

Michael DiCroce (Hamilton, Ont.) ran for 102 yards and a touchdown in the third, putting McMaster up 16-3 before Peters kicked his second convert.

With less than a minute left, Western’s defense could not push McMaster out and a second attempt at a field goal was successful. Right before, McMaster took a loss of eight yards when Sean Blake (Hamilton, Ont.) sacked Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.).

Marshall went one-for-three in pass attempts. Darryl Wheeler (Hamilton, Ont.) punted 156 yards for the Mustangs in the third, but McMaster maintained the lead with a score of 20-3.

The Mustangs made a valiant comeback effort in the fourth quarter, but it would not be enough to top the Marauders.

McMaster would score two consecutive touchdowns on their first two drives. Wide receiver Brad Fochesato (Windsor, Ont.) caught a 33-yard pass from Quinlan in the end zone for the touchdown.

On the next drive, Quinlan passed to Robert Babic (Oakville, Ont.) for 12 yards right through the Mustangs defense and a touchdown on the first drive of the final fifteen minutes, increasing the spread to 34-3.

Western’s first touchdown of the game came halfway through the fourth on a handoff to Varga from Marshall. Varga carried the ball one yard into the end zone. Instead of the one-point after, Western made good on a two-point conversion notching eight points bringing their total to 11.

Two drives later, late in the second half, the Marauders’ DiCroce added his second touchdown of the game from a short pass. Peters completed the touchdown.

The Mustangs’ final touchdown of the game, and of the season, was a seven-yard snap from Marshall to fifth-year wide receiver Zach Bull (Port Colborne, Ont.). Brian Marshall (London, Ont.) completed the two-point conversion.

At the end of the day, stellar defense from McMaster, including five unassisted tackles each from Aram Eisho (Hamilton, Ont.), Stephen Dennis (Burlington, Ont.), and Nicholas Shorthill (Kitchener, Ont.) and unimpressive offense from Western ultimately played a large part in the loss.

Marshall threw 14 complete passes for 187 yards on 27 attempts and Varga was held to only 160 yards rushing over 60 minutes of play. Darryl Wheeler (Hamilton, Ont.) punted an impressive 354 yards.

McMaster advances to the Uteck Bowl, to be played Friday, Nov. 18 against No. 9 Acadia University, in Moncton, N.B.