October 22, 2017
by

U Sports GOTW [Sunday – STATS] (9): First round playoffs dreams dashed

Saturday, Oct. 21

SMU (23), Acadia (33)

Source: Acadia Axemen

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – A 33-23 win over the visiting Saint Mary’s Huskies was enough for the Acadia Axemen to clinch first place in the AUS football standings.

The win by 10 points gave the Axemen the highly sought berth and hosting of the AUS Subway Loney Bowl – the conference championship game on Saturday, November 11.

The Axemen took a commanding 23-0 halftime lead on points scored in the second quarter.

A team safety at 12:05 of the second frame was followed by a Eugene McMinns three yard touchdown reception that capped off a three play, 27 yard drive initiated by a Johnny King fumble and recovery by senior defensive lineman Gabriel Bagnell.

Gaining good field possession on a pair of stalled Huskie drives, the Axemen launched a six play, 48 yard drive that was wrapped up by Cordell Hastings‘ eighth touchdown of the season, pushing the Acadia lead to 17-0.

On the next drive, a completed pass from Huskies’ pivot Kaleb Scott to Rick LeMoignan was quickly coughed up for the second fumble recovery of the game by the Axemen.

Spotted on the Acadia 42-yard line, Cody Cluett and the offense went to work, converting the turnover to seven more points on a one yard rush by Cluett. Cluett’s touchdown would be the last points scored in the opening half, giving Acadia a 23-0 lead.

The Huskies quickly went to work on gaining some ground, when backup quarterback Cameron Valardo stepped into a long pass to Archelaus Jack for a 72-yard touchdown reception.

Valardo, named the Saint Mary’s Player of the Game, rushed for a six-yard touchdown that capped off a five play, 30-yard drive, closing the deficit to 23-15 after a two point convert scored by Johnny King reception.

Just under a minute remaining in the third frame, Jaden White-Frayne posted his sixth league leading interception and added ‘salt to the wound’ with a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Comfortably ahead 30-15 heading into the final quarter, the Axemen were unable to add their fourth touchdown of the day from the three-yard line and settled for a 11-yard field goal.

Saint Mary’s quickly replied with an interception touchdown of their own. Antoine Lyte-Myers raced 36 yards after intercepting a Cluett pass. Johnny King was good on the two-yard reception for a two point convert.

Trailing 33-23, the Huskies put together an eight play, 76 -yard drive that was stifled by a forced fumble by Brandon Johnson, his third of the day. While the fumble was recovered by Saint Mary’s, the ball was turned over on downs.

“Those guys are phenomenal. They battled back. I tried all I could to give them the game with that interception. I am lost for words and super excited. We should have had them early but they kept on fighting and they don’t give up,” said Cody Cluett following the win.

We want to get healthy but we want to keep going and we can’t change anything now since this is what got us here now this season. Every day is process and we want to keep doing what we do,”

The Axemen held onto 33-23 lead into the closing minute of the game, giving them an important 10-point win that pushed them into first place in the AUS standings by beating the points differential scored between both team’s two meetings this season. The Huskies won the first game on September 15 by seven points.

With three weeks off until the AUS championship game, Cluett noted the need to keep doing what they do best.

“We want to get healthy but we want to keep going and we can’t change anything now since this is what got us here now this season. Every day is process and we want to keep doing what we do,” said Cluett.

The Axemen edged Saint Mary’s in total offense with 442, compared to the Huskies’ 371.

Valardo completed 11 of 28 pass attempts for 208 yards, while starting Huskie pivot Kaleb Scott was five for 16 for 74 yards. Cody Cluett threw for 209 yards in the air with 15 of 23 passes completed.

Dale Wright was the force on the ground again, added 157 yards to his 1030 yard season total on 161 rushes. Scott and Valardo had a combined 78 yards on the ground.

Caleb Ryder stood out on the receiving end for the Axemen with 104 yards on three receptions. Touchdowns came from Hastings and McMinns who posted 17 and 6 yards respectively.

Once again, the Axemen dominated the possession clock with 38 minutes handling the ball, while the Huskies had 22 minutes.

The Axemen will now have three weeks off that includes a last week of the AUS season bye and the semi-final bye. Acadia will host the AUS Subway Loney Bowl on Saturday, November 11 starting at 2:00 p.m. on Bell Fibe TV1.

BOX SCORE

 

Ottawa (10), Western (63)

Source: Western Sports Info

LONDON, Ont. – Three touchdowns by Harry McMaster helped the Western Mustangs complete an undefeated regular season with a 63-10 win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday afternoon at TD Stadium.

“I thought it was a little sloppy, but I thought overall we played very well,” said Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall. “We settled into it, I don’t know if it was just not having played in two weeks, but the first couple minutes we were not as crisp defensively and certainly not offensively but we settled into a very good game.

“It was good we were able to get lots of players in the game. Our backups played almost half the game, and they played very well. That’s important because there is going to be times down the road in the playoffs when those kids are going to have to step up and play.”

The win gives the Mustangs an 8-0 record heading into the playoffs, with the team having already locked up first place in the OUA with their October 6 win over Carleton. The Gee-Gees finish with a 5-3 record and will enter the postseason as the league’s fourth seed.

McMaster led all players with 101 receiving yards on five catches with three touchdowns, scoring from 15, 26, and 37 yards out. Although McMaster led the way for the receivers, the Mustangs spread the ball around in the win with nine different players catching passes against the Gee-Gees.

“I think we knew that a lot of the stuff we had would work and we were just going stick to the basics and just take it to them,” said McMaster. “I think we are always confident and we know we are going to have success.”

Throwing the majority of the passes was starting quarterback Chris Merchant, who went 10-15 with 168 yards passing with three touchdowns and one interceptions. All three of Western’s quarterbacks got into the action with Kevin John completing six of seven passes for 78 yards, while Stevenson Bone threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Valvano before being forced to leave the game due to injury.

While the Mustangs aerial attack may have provided most of the highlights, the ground game was a key factor in the win as Western rushed for 452 yards. Both Trey Humes and Cedric Joseph put up good numbers against the Gee-Gees, rushing for 138 and 137 yards respectively, while Joseph added two touchdowns to finish in first place on the OUA leaderboard with 10 on the season.

The Mustangs defence put on a show for the Homecoming crowd, playing one of their finest games of the season and holding the Gee-Gees to just 189 yards. Veteran Jean-Gabriel Poulin topped the charts with 5.5 tackles and also added an interception, as did defensive back Alex Salytchev.

Just as the offence and defence impressed against the Gee-Gees, so too did the special teams with returner Mike Sananes racking up 119 punt return yards, including one return of 51 yards.

Marc Liegghio finished out his record-breaking regular season with another perfect day, going 4-4 on field goals to extend his streak to 22 consecutive attempts without a miss. The Woodbridge, Ont., native finishes the year with 29 field goals, setting a new standard for the Mustangs and leading the OUA with 125 points on the year.

After failing to pick up points on their opening drive for the first time all year, the Mustangs would open the scoring on their next possession.

Saltychev set things up by picking off Alex Lavric and then the Mustangs turned to the ground game, picking up 40 yards before Merchant hit McMaster on a 15-yard touchdown pass to go up 7-0 just past the midway point of the first quarter.

That lead wouldn’t last long, however, as Jamie Henry picked off a pass from Merchant and took it back 60 yards to tie things up.

A good punt from Liegghio and strong punt coverage resulted in a single to close out the opening frame with the Mustangs up 8-7.

After a fairly even first quarter it was all Mustangs in the second frame, starting off with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Merchant to McMaster to put Western up 15-7 less than two minutes in.

Liegghio added another four points thanks to a single on the ensuing kickoff and then a 16-yard field goal to give the home side a 12-point lead.

The Mustangs continued to roll, with Valvano catching a five-yard pass from Bone to make it 26-7 before Liegghio connected on a 36-yard field goal to extend the lead even further.

Joseph rounded out the scoring in the quarter with an impressive 26-yard touchdown run after a long lateral from Merchant to give Western a 36-7 lead at the half.

The Mustangs didn’t slow down after the break, with McMaster, Joseph, and John all finding the end zone, while Liegghio added three field goals to delight the Homecoming faithful with a 63-10 win.

“I think we had a really good game plan but that we left a lot of our game plan and we didn’t call it because we didn’t need too,” said Marshall. “I think that it was smart because there are things that we saw that we could do, but we are going to come out against defenses that are very similar to Ottawa’s down the road.

“At this point now we need to try some of the new stuff we put in, rep it in practice and get another week at it and have our full playbook. We really ran simple plays at them most of the game. I mean if you look at it other than a few different passes we ran four or five different plays.

Next up for the Mustangs is an OUA Semifinal matchup, with Western hosting the league’s lowest remaining seed on Saturday, November 4, at TD Stadium. Check back to westernmustangs.ca following next Saturday’s quarter-finals when the Mustangs opponent will be determined.

BOX SCORE

 

McMaster (15), Laurier (40)

Source: McMaster Marauders

The McMaster football team went into hostile territory at Wilfrid Laurier with a first round playoff berth at stake and came up with its flattest effort of the season, dropping a 40-15 decision to the Golden Hawks.

Both McMaster and Laurier finish the year at 6 and 2, but WLU finishes in second-place and will enjoy a week off before hosting an OUA semi-final.

The Marauders will work to regroup as they prepare to host an OUA quarter-final on Saturday, October 28th versus the Queen’s Gaels, who finished in 6th-place to grab the last playoff berth.

Laurier entered play without its starting quarterback, but playing with a stiff wind behind them, the Hawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter behind back-up QB Tristan Arndt.

When the team’s changed ends, McMaster took advantage of having the wind and got a 98-yard touchdown pass from Jackson White to Dan Petermann to close within 14-7, and it looked like Mac might grab the momentum.  But even playing against the wind, Laurier continued to move the ball against Mac’s top rated defense and entered the intermission with a 24-7 lead.

The third quarter was all Laurier as the Marauder offense struggled mightily and the Hawks went up 40-7 after 45 minutes.  In the fourth quarter McMaster got a late touchdown from Jordan Lyons and a rouge on the subsequent kick-off to complete the scoring.

The loss snaps McMaster’s five-game win streak, and the Marauders will now have to prepare for an opponent they have not seen in 2017, as Queen’s was one of Mac’s non-combatants.  The Gaels are playing very well, after a slow start to the season and will pose a major threat to a Marauder team that received a big lesson about competing with the elite in the OUA.

BOX SCORE

 

Queen’s (59), Toronto (38)

Source: Varsity Blues

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues football team wrapped up their 2017 campaign with a 59-38 loss to the Queen’s Gaels on Saturday, October 21 at Varsity Stadium.

The Blues finish the season with a 1-7 record, while the Gaels improve to 4-4 and secure the final playoff spot thanks to a Guelph win over Carleton.

TORONTO STATS

In his final game as a Varsity Blue, fifth-year punter TJ Morton broke the OUA record for most punting yardage in a single season, breaking Guelph Gryphons Norman Nasser’s 2000 record of 3,621 yards. Morton punted nine times for 417 yards on the day to end 2017 with 87 punts for 3,921 yards. He also rushed twice for 40 yards and recorded one tackle.

Second-year quarterback Clay Sequeira went 14-for-26 for a season-high 282 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the team with 73 rushing yards and two majors on six carries.

Fifth-year running back Kaleb Leach rushed 14 times for 67 yards, while sophomore receiver Nick Stadnyk had four receptions for 75 yards and two majors. Third-year receiver Wacey Schell also had three catches for 92 yards.

Defensively, fifth-year linebacker Brittley Mokube led all players with nine tackles, while fourth-year veteran Paul Kozachuk had eight tackles in the loss.

GAME FLOW

Sequeira opened the scoring on Toronto’s first drive of the game, capping off an eight-play, 72-yard drive with a 30-yard rushing major.

The Blues took a 14-0 lead on their next drive as Sequeira connected a 22-yard pass with Stadnyk. The Gaels responded though as Nate Hobbs found receiver Chris Osei-Kusi for a 73-yard touchdown reception.

Queen’s evened the score as Hobbs ended a seven-play, 72-yard drive with a 21-yard pass to fourth-year receiver Connor Weir. The game was tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.

The Gaels extended their lead for good with back-to-back touchdowns early in the second quarter. Hobbs found Matteo Del Brocco in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown reception, and then connected with Jake Puskas for a 13-yard major.

After Morton’s second punt fake for a first down, the Blues attempted a trick play, but sophomore quarterback-turned-receiver Christian Krcilek was intercepted by Queen’s linebacker Nelkas Kwemo for the 61-yard pick six.

Nick Liberatore added a 28-yard field goal as the Gaels took a 38-14 lead into halftime.

The two teams exchanged touchdowns midway through the third quarter. First, Hobbs found Osei-Kusi for his second major of the day, but the Blues answered back as, on the ensuing drive, Sequeira ran for his second TD of the game, this time from 15 yards out. Queen’s was up 45-28 at the end of the third quarter.

Hobbs extended Queen’s lead early in the fourth off a one-yard rushing major, but Toronto responded as Sequeira found Stadnyk in the endzone for a 36-yard touchdown, his second of the day. Ryan Grandell added a field goal for the Blues from 31 yards and the Gaels rounded out the scoring with a Puskas 15-yard rushing TD.

QUEEN’S STATS

Hobbs went 32-for-40 for 433 yards and five touchdowns on the day. Puskas finished with 22 carries for 118 yards and one major, while Osei-Kusi made 12 receptions for 173 and two touchdowns. Del Brocco had six catchs for 95 yards and one touchdown in the win.

Wesley Mann led the Gaels defence with six tackles.

BOX SCORE

 

Photo by Valerie Wutti

Guelph (28), Carleton (23)

Source: Carleton Ravens

OTTAWA, ON – The Carleton Ravens finished their 2017 regular season on Saturday, October 21, with a devastating loss against the Guelph Gryphons.

In a back and forth battle from start to finish, the Ravens saw an end to their post-season dreams as Guelph took the game in a crushing 28-23 final. With this loss, the Ravens finish in eighth place in the OUA with a 3-5 record.

GAME FLOW:

The Gryphons’ Gabriel Ferraro opened the scoring five minutes into the game with a 25-yard field goal to give Guelph an early 3-0 lead. A few minutes after that, he met the goal post from the 45-yard line to up advance their game by three points again.

Veteran kicker Michael Domagala (St. Catharines, ON) responded to Ferraro with a successful kick of his own, from the 11-yard line, to cut the Gryphons lead in half in the beginning of the second quarter.

Towards the end of the second, the Ravens forced the Gryphons to concede a safety to make the game little closer at 6-5.

Then, with just under five minutes to go, Kyle VanWynsberghe (Delhi, ON) and Dexter Brown (Sherwood Park, AB) helped bring the Ravens out of their own 35 and onto Guelph’s 42-yard line. From there, rookie QB Michael Arruda (Gatineau, QC) inched the Ravens even closer with a 14-yard pass to second-year Nathan Carter (Ottawa, ON). A costly penalty from Guelph put the Ravens on the Gryphons 13-yard line. There, Arruda worked his magic and hit wide receiver Quinton Soares (London, ON) with a 13-yard touchdown pass to turn the game in the Ravens favour. A good kick from Domagala earned them the extra point, giving the Ravens a 6-12 advantage before half time.

On their opening drive in the third, Arruda’s hands remained hot, connecting with Brown, VanWynsberghe, and Phil Iloki (Montreal, QC) to move the Ravens into the Gryphons’ territory. From there, Carter and his quick feet were able to bring the ball to the end zone on a 48-yard rush. With a solid kick from Domagala, the Ravens increased their lead by seven points, making the game 6-19.

The Gryphons were quick to answer on their next drive, moving themselves into the red zone to put themselves in scoring position. They came up short on their touchdown attempt, but Ferraro was able to put up three points from the 21-yard line.

On Carleton’s next drive, with five minutes to go in the third quarter, Domagala pushed the Ravens lead to 22 points with a 47-yard field goal.

Trailing by 13 points, at 9-22, fourth-year Ferraro kicked his fourth field goal of the game to bring Guelph closer at 12-22 before the end of the third.

Just two minutes into the fourth, Ferraro met the goal post yet again with a 48-yard field goal to put the Gryphons down by a single touchdown.

The Gryphons were able to capitalize on that, scoring their first touchdown of the game on their next drive, on a two-yard rush from fifth-year running-back Johnny Augustine. With under ten minutes to go, the Ravens and Gryphons were tied at 22.

Fifth-year Christian Battistelli (Sudbury, ON) managed to snag a single point for the Ravens with a kick to the end zone at 3rd and goal to give them a one-point lead.

The Gryphons weren’t ready to give up yet, bringing their all-star kicker into field goal range at Carleton’s 29. From there, Ferraro put up another three points to give Guelph a two-point edge with 2:29 left on the clock.

With one minute to go, Guelph’s offence situated themselves just past the neutral zone and set themselves up for a field goal. Ferraro’s kicking streak continued, as he sent one soaring from the 49-yard line.

The Ravens made one last attempt to turn the game around, but struggled to bring themselves into the end zone. Guelph took the game by a mere five points, in a 28-23 defeat.

This is the first time the Ravens have missed the playoffs since their inaugural year in 2013.

Head coach Steve Sumarah describes a loss like this as “heartbreaking”, saying they just “ran out of gas” towards the end of the game.

BY THE NUMBERS:

 The Ravens put up huge numbers and set new records at MNP Park against Guelph on Saturday.

On offence, Michael Arruda threw 313 yards – finishing his rookie campaign with a whooping 2,146 passing yards. He becomes the second Raven in their football history to pass for 2000 yards in a single season. Kyle VanWynsberghe also hit the 2000-mark in his career receiving yards – becoming the second Raven to ever do so. Against Guelph, he put up 91 yard. Second-year Nathan Carter set a Ravens record for most yards rushing in a season. His 82 yards against the Gryphons put him at 1399 for his career. Michael Domagala’s incredible 47-yard field goal became the second longest in Carleton’s football history.

As for defence, Jack Cassar (Mississauga, ON) led the team in tackles with 11 takedowns. Fifth-year Leon Cenerini (La Salle, MB) set a new record in his final game with the Ravens, becoming the first Raven to ever reach 300 career tackles. Kene Onyeka (Brampton, ON) also had quite the game, registering 2.5 sacks. This number helps keep Onyeka in the OUA and U SPORTS top five for sacking.

RAVENS PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
OFFENCE: #12 Kyle VanWynsberghe – Wide Receiver – 5th year – Delhi, ON
DEFENCE: #56 Jack Cassar – Inside Linebacker – 2nd year – Mississauga, ON

BOX SCORE

 

Photo credit: Kevin Jarrold

York (27), Windsor (43)

Source: Windsor Lancers

The Lancer Football team closed out the 2017 season with a convincing 43-27 victory over the York Lions Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field.

Both the Lancers and Lions finished the season with identical 1-7 records, and did not qualify for the post season.

GAME FLOW
Windsor took an early 7-0 lead just five minutes into the game when Sam Girard connected with Marvin Gaynor for a six yard touchdown. Following a 13-yard field goal by by Clark Green, the Lions brought the game within three with a 75-yard reception by Kadeem Hemmings.

York tied the game at ten early in the second, but the Lancers retaliated with ten straight points to take the lead that they were able to hold for the remainder of the game.

STATS 
Girard, who returned to the Lancer line-up after missing the last six games with a shoulder injury, finished the game 14-for-23, with 285 yards and four touchdowns.

On the ground, Gaynor led the way for the Blue & Gold with 232 yards on 14 carries, while Marcus Kentner had 195 yards. In the air, Kaeden Walls caught the ball five times and finsihed the game with 167 yards.

Prior to the game, the Lancers honoured their graduating seniors.

BOX SCORE

 

Photo Emery Gbodossou

MTA (42), Bishop’s (19)

Source: Bishop’s Gaiters

SHERBROOKE, Que. – The Mount Allison Mounties used a 15-point second quarter to come from behind and keep their playoff hopes alive with a 42-19 win over the Bishop’s Gaiters in Atlantic University Sport football action at Coulter Field in Lennoxville, Saturday. Mount Allison overcame an early 9-0 Bishop’s lead to take a 22-16 lead into halftime.

With the win, Mount Allison (3-4) remains in contention for a playoff berth, while the Gaiters (1-6) have been eliminated from the playoffs.

The Gaiters opened the scoring on their first drive of the game, as starting quarterback Stephen Casey (Boucherville, Que./Champlain College St-Lambert) scored on a seven-year run, capping a nine-play, 69-yard drive. The Gaiters extended their lead to 9-0 midway through the quarter when they forced the Mounties to concede a safety touch. However, that was the high point for the Gaiters, as Casey was injured and forced to leave the game on Bishop’s next possession.

The Mounties cut the margin to two points on a 31-yard pass from Jakob Loucks to Josh Hicks with 5:09 left in the quarter. Mount A tied the game on a safety touch 42 seconds into the second quarter and took the lead on their next possession, courtesy of a 37-yard field goal from Ryan Lambert. Loucks connected with Malik Richards on a five-yard pass to extend their lead to 10 points with 5:05 left in the half.

The Gaiters cut the margin to three points on an 11-yard pass from Connor McKee to Cecil Belanger (Langley, B.C./Langley Secondary), the first career university touchdown for both players, with 1:16 left in the half. However, the Mounties replied with a 10-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in the half to take a six point lead, 22-16, into the long break.

The teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter, and Lambert’s fourth placement of the game put the Mounties up 28-19 with 13:44 left in the game. The Gaiters offence was unable to put a sustained drive together in the late stages, and touchdown runs by the Mounties’ Troy Downton and Kiel Ambursley provided the final margin of victory.

Mount Allison made 30 first downs to the Gaiters’ 22, and outgained Bishop’s 495 to 383. The Mounties held the ball for 34:08, to 25:52 for the Gaiters. Mount Allison was flagged 11 times for 122 yards, while the Gaiters lost 189 yards on 15 penalties. The Gaiters made three turnovers, while Mount Allison only coughed up the ball once.

For Bishop’s, starting quarterback Casey was 3-for-6 for 25 yards before leaving in the first quarter. McKee went 9-for-13 for 175 yards and a touchdown before he was forced to leave the game in the third quarter. Liam Kennedy (Nepean, Ont./) finished the game, going 6-for-13 for 53 yards.

Louis-Philippe Gregoire (/) was the Gaiters’ leading rusher, with 13 carries for 80 yards. Nathan Walker (Brampton, Ont./St. Roch C.S.S.) led the Gaiters receivers with five catches for 77 yards and also racked up a game-high 226 all-purpose yards.

For Mount Allison, Loucks went 24-for-35 for 325 yards with an interception and two touchdowns. Richards made 10 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown, while Josh Hicks had four catches for 110 yards and a major. Ambursley, for his part, carried 17 times for 111 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Nicolas Cartagenise led Bishop’s with 10.5 tackles and an interception, while Elijah Williams (Pickering, Ont./Pickering H.S.) had 6.5 tackles and the Gaiters’ only sack. For Mount Allison, Nathan Vaikla had a team-high 6.5 tackles. The Mounties made four sacks, led by 1.5 from Donovan Glave.

The Gaiters (1-6) wrap up the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 28, as they visit the StFX X-Men for the Bigg Bowl. Mount Allison is also back in action on Saturday, as they visit Saint Mary’s.

NOTES: Nathan Walker (Brampton, Ont./St. Roch C.S.S.) now has 39 receptions on the year, tied for seventh-highest in school history … He is also one of only 15 Gaiters to go over 500 receiving yards in a season … The Gaiters still lead the all-time series, 4-3, although this is Mount A’s second straight win at Coulter Field … Saturday’s game saw Gaiters celebrate the 2017 inductees into the RBC Wall of Distinction. This year’s class included former Gaiter head coach Ian Breck, as well as three defensive stalwarts: Francis Bellefroid, Paul Connery and Tommy Europe … Saturday’s game was Seniors’ Day, marking the last appearance at Coulter Field for 26 Gaiters seniors:  Alexandre Bouffard (Sherbrooke, Que./Cégep de Victoriaville), Derek Trager (Winnipeg, Man./Miles MacDonell C.I.), Jean-Pierre Doret (Laval, Que./Cégep Lionel-Groulx), Liam Mellor (Carleton Place, Ont./Holy Trinity C.H.S.), Trey Hylton (Mississauga, Ont./Champlain-Lennoxville), Gabriel Savard-Bergeron (Quebec City, Que./Cégep de Limoilou), William Tondreau (Montreal, Que./Cégep Ahuntsic), Mathieu Breton (Roxboro, Que./John Abbott College), Michael Nelson (Brampton, Ont./St. Marguerite d’Youville S.S.), Dashaun Smellie (Mississauga, Ont./Champlain-Lennoxville), Jerome Valbon (Paris, France/), Maeric Achiepi (Villabe, France/), Jordan Ngantsi (Ottawa, Ont./Lester B. Pearson C.H.S.), Andrew Fuentes (Valleyfield, Que./John Abbott College), David L’Heureux (Quebec City, Que./Cégep Limoilou), Vincent Dube, Louis Verville (Victoriaville, Que./Cégep de Victoriaville), Guillaume Leclaire-Marceau (Lévis, Que./Cégep de La Pocatière), Jonathan Deblois, Philippe Geoffrion (Varennes, Que./Collège de Valleyfield), Matthew Ouellet De Carlo (Pierrefonds, Que./Champlain-Lennoxville), Ryan David (Montreal, Que./John Abbott College), Eric Gagnon (Sherbrooke, Que./Cégep de Sherbrooke), Cecil Belanger (Langley, B.C./Langley Secondary), and Jeremy Magan-France (Rexdale, Ont./Don Bosco C.S.S.).

BOX SCORE

 

Sherbrooke (35), McGill (27)

With files from: Sherbrooke Vert et Or

The Vert & Or have done just enough at the crucial moment of their tough 2017 season, Saturday afternoon at Percival Molson Stadium. They had the best of the McGill Redmen at 35-27, qualifying for the playoff round that will start in the first weekend of November.

In a must-win for both teams, Sherbrooke hit hard and fast to take the lead. A comfortable 28-point lead by Vert & Or, however, almost completely melted in the third quarter and early fourth, following three interceptions by McGill at the expense of quarterback Alex Jacob-Michaud. The latter was called in the first sequence of the game to take over from Xavier Owens, who was hard pressed to the goal on a 10-yard race.

The second-year pivot had a good start to the game, leading the Vert & Or attack to nearly 200 yards and three majors. In the first half of the game, Sherbrooke came from Gabriel Polan (1 yard race), Jean-Raphaël Moisan (5 yards) and the third of the US receiver’s season Jermer Braswell; to which must be added two safety touches. Thanks for that to the brilliance of the defense of Vert & Or. The defensive front has notably managed four drawbacks of the quarterback in the first two quarters, thanks to Maxime Tessier (2) and Alexandre Gagnon (2).

At the end of the match, Green & Gold defensive back Jean-Philippe Huot intercepted opposing quarterback Dimitri Sinodinos to seal the outcome of the match, with only a few seconds left to play. That put an end to the Redmen’s last-ditch sequence, hidden deep in their territory. Montreal had 27 first games, including 17 in the second half to score 21 of the first 22 points in the third quarter. But it was too little too late, especially as kicker UdeS Pierre-Antoine D’Astous responded with important investments of 23 and 20 yards to maintain the lead of Vert & Or.

Receiver Jermer Braswell reached the 100-yard mark with 5 catches, plus a touchdown and a big game late in the game.

All white dressed for the first time in its history and wearing a new helmet for parties outside, Sherbrooke  seemed to like. His last loss to Percival-Molson goes back more than 8 years, for a successful sequence of seven wins in a row.

“I did not like the process, but we are going to take the victory and the result that positively ends a difficult season. It was the goal at the beginning of the season to make the series and we reached it. Whether you finish 6-2 or 2-6 in this league, you risk playing the first round on the road. We’ve done enough to win, but I certainly want more character from our players when things are not so good for us, “said Mathieu Lecompte, who will have his first elimination experience as head coach.

“We managed to get back to the base and resume our rhythm just at the right moment at the end of the match to ensure victory. When I saw Jermer (Braswell) open late in the game, I did not want to miss him. This game has nailed the casket. We now have two weeks to prepare for the series and a little rest will do a lot of good, “said the quarterback of Green & Gold, Alex Jacob-Michaud. No. 16 ended the day with 20 complete passes on 37 offerings, three interceptions and two touchdowns. All for 302 yards of gain, including its longest on 49 yards.

The record of Sherbrooke after their eight regular season games is two wins and six losses, which will be enough to be part of the square, although this is their second worst in 15 years. Vert & Or will benefit during the next week of its second scheduled break on the regular schedule of the Quebec university football circuit. Meanwhile, the other four formations will be in action.

Sherbrooke is back in the playoffs for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.

BOX SCORE

Credit Mathieu Belanger

Montreal (0), Laval (22)

With files from: Laval Rouge et Or

The match between the Rouge et Or and the Carabins will have turned to the home team, Saturday at Stade TELUS-Laval University, Laval winning by 22-0.

Taking advantage of the pleasant weather for late October, and in front of the show’s announced quality, some 18,383 spectators passed TELUS-UL Stadium turnstiles, the fourth-best crowd in the team’s history. Encouragement that will have certainly motivated the Rouge et Or.

For the first time since the opening match of the 2014 season between the two big rivals, the gap has been more than one touchdown. More than three years ago, Laval won at home by 40 to 13. Since then, each of the Reds and Blues duels ended with a differential of six points or less.

Another exemplary defensive performance punctuated by six interceptions – including four by Gabriel Ouellet alone – allowed the Rouge et Or to take the lead in the RSEQ’s university football league. If Laval win next week at Concordia, he will be crowned champion of the regular season and will have the advantage of the field for all playoffs.

“We wanted to make sure we played the Dunsmore Cup at home, if we went that far, and we put all our efforts into that. This game was won during the training week. It is indeed one of our very good performances, but the credit goes to the coaches for the game plans and the players for the execution. But it’s all back again next week, “noted Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin.

The Laval pilot also praised the supporters who had moved in large numbers. “We have the best fans in Canada. It’s amazing to have 18,000 people for a university match, “he said.

Constantin also wanted to return to the performance of Gabriel Ouellet, who tied a Canadian mark with four pennies. The record was co-held since 2010 by Maximilien Ducap of Rouge et Or and Julien Hamel of the Carabins, as well as by eight other players outside Quebec. “There is an element of luck, but the preparation was there, as was the opportunity to make big games. He got involved during the training week and he deserves credit. ”

Another Laval equaled a team record on Saturday. With a quarterback bag on his record, Mathieu Betts now has 26.5 career, a summit in the Rouge et Or he shares with Vincent Desloges.

There is little chance to score points in the first half, but the Rouge et Or seized its opportunities. In the first quarter, the Laval attack recovered the ball almost in the center of the field. Eight games later, Richard threw a seven-yard pass to Simon Gingras-Gagnon for the major. After 15 minutes, it was 7-0 for Laval.

Laval added after the first of two interceptions of Gabriel Ouellet in the second quarter. The Rouge et Or resumed at 16 Carabins and seconds later, Richard himself bore the ball on a penis for the touchdown. At the half, the R and O was ahead 14-0.

Another turnaround was at the origin of seven additional points for the Laval residents. Nicolas Viens made a spectacular interception at the expense of Montreal quarterback Samuel Caron, bringing the ball to the line 6 of the Blues at the same time. A rebate to Jonathan Breton-Robert two games later brought the Reds lead to 21-0.

A single over a clearance from Dominic Levesque at the end of the game put the score at 22-0, the final score.

The Rouge et Or (6-1) will play their last regular season game Friday night at 7 pm in Montreal against the Concordia Stingers (3-3). The Laval will return to the TELUS-UL Stadium on Saturday, November 4 at 2 pm to host the RSEQ semi-final, against an opponent that remains to be determined.

BOX SCORE

 

Saskatchewan (23), Alberta (49)

Source: U of A Golden bears

The Golden Bears Football team beat the Huskies 49-23 on Saturday afternoon to keep their playoff hopes alive.

All possible scenarios:

IF: Golden Bears win vs Calgary/ Saskatchewan win vs Manitoba Both teams would improve to 3-5, and the tie-breaker would come down to overall points for/points against. Currently, Alberta is -51, Saskatchewan is -37.

IF: Golden Bears loss vs Calgary/ Saskatchewan loss vs Manitoba Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan would all be 2-6, causing a three-way tie for the fourth and final playoff spot. In this scenario, the Golden Bears would win the tie-breaker thanks to their win-loss record against the teams in the tie-breaker. ALB would be 2-1 (1-1 vs SSK, 1-0 vs MAN) SSK would 2-2 (1-1 vs ALB, 1-1 vs MAN) MAN would be 1-2 ( 1-1 vs SSK, 0-1 vs ALB)

IF: Alberta loss vs Calgary/ Saskatchewan win vs Manitoba The Huskies would clinch the final playoff spot, and the Golden Bears would be eliminated

BOX SCORE

 

Calgary (42), Regina (30)

Source: Calgary Dinos

REGINA – The University of Regina Rams came back from a big early deficit but couldn’t get over the hump against the No. 2 team in the nation as the University of Calgary Dinos improved to 7-0 with a 42-30 win Saturday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium.

In a game that looked like it was over when the Dinos stormed out to a 24-3 lead after the opening quarter, the eighth-ranked Rams (4-3) chipped away at the lead and came within five points on three occasions. Calgary was able to keep the home side at arm’s length and, while the Dinos offence sputtered at times, managed to score when it was most important to do so.

“We lost a little momentum,” said Dinos Head Coach Wayne Harris. “The offence stalled a little, and it puts a lot of pressure on the defence – but they stood in tall. And the wind was a big factor – that’s two weeks in a row with the wind really dictating a lot of the play.

“We went without four starters in the secondary, and the young guys stepped up. Our front seven has been playing unbelievable – the defensive line has really been top-notch.”

Regina quarterback Noah Picton became the all-time leading passer in Canada West history, surpassing former Ram Teale Orban’s career total of 9,449 yards early in the contest. He finished the game with 299 passing yards, bringing his career total to 9,736 with one game left in the 2017 season.

Calgary stormed out of the gates, jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first six minutes thanks to a 20-yard Adam Sinagra pass to Hunter Karl, whose toe drag in the end zone gave the Dinos their first major of the day. The momentum swung further to Calgary on the ensuing Regina drive when, on the play immediately following Picton’s record-breaking completion, Matthew Lucyshyn picked off the Hec Crighton winner and ran it back 73 yards for the major.

Jeshrun Antwi added a 6-yard touchdown run just over two minutes later to make it 24-0 before the Rams finally got on the board with a Daniel Scraper field goal.

With the wind in the second quarter, the Rams ate into the deficit, taking advantage of their field position. The Rams benefitted from a pair of conceded safeties by the Dinos, and added an eight-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with Mitchell Picton’s 7-yard touchdown grab. Calgary led 26-14 at the half.

The Dinos elected to take the wind in the third quarter, but the Rams still managed to claw closer when Thomas Huber caught a five-yard Picton TD toss early in the period. Calgary’s only points came courtesy a conceded safety as the Dinos receivers had trouble hanging onto the football and Calgary picked up just three first downs in the quarter.

The Dinos conceded a safety – the sixth of the game given up by the two teams – to start the fourth before the offence finally broke through with a five-play, 63-yard drive capped off by a 21 yard touchdown catch by former Ram Richard Sindani. That made it 35-23 for the Dinos.

Regina made a game of it with another Picton-to-Picton touchdown with just over two minutes to play, then got the ball back with a chance to win, but a Cory Robinson sack snuffed out the Rams’ last hope. Antwi’s second major of the game iced it on a 21-yard run in the final minute.

Sinagra completed 25 of 42 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns or the Dinos, while Picton went 21-for-43 for 299 yards and three majors in the quarterback battle. The Calgary defence recorded six sacks on the Regina pivot.

Hunter Karl‘s 119 receiving yards led the way for Calgary, while Mitchell Picton had another monster day with 177 yards and two majors on 10 catches. Atlee Simon carried the ball 27 times for 181 yards in a losing cause for the Rams.

Calgary closes the regular season next weekend by hosting the Alberta Golden Bears, looking to put the finishing touches on an undefeated season. Regina, meanwhile, will battle it out in Vancouver with the UBC Thunderbirds for second place. The scenario is simple: a Regina win clinches second place and home field for the Rams, while a UBC victory would do the same for the Thunderbirds. Either way, the Rams and UBC will meet in the postseason for the right to play for the Hardy Cup.

BOX SCORE

 

UBC (17), Manitoba (16)

Source: Len Catling (Sr. Manager, Communications and Media Relations, UBC)

WINNIPEG, MB – The UBC Thunderbirds (5-2) got big plays from their defence and enough production from their offence to manage a huge 17-16 road win over the Manitoba Bisons (1-6) at Investors Group Field on Saturday afternoon.

“Our defence was very good today, especially our secondary which was tasked with stopping a very talented Manitoba group of receivers,” said UBC head coach Blake Nill.

Stavros Katsantonis had three interceptions for UBC, including one that ultimately sealed the win for UBC in the fourth quarter.  Trivel Pinto had 7 catches for 136 yards; including an 80-yard touchdown reception from UBC pivot Michael O’Connor late in the first quarter.

“Our offence made enough plays to win the game. At this time of the season with every game being so important, that’s all we can ask,” added Nill.

O’Connor ended the day with 291 yards passing and the one touchdown strike to Pinto. UBC running back Ben Cummings acted as the closer for the ‘Birds with 189 total yards of offence, many coming in the fourth quarter when the ‘Birds were trying to run out the clock.

UBC will now control their own destiny in the quest to host a playoff game at Thunderbird Stadium. A win over Regina next Saturday at 1pm inside Thunderbird Stadium will ensure UBC hosts  a Canada West quarterfinal game.

BOX SCORE

 

Source: U Sports (box scores)

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