[button link=”https://canadafootballchat.com/cfc-memberships/” icon=”check” bg_color=”#ac2a29″]SUBSCRIBE NOW[/button]

After falling behind early, the York Lions football team made a spirited comeback effort in the second half, but it was not enough as they fell to the Carleton Ravens by a score of 35-20. The Lions were down 18-0 after the first quarter but pulled within three points with the score at 20-17 after three quarters. The Ravens had a bit more left in the tank though and pulled away in the fourth quarter to clinch the victory.

The Ravens got on the board early with a rouge point from kicker Mike Domagala on the game’s opening kickoff, and Domagala followed that with a 48-yard field goal on the Ravens first drive to give them a 4-0 lead. After a Lions field goal attempt by kicker Dante Mastrogiuseppe missed a few drives later, Ravens returner Chris Manchulenko ran the ball back 93 yards to put Carleton deep in Lions territory. On the ensuing possession, quarterback Michael Arruda found Phil Iloki in the end zone for the game’s first touchdown, and a few minutes later Arruda completed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Khalik Johnson to make the score 18-0 before the game was 13 minutes old.

Despite the deficit York refused to lie down, and a pair of safeties got them on the board in the second quarter. Mastrogiuseppe drilled a 35-yard field goal just before the first-half came to an end to cut the Carleton lead to 18-7. A Mastrogiuseppe 20-yard field goal gave the Lions some more life early in the second-half as they game seemed to be tilting in their favour.

After a rough start, the Lions defence played well through the second and third quarters, with the only points from the Ravens coming off a conceded safety late in the third quarter. Lions head coach Warren Craney felt as though the defence was one of the bright spots of the game and was especially impressed with how the front seven handled the Carleton ground game.

“I thought our defence played well,” said Craney. “They’re a massive football team and we thought they were going to run the ball pretty well against us. I was really proud of how our defensive line and linebackers played. Jacob Janke, Damian Jamieson and the guys on our defensive line like Rossini Sandjong-Djabome, Tevin McCarty, Jamian Rush and Kwadwo Boahen held their own and as a unit and I thought they played outstanding.”

Late in the third quarter the Lions cut the lead to three after an impressive drive was capped off with 3-yard plunge by running back Kayden Johnson. Ace kick returner Alex Daley set up the drive with a 38-yard punt return to give the Lions good field position, and Lions quarterback Brett Hunchak found his brother Colton Hunchak with a 19-yard pass to set up Johnson’s touchdown run.

With the score 20-17 heading into the fourth quarter the Lions had the momentum, but the Ravens responded quickly with a touchdown of their own when Arruda found receiver Quinton Soares in the end zone to extend the lead to ten. On the Lions next possession, a promising drive was halted when Hunchak was sacked twice in a row deep in Ravens territory. Mastrogiuseppe kicked a 35-yard field goal to make the score 27-20 but that was as close as the Lions would get as a Nathan Carter rushing touchdown with three minutes left in the game sealed Carleton’s fifth victory of the season.

Hunchak had another impressive day behind centre for the Lions completing 29 of 41 passes for 362 yards, while Johnson rushed for 64 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Colton Hunchak had his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season as he caught seven passes for 116 yards and fellow receiver Eric Kimmerly caught eight balls for 87 yards.

Defensively the Lions were led by Janke who picked up seven tackles, followed by Desi Dixon with six and Jamieson with five.
With the loss the Lions fall to 2-5 on the season and will play their final game next week against their cross-town rivals the Toronto Varsity Blues. The game will be the 49^th edition of the Red & Blue Bowl and will take place on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 1pm at Varsity Stadium on the U of T campus.

Suddenly facing elimination from the Canada West playoff race after having to forfeit three wins due to an ineligible player, the University of Regina Rams stayed alive with a 32-17 victory over Alberta on Friday night at Mosaic Stadium.

The Rams not only had to push aside the emotions from last Friday’s announcement, but they also had a new face at quarterback as two-time All-Canadian pivot Noah Picton missed the game due to a lower-body injury. Seb Britton got the start for the Rams, throwing a pair of touchdowns and rushing for one more.

“I’m exceptionally proud of the guys with all the stuff we’ve had to deal with this week,” Rams head coach Steve Bryce said. “They had the opportunity to do something unique and test themselves through adversity, and they really showed what they’re made of tonight.”

Cord Delinte had a superb outing for the Rams’ defence, becoming the first U of R player in over two years to collect two interceptions in a single game. But his most crucial play came late in the fourth quarter, with Alberta riding a wave of momentum and threatening to make it a one-possession game with three minutes still to play. With the Golden Bears facing third down and goal from the six, Brad Baker tried to find Tyler Turner for the pair’s second touchdown of the contest but Delinte knocked down the pass to essentially seal the win for the Rams.

“Cord got our hard hat award in the locker room and really, it’s not just tonight,” Bryce said. “He’s been so consistent all year long. Those two picks were huge for us, and he also had some great hard hits out there.”

Britton completed his first nine pass attempts and finished 18-for-32 for 273 yards in his first career start. Ryan Schienbein was the game’s top receiver, catching seven passes for 89 yards. Britton’s touchdown passes were to Bennett Stusek and Daniel Scraper, with the toss to Scraper giving the third-year receiver his first career major. Atlee Simon returned to the lineup for the first time since being injured in Week 2 and rushed 17 times for 87 yards.

Besides Delinte’s monster outing, the Rams’ defence also had a solid performance from Layne Hull who led the team in tackles (four solo, three assisted) and also had an interception. Eric Wicijowski had a sack and recovered a fumble, while Brandon Brooks and Danny Nesbitt both had a tackle for loss.

The Rams also forced two fumbles on special teams. Grey McKen had one that was knocked out of bounds by Wicijowski for the recovery, while Brayden Wagg knocked out a ball that was collected by Lucas Nurkowski on the opening kickoff of the second half.

Baker finished 18-for-36 for 219 yards and a touchdown for Alberta. Jonathan Rosery rushed nine times for 77 yards before being ejected in the third quarter, while Colby Miller (six catches, 63 yards) and Ben Kopczynski (five catches, 80 yards) were the visitors’ top receivers. Alberta’s defence was led by Zach Mann (four solo tackles, seven assisted) and Aaron Chabaylo, who had an interception for the Golden Bears late in the third.

The Golden Bears opened the scoring with a 24-yard pass from Baker to Turner on Alberta’s opening possession, which came on the Rams’ side of midfield after a fumble on the U of R’s first offensive play of the game. The Rams replied with majors on two consecutive possessions, the first coming on a Britton pass to Stusek from 32 yards out and then on a one-yard sneak by Britton on the first play of the second quarter.

The Rams got deep into Alberta territory three more times in the second quarter, but settled for Aldo Galvan field goals on all three occasions. Alberta’s Brent Arthur hit a 26-yard field goal just before halftime and Regina took a 23-10 lead into the break.

The Rams got another short Galvan field goal early in the third after Nurkowski’s fumble recovery, and then extended the lead to 32-10 after a short field following one of Delinte’s interceptions led directly to Britton’s 23-yard touchdown to Scraper.

Alberta made it a two-score game midway through the fourth after a nine-play, 45-yard drive that saw Baker finish it off himself on third down from one yard out, but that was as close as the Golden Bears would come.

The Rams (1-5) will hit the road next week to face Calgary, which clinched the Canada West regular season title with its win over Manitoba on Friday night. Alberta (2-4) will also be on the road, as the Golden Bears will head to Vancouver to try for a season sweep over UBC (3-3).

NOTES: Friday marked the first time Picton missed a game in his Rams career, ending his consecutive games played streak at 40 … prior to tonight, the last time a quarterback other than Picton started for the Rams was back on Oct. 25, 2014 when Cayman Shutter got the start at Manitoba … Schienbein surpassed Cory Olynick on the U of R’s all-time receptions list and is now tied with Jordan Sisco for fifth in school history with 141 catches in his four-year career.

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds leaned on their ball hawking defence for, four interceptions to stymie the No. 8 Saskatchewan Huskies offence en route to a 20-10 win in front of 1,021 boisterous fans at Thunderbird Stadium Friday night.

It was all about timely takeaways for the T-Birds who improved to 3-3 on the season while climbing the standings largely thanks to a young defensive secondary that came up big when it counted most with three second half red zone interceptions to frustrate the Huskies who fell to 3-3 on the campaign.

“Coach Pat Tracey‘s defence did a great job today,” said UBC head coach Blake Nill. “We had a lot of young men step up, they played incredibly well and delivered. We’ve been forced to play a lot of young kids in many areas and it typically comes down to four or five plays and we made some big ones tonight and I though we took some steps forward.”

On the offensive side of the ball the ‘Birds were led by a pair of veterans in receiver/returner Trivel Pinto who was all over the field in amassing 267 all purpose yards and a major on the night while quarterback Michael O’Connor was very efficient under center with two touchdown tosses and no interceptions.

The T-Birds and the energetic home crowd enjoyed a quick start right from the opening kickoff thanks to aforementioned Pinto’s slashing 63 yard return up the left sideline before being finally taken down in Saskatchewan territory. With favorable field position to work with O’Connor led the offence on a six play 40-yard scoring drive that was appropriately capped off by an 11-yard Pinto touchdown reception and an early 7-0 lead.

The Huskies responded by moving the ball to the T-Birds 44-yard line where they set up for their first points of the contest but Sean Stenger pushed the field goal attempt wide right and it was time for Pinto to shine once again. Pinto broke out for another spirited return, this time scampering for 77-yards before being tackled in Huskies territory. Saskatchewan’s defence would hold strong however as UBC would settle for a 43-yard Greg Hutchins field goal to increase their lead to 10-0.

Ahead of closing out the first quarter Huskies quarterback Kyle Siemens would lead the visitors on a six-play drive totaling 55-yards into UBC territory that resulted in a 27-yard Stenger field goal cutting the T-Birds lead to 10-3.

The second quarter turned into a battle of field possession without much scoring, the highlights for the hosts included kicker Greg Hutchins showing off his range making good on a 47-yard field goal early in the frame to increase UBC’s lead to 13-3. The Huskies struggled in moving the ball while the Birds were flocking to it in earning their first of four interceptions on the night, Harland Hastings would pick off a Siemens pass attempt at midfield and the score would remain 13-3 heading into the break. UBC had the scoring edge while Saskatchewan had the edge in total offence in the opening half with 172 total yards compared to 163 for UBC.

To open the second half Saskatchewan replaced fifth-year starting quarterback Kyle Siemens with second-year backup Mason Nyhus who would go on to move the ball well at times but would be denied the ultimate payoff on several occasions. The visitors seemingly looking for a spark after Siemens stat line read 9 for 18 with 117 yards passing and one interception in the first two quarters of play. Nyhus did start efficiently however leading the Huskies on a seven play 82-yard drive to start the third-quarter that was capped off by a sneaky shovel pass to slotback Colton Klassen who swung around the left side to find open running room and a 30-yard touchdown score cutting the lead 13-10. Shortly thereafter Nyhus moved the Huskies into UBC territory once again but instead of giving the visitors the lead he threw his first of three interceptions in the half. Nyhus’ end zone pass was picked off by ‘Birds defensive back Payton Lagrange to end the scoring threat.

UBC would hold onto their slim 13-10 lead into the fourth quarter and add to it early in the proceedings as O’Connor led the ‘Birds on a much needed 10 play 85-yard drive that was finished off by a 30-yard toss and touchdown run to slotback Liam Wishart. It gave the T-Birds some much needed breathing room and a 20-10 advantage before another takeaway minutes later. Midway through the fourth quarter Saskatchewan moved the ball into T-Birds territory with a nice 35 hook-up from Nyhus to receiver Finley Easton who caught the ball in traffic at the UBC 15-yard line. On the next play with Nyhus looking for the end zone he found the opposite jersey in T-Birds defensive back Jaxon Ciraolo-Brown who counted the ‘Birds third interception of the night.

Late in the fourth quarter it was UBC defensive back Jean Ventose who stepped up for the fourth and final interception on the evening, and the third on the second-year Huskies slinger while helping secure the T-Birds a third victory on the season.

UBC pivot Michael O’Connor finished the game with a very tidy 29-for-35 for 277 yards and two touchdowns while his favorite target Trevel Pinto finished with nine receptions for 81-yards and a touchdown. Huskies backup quarterback Mason Nyhus put up some numbers in his two-quarters of play finishing 12-for-24 for 235 yards and one touchdown toss but the glaring number is the three interceptions he threw while in the red zone.

“We had a ball hawking mentality tonight and we still have a way to go,” added coach Nill. “We’re not as confident in ourselves as we should be but we’re going to get there, it’s just a process. We’re a well-coached football team and we have the tools to make systems and design plays and it comes down to these kids being able to execute at full speed. It’s been a roller coaster season but I’m proud of the work everyone put in to earn this result.”

With the win UBC suddenly finds themselves occupying second place in the Canada West standings and they’ll next hosts the University of Alberta next Saturday, October 20 for a 1:00 p.m kickoff at Thunderbird Stadium. Meanwhile the Huskies welcome the Manitoba Bisons to Saskatchewan next Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. start time.

 

CALGARY – The third-ranked University of Calgary Dinos claimed top spot in Canada West for the seventh time in eight seasons with a 34-16 victory over the Manitoba Bisons Friday night at a windy McMahon Stadium.

With the win, Calgary improves to 6-0 and will enjoy home field advantage throughout the Canada West playoffs. Manitoba falls to 3-3 with the setback.

The wind and snow did no favours for the passing attacks of both teams, and there was a distinct advantage driving north to south.

While it was another solid performance from the Dinos offence, which put up 433 yards of total offence, it was the Calgary defence that really stood out. The Dinos front was relentless, constantly putting pressure on Manitoba quarterback Des Catellier. Catellier was held to just 121 yards passing on 9 of 23 completions, well under his season average of nearly 350 yards per game, and was sacked five times on the evening.

Not only did the Dinos defense hold the Bisons to just 16 points, they also were responsible for the first score of the game. With Manitoba embarking on a promising drive with the wind, a botched exchange between Catellier and Jamel Lyles saw Calgary’s Boston Rowe scoop up the football and race 68 yards to the end zone, giving the Dinos an early 7-0 lead.

After three drives that ended in punts, two by the Bisons and one by the Dinos, the Dinos offence would be the first to break through. Heading straight into the teeth of the wind, Calgary quarterback Adam Sinagra led a nine-play, 79-yard drive that ended with 24-yard touchdown pass to his favorite target, Hunter Karl. A well-designed play action bootleg left Karl all by his lonesome as he strolled into the endzone. The Dinos took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

It wouldn’t take the Dinos long to capitalize on finally driving with the wind, as they scored just 2:15 into the second quarter on an Alex Basilis 11-yard touchdown pass from Sinagra.

The Dinos ended the half on a high note, with another tremendous kick from Niko DiFonte. With the wind at his back, DiFonte boomed a 52-yard field goal through the uprights, tying the second-longest field goal in Dinos history behind his own Hardy Cup-winning 59-yarder from a year ago. Add a defensive safety given up by the Bisons, and a Manitoba punter Brad Mikoluff rouge, and the Dinos took a 25-1 lead into halftime.

Starting the third quarter, both offences would struggle to find traction. Moving with the wind, the Dinos finally got rolling and put together a 69-yard drive, ending in a Robinson Rodrigues 20-yard touchdown run.

Manitoba finally found a way to penetrate Calgary’s defense early in the fourth quarter. An outstanding one-handed catch along the sidelines by Dylan Schrot put Manitoba deep into Dinos territory, and Jamel Lyles finished the job with a 17-yard touchdown run.

Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette scored the final major of the night for Manitoba, a 24-yard scamper.

“I thought the first half they played really outstanding, other than the one drive,” Dinos Head Coach Wayne Harris said of his defence. “We did give up a couple big plays in the third and fourth, but overall I thought it was a very solid defensive effort.”

Hunter Karl continued his strong season, catching nine passes for 125 yards and a touchdown, while Robinson Rodrigues had a solid game on the ground, carrying the ball 13 times for 70 yards and a touchdown. Sinagra tossed for 305 yards and two TDs on the night, while Grant McDonald picked up two sacks on the night for the Dinos.

Lyles picked up 147 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while Dylan Schrot’s two catches for 60 yards led the way for Manitoba.

Next up, the Dinos will host the Regina Rams on Friday, Oct. 19, while the Bisons will head to Saskatoon to face the Huskies next week.

(Halifax, N.S.)—Cam Valardo didn’t expect to be this busy on Saturday afternoon for his U Sports No. 6-ranked SMU Huskies 28-16 homecoming victory over the visiting Mount Allison Mounties from Huskies Stadium.

Things changed when the back-up quarterback from Fall River, Nova Scotia suddenly found himself under centre when starter Kaleb Scott (Mount Albert, Ont.) went down with 12:46 left in the first quarter.

Valardo’s first two snap was a four-yard pass while his second was a 31-yard rumble, dragging two Mount A defenders one-yard from the goal line. Valardo punched the major in two plays later with a one-yard plunge.

Brian Hope (Port Coquitlan, BC) added the point-after and the Huskies led 7-0 with 10:56 left in the first quarter.

Mount A took the next possession and drove 64-yards in nine plays, capped off by a 1-yard score from running back Chris Reid (Brampton, Ont.) with James Parker’s (Abbotsford, BC) kick tying the game 7-7 with 5:44 left in the opening quarter.

Parker booted the ensuing kick-off to the Huskies’ eight-yard line, where Shedler Fervis (Toronto, Ont.) returned the kick 102 yards for the touchdown as SMU pushed their lead to 14-7 with 5:29 left in the quarter.

Both teams used their special teams to collect points in the second quarter, with Mount A giving up two team safeties and Parker nailed a 27-yard field goal for the Mounties, as they trailed SMU 18-10 at half.

Saint Mary’s opened the third quarter scoring with a 19-yarder from Hope and Jonathan Cimankinda‘s (Ottawa, Ont.) 1-yard run pushed SMU up 28-10 after three quarters.

The only scoring in the fourth quarter came on a Mount Allison late touchdown from Keil Ambursley (Toronto, Ont.) with :27 seconds left and made it 28-16 as their 2-point conversion failed.

Valardo finished with 139 passing yards and rushed five times for 54 yards with the lone touchdown while Cimankinda had 14 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Mount A finished with 112 yards in the air from quarterback Troy Downton (Burlington, Ont.) and Ambursley had 102 yards on 18 carries while Reid had 28 yards on eight rushes.

SMU improves to 7-0 while Mount A falls to 2-4.

Up next, Mount A hosts Acadia University October 20^thwhile SMU finishes the regular-season October 27^that Acadia.

Over the first three quarters of Saturday’s massive contest at Warrior Field, the McMaster Marauders were able to keep the high-flying Waterloo offense at bay. But in the final 15 minutes, the Warriors reminded the entire OUA just how explosive they could be.

Waterloo scored 25 straight points – 22 in the final quarter – and the Warriors took another step closer to their first playoff appearance in 15 years with a 34-16 victory over the Marauders on senior day at Warrior Field. The win vaults Waterloo into a four-team logjam at 4-3, while the loss drops McMaster into the same spot with an identical 4-3 record.

The Warriors were once again led by their dynamic pass-catch duo of Tre Ford (Niagara Falls/) and Tyer Ternowski: Ford, the second-year pivot, completed 27 of 35 passes for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns, while adding 99 yards on 12 rushing attempts. Meanwhile, Ternowski inched his way closer to the record book by registering 12 catches for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns, giving him 12 on the season – one shy of the OUA all-time mark for receiving touchdowns in a season, held by former Laurier great Stefan Ptazek.

Fifth-year receiver Richmond Nketiah (Brampton/) hauled in 5 catches for 70 yards and a touchdown in his final regular season home game, while Dion Pellerin (Abbotsford/) added 84 yards rushing and a 35-yard touchdown rumble in the fourth-quarter outbreak.

For the Marauders, Andreas Dueck completed 21 of 31 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown, while Levi Paul caught 6 passes for 105 yards. Tommy Neild added a touchdown reception in the third quarter, but the Waterloo defence held McMaster in check all afternoon – the Warriors outgained Mac 482 to 346 yards, and held the Marauders’ vaunted ground game to just 102 yards rushing on the day.

After a first half that saw only one major scored – a 20-yard rainbow from Ford to Ternowski inside the right corner of the endzone – the Marauders came out in the second half and decided to take the ball first, foregoing the wind in the fourth quarter. It looked like the right call initially, as Dueck led McMaster down the field for a touchdown on the opening drive of the half to make it 11-9 Marauders. Then, after forcing a two-and-out, the Marauders got the ball back deep inside Waterloo territory, when punter Caleb Girard (Waterford/) mishandled the snap on the ensuing punt.

But Waterloo’s defence battened down the hatches, and gave up only a field goal, before the offense marched down the field and earned three points of their own when Girard hit from 24 yards out into a stiff headwind. With the score 14-12 McMaster, Waterloo got the wind at their backs for the final quarter, and made the most out of it.

First, it was a five-yard hookup from Ford to Ternowski for the second time in the afternoon, capping off an 8-play, 74-yard drive that included a fake punt conversion on the direct snap to Mitch Kernick (Elmira/). Then, after Tyrese Brissett (Brampton/) and Devon Hinsperger (Waterloo/) teamed up on a second-down sack, and the Marauders failed in their own attempt at a fake punt, Ford hit Nketiah from 7 yards out to stretch the Waterloo lead to 27-14. And finally, following Gray’s interception, Pellerin rumbled in from 35 yards to cap off the scoring for the hosts.

All told, the Waterloo offense scored 25 straight points in four consecutive drives, all while the Warriors defence denied McMaster even a single first-down conversion.

The defensive charge was headed by veteran linebacker Gray, who finished the day with a team-leading 6.5 tackles, a pass breakup, and his first career interception. The Warriors also finished with five sacks as a team, including one-and-a-half each from Brissett and Hinsperger. And finally, Joshua Brown (Etobicoke/) had three tackles for a loss and a forced fumble, as he asserted Waterloo’s strength on the defensive line.

The Warriors will now look to clinch a playoff spot against another member of the 4-3 OUA logjam, as they visit the Guelph Gryphons to finish their regular season. Kickoff at Alumni Stadium in Guelph is slated for 1pm on Saturday, October 20.

 

GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons football team has faced its share of adversity this season. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the togetherness of the group. Through heartbreaking losses and comeback wins, Guelph’s locker room has remained tight and the team is starting to see what a close squad can accomplish. The Gryphons kept their momentum going with a decisive 46-8 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues in the annual Think Pink game at Alumni Stadium Saturday afternoon.

With the players and fans decked out in pink to show their support for those battling cancer, the Gryphons put on a show that gave the team a winning record for the first time this season at 4-3. Fourth-year quarterback Theo Landers was efficient, completing 15 of 21 passes for 182 passing yards and two first-half touchdowns, while also adding 48 yards on the ground. Running backs Juwan Jeffrey and Jean-Paul Cimankinda provided an incredible one-two punch, rushing for 125 and 119 yards respectively.

Guelph came out flying, starting the day with a 2-yard touchdown run by Cimankinda just 2:58 in and then stretching that lead to 14-0 later in the opening quarter when Landers found Kian Schaffer-Baker on the left side of the end zone for a 16-yard strike.”I was really happy with the way the offence came out today,” said head coach Todd Galloway. “It was one of the things we’ve challenged them with is a faster start. We’ve adjusted well and we’ve had good second halves but we’ve been a little slow out of the gate. It was good to see them come out and score 14 points right away.”

“We wanted to come out and put up points,” said Schaffer-Baker, who finished with team-highs of six catches and 76 receiving yards. “That was our main objective. We put up quite a few but we got a few penalties, which we’ll have to clean up.”

Guelph would add on to the lead from there, beginning with a Gabe Ferraro field goal from 25 yards out late in the first quarter. It was the first of six field goals in as many attempts for the fifth-year All-Canadian, who was celebrating his 23^rd birthday.

Up 17-0 heading into the second, the Gryphons scored two more touchdowns in quick succession, including a dazzling 52-yard punt return score by rookie Kiondre Smith and another 16-yard pass from Landers, this time to veteran Kade Belyk. Ferraro would carry the offensive load from there. He nailed five more field goals, with Toronto’s lone touchdown, a 30-yard hookup between quarterback Vince Luccisano and receiver Will Corby, sandwiched in between them.

Galloway was pleased with another inspirational defensive effort from the team. OUA tackles leader Lukas Korol (9.9 per game entering Saturday) led the unit again and topped all Gryphons with 8.5 tackles. The big plays on that side of the ball continued, like Dotun Aketepe‘s second-quarter interception of Luccisano with Toronto threatening in the Guelph end of the field down 24-0.

“They had another good day,” Galloway said of the defence. “Toronto had trouble running the ball on us, which is something we’ve been pretty good at with most teams. And our back end is just continuing to jell. It’s a fairly new group working with each other. As they keep getting better each week, we’re seeing good results.”

The win sets up a critical matchup with the Waterloo Warriors next week at Alumni Stadium as Guelph tries to secure a playoff spot. Galloway said the team already discussed the importance of that matchup immediately after today’s win.

“This one is done and it feels good to put a good football game together but all focus is on this next Saturday,” he said. “It’s good to go in with a couple of wins and some confidence. We’re a much better team than we were at the start of the season.”

Guelph has been able to turn around what was potentially shaping up to be a disappointing season. The team’s three losses have come by an astounding four total points but after a huge comeback win at Laurier two weeks and a bye that gave the team some well-deserved rest, they are ready to finish strong.

Galloway said that it’s a credit to the players, who have never wavered in their support of each other.

“I have to credit a lot of it to the leadership,” the coach said. “They’re a great group of guys and they’re here for the right reasons.

“The ultimate goal is to win football games – and be a family while doing it.”

Ottawa, ON – It was a cold and windy Saturday afternoon as the Mustangs & uOttawa Gee Gees took to the field in Ottawa.

The Mustangs came into the game 6-0 and looking to secure 1st place and home field advantage through the playoffs.

The defense was the story of the 1st quarter as both teams kept each other at bay including a Mustangs drive with 4 minutes left to go. They were able to get the ball to the 1-yard line but couldn’t drive it in to the end zone.

Western would open the offensive scoring in the 2nd quarter when Alex Taylor would take the ball and run for an 88-yard TD and extend the lead to 9-0.

Marc Liegghio extended the Western lead to 12-0 near the end of the 1st half with a field goal with 2:57 left.

The Mustangs defense was solid holding the Gee Gees off the board through the 1st half.

Mid-way through the 3rd quarter the Mustangs drove the ball down the field and finished with short TD run for Cedric Joseph that made it a 19-0 Western lead.

After missing last week’s game against Windsor, Taylor picked up right where he left off when he ran a dazzling 47-yard run to make it 26-0 Western.

Western’s dominant afternoon continued in the 2nd half when Antonio Valvano would receive a 5-yard TD pass from Chris Merchant and that would make it a 33-0 Mustang lead.

That score would hold up as the final and keeps the Mustangs perfect on the season with a 7-0 record and means they will guarantee 1st place in the OUA standings.

The loss takes Ottawa to 5-2.

Games Stats: 

RB Alex Taylor – 13 carries for 225 total yards & 2 TD’s

QB Chris Merchant – 7 for 12 for 126 yard in the air, 7 runs for 50 yard on the ground

RB Cedric Joseph – 13 carries for 69 yard & 1 TD

FB Antonio Valvano – 2 receptions for 22 yars & 1 TD

Next Game:

The Mustangs next action will be the Homecoming game next Saturday at 1pm at TD Stadium against Laurier. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

As always, all Mustangs action can be streamed LIVE on OUA.tv.

Montreal, October 13, 2018 – Hugo Richard has made five touchdown passes to become the new record holder for the Rouge et Or, who scored 34 points in the first half on Saturday at McGill, en route to a 57-13 win. to the Redmen.

Laval (7-0) continues its perfect season thanks to this win. With 67 assists for career majors, Richard beat Benoît Groulx, who had launched 66 between 2005 and 2009. The quarterback of the Rouge et Or is more than a touchdown pass of the absolute record of the RSEQ held by Jérémi Roch, who has accumulated 68 with Sherbrooke’s Vert & Or from 2011 to 2015.

“It simply reflects the long passage I had at Laval University. I was starting from my first match so it helped me a lot. I’m satisfied, but that’s not why I play, “said the fifth-year quarterback at the end of the game.

Head coach Glen Constantin had a clear message for his players after the game. “We have to play the game according to our standard. We must not be deceived by the score and the statistics. There are things that we have not done well today, and that starts during the week (training), where we have to do things better. Have we made progress today? On some points yes, others no. ”

The Redmen opened the scoring with a 12-yard effort after just over six minutes of play. The Rouge et Or opened the machine afterwards. Vincent Breton-Robert first completed a 75-yard thrust by capturing an 8-yard pass for the major. After a safety touchdown by McGill at the end of the first quarter, Mathieu Robitaille made a splash early in the second, catching a 75-yard Hugo Richard bomb to end his run in the end zone. It was then 16-3. On the following kickoff, the Redmen escaped the ball that was covered by Laurence-Poirier Come on 21 of the opponent. The Rouge et Or took advantage of this gift to score another major two games later, when Jonathan Breton-Robert captured Richard’s eight-yard pass to put the score at 23-3. By the end of the half, a touchdown by Christopher Amoah (six-yard run) and two safety touchdowns by the Redmen put the Lavalers in the lead 34-3.

McGill showed signs of life in the third quarter. A long 61-yard run set the tone for a sequence that was completed by a touchdown pass from Dimitri Sinodinos to Jeremy Sauvageau. It was then 34-10, but the Hugo Richard – Mathieu Robitaille duo quickly responded with another long pay game. Pass and 34-yard run, which increased the advance of Glen Constantin’s troupe to 41-10. The number 4 red added a fifth touchdown in this game, thanks to a superb catch Alexandre Savard plunging into the end zone.

With Samuel Chénard at quarterback, the Rouge et Or scored another touchdown before the end of the game, the work of Philippe Lessard-Vézina on a run of a yard. McGill allowed a safety touchdown to complete the score with a 27-yard throw in the final minute of play. Final Mark: Laval 57, McGill 13.

The Rouge et Or will play its last game of the regular season on Sunday, October 21, while Sherbrooke’s Vert & Or will be visiting the TELUS-Laval University Stadium. Tickets for this meeting, which will start at 1 pm, are on sale at reservatech.net or 418 656-FOOT (3668).

Stats

Offense

Quarterback: Hugo Richard 22-27, 376 yards, 5 TD / Samuel Chénard 1-1, 7 yards

Rangers: Vincent Breton-Robert 6 Races, 45 Yards / Hugo Richard 5 Races, 27 Yards

Receivers: Marc-Antoine Pivin 7 catches, 103 yards / Vincent Forbes-Monbleau 4 catches, 35 yards / Mathieu Robitaille 3 catches, 115 yards, 2 touchdowns

Defense

Plated: Émile Chênevert 3.5 (3 solo) / Kean Harelimana 3.5 (3 solo), Vincent Desjardins 3.5 (2 solo), Dan Basambombo 3.5 (2 solo)

Bags of the quarter: Vincent Desjardins 1

Interceptions: Kevin McGee

Special Teams

Investments: None

Puffer Shots: Dominic Lévesque 8 Kicks, 44.2 Yard Average

Kicking shots: David Côté 7 kicks, 58.7 yards average / Dominic Lévesque 1 kick, 58 yards

Kickoff Return: Vincent Breton-Robert 1, 15 yards

Return trip: Antoine Dansereau-Leclerc 4, average of 4.2 yards

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – A 60 yard Dale Wright rushing touchdown at the six-minute mark of the third quarter was the game’s turning point as the Axemen delivered a 31-9 Homecoming win on a third-quarter outburst.

Gaiter Aaron Franklin stopped AUS leading receiver Cordell Hastings on an end around on third and goal.  Hastings fumbled into the end zone and the Gaiters took over on their 20-yard line but were unable to capitalize on the turnover.

With the ball back in the hands of the Axemen, Caleb Ryder responded on a 42-yard pass reception for a touchdown at 11:35 of the first quarter. Ryder’s touchdown reception capped a short four-play drive of 53 yards.

Just under two minutes into the second quarter, the Axemen extended the lead to 14-0 on a 78 yard Rory Kelly interception return for the major. A rushed pass by Stephen Casey resulted in an errant pass that Casey wished he could take back.

The 14-0 lead would hold into the intermission.

Axeman Garvin Cius picked off the first pass of pivot replacement Mathieu Demers on the Bishop’s 17-yard line in the third quarter to set up an eventually missed 22-yard field goal by Jarrett Saumure to gain a single point rouge.

A third down and 30-yard situation on the next Gaiters’ possession set up the two-point safety that pushed the Axemen lead to 17-0.

Touchdowns by Dale Wright and Matt Gledhill in the third quarter pushed the Acadia lead to 31-2.

Prior to Gledhill’s first touchdown of the season, the Axemen conceded two points after being driven back into their end by penalties.

Gledhill’s 12-yard touchdown reception, that concluded a six-play 50 yard Axemen drive late the third quarter, put the game out of reach.

Demers connected with Dashaun Smellie in the back of the end zone with just two seconds remaining to give the Gaiters their major score.

Nathan Walker was a silver lining for the Gaiters. He caught six passes for 78 yards and added 30 rush yards while defensive standout Aarron Franklin finished with 7.5 tackles and the forced fumble.

The Axemen 439 yards net offense compared to Bishop’s 311.  The Acadia edge came from a ground game that posted a combined 180 yards. Subway Player of the Game Dale Wright pulled together 118 net yards on 11 carries.

After playing one of the more consistent games, Wright was asked how he feels about the approaching playoffs.

“I feel like we are shooting ourselves in the foot lately. We need to work on not having penalties and be more focused to win the day,” noted Wright.

Caleb Ryder pulled in five receptions for a game-high 121 yards in receiving. Cordell Hastings, who was kept off the score clock had three catches for 55 yards.

Darcy Tibaudeau posted 8 solo tackles for the Axemen, while Garvin Cius had two interceptions and defensive secondary teammates Rory Kelly and Riley Gabriel each had one.

The Gaiters will conclude their sophomore season in the AUS next Saturday, Oct. 20 on Coulter Field in Lennoxville. They host the St. FX X-Men at 2 p.m.

The Axemen improve to 3-3 and are headed to Sackville, N.B. to take on Mount Allison and wrap up the regular season at home on October 27^th against the league-leading Saint Mary’s Huskies.

 

Montreal, October 13, 2018 – The Montreal Carabins 24-0 win over the Concordia Stingers earned the RSEQ’s second place overall at the CEPSUM on Saturday afternoon. .

This position in the standings therefore ensures the holding of a provincial semifinal duel at home on November 3rd.

“We love playing at home in front of our fans,” head coach Danny Maciocia said without hesitation. Every time we go on the field, there is a special atmosphere and it’s nice to know we’re going to live it once more. ”

In the absence of several regulars on the offensive unit, injured, some players took the opportunity to be more noticeable.

This is the case of the freshman Ryth-Jean Giraud (Management app Police and Security) who added two touchdowns to his record, in addition to running with the ball 15 times for gains of 94 yards.

“We were well prepared and we had to take over,” admitted Ryth-Jean. We did well and I’m happy with the win. We know we have to work on certain aspects of our game and that’s what we will do. ”

“Our young people have a future,” said Maciocia. Ryth-Jean is so explosive! During the playoffs, he could clearly make noise for us and help us. ”

Jean-Clifford Dazouloute (Arts and Sciences) got 108 yards in 11 carries.

Quarterback Dimitri Morand (Communication Sciences) was in his position and had another good day at work. The pivot of the Blues offensive completed 14 of 22 passes for gains of 178 yards. On a number of occasions, he has demonstrated exemplary accuracy by scoring long passes that land directly in the hands of his receivers.

For the fifth time in seven games this season, the defense has not conceded a single touchdown to its opponent. This is also a second white game this year.

“Our goal is always to give as few points as possible,” said Philippe Lemieux-Cardinal (Kinesiology). This is clearly one of the most complete defensive units I’ve played with. I am extremely happy to practice with these guys every week. ”

Sean Côté (Droit) stood out with 7.5 tackles, including a sack. Redha Kramdi (Arts and Sciences) and Philippe Lemieux-Cardinal also joined the quarterback each, while linebacker Michael Brodrique (Administration, HEC Montréal) was in uniform for the first time this year. He had the opportunity to face his brother Samuel who plays for the Stingers.

Kicker Louis-Philippe Simoneau (Occupational Health and Safety), for his part, managed two of his four placement attempts, including one over 32 yards.

A few minutes before the start of the game, last year’s players were introduced to the crowd. The fans warmly applauded the 11 graduates, including Arnaud Gendron-Dumouchel (Physical and Health Education) who suffered a serious ankle injury in the September 8 game against Rouge et Or of Laval University.

“I came back for some practice, but when I stepped on the field, it did something to me,” said the 6-foot, 10-inch offensive lineman. I just can not wait for my foot to get better and put all that behind me. ”

The Carabins will have one week off before visiting the McGill Redmen on October 27th in the final game of the regular season.

Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.