(SACKVILLE, N.B.) - For the first time in history, the Mount Allison Mounties are headed to the Subway AUS Loney Bowl for the fourth straight year.
The Mounties delighted an energetic hometown crowd with a 27-18 win over the Acadia Axemen in the Subway AUS Football Semifinal Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the Mounties now advance to the 2016 Subway AUS Loney Bowl to be played Saturday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. versus the StFX X-Men in Antigonish, N.S.
The Mounties were Loney Bowl champions in 2013 and 2014 before losing 14-12 to StFX at last year's championship game.
Acadia was the first to strike on Saturday when Brandon Jennings hit his first of four field goals on the day from 45 yards out with five minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The Mounties took the lead seven minutes into the second quarter when freshman quarterback Jakob Loucks sprinted untouched to the end zone from four yards out for the touchdown. This capped a six-play, 48-yard drive to give the Mounties a 7-3 lead.
Acadia retook the lead late in the second quarter with a pair of field goals from Jennings, first from 36 yards out with three minutes remaining, and then again from 36 yards out with 51 seconds remaining.
The 9-7 Acadia lead was short-lived however as the Mounties used a 41-yard pass from Loucks to Hicks to put them in field goal range. Louck's longest completion of the day set Ryan Lambert up for a 37-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining to send the Mounties to the locker room with a 10-9 lead at halftime.
Acadia grabbed their final lead of the day when Jennings connected for his fourth field goal, this time from 26 yards, with six minutes gone in the third quarter.
The Mounties would answer back with a 75-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run from Chris Reid to give the Mounties a 17-12 lead with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Shortly after that, punt returner Idahosa Yorke electrified the home crowd with a 54-yard punt return touchdown only to have it called back because of an offside call on the Mounties.
Acadia punted again, this time with Yorke returning the ball to the Acadia 25-yard line.
Acadia picked up an unnecessary roughness call on the play, giving the Mounties the ball on the 10-yard line.
Two plays later, Loucks punched it in from one yard out to extend the Mounties lead to 24-12.
The Mounties added a 28-yard field goal from Lambert with 10 minutes remaining to give them a 27-12 lead.
Acadia would cut the deficit to 27-18 with a touchdown of their own with only six seconds remaining. The Mounties recovered the ensuing kickoff and all that was left was to run the final seconds off the clock.
Chris Reid, the Subway Player of the Game for the Mounties, ran for 209 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries for the Mounties.
Jakob Loucks was 13 of 22 for 117 yards on the day. Loucks also added 55 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Mounties offence.
All-Canadian defensive back Devante Sampson led the Mounties defence with 8.5 tackles.
Acadia quarterback Cody Cluett was 29 of 52 for 290 yards for the Axemen.
Dillan Fortune had 34 yards on seven carries for Acadia, who had 88 yards rushing on the day.
William Wojcik led the Axemen defensively with eight tackles.
The 2016 Subway AUS Loney Bowl can be seen on Bell Aliant's Fibe TV, on channels 1 and 401, or via webcast at www.AUStv.ca.
This year's Loney Bowl winner will travel to play the winner of the Canada West conference in the 2016 Mitchell Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Source: Mount Allison Athletics