CIS football Saturday roundup: Conference final matchups set

Source: Pierre Arsenault, Mount Allison Director of Athletics and Recreation

SACKVILLE, N.B. - The Mount Allison Mounties are headed to the Loney Bowl for the first time since 1998.  On a typical November football afternoon at MacAulay Field the Mounties continued their stingy defensive play and scored when they had the chance en route to a 19-10 victory over the two-time defending AUS Champion Acadia Axemen.  The victory is the 2nd in two weeks for the Mounties over Acadia, much to the delight of a frantic MacAulay Field crowd.

Playing with the wind to start the game, the Mounties got off to a quick start once again this week.  After forcing a two and out on the first series, Michael Bohan returned Thomas Blight’s kick to the Acadia 35 yard line giving the Mounties great field position on their opening drive.  After a first down with three straight carries by Botel, the Mounties couldn’t get any closer and chose to try a 32 yard field goal, which Kyle McLean made to give the Mounties a 3-0 lead.  The Mounties defense continued to pin Acadia, keeping the ball on Acadia’s side of the field and two minutes later Acadia was forced to concede a safety, bringing the score to 5-0.

With six minutes remaining in the 1st quarter Acadia got their first chance to put points on the board but All-Canadian Jacob LeBlanc was able to get through the line and block Thomas Blight’s 36 yard field goal attempt.  After trading punts, the Mounties got the ball back at the end of the first quarter and quarterback Brandon Leyh went straight to work, connecting with Troy Trentham for 39 yards to the Acadia 6 yard line.  From there, the Kyle McLean would eventually kick his second field goal of the afternoon, this time from 27 yards to make it 8-0 for the Mounties.  McLean was back to work half way through the 2nd quarter when his 34 yard punt into the end zone forced a single point.  The score stayed this way until the end of the half, giving the Mounties a 9-0 lead at the midway point of the game.

Acadia had a chance to score quickly at the start of the 3rd quarter but the Mounties were able to block their 2nd field goal of the day, this time with Christian Plante getting his hand on Thomas Blight’s kick. Late in the 3rd quarter a high snap on a Mounties punt gave Acadia the ball on the Mounties 1 yard line.  From there Thomas Troop was able to punch it in and Acadia got within 2 points at 9-7.  Acadia then used an on-side kick to get the ball right back and hold onto newfound momentum.   After driving deeper into Mounties territory, Acadia took their first lead of the game when Thomas Blight connected on a 25 yard field goal, making the score 10-9 Acadia.

The hometown Mounties weren’t long grabbing some momentum of their own.  Acadia punt returner Scott Kelly fumbled a McLean punt and the ball was recovered by Jake DeWolfe giving the Mounties the ball on the Acadia 39 yard line.  The Mounties were able to move the ball enough to give Kyle McLean a shot from 30 yards and he connected to restore a 12-10 lead for the Mounties with 9:26 to play. 

But the Mounties defense wasn’t done yet.  Facing 2nd and 9 from their own 21 yard line, Acadia QB Evan Brown had his pass intercepted by Mounties free safety Kwame Adjei, who then returned the ball 40 yards for a touchdown.  This gave the Mounties a 19-10 lead with 3 and half minutes to play.  From there, the Mounties defense shut the door, sealing a victory and a trip to the Loney Bowl.

Mounties kicker Kyle McLean was outstanding for the Mounties all day, going 3 for 3 on field goals and punting for 440 yards on 11 punts, while also pulling in 2 receptions for 30 yards.  Brandon Leyh was 7-18 for 89 yards and he has now gone 14 quarters without an interception.  All-Star Jordan Botel ran for 90 yards on 24 carries.  For the Mounties defensively Donovan Saunders, Jake Dewolfe and Matt Montgomery each had 6 tackles.  The Mounties defense has held opponents to an average of 15.2 points per game over the last 4 games.

The win was the Mounties 4th straight win and 2nd straight victory over Acadia.  The Mounties will travel to Halifax to face Saint Mary’s (5-3) in the Loney Bowl at 2PM on Saturday, November 9th.  Two of the Huskies three losses have come at the hands of the Mounties this year.  Most recently, the Mounties won at Huskies Stadium for the first time since 1998 when the won 27-24 on October 18th.

Source: Shawn MacDonald, Queen's Sports Information Officer

KINGSTON, Ont. - The No. 4 Gaels are headed to the Yates Cup after avenging last year's OUA semi-final overtime loss to Guelph with a commanding 34-17 victory in their 14th consecutive win at Richardson Stadium.

"We just battled, it wasn't pretty. but it was a battle," said head coach Pat Sheahan after the win. "We caught them on man coverage on the big play with Macdonell. It was our receivers coach who made the call, and Macdonell beat him.

"Quarterback was good today, he didn't make any mistakes and he played very poised. There were some sacks he took today, that under those conditions at that time, he should've taken them.  And that's what you have to do, you don't want to cough up the ball and make a critical error and cost your team the ball game when it's all on the line like that."

Ryan Granberg (Sherwood Park, Alta.) got things rolling early for the Gaels on Saturday, collecting 88 all-purpose yards in the first quarter including a 1-yard run to put Queen's up 7-0 five minutes into the game. Granberg finished the game with two touchdowns, 113  yards on the ground, and 27 receiving yards.

Guelph took the lead 14-13 with 5:38 remaining in the 2nd quarter with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Jazz Lindsey to A'dre Fraser.  Daniek Ferraro made it 17-13 with a minute left in the 1st half, scoring the last of Guelph's points.

From there, Queen's scored 21 unanswered points, shutting the Gryphons out in the 2nd half to win the game 34-17. After Guelph conceded two safeties to Queen's, Billy McPhee (Burlington, Ont.) added to his 228 yards passing on the day, with a touchdown pass coming on a 39-yard strike to Scott Macdonell (Montreal). McPhee also contributed with his legs, with a 26 yard run to set up Granberg's second score on the day.

"I'm so proud of my guys everywhere, defense guys did awesome," commented Sam Sabourin. "Offense, special teams, awesome. And a lot of credit goes to the D-line."

The Gaels will play the winner of Western and McMaster in the 106th Yates Cup next weekend.

On November 14, 2009 the Gaels last faced the Mustangs in the Yates Cup where Queen's took a 43-39 victory. Queen's and McMaster last squared off for the Yates in 2002 where the Marauders bested Queen's 33-19.

Queen's has won 23 Yates Cup Championships in their history, the third most behind Western and Toronto.

Source: Felix Tremblay, Bishop's Sports Information Writer

SHERBROOKE, Que. – Expectations were high for the Bishop’s Gaiters as they hosted their first home playoff game in 19 years on Coulter Field on Saturday. However, the No. 7 Montreal Carabins spoiled the party and ended the purple and silver’s magnificent season. They beat the No. 6 Gaiters 51-8 in one of the two RSEQ University Football semi-finals.

After a quiet first quarter during which Montreal took a 3-0 lead on a 31-yard field goal by Felix Menard-Briere (Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Que.), the second quarter saw the Carabins take a considerable advantage over the home team. They scored 30 unanswered points. Manuel Crisi-Lauzon (Montreal) scored a major on a 12-yard run in the first minute of the quarter. His teammate Sean Thomas-Erlington (Montreal) tacked on a pair of his own majors of one and 11 yards respectively. Quarterback Pierre-Luc Varhegyi (Montreal) found the end zone on a 1-yard run and the Carabins added a safety and to take a 33-0 halftime lead.

Things did not improve for the Gaiters in the second half. Alexandre Doucet (Montreal) picked off a Jordan Heather (Oromocto, N.B.) pass and returned it all the way to the end zone for the touchdown on the opening drive of the frame. Two other team safeties for the Carabins increased the visitors’ lead to 42-0. The Gaiters managed to get on the board when a 32-yard field goal missed wide and earned them a rouge. Montreal was conceded another safety and led 44-1 after the third stanza.

The last frame of the game saw both teams exchange touchdowns. Vincent Davignon (Granby, Que.) scored on a one-yard run for the Gaiters only to have Gabriel Cousineau (Montreal) answer with a  two-yard plunge of his own. The Carabins will travel to Quebec City next week to face the Laval Rouge & Or with the Dunsmore Cup at stake.

"We have to give Montreal credit for the way they played during this game," said Gaiters head coach Kevin Mackey as he highlighted the fact that his team turned the ball over too often. "After the game, I told the guys that even with this disappointing result they did great this season. Many critics did not see us hosting a playoff game, not even making the playoffs. It is only the beginning; we are going to be better next year."

The Gaiters season now comes to a close. They hope to have more attention as the RSEQ individual awards are announced on Tuesday.  Their three all-stars, Heather, Alexander Fox (Montreal) and Geoff Coventry (Orleans, Ont.) are also hoping for national recognition by earning all-Canadian status. That will be unveiled the week of the Vanier Cup.

Get all of your Bishop’s Gaiters news anytime at www.gaiters.ca.

Game notes: Heather was 12-20 for 92 yards and three interceptions and his replacement Shane McDonald (Uxbridge, Ont.) was 13-23 for 161 yards and an interception…Alexander Fox capped off a remarkable university career with another strong game, he caught 9 balls for 124 yards.

Source: Tony von Richter, Western Communications and Media Relations

LONDON, Ont. — The Western Mustangs completed a perfect regular season two weeks ago, finishing a flawless 8-0. But despite their previous eight wins, this was the game the Mustangs really wanted to win.

And win they did, defeating the McMaster Marauders 32-3 in the OUA semi-finals to secure their spot in this year’s Yates Cup final next Saturday. The Mustangs will host the Queen’s Gaels, who earned their berth in the final after defeating the Guelph Gryphons 34-17 earlier on Saturday.

The win today at TD Stadium was a redemptive one for the Mustangs. McMaster has knocked the Mustangs out of the playoffs the last two years, including last year when they defeated Western in the semi-final match before becoming the eventual Yates Cup champions.

After the game, Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall said defeating McMaster tonight felt good.

“[McMaster’s] been a bit of our nemesis the last couple of years,” Marshall said. “It feels good to kind of put a stamp on it. I know we did it in the regular season, but you’ve got to do it in the playoffs, and that was as convincing a win as we’ve ever had against McMaster.”

The game was certainly a showcase for the Mustang defenders, who not only shut out the Marauders in the first half, but also held them to only 82 offensive yards. Coach Marshall said their effort was outstanding.

“It was the best game that they played certainly this year, maybe the best game our defence has played in a long time,” he said.

Leading the defence were cornerback Simon Bahru and linebacker Beau Landry with six tackles each. Mustangs kicker Lirim Hajruallahu also had a game to remember, kicking six field goals to tie the CIS and OUA record for most field goals in a playoff game.

On the offensive side, Mustangs quarterback Will Finch threw for 219 yards with one interception and Mustangs slotback Matt Uren had a dominant game, returning the ball for 138 yards, which helped give the Mustangs consistently good field position throughout the match.

After the game, Uren said he was happy his team beat McMaster to earn their spot in the OUA final.

“It was great to get this redemption. We got one earlier in the season, but they weren’t at full strength so it was nice to get one today.”

McMaster, on the other hand, struggled offensively, earning only 18 first downs and quarterback Marshall Ferguson throwing for just 146 yards. McMaster receiver Michael DiCroce was held to 47 yards receiving.

The Mustangs struggled to finish their drives early in the game, relying on Hajrullahu for field goals in order to get on the board. By the end of the first half, he kicked five field goals, giving the Mustangs a 15-0 lead after 30 minutes.

Coach Marshall said the team had to rely on Hajrullahu’s foot to get on the board.

“Sometimes when you’re playing against good opponents, field goals are all you’re going to get … Lirim being as consistent as he was, was important because we got those points on the board,” Marshall said.

In their first drive of the third quarter, the Mustangs found the end zone when Yannick Harou carried the ball five yards to give the Mustangs their first touchdown of the game, putting them up 22-0.

The Mustangs also avoided trouble early in the third quarter. Marauders cornerback Steve Ventresca intercepted a pass from Finch and ran the ball to the Western’s 26-yard line. But after the Marauders advanced the ball to the 15-yard line, the Mustang defenders were able to shut them down and they had to settle for a field goal by Tyler Crapigna to narrow the score to 22-3.

However, on the following drive, Harou once again carried the ball in for a touchdown, giving his team the 29-3 advantage. Hajrullahu would score his record-tying sixth field goal with a 42-yard effort 2:19 into the fourth quarter, securing the 32-3 win for the Mustangs and a place in the OUA final.

After the game, the Uren said the team would celebrate the win before worrying about Queen’s.

“We’ll try to enjoy it tonight, but we’ll start tomorrow watching film and getting ready for Queen’s,” he said.

Game time for the 106th Yates Cup is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 at TD Stadium. Fans can watch live on Sportsnet 360, or listen on CHRW or on CJBK with Tom McConnell and legendary Mustangs coach Larry Haylor calling all the action.

Source: Ben Matchett, Calgary Assistant Athletic Director, Operations & Communications

CALGARY – After falling victim to a red-hot start by UBC, the third-ranked University of Calgary Dinos overcame 17- and six-point deficits to defeat the Thunderbirds 42-28 in the second of two Canada West semifinals Saturday afternoon at McMahon Stadium.

The victory moves Calgary (8-0, 1-0) into the 77th Hardy Cup, where they will look to extend their run of five consecutive Canada West championships. The Dinos will host the Manitoba Bisons (5-3, 1-0) for the conference title next Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. MT, live on Shaw TV.

It was the third victory in as many games for the Dinos over the Thunderbirds this season, but it was certainly the most hard-fought. UBC blazed out to a 17-0 lead in just over 10 minutes of the first quarter, by far the largest deficit the Dinos faced all season. It started with a 38-yard bomb from Carson Williams to Alex Morrison on UBC’s first offensive play of the game to set up a one-yard Greg Bowcott touchdown, which they followed up with a 15-yard field goal by Quinn Van Gylswyk and, then, a 35-yard TD strike from Williams to Josh Kronstrom on the first play after Calgary quarterback Andrew Buckley was intercepted.

But Calgary slowly chipped away, starting with an 8-yard touchdown strike from Buckley to Jake Harty on the final play of the opening quarter. A safety and three Johnny Mark field goals later, the Dinos held an 18-17 lead at half time.

“More than anything I think it’s a belief amongst the team,” said Calgary head coach Blake Nill. “I believe the kids just know that if they calm down a bit and make some plays they’ll come back and have a chance to win. We had issues on defence, we had a couple guys out of position, but our offence kept moving the ball and Johnny Mark kicked well and we made the plays when we had to.”

The second half started as the first had, with UBC taking the early momentum. On their second possession of the third quarter, the Thunderbirds started right at midfield. Two runs by Brandon Deschamps later, they were in the end zone with a 24-18 lead.

Again, however, the Dinos would come back – this time for good. Another field goal by Mark brought them within three, and Mercer Timmis finally found the end zone 98 seconds into the fourth to give Calgary the lead for good.

UBC, however, still had some fight left. On the next offensive play, Williams found Patrick Bull for a massive 67-yard gain to set up the Thunderbirds on the Calgary 15-yard line – but only after a touchdown-saving tackle by Dinos linebacker Thomas Spoletini. UBC ended up with only a field goal, however, and Timmis’ second major of the night came on the next Calgary drive to put it out of reach.

Buckley rounded out the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown run in the final minute.

The footing was unsteady at best and the yard lines and hash marks were virtually undetectable, but the teams still managed to combine for nearly 900 yards of offence. Deschamps had another big night with 184 yards on 22 carries, while Williams picked up 256 passing yards on just 13 completions in a losing cause for UBC. Bull was the game’s top receiver with six catches for 134 yards.

Timmis was hard at work for the Dinos all night, touching the ball 36 times. Of those, 32 came along the ground for 164 yards and two touchdowns, while he added four catches for 44 yards to that total. Buckley completed 22 of 31 passes for 218 yards, along with one touchdown and one interception. His top target was Chris Dobko, who caught eight passes for 78 yards.

Defensively, Yianni Cabylis had a monster night for the Thunderbirds with 15 solo and 16 total tackles, while Bryan Rideout added nine. Calgary’s defence was led by Cory Roboch’s 9.5 tackles, with Tanner Doll chipping in with 5.5 as well.

Mark had a solid night kicking for Calgary, especially given the snowy field conditions. He went 4-for-4 on field goals from 41, 34, 10, and 30 yards while punting for a 41.8-yard average. Van Gylswyk made good on both his field goal tries and averaged 37.2 yards on six punts.

The only team left standing between the Dinos and their sixth straight conference title are the Manitoba Bisons, who edged Saskatchewan 37-36 in a wild semifinal Friday night in Winnipeg. The Bisons will be the sixth different opponent to face Calgary in the conference final since 2008, and they have an explosive offence that the Dinos will need to be ready for.

“I haven’t had much time to think about the next game but it’s certainly something we’ll prepare hard for,” said Nill. “We’re playing the right team. Manitoba was my pick to win it and they have two very good players in Demski and Coombs as well as a very good young quarterback. It’s going to be a great game and a great challenge for us.”

The Dinos defeated Manitoba 48-24 on Sept. 20 in the teams’ only meeting of the season in Calgary. The Hardy Cup champion will host the Ontario champion in the Mitchell Bowl Nov. 16 for a chance to advance to the Vanier Cup.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Quarter
UBC – Greg Bowcott 1-yard TD run (Quinn Van Gylswyk convert), 3:37, 7-0 UBC
UBC – Quinn Van Gylswyk 15-yard FG, 9:15, 10-0 UBC
UBC – Josh Kronstrom 35-yard TD pass from Carson Williams (Quinn Van Gylswyk convert), 10:26, 17-0 UBC
CGY – Jake Harty 8-yard TD pass from Andrew Buckley (Johnny Mark convert), 15:00, 17-7 UBC

2nd Quarter
CGY – TEAM safety, 1:24, 17-9 UBC
CGY – Johnny Mark 41-yard FG, 4:38, 17-12 UBC
CGY – Johnny Mark 34-yard FG, 11:22, 17-15 UBC
CGY – Johnny Mark 10-yard FG, 14:29, 18-17 CGY

3rd Quarter
UBC – Brendan Deschamps 22-yard TD run (Quinn Van Gylswyk convert), 5:12, 24-18 UBC
CGY – Johnny Mark 30-yard FG, 8:53, 24-21 UBC

4th Quarter
CGY – Mercer Timmis 2-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 1:38, 28-24 CGY
UBC – Quinn Van Gylswyk 19-yard FG, 3:45, 28-27 CGY
CGY – Mercer Timmis 2-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 7:54, 35-27 CGY
CGY – Andrew Buckley 10-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 14:03, 42-28 CGY