Rouge et Or claim Mitchell Bowl to end
Cinderella run
On Saturday at Mosaic Stadium, the Rams nearly pulled off the biggest upset likely ever seen in U Sports football. With 3:45 remaining in the fourth quarter, second-year running back Marshall Erichsen ran home a touchdown from 36 yards out to give the Rams a 14-10 lead over the visiting and ultra-power Universite Laval Rouge et Or in the Mitchell Bowl, which is a U Sports semifinal playoff game.
The Rouge et Or responded putting together an 11-play touchdown drive that covered 85 yards. With 79 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, star quarterback Arnaud Desjardins hit receiver Isaac Gaillardetz with a five-yard touchdown toss that put the Rouge et Or up 17-14.
The Rouge et Or proceeded to force the Rams to turn the ball over on downs in their next offensive series. Laval than ran out the clock ensuring the 17-14 advantage help of as the contest’s final outcome.
With the win, the Rouge et Or (10-1) advanced to the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup. They will face the Wilfred Laurier University Golden Hawks this coming Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern Time at Richardson Memorial Stadium in Kingston, Ont.
Earlier in the day last Saturday, the Golden Hawks beat the Bishop’s University Gaiters 48-24 in the Uteck Bowl, which is the other U Sports semifinal. The visiting Golden Hawks (11-0) built a 34-10 lead over the Gaiters (10-1) at Coulter Field in Lennoxville, Quebec, and cruised to victory from there.
For the Rams, they obtained way more success this season than few outside their players and coaches thought they would have.
After opening their U Sports regular season schedule with two straight wins, the Rams proceeded to lose five straight. On the cusp of missing the post-season, the Rams closed the regular season downing the visiting U of Alberta Golden Bears 29-22 in their final regular season contest on October 25 at Leibel Field. U of R was down 22-4 in the third quarter before rallying for the win.
That victory allowed the Rams to finish with a 3-5 regular season record to place fourth in the Canada West Conference and capture the conference’s final post-season berth.
On November 2, the Rams traveled to Winnipeg, Man., and knocked off the U of Manitoba Bisons 28-25 at Princess Auto Stadium. The Bisons had finished first in Canada West with a 7-1 mark. Down 25-21, quarterback Noah Pelletier hit receiver Nicholas Sirleaf with a 16-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Rams their 28-25 victory.
The Rams advanced to the Canada West final to face their provincial rivals the U of Saskatchewan Huskies at Griffiths Stadium. Playing in front of 6,355 spectators, the Huskies jumped out to a 14-1 lead early in the second quarter. The Rams rallied back for a 19-14 victory.
Following the victory over the Huskies, the Rams returned to Regina to face the Rouge et Or at Mosaic Stadium in front of a crowd of 4,532 spectators. Going into the Mitchell Bowl, it was near impossible to find a pundit that gave the Rams a chance against the Rouge et Or, who have won 11 Vanier Cups since first taking the field in 1996.
When the dust settled, the Rams basically needed to make one more play to pick up the win. One of those missed chances came on the Rouge et Or’s final scoring drive of the contest.
Scrimmaging on first down from the U of R 46 yard line, Desjardins threw a pass that was batted in the air by Rams star defensive end Tarick Polius. The ball deflected high in the air, and one of the Rams defenders in the second level just missed making a diving interception. Had that play been made, it might have preserved victory for the Rams.
Polius, fourth-year defensive end Jacob Dakiniewich and nose tackle Toryn Swystun-Bernes showed they were going to be handful for the offensive line of the Rouge et Or. That played a factor for the rest of the game.
After the Rams went up 4-0 in the second quarter on a 20-yard field goal and a 33-yard missed field goal rouge from kicker Isaac Wegner, the Rouge et Or got their only big play on offence in the first half. Desjardins hit receiver Olivier Cool for a 75-yard touchdown pass to give the visitors a 7-4 advantage. Outside of that play, Laval couldn’t get anything done in the first half.
Wegner hit a 14-yard field goal with 1:45 remaining before halftime to even the score at 7-7. That 7-7 draw lasted until there was 7:54 remaining in the fourth quarter when Rouge et Or kicker Felipe Forteza hit a 32-yard field goal to put the Quebec side up 10-7. That set the stage for the dramatics that followed with Erichsen’s touchdown for the Rams and Gaillardetz’s major that won it for the Rouge et Or.
The Rouge et Or coaching staff led by head coach Glen Constantin made some good adjustments at halftime to get around the pressure the Rams defensive line was bringing. On offence, Laval elected to rely on a lot of quick hitters and short passes in the passing game looking to put together eight to 10 play marches to score.
The Rouge et Or would change up their tempo mixing up going between no huddle, to quick huddle to regular huddle in order to cause disruptions to the Rams defence.
During the regular season, the Rams gave up 177 points against, which was the lowest points against total in Canada West. Tonnes of credit has to be given to Rams defensive coordinator Sheldon Gray for how well the U of R played on that side of the ball all season. Gray, who was once a Rams star defensive back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, has turned into an outstanding coach.
Rams head coach Mark McConkey, who was a Rams receiver in the late 2000s and early 2010s, and his squad did a great job of playing to their strengths with their defence against the Rouge et Or.
Offensively, it feels like the Rams aren’t that far from having a big breakout where they consistently put up high point totals. The coaches will have to make decisions if they need to find and add a couple of playmakers via recruiting or believe they have the guys and keeping continuity will result in a breakout in 2025.
Against the Rouge et Or, gritty Rams quarterback Noah Pelletier completed 28-of-44 passes for 356 yards, while throwing one interception. After throwing his interception in the fourth quarter to Rouge et Or defensive back Jordan Lessard, Pelletier made a tackled with his injured left shoulder to take down Lessard.
While you don’t want to throw an interception, Pelletier’s effort in making his tackle on that play using his injured shoulder is one of those things that inspires teammates.
Playing his third year of eligibility, Pelletier began the 2024 campaign as the Rams backup, but he retook the starter’s role when Owen Sieben went down due to injury midway through the U of R’s first regular season contest. Pelletier started all eight of the Rams regular season games and their Canada West semifinal playoff loss in his first year of eligibility in 2022.
He started the Rams first two games in 2023 before being injured. The signal caller returned as the team’s backup and short-yardage quarterback for that campaign.
Having been an academic all-Canadian in the past, it has felt like Pelletier could morph into a big hero one day in his own style. In late September, the Canada West website put together a story about the journey Pelletier was taking off the field to build at stronger connection with his Metis roots. While those from Indigenous communities can relate to that story, it is also something anyone from any culture or ancestry can relate to.
Overall, the 2024 campaign was a huge success for the Rams, who were tied for last along with the U of Calgary Dinos in the pre-season Canada West coaches poll. They hadn’t won a post-season game since 2012 and last won the Canada West Conference title in 2000, when they made the Vanier Cup and fell 42-39 to the U of Ottawa Gee-Gees.
They will likely hear less of, “Oh, they were great back in the day when Gord Currie and Frank McCrystal were their head coaches and Darryl Leason was their quarterback.”
Of course, that reflects back to the Rams days in junior football when they won 15 CJFL titles and initial campaigns in U Sports and spurts when Teale Orban , Marc Mueller and Noah Picton played quarterback for the team.
In 2024, the Rams provided hope that maybe their best days aren’t just “back in the day.”
Reider named Hilltops top grad
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| Trey Reider sets to throw a pass for the Hilltops. |
On Saturday, the Hilltops hosted the Saskatoon Hilltops Football Club Honours at the Roxy Theatre. For the second straight year, the Hilltops held an awards show similar in nature to awards shows hosted by the NFL and NHL.
Reider, who is the team’s star 22-year-old quarterback, was named the winner of the Drs. Landa-Doig Award as the team’s most outstanding graduate. In 2024, Reider also claimed honours as a CJFL first team all-Canadian all-star, a PFC all-star, the PFC’s most outstanding quarterback, offensive player of the year and most valuable player.
During the regular season, Reider completed 119 of 185 passes for 1,685 yards and 17 touchdowns, while throwing two interceptions. His 119.8 quarterback rating topped the PFC.
In the Hilltops 24-19 loss to their provincial rivals the
Regina Thunder on October 20 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Reider did his best
to push the Saskatoon side to victory. He completed 23-of-41 passes for 305 yards and one touchdown, while
throwing one interception. He also topped the Hilltops with 102 yards rushing
on nine carries.
Reider threw up a final Hail Mary jump ball pass on the final play of the game into the Thunder end zone from 22 yards out attempting to win the contest. His final pass was knocked down by Thunder safety Adam King.
Graduating right tackle, Cody Shumanski claimed the Ray Syrnyk Trophy as the team’s top lineman. He was a CJFL first team all-Canadian all-star, a PFC all-star and the PFC’s Most Outstanding Lineman.
The Don and Jim Seaman Memorial Award for the top linebacker went to graduating outside linebacker Noah Gedir. Gedir finished in the top eight for defensive points in the PFC with 92 points coming off of 22 defensive solo tackles, 16 defensive tackle assists, five special teams solo tackles, two special teams tackle assists, six pass knockdowns, two fumble recoveries and one interception in regular season play.
Graduating left guard Erik Barsness claimed the Ron Atchison True Grit Award. Barsness has been the model of consistency for the past two seasons with the Hilltops.
The Jim Courtice Inspiration Award was taken by graduating receiver Drake Douglas. Douglas was a CJFL first team all-Canadian all-star, a PFC all-star and the PFC’s Most Outstanding Receiver. The sure-handed pass catcher picked up nods as a PFC all-star on special teams and the PFC’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player.
Justin Adamko, who is a graduating defensive back, claimed The Blue and Gold Award for dedication and commitment. Adamko had five pass knockdowns, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in the regular season.
The Past President’s Trophy as the team’s rookie of the year went to running back Brody Komarnicki. Komarnicki was named to the PFC’s all-rookie team.
Argos Grey Cup run impressive, other notes
On Sunday, the Argonauts downed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 41-22 in the 111th Grey Cup game to become CFL champions playing before 52,349 spectators at B.C. Place in Vancouver, B.C. With the win, the Argonauts have won their last eight straight Grey Cup appearances spaced out over the last 33 yards.
During that run, they won the storied trophy in 1991, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2012, 2017, 2022 and 2024. The last time the Argonauts lost the CFL’s big game was in the 75th Grey Cup played at B.C. Place. They fell 38-36 to the Edmonton Eskimos in an all-time classic that saw Eskimos icon Henry “Gizmo” Williams return a missed field goal 112 yards for a touchdown.
Speaking of icons, Argonauts icon Michael “Pinball” Clemons has been part of the Argonauts for all of their last eight straight Grey Cup winners. He was a player in 1991, 1996 and 1997, the head coach in 2004 and held an executive position in 2012, 2017, 2022 and 2024.
In Sunday’s win over the Bombers, the Argonauts held a slim 17-16 lead after Winnipeg kicker Sergio Castillo hit a 23-yard field goal with 12:34 remaining in the fourth quarter.
From that point, Argonauts went on a roll and the wheels fell off for Winnipeg. Toronto scored 24 straight points to jump out front 41-16. The Bombers got a rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion from the CFL’s George Reed Most Outstanding Player Award winner in running back Brady Oliveira in “garbage time” to round out the final score.
Argonauts journeyman quarterback Nick Arbuckle was named the MVP of the Grey Cup game. Arbuckle completed 26-of-37 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing two interceptions. He was starting in place of Chad Kelly, who broke his ankle in the Argonauts East final win.
Argonauts receiver Dejon Brissett was named the game’s Most Outstanding Canadian. He caught three passes for 45 yards and one touchdown. Brissett was one of nine receivers Arbuckle completes passes to.
Bombers have played in the last five consecutive Grey Cups winning in their first two appearances and falling in the past three contests. At the moment, it seems like the majority of CFL followers are remembering the Bombers three straight losses more than their two wins at the start of their current run.
Still, the Argonauts are deserving of the spoils of victory. They have won more Grey Cups than another other team at 19 and have a 19-6 record in the biggest annual football contest played in Canada.
They are the sports team from Toronto that always wins. When the Argonauts make the Grey Cup game, you can almost start engraving their name on the trophy.
- On Thursday, U of Regina Rams graduating defensive back Jackson Sombach was named a second team all-Canadian all-star for U Sports football. Sombach played a key role helping the Rams win their second Canada West Conference title in team history and advance to the Mitchell Bowl, which is a U Sports semifinal game.
- On Thursday, U of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team senior advisor Jerry Friesen was named the winner of the Gino Fracas Award given to the volunteer assistant coach of the year in U Sports. Friesen has a long and storied history with U Sports football and the Huskies.
- On Thursday, U of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team star running back Ryker Frank claimed the Russ Jackson Award. It is given to a player across U Sports football who best exemplifies the attributes of academic achievement, football skill and citizenship within the community. Frank also captured honours as a U Sports second-team all-Canadian all-star. Huskies linebacker Seth Hundeby and receiver Daniel Wiebe were both named first team all-Canadian all-stars in U Sports.
- Remember a year ago when it seemed like NHL superstar left-winger Alexander Ovechkin was done? The Washington Capitals captain struggled bad at the start of the 2023-24 campaign and finish the campaign with his lowest goal total for a complete NHL regular season at 31 and a tie for his lowest point total for a complete regular season at 65. He failed to record a point in the 2024 NHL Playoffs as the Capitals were swept in four games in the first round by the New York Rangers. This season the 39-year-old shot out of the gate recording 15 goals and 10 assists in his first 18 games. Unfortunately, Ovechkin’s momentum was stopped when he suffered a fractured left fibula that will keep him out four-to-six in the Capitals 6-2 victory over the host Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City. Ovechkin has 868 career regular season goals and he is attempting to Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 goals.
If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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