Playoff hopes still alive for football team

Concordia’s men’s football team didn’t score a single point in the second half, but still came away with a 21-14 win Friday night against the Montréal Carabins at CEPSUM.

The Stingers opened the scoring with two singles kicked by Rene Paredes. During Montréal’s second possession of the game, Paul Spencer intercepted a pass to give Concordia the ball on Montréal’s 41-yard line. The Stingers were unable to make significant gains and brought Paredes out to try for a field goal. Montréal blocked the kick and the Carabins’ Frank Bruno picked the ball up but fumbled it. Philippe Patenaude Lavallée recovered it and the Stingers found themselves at the Montréal 5-yard line. Quarterback Terrance Morsink found slotback Liam Mahoney in the endzone for the touchdown and Concordia was up 9-0.

Montréal made significant gains during their drive after the touchdown. After making three first downs in a row, the Stingers’ Nicholas Arsenault-Hum made the first of two interceptions of the night, running the ball back 62 yards on the play. During the ensuing drive, Mahoney handed the ball off to Sanchez Deschamps who scored on a 3-yard run and made the score 16-0 Concordia.

Montréal would put together a 99-yard march down the field that would end in a touchdown in the second quarter, but Concordia added a safety and field goal to the score and went into half-time leading 21-6.

Though the first half was dominated by the Stingers, the Carabins turned the tables for the second half of the game.

Two field goals on two consecutive drives, along with a safety, made the score 21-14 for the Stingers and brought the Carabins to within a touchdown of tying the game at the end of the third quarter.

Concordia gained 41 yards on their first possession of the fourth quarter. But the drive ended when Morsink was intercepted by Montréal linebacker Jonathan Richard-Beaulieu in the Carabins’ endzone.

Morsink threw four picks in the second half. Three of those passes found their way into the hands of Montréal defensive back Julien Hamel. Combined with another interception from the second quarter, Hamel’s four interceptions broke a Quebec division record and he became the eighth player in Canada to achieve the feat in one game.

Montréal’s quarterback Alexandre Nadeau-Piuze completed a pass to Francois Leclerc, who made a gain of 24 yards before being taken down by Arsenault-Hum. A sack credited to Louis Taillon and Maurice Forbes ended Montréal’s drive at their 45-yard line.

About four minutes later, Arsenault-Hum added his second interception of the night, on a pass by Nadeau-Piuze that he reeled in out of thin air and ran back for a gain of five yards.

The Carabins had one last real chance to tie the score with four minutes left to play, but a 20-yard drive came to an end with an incomplete pass.

Morsink completed 19 of 36 passes for 206 yards, with one touchdown and five interceptions. Running back Edem Nyamadi rushed for 104 yards.

“We moved the ball well in the third quarter and fourth quarter, and then we threw a couple bad picks, but again Terrance is young and we’re putting way too much pressure on him,” head coach Gerry McGrath said after the game.

But Morsink took full responsibility for his errors.

“[I was] just trying to fit the ball into places where I couldn’t fit the ball, not making my reads, I just didn’t have a great game. That’s it. Last week, I had the game of my life, and we lost, this week I have the worst game I’ve ever had, and we won. I’d rather win.”

With Sherbrooke’s win against Bishop’s on Saturday, the two teams are tied in fourth place. Concordia must now beat Laval in their final regular season game this week have a chance at a playoff berth.

The Stingers will wrap up the regular season this Saturday at home against the Laval Rouge et Or. Kick-off is at 1 p.m.

Concordia’s men’s football team didn’t score a single point in the second half, but still came away with a 21-14 win Friday night against the Montréal Carabins at CEPSUM.

The Stingers opened the scoring with two singles kicked by Rene Paredes. During Montréal’s second possession of the game, Paul Spencer intercepted a pass to give Concordia the ball on Montréal’s 41-yard line. The Stingers were unable to make significant gains and brought Paredes out to try for a field goal. Montréal blocked the kick and the Carabins’ Frank Bruno picked the ball up but fumbled it. Philippe Patenaude Lavallée recovered it and the Stingers found themselves at the Montréal 5-yard line. Quarterback Terrance Morsink found slotback Liam Mahoney in the endzone for the touchdown and Concordia was up 9-0.

Montréal made significant gains during their drive after the touchdown. After making three first downs in a row, the Stingers’ Nicholas Arsenault-Hum made the first of two interceptions of the night, running the ball back 62 yards on the play. During the ensuing drive, Mahoney handed the ball off to Sanchez Deschamps who scored on a 3-yard run and made the score 16-0 Concordia.

Montréal would put together a 99-yard march down the field that would end in a touchdown in the second quarter, but Concordia added a safety and field goal to the score and went into half-time leading 21-6.

Though the first half was dominated by the Stingers, the Carabins turned the tables for the second half of the game.

Two field goals on two consecutive drives, along with a safety, made the score 21-14 for the Stingers and brought the Carabins to within a touchdown of tying the game at the end of the third quarter.

Concordia gained 41 yards on their first possession of the fourth quarter. But the drive ended when Morsink was intercepted by Montréal linebacker Jonathan Richard-Beaulieu in the Carabins’ endzone.

Morsink threw four picks in the second half. Three of those passes found their way into the hands of Montréal defensive back Julien Hamel. Combined with another interception from the second quarter, Hamel’s four interceptions broke a Quebec division record and he became the eighth player in Canada to achieve the feat in one game.

Montréal’s quarterback Alexandre Nadeau-Piuze completed a pass to Francois Leclerc, who made a gain of 24 yards before being taken down by Arsenault-Hum. A sack credited to Louis Taillon and Maurice Forbes ended Montréal’s drive at their 45-yard line.

About four minutes later, Arsenault-Hum added his second interception of the night, on a pass by Nadeau-Piuze that he reeled in out of thin air and ran back for a gain of five yards.

The Carabins had one last real chance to tie the score with four minutes left to play, but a 20-yard drive came to an end with an incomplete pass.

Morsink completed 19 of 36 passes for 206 yards, with one touchdown and five interceptions. Running back Edem Nyamadi rushed for 104 yards.

“We moved the ball well in the third quarter and fourth quarter, and then we threw a couple bad picks, but again Terrance is young and we’re putting way too much pressure on him,” head coach Gerry McGrath said after the game.

But Morsink took full responsibility for his errors.

“[I was] just trying to fit the ball into places where I couldn’t fit the ball, not making my reads, I just didn’t have a great game. That’s it. Last week, I had the game of my life, and we lost, this week I have the worst game I’ve ever had, and we won. I’d rather win.”

With Sherbrooke’s win against Bishop’s on Saturday, the two teams are tied in fourth place. Concordia must now beat Laval in their final regular season game this week have a chance at a playoff berth.

The Stingers will wrap up the regular season this Saturday at home against the Laval Rouge et Or. Kick-off is at 1 p.m.

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