Concordia’s playoff hopes remain alive as the Stingers pummelled the Acadia Axemen 39-5 in Wolfville, N.S. on Saturday.
Cory Watson, Ely Aramouni and Liam Mahoney kept the points coming, while quarterback Rob Mackay threw four touchdown passes. After a slow offensive start this season, it looks as though the team’s usual suspects are finally working their magic.
On defence, linebacker Cory Greenwood once again led his team with seven solo tackles. The Axemen’s scoring was held to a team safety and a field goal.
With the win, the team’s record improves to 2-4 and a playoff berth is still well within reach. Nevertheless, the slow start has a great chance of coming back and haunting the team come Oct. 31, when the regular season comes to a close. The only team currently guaranteed a spot during the post-season is – you guessed it – the Laval Rouge et Or. All five of the remaining teams still risk being knocked out of the playoffs, although Montreal is sitting comfortably in second place.
So, how can the Stingers still make it? It will be tough, with only four berths available, but a playoff spot can be Concordia’s if they win their final two games. However, they will also need Bishop’s to lose at least one game. Sherbrooke and McGill, who both have a 3-3 record so far, will also have to lose both of their last games. As is almost always the case, Concordia’s fate doesn’t rest entirely in their hands.
So there is good news and bad. The good news first: the Stingers face McGill at home next week, and they have not lost to McGill since 2002. The bad news? This isn’t the same Redmen team we have seen in the past. Since dropping all eight of their games last season, the Redmen are experiencing a slow resurgence that has resulted in their current run for a playoff spot. McGill’s players won’t have their white flags ready in one hand next week; they will put up a strong fight for a win. Stingers head coach, Gerry McGrath needs to be sure that his team is ready for the challenge. There are twelve men on the field at a time, and all twelve need to step up. Since the start of the season, fan support has been sorely lacking. The opposing teams’ fans have been embarrassingly louder than Concordia fans, so they will also need to step up and become the thirteenth player.
Should the Stingers win this Saturday, they will also need to be wary of Bishop’s. Although the team is mediocre at best, they are the biggest underdog in this race and could upset Concordia. Last year, the Stingers dropped their second game to this team, but their season wasn’t at stake. This year is a different story, so they can’t afford to make any mistakes in front of Bishop’s home crowd.
It would be wise for the Stingers to set their sights on a playoff spot, but it would be even wiser not to look further than Saturday’s game. Concentration is key as this football team finishes off its mediocre season; thinking too far ahead could be the deal-breaker here. Combine that with the stress of school and midterms; the Stingers have a tough two weeks ahead.
Concordia faces McGill this Saturday at Loyola Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
