Matthew Tkatch – The Concordian

The Stingers drop their second game in a row, failing to win in the pouring rain against the Carabins

Things didn’t go quite as planned for the Concordia Stingers on Saturday, as they weren’t able to secure a win against the Montreal Carabins, losing the match 31-19. It was a long game of catch-up for the Stingers, as they only held the lead briefly in the first quarter of the grueling contest.

Stingers head coach Brad Collinson had high praise for his team after the game despite the loss.

“The kids just showed some heart, they didn’t give up, they didn’t let the weather bother them, they just played,” Collinson said.

It was evident from the opening kickoff that this wasn’t going to be a standard football game, as the heavy rain and wind made it extremely difficult to execute plays normally. Montreal kicked the game off with an early touchdown throw, as Carabins quarterback Jonathan Sénécal threw a 59 yard bomb to wideout Hassan Dosso. Concordia did a great job in response, as fan-favourite wide receiver Jaylan Greaves made a spectacular running catch for 72 yards. The drive was capped off with a touchdown from Jacob Salvail, who beat his defender on a gorgeous out route.

A Concordia safety gave the Stingers their first, and ultimately their only lead of the game. This newfound window of momentum was quickly slammed shut, after Stingers star quarterback Olivier Roy threw an interception which set up a field goal for Montreal, giving the visiting team a 10-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Carabins started the second quarter off hot, driving down the field and finishing off with a touchdown score from running back Bertrand Beaulieu. The cherry on top for Montreal was the single point touchback they received during the ensuing kickoff.

At this point in the game, the rain became a real problem and made it incredibly difficult for both sides to secure the ball. A series of turnovers in close proximity in the second quarter summed it up best, as a Concordia interception was followed by a turnover on downs, which was quickly followed by a Montreal fumble.

This set up a quarterback sneak touchdown from Stingers backup Adrien Guay. After this score, both offences struggled greatly with advancing the ball. An ugly quarter ended with a Montreal safety, putting the Carabins up by four points and leading 20-16 to end the half.

Montreal received the second half kickoff just as the weather appeared to be calming down, and did a tremendous job capitalizing on the opportunity with their offence. A long and demanding drive was finished with Bertrand trucking his way into the Stingers’ endzone for another touchdown. He was the star of this game, finishing with 158 yards and two touchdowns.

A field goal in the fourth quarter gave Concordia brief hope, but a single point touchback and a Montreal field goal put the game out of reach for the Stingers.

The Stingers will look to snap their two game losing streak on Oct. 23, when the rival McGill Redbirds visit their home field.

Photograph by Catherine Reynolds

Stingers win overtime thriller as Olivier Roy smashes single game passing record

The Stingers etched their name into RSEQ history books on Saturday against the Sherbrooke Vert & Or, after starting quarterback Olivier Roy threw for a whopping 580 yards, which included five touchdowns.

Roy said it felt good to break the record, but there are aspects that can still be improved.

“The game plan wasn’t to throw the ball that much, but you gotta do what you got to do. I’m proud of our guys,” said Roy.

The game started off with a touchdown throw from Sherbrooke quarterback Anthony Robichaud, completing a 47-yard catch and run to Charles Giroux. The Stingers responded with a stellar 55-yard catch from electric wide receiver Jaylan Greaves. Finally, the drive was capped off with a tight throw in the endzone to wideout Jeremy Murphy.

The second quarter was when Concordia’s offence truly came to life. After both teams kicked field goals, Concordia capitalized on a bad Sherbrooke snap, which led to a safety. Sherbrooke rallied however, retaking the lead with excellent special teams play. The Stingers then recaptured the lead with a short touchdown throw to Greaves.

With 36 seconds left in the half, the Stingers made the most of an errant situation; a catch from Concordia pass catcher Tristan Mancini was knocked loose, and the fumble was recovered by speedster slot wide receiver Jacob Salvail who took it 50 yards to the house for a Stingers touchdown.

An interception from linebacker Zach Philion ended the half with Concordia leading 26-14.

The second half started with punts from both teams, as the defences were reinvigorated after the break. This stalemate ended abruptly after a 50-yard touchdown throw from Robichaud, with a single point touchback to make it an eight point drive for Sherbrooke.

The teams once again traded field goals, before Concordia responded with a 50-yard touchdown of their own, once again to Savail, giving Concordia a 36-25 lead heading into the 4th quarter.

A Sherbrooke touchdown to open the fourth quarter with a successful two point conversion put the visiting team within a field goal of tying the game. The Stingers’ situation worsened when their star wide receiver Jeremy Murphy went down with an injury following a monster reception.

Late in the quarter was when Roy surpassed the previous record holder, former McGill quarterback Matt Connell. He held the record for 14 years with 557 yards in a single game. The record now belongs to Olivier Roy, who eclipsed Connell by throwing for 580 yards.

After a Sherbrooke field goal to tie up the game, the match went into overtime. An unsuccessful drive marred by penalties set up Roy to throw a dime to Greaves for the walk-off touchdown to win the game.

“You dream about it as a kid,” said Greaves moments after the final whistle. “It’s pure, it just fell into place. I can’t even speak, it’s just amazing.”

The Stingers have an upcoming bye week, giving them some time off before their next game on Oct. 10 at Laval.

Photograph by Catherine Reynolds