Shrine Bowl – The Concordian

Conference’s best team beats Concordia 53-2 in Shrine Bowl

The Concordia Stingers football team played the Université Laval Rouge et Or on Sept. 29 in the 32nd annual Shrine Bowl. The Rouge et Or remained undefeated this season with a 53-2 win.

The Stingers kept the game respectable after the first quarter down 9-0, but heading into halftime, they were down 19-2. In the first half, the Stingers defence played fairly well, giving up less than 20 points to the best team in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). They forced the Rouge et Or to a couple of two-and-outs and were playing with some intensity.

The Stingers offence, however, could not seem to sustain a good drive and could not stay on the field. Laval’s defensive line was able to keep the Stingers running game in check, allowing them a total of 82 net yards for the game.

“We had a good first quarter. The second quarter was good too,” said Stingers running back David Germain. “We were confident coming back out from halftime. Some guys had trouble getting momentum back in the second half.”

Laval’s offence put up 438 total yards against the Stingers. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

The third quarter was when the Rouge et Or blew the game wide open. Their offence seemed to hit their stride, and wide receiver Jonathan Breton-Robert caught four passes on one drive that led to a touchdown. He finished the game with seven catches for 98 yards. Laval ended up outscoring Concordia 30-0 in the third quarter alone. The Stingers persistently ran the football even though it was not working.

The Rouge et Or defence does deserve some credit. They played a very disciplined game and did not give up any big plays. Laval’s Souleymane Karamoko played a solid game in his cornerback position. He seemed to always be at the right place at the right time. He ended the game with three passes defended, and stopped the Stingers receivers almost the entire game. Derek Trinh finished with a team-high 21 yards receiving for the Stingers.

Laval’s offence had a very good game, too. Their quarterback, Hugo Richard, had a productive game, completing 19 out of 29 pass attempts for 213 yards and two touchdowns. The Rouge et Or offence picked up 438 yards throughout the game, compared to the Stingers’s 118.

Even though the score was lopsided, the Stingers showed some promise. Trinh and Quaysie Gordon-Maule showed signs of elusiveness as returners on special teams. There were times when they came close to breaking off on a big run and returning it to the house. Both of these players are extremely dangerous in open space. The Stingers running back Micah Sullivan had a solid game; he racked up 92 yards on 17 carries for an average of 5.4 yards per carry.

“We have to get going on both sides of the ball and, even on special teams, we have to keep it going for 60 minutes,” Germain added. “If we play 60 minutes, we can play with anyone in the league.”

Concordia looks to bounce back in two weeks and get their revenge as they play the Université de Montréal Carabins on Oct. 13.

Main photo by Gave Chevalier.

Shrine Bowl to hit $1-million mark

Preparations for the 32nd annual Shrine Bowl, benefiting the Shriners Hospital for Children, are underway. A few players of the Concordia Stingers football team made the yearly visit to the hospital on Sept. 26. With this year’s donations, the total amount of money raised from the Shrine Bowl will hit the $1 million mark.

Head coach Brad Collinson, cornerback Khadeem Pierre, linebacker Jersey Henry, defensive tackle Brandon Pacheco, centre Marc-Antoine Sevigny, and defensive linemen Maurice Simba and Michael Sanelli all participated in the hospital visit.

Maurice Simba (foreground) said he enjoys putting smiles on kids’ faces. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The players visit to patients throughout the hospital was accompanied by this year’s Shrine Bowl King and Queen, Saoud, 16, and Victoria,14, who are also patients at the Shriners. All of the players involved in this year’s walk around the hospital expressed how much they enjoy the experience and being able to interact with the patients.

“It’s been an honour to participate in this event every year,” Sanelli said. “I realize how blessed we are to play the sport. You put a smile on the kid’s face and brighten up their day and it’s an honour.”

Simba also said it’s great to make the kids happy and to see a smile on their faces. “I think it’s good that we do this as a program and on a personal level too,” he said.

“Seeing kids and making them happy is a big deal,” Pierre added. “It’s nice to give back.”

David Merrett, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors, expressed his feelings on being able to reach that one-million-dollar mark.

“The people who started this way back never would have imagined raising this amount because it just seemed unreachable,” Merrett said. “But as the years went on, and the dollar changed, it seemed reachable.”

Michael Sanelli, Marc-Antoine Sevigny and Brandon Pacheco all made the trip to the hospital. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The Honorary Chairman of the event this year is former Stingers head coach Gerry McGrath. He coached the team from 2000 to 2013, and played in the CFL for the Montreal Alouettes, Montreal Concordes and Saskatchewan Roughriders for six years.

“I’ve been involved with the Shriners and this game for many years,” McGrath said. “It’s always special to see what they’ve done and see it get to the one million mark.”

The Stingers play in the Shrine Bowl at home on Sept. 30 against the Université de Laval Rouge et Or. Canadian singer Sara Diamond will perform the Canadian national anthem, and deliver a special halftime performance. Kick-off is at 2 p.m., with money raised from ticket sales donated to the Shriners Hospital for Children.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.