Battle Goes to the Green and Gold

ConU Can’t Beat Sherbrooke

SportsBoris Degas — Published September 27, 2011

Concordia’s men’s football team was edged out by the Sherbrooke Vert et Or in a 33-27 decision as part of a thrilling showdown at Concordia Stadium on Sept. 23.

Sherbrooke rookie quarterback Jérémi Doyon-Roch connected with his receiver Simon Charbonneau in the end zone to secure the win and two more precious points towards the playoff race.

The stakes for this game were high. The two teams were sharing second place on the rankings, each sporting a 2-1 record, and trailing the Laval Rouge et Or, who seem untouchable so far this year. A win for the Stingers, however, would put them four points ahead of the “no-playoff” zone.

The Concordia side got off to a slow start, having trouble generating some offense, and trailing the visitors by a 10-0 margin after the first quarter. Their pass coverage was sharp, but they had the difficulty handling Sherbrooke’s running game, led by the explosive Gabriel Bernard-Perron.

However, the Maroon and Gold’s momentum gradually picked up during the second quarter, and so did quarterback Reid Quest’s. The third-year QB started finding his groove and his receivers. He would finish the game having accumulated an outstanding 434 yards thrown, along with two touchdowns for one interception. His two targets of choice Friday night were receivers Kristopher Bastien and Sebastien Deschamps, with 189 and 104 yards, respectively.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the scoreboard indicated a 19-7 lead for the visiting team. The Stingers seemed out of answers against the valiant Vert et Or, and as the time remaining ticked down, so did the home crowd’s enthusiasm.

At this point, however, Max Caron intercepted a pass and ran the ball 64 yards all the way to the end zone. On top of two previous field goals, the Stingers were now, to the home crowd’s delight, up 20-19 with seven minutes left.

Both teams exchanged blows—along with the lead on the scoreboard—in the remaining minutes which doubtless featured the most dramatic action at Concordia Stadium so far this year.

“For the fans it’s very entertaining, for the coach you lose your voice”
– Jean Vincent Posy-Audette, Sherbrooke’s special teams coordinator

Most of the 2,405 fans were on their feet already when Sherbrooke’s rookie quarterback put an end to the Stingers’ comeback fantasy, sealing the deal with a three-yard laser to Charbonneau. The two-point conversion that followed put an end to this thrilling game.

“A little difference at the end made the big picture. It could have gone either way,” said Jean-Vincent Posy-Audette, Sherbrooke’s special teams coordinator.

“For the fans it’s very entertaining, for the coach you lose your voice,” added Posy-Audette with a chuckle.

To Stingers wide receiver Matt Scheurwater, penalties were a factor in his team’s loss.

“We made some stupid penalties, our defense and our offense kept playing, but you can’t give up those kind of penalties, they’ll kill you,” said Scheurwater.

Concordia heads to Quebec City this Sunday for a matchup against the top-ranked Laval Rouge et Or. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m.