Concordia 37, Sherbrooke 35: Stingers Football Snatch Victory Over Vert et Or With Late Field Goal

Stingers Get First Win of the Season in Drama-Filled Fourth Quarter

SportsMaxime Cadotte — Published September 22, 2019

However, for starting quarterback Adam Vance, the team did not feel extra pressure, and they knew that there was still a chance at glory.

“We knew we just had to get to their 40. We knew we had one timeout so we knew we had time to take our time and make sure we got through everything we needed to do,” said Vance after the game.

Enter second string kicker Bradley James Santos, who was brought into the game in the second half after their starting kicker, Andrew Stevens, left the game with an apparent leg injury.

Santos described the moment as pure silence.

“It was quiet around me. I knew my Point After Team was around me, my team on the bench was with me. The only thing I had to do was my job, and we all did it today, that’s for sure,” said Santos.

According to wide receiver James Tyrrell, who caught two touchdowns, it was just a matter of time before Santos was going to get his opportunity.

“I knew 100 per cent because at the end of practice, we are always around the kickers screaming and everything [to try and distract them], so I saw the distance and said ‘he’s got that, that’s easy,’” said Tyrrell.

This is Concordia’s first win of the season, and it could not come at a better time. With Sherbrooke beating McGill the week prior, the third playoff spot is now anyone’s to win in the second part of the season.

For head coach Brad Collison, this win came through hard work throughout the last two weeks whether it would be their game plan or their hard work during practice sessions, and he is happy with the result that his team pulled through.

“It always feels good. The kids showed grit, showed heart, stuck together throughout the whole 60 minutes, and you know that is what we talked about at the beginning of the game and all through the week,” said Collison.

Quarterback Adam Vance described the win as a long time coming.

“It’s been a while. I think it’s been somewhere around 300 days since we got the last win, so it feels good to be here,” said Vance. “I think the guys are gonna finally get something clicking in their head, and hopefully keep this kind of thing rolling and go from there.”

However, the Stingers will have to make sure to improve on their discipline, hoping to avoid the sea of penalties that they received during the game both offensively and defensively. The team was given 25 penalties throughout the game, resulting in a little over 200 penalty yards.

“It’s all discipline, it’s attention to detail, making sure that these guys understand that what they do can hurt them. It was a sloppy game, but we have a lot to work on,” said Collison.

The team now sets its eyes on the Carabins, as they will face the top-seeded Université de Montréal on Friday, Sept. 27 at the CEPSUM. The question going forward for the organization will be if this Stingers team can carry their momentum from this game to Friday’s with their last meeting boiling down to the last 30 seconds where Concordia only lost by a touchdown.

“We just gotta do one game at a time, you know that is what we are trying to do. They are a tough team, so it’s gonna be another tough test on a short week, so we will see how it goes” said Collison.