Stingers 42, Redbirds 16: Concordia Football Shines in Homecoming Match
Stingers’ Football Team Gets a Much Needed Win Against McGill
In the Saturday, Sept. 17 football game between the Concordia Stingers and the McGill Redbirds, the first half barn-burner was busted, as Concordia caught fire in the second half.
“I just think offensively, we imposed our will on [McGill],” said Stingers Head Coach Brad Collinson post-game.
“Our offensive line had a great game, we ran the ball very well,” Collinson continued. “In the second half, we finished the way we wanted to. Defensively, they cleaned up the things that were causing us issues in the first half.”
Concordia did not perform well initially. Stingers’ slotback Kevin Foster fumbled on the opening kick-off and the Redbirds recovered the ball. This mistake led to a field goal, giving McGill a 3-0 lead early in the game.
McGill added another field goal from 37 yards out with 4:55 left in the first quarter. Down six points, Concordia put together a solid drive. The Stingers marched down the field with quarterback Olivier Roy sharing the ball. Running back Dwanté Morgan collected 38 of his 148 total yards on the drive, and receivers Jaylan Greaves and Santino Sparagna had receptions that positioned Concordia on their opponent's one-yard line. Short-distance quarterback Adrien Guay would sneak into the endzone. Concordia took a 7-6 lead heading into the second quarter.
McGill made sure to respond. Redbirds quarterback Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald launched a 50-50 ball to receiver Antonio Gioffre, who came down with the catch and marked the Redbirds at Concordia’s three-yard line. They settled for a field goal, as they took a 9-7 lead.
McGill extended their lead with 5:24 remaining in the opening half. Redbirds running back Jérémy Langevin went to work. Langevin secured two first downs for McGill during the possession, a reception for 24 yards and a 15-yard rush. Langevin would wrap up the drive nicely with a nine-yard touchdown reception. McGill would lead 16-7.
Concordia stayed competitive before halftime. Stingers’ receiver Jeremy Murphy had two catches for 47 of his 149 receiving yards in the game.
“I think I played well. I was physical, I made the tough catches that I needed to make for the team to progress on the field. And I think [the receptions] helped everyone capitalize at the end of a drive and score touchdowns,” said Murphy.
On the same drive, Roy would call his own number and scramble for a nine-yard touchdown run. With kicker Ali El Sehemawi’s extra point attempt, the Stingers narrowed the score to 16-14 at halftime.
“In the second half, we finished the way we wanted to. Defensively, they cleaned up the things that were causing us issues in the first half.” — Brad Collinson, Stingers’ head coach
Concordia dominated McGill in the second half. The Stingers’ defence did not allow a single point going forward.
Concordia’s offence took advantage of their defensive might. Morgan would tack on 38 more yards and Guay would run into the endzone for his second touchdown of the game. The scoreboard read 20-16 for Concordia with just under five minutes to play in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Morgan would finally score a touchdown of his own on a 19-yard run play. This score capped off a lengthy drive wherein the offence strung together a masterclass of offensive fluidity, amassing five first downs. The score was 28-16 Concordia with 13:02 remaining in the game.
Morgan elaborated on his in-game success,“Honestly, just slowing down, just getting comfortable. [...] I really took film more seriously–I always take it serious[ly], but I took it more seriously this week. [I was m]ore focused on football than anything this week, and it paid off.”
Roy sealed the victory for the Stingers’ running in a three-yard touchdown after yet another well-executed possession for the Stingers’ offence.
Concordia would recover the ball on a short kick-off that led to running back Franck Tchembe punching in a final touchdown. The game ended with Concordia besting McGill 42-16 as Concordia attained their first win of the year.
“The running game was on point today. It’s so much easier to play offence when we can run the ball,” explained Roy after the game. Roy completed 25 of his 36 attempts and totalled 352 yards through the air. The Stingers' offence overall collected 587 total yards.
“I’m just glad to see that all the guys on offence got the ball. All the receivers, running backs, great teamwork,” he continued.
The Concordia football team looks to maintain this winning momentum as they prepare to take on the Université Laval Rouge et Or at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 25. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m..
4_600_375_90_s_c1.jpg)
