West Win 2016 CIS East-West Bowl

Tylor Henry Comes Back from Injury to Make West Win 29-14

SportsTristan D’Amours — Published May 14, 2016

“I had a knee injury going into camp and it didn’t look like I was going to get a chance to play but the fact that I even did is just a testament to God,” said Henry. “The fact that I could do what I did is an absolute miracle.”

The West took off in the second half at McGill’s Percival Molson Stadium after both teams shared rushing touchdowns in the first half. Quarterback Asher Hastings from the McMaster University Marauders threw for 226 yards in the second half including two touchdown passes to Henry for their first Bowl win since 2013.

In an unconventional turn of events, the kicker for the East, Lewis Ward of the university of Ottawa, suffered an injury during the week and the West’s kicker, Félix Ménard-Brière of the Université de Montréal Carabins, had to kick for both teams.

“I was happy. This morning they told me I was going to kick for both teams and it’s just more chances for me to showcase myself.” -Félix Ménard-Brière.

On one occasion, the Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Québec native had to make a punt for the East and ended up making a tackle on a West player, stopping him from a touchdown run.

“During the week we told each other that it might happen,” said Ménard-Brière “They asked me what I was going to do if it happened and I told the guys that nobody was going to outrun me.”

Injuries had a big impact of the West, seven players had to be scratched from the team and be replaced by players from the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec.

“It was intense,” said Henry. “We had guys folding down pretty quick and we a lot of our receivers working so hard during the week and getting reps in because we had so thin guys and basically no subs.”

Defensive tackle Sam Narkaj was the only Concordia Stingers representative in the East-West Bowl. The Toronto native finished the day with two solo tackles, one assisted tackle and a sack.

“It was fun, but I would’ve rather had a couple other players to enjoy this opportunity,” said Narkaj. “McGill ran it really well and all the coaches and the knowledge.”

“They were throwing the ball really quick so it was tough for us to get to the [quarterback],” said Narkaj. “They had some great athletes in the wide receiver position and they just got us, but it happens.”

Alongside Henry, the defensive player of the game for the West was University of Manitoba Bisons defensive lineman Evan Foster finishing the game with three tackles and a sack.

For the East, the offensive player of the game was Carabins running back Sean Thomas-Erlington who ran for 93 yards and recorded a touchdown. The East’s defensive player of the game was linebacker Etienne Morin of the Bishop’s Gaiters, who recorded three tackles.