Strong Third Quarter by Mounties Not Enough to Overcome Visiting Redmen

(photo by Sue Seaborn)

The Mounties first interlock matchup of the 2009 season would be with the visiting (1-2) McGill Redman. McGill running back Anthony Hamilton put the first points on the board at 12:22 in the first quarter with a 53 yard touchdown scamper, the extra point added by Austin Anderson making the score 7-0. Not to be outdone the Mounties would answer back with a 90 yard punt return for touchdown courtesy of Gary Ross, the first touchdown in what would turn out to be a record breaking day for the 4th year receiver and return man with 289 total yards on the day. Olivier Eddie would follow up with the extra point to notch the score at 7 a piece with 9:42 remaining in the first quarter. We pick up action again at 4:54 in the first quarter with the score 10-7 for McGill following a field goal by Anderson. Opting to take the ball at their own 35 the Mounties would burn the McGill defence on a 55 yard screen pass from Hotchkiss to Ross. However, Mount Allison would be forced to settle for a 15 field goal by Olivier Eddie to even up the score at 10. McGill’s Anderson would kick another 36 yard field goal to make the score 13-10 at quarter time.

With back and forth stalled drives the score would remain until 4:50 in the second quarter when McGill’s Hamilton would add his second major of the day on an 85 yard screen pass. The Mount Allison offense looked to answer back on the next possession much like they had done all game, only to be picked off by the Redmen defense in an athletic play at 4:11 giving the Redmen excellent field position on the Mount Allison 30. They would capitalize on this field position a few plays later with a 4 yard touchdown pass from Jonathan Collin to Charles-Antoine Sinotte, following a botched extra point McGill would lead 26-10. The biggest highlight of the second quarter would be a 31 yard pass from Hotchkiss to Gary Ross, placing him in the AUS all-time top ten for receiving yards. Eddie added a 17 yard field goal to make the score 26-13 at half.

The Mounties would come to life again at 5:27 in the third. With the score 32-13, Mountie’s quarterback Jake Hotchkiss would connect on a 35 yard touchdown toss to Adam Molnar to close the gap to 32-20. On the very next play Mount Allison’s Bradley Daye recovered a surprise onside kick by knocking it out of bounds at 5:26, completely shifting the momentum and putting the Mounties 1st and 10 in McGill territory. The Mounties would continue to close the gap with a 25 yard touchdown pass from Hotchkiss to Ross at 2:41 making the score 32-27 (XP by Eddie) and placing Gary at number eight all-time in AUS pass receptions. McGill would score once more before quarter time on a 1 yard sneak by Jonathan Collin to put the Redmen ahead 38-27. The fourth quarter however would be all McGill with three more interceptions and another touchdown to leave the score 49-27 at the end of regulation.

The Mounties (0-3) faceoff with Saint Mary’s (2-1) next Friday, Oct 3rd at 7:00 PM under the lights at Huskies stadium in Halifax. This will be the first game of a home and home series as Saint Mary’s will visit Moncton’s Rocky Stone the following Saturday, October 10th.