Box Score HAMILTON, Ont. - For the first time in six years the Western Mustangs will not be playing in the Yates Cup Final. The Mustangs controlled the early stages of the game against the undefeated McMaster Marauders, however the nation’s number one ranked team capitalized on turnovers in the second half to come away with a 42-28 victory.
“[They’re a] good football team,” said Western head coach Greg Marshall. “We made a few mistakes in the second half and you can’t do that against a good football team; they’ll make you pay for it. We have a lot of young kids playing their hearts out. It’s really disappointing, but like I said credit to McMaster they did a good job out there.”
McMaster’s Kyle Quinlan showed why he’s a likely Hec Crighton nominee throwing for 324 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Marauders victory. Mustangs rookie quarterback Will Finch again threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw four interceptions in the loss.
“I thought [Finch] did a great job. He played against maybe the top defence in the country, he stood in there and distributed the ball…I’m very, very happy with the way Will played. He is an outstanding young man, he is as good a quarterback as I’ve seen play,” said coach Marshall.
Along with some strong play from Finch another rookie, Western receiver Josh Woodman, impressed in his CIS debut, making some spectacular catches and hauling in five passes for 93 yards.
Turnovers and penalties had a large impact on Saturday’s game Western turned the ball over seven times and were penalized 14 times for 129 yards compared to McMaster’s two turnovers and seven penalties for 55 yards.
“We turned the ball over a few too many times. Again, you do that against a good team and they’ll make you pay,” said Marshall.
After McMaster opened the scoring in the first quarter on a five-yard run from Tanner Forsyth, the Mustangs would take control of the game early in the second thanks to a pair of back-to-back touchdowns.
Finch led the Mustangs on an 11-play, 84 yard drive that included two third down conversions that set up Garret Sanvido for a one-yard touchdown run to put the Mustangs ahead 10-7.
On the ensuing drive the Mustangs pounced on a fumble in the McMaster backfield, recovering the ball on the Marauder 35-yard line. Finch then dropped a long pass perfectly over the shoulder of Brian Marshall on the next play to put the Mustangs up 17-7 and silenced a packed crowd at Ron Joyce Stadium.
The Marauders would rebound a few minutes later, as Forsyth recorded his second rushing TD of the day, this time a six-yard effort, to pull McMaster within three.
Tyler Crapigna would tie the game at 17 on the final play of the half, hitting a 19-yard kick, getting a second chance after a penalty canceled out his miss from 40-yards on the previous play.
After being limited by the Mustangs defence in the first two quarters, Quinlan would begin to take control of the second half starting with a 103-yard touchdown pass to the 2011 OUA MVP Michael DiCroce. Saturday was DiCroce’s first game of 2012 after being sidelined with an ankle injury in training camp.
The two teams would trade field goals to start the fourth quarter before McMaster turned the corner and began to pull away. Quinlan fired two touchdown passes less than two minutes apart to put the Marauders up 42-21 with just over four minutes left to play.
Western continued to fight, making one final scoring drive in the final minute that was capped off by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Finch to Matt Uren. Unfortunately for the Mustangs those would be the final points of the game, and McMaster emerged with a 42-28 victory.
The Marauders now move on to the Yates Cup Final, hosting the Guelph Gryphons who came back to defeat the Queen’s Gaels in overtime on Saturday afternoon.
Despite the loss, after the game coach Marshall was confident that the future of Mustangs football is a bright as it has ever been, with a stable of good young players that the team will build around.
“We’ve got a good young football team. I’m as optimistic as I’ve ever been because of what we have. I believe that Will Finch gives us an opportunity, we’ve got good young receivers, we’re going to be a good team.”
Of course for some Mustangs Saturday’s game was their last in the purple and white, and they’ll make way for a new group of Mustangs next season.
“It hurts especially for players like Donnie, like Mike Van Praet, guys that have played their last game and aren’t going to be able to be part of something going forward. That’s the most difficult thing, but we’re optimistic. We’ve got a good young team.”
