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2006 Season Week 10: August 12
NB Telegraph-Journal | Sports - As published on page B5 on August 14,
2006
FOOTBALL
Wanderers complete dream season
Saint John manhandles Dartmouth in Maritime final
SAINT JOHN - When it rains it pours. A double entendre that applies as much to the weather during Saturday's Maritime Football League championship game as it did to the surging offence on both sides of the field. The Saint John Vito's Alpine Wanderers slogged through the marsh-like conditions at Simonds High School to double the Dartmouth Knights 52-26, and capture their second Maritime championship in as many years. "You come into one of these games and you never know what you're getting into," said Wanderers head coach Mark Gallagher, "We just brought four quarters of football and I'm just really proud of the guys and the way they played all season." What began as a trickle two years ago, when the Wanderers began a two-season unbeaten streak has since eroded its banks and flooded the league, leaving no team untouched. The Wanderers went 6-0 in this year's regular season, and punched their ticket to the Maritime final by edging out the Riverview Mustangs 36-33 in the New Brunswick conference championship on Aug. 6. Quarterback Jon Hachey has played an integral part in that success. When asked how he felt after a repeat championship performance he simply said that he was relieved. "We knew we could do it and we knew we had the talent to do it," said Hachey. "I'm proud of everyone on the team. We never lost heart." Hachey was named all-around most valuable player in Saturday's game, scored one touchdown and rushed for more than 100 yards. The Wanderers drew first blood in the contest when fullback Jon Haines scored a touchdown, capping off an eight-play drive. Haines rushed for 60 yards before running out of field in the end-zone. Kicker Mark Hall then hoofed the conversion making it 7-0. The Wanderers would score again before the Knights even had a possession.
Bruce Armstrong of the Knights, returned the kick but lost control of
the ball in contact and the loose ball was smothered by the Wanderers.
Hachey then hooked up with receiver Mike Thomas, who scored a
touchdown from 30 yards out.
Strong defensive pressure off the kick-off saw the Knights begin their drive from their own 20-yard line. The defensive push continued with a big tackle by Roger Muise on Knights running back Mike Lynds, causing a three yard loss. Two more strong defensive stands put the Knights on their heels deep in their own zone, forcing them to punt. Phil Dobson of the Wanderers used his body to block the punt, then picked up the pigskin and carried it backwards into the end zone for a touchdown making the score 20-0 after Hall's conversion. It wasn't until the second quarter, after a fourth Wanderer touchdown scored by Doug McPhee in a 38-yard collaboration with Hachey, that the Knights finally hit the board. Armstrong found his footing and returned a kick deep into enemy territory. The Knights set up a clever screen play that allowed Tyrone Roue to cross the line from 25 yards out, making the score 26-6 after a failed conversion. The Knights would carry four more over the line and score one two-point conversion, but the outcome was never in doubt. Nick Combs, Jon Bailey and Josh Brown would each score individual touchdowns and Hall would mark four points on conversions, while offensive MVP, running-back Marcus Fitzgerald, scored two touchdowns on the day to double any Knights effort. Defensive MVP went to Rodney Fraser of the Knights.
NB Telegraph-Journal | Sports - As published on page B12 on August 12,
2006
Senior Football
Wanderers seek date with perfection
Saint John club entertains Dartmouth today at 4 p.m. in Maritime
Football League final
SAINT JOHN - Sporting an undefeated record of 8-0, the Saint
John Vito's Alpine Wanderers will be pursuing perfection when they
host the Dartmouth Knights in Maritime Bowl V today at 4 p.m. at
Simonds High Field.
"We need a big game from everybody on both sides of the ball," Wanderers head coach Mark Gallagher said. "We need to play four quarters of football with no exceptions." That didn't happen in last weekend's provincial championship game that saw the Wanderers outlast the Riverview Mustangs 36-33. The Saint John squad was forced to rebound from a rough first half before rallying in the third and fourth quarters. "In the first half, we didn't get a lot of breaks," Gallagher said. "There were some good plays made, but nothing big. "In the second half, we came out on fire. Rather than waiting for things to happen, we made things happen." Gallagher said Wanderers outside linebacker Josh Brown helped set the tone for a comeback with an effort that inspired the rest of the team. "He was everywhere," the Saint John head coach said. "He was on the opposite side of the field making tackles and he was in the backfield making tackles." The Wanderers blazed their way through the Maritime Football League, finishing first overall in the nine-team circuit with a 6-0 record before tallying two playoff wins - a 27-0 whitewashing of the Saint John Longhorns in the New Brunswick Football Conference semifinal and the aforementioned triumph over Riverview. "Everybody is healthy," Gallagher said about the state of his charges. "We managed to make it out of the Riverview game unscathed, but there was a lot of crashing and banging. They came to win and there were a lot of hard hits." Quarterback Jon Hachey and running back Jon Haines are two of the Wanderers' most dangerous offensive weapons. The Knights counter with a mobile pivot of their own in Dan Williams. "This guy throws the football extremely well and he's all over the place," said Gallagher about Williams. "He's a roving quarterback and we'll need some big things from our (defensive backs)." Other offensive forces for the Knights include running backs Ryan Moxom and Mike Lynds. "Dartmouth has a well-rounded team," Gallagher noted. "Point for point, they match up pretty tight with us." The Knights punched their ticket to the Maritime championship with a 55-20 upset over the Halifax Shockers in the Eastern Football Conference championship. Dartmouth went 2-3 in the regular season before gaining momentum with a 55-6 conference semifinal win over the Prince Edward Island Privateers. "Dartmouth has certainly been on a good roll," Gallagher said. "Halifax has one of the toughest teams you'll face all year and they beat the crap out of them. "If I would have bet on that game, I would have lost money. Halifax told us earlier in the season that they were coming here to take back their trophy. They wanted to play us that bad. "From what I understand, Halifax had some tough breaks early in the game," the coach continued. "It was similar to our game, but they didn't recover. Once you're down, it can be hard to recover." The Wanderers have history on their side. They defeated the Knights 28-18 in last year's Maritime Bowl in Halifax and humbled the Nova Scotia club 39-7 back on July 15 on home turf. "Outside of winning a Maritime championship, our goal is to show the fans what kind of football talent there is in the city," Gallagher said. "The talent we have in this city is just awesome. "Football in this city is alive and well. Some of the best football players in Eastern Canada come from this area." Week 9: August 5 Knights
clobber Shockers NB Telegraph-Journal | Sports - As published on page B5 on August 7, 2006 Wanderers roar back to take N.B. championship Saint John will now face Dartmouth on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Simonds High
The Saint John Vito's Alpine Wanderers found themselves in uncharted territory during Saturday's New Brunswick Football Conference championship game. The Wanderers trailed the Riverview Mustangs 21-7 at halftime before storming back to post a dramatic 36-33 win in front of the hometown fans at Simonds High Field. The victory clinched a berth in the Maritime Bowl, which the Wanderers will host Saturday at 4 p.m. at Simonds. Their opponent will be the Dartmouth Knights, who claimed the Eastern Football Conference championship with a 55-20 drubbing of the Halifax Shockers. "We just started really flat," Wanderers head coach Mark Gallagher said. "We went into the locker room at halftime and regrouped and came out in the second half and did our thing. We moved the ball really well in the second half." Saint John quarterback Jon Hachey keyed the comeback, running for a 10-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Running back Jon Haines ran into the endzone from three yards out for the Wanderers' second major and then Hachey scored his second touchdown of the day, this time from five yards out, in the fourth quarter. He proceeded to notch a two-point convert. Later in the final frame, Haines scored on a 65-yard run and Hachey ran the ball in from the same distance. Along the way, Mark Hall had four converts. Steve Cormier tallied two touchdowns for the Mustangs while Paul Guimond and A.J. Gallant also had majors. Olivier Eddie recorded four conversions and a field goal. Riverview picked up two points on a safety. "They're a tough team," Gallagher said of the Mustangs. "That's a prime example of how good the league is getting." "I'm very pleased with the heart the team played with, being down 21-7 in the third quarter," Wanderers general manager Ken Lawrence Sr. said. "This is the best team I've been associated with for heart in tackle football. It's the heart that drives this team." Gallagher hopes his team carries the momentum of Saturday's second half into the Maritime title tilt. "If I can get everybody to walk out of the locker room ready to play for four quarters of football, it should be amazing what we can do," the coach said. "I'm hoping we'll play our best game of the season." Times & Transcript | Sports - As published on page d2 on August 7, 2006 Mustangs fall in N.B. final Saint John Wanderers rally to edge Riverview in senior football playoffs; will now face Dartmouth Knights
SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Vito's Alpine Wanderers found
themselves in uncharted territory during Saturday's New Brunswick
Football Conference championship game.
The Wanderers trailed the Riverview Mustangs 21-7 at halftime before storming back to post a dramatic 36-33 win in front of the hometown fans at Simonds High Field. The victory clinched a berth in the Maritime Bowl, which the Wanderers will host Saturday at 4 p.m. at Simonds. Their opponent will be the Dartmouth Knights, who claimed the Eastern Football Conference championship with a 55-20 drubbing of the Halifax Shockers. "We just started really flat," Wanderers head coach Mark Gallagher said. "We went into the locker room at halftime and regrouped and came out in the second half and did our thing. We moved the ball really well in the second half." Saint John quarterback Jon Hachey keyed the comeback, running for a 10-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Running back Jon Haines ran into the endzone from three yards out for the Wanderers' second major and then Hachey scored his second touchdown of the day, this time from five yards out, in the fourth quarter. He proceeded to notch a two-point convert. Later in the final frame, Haines scored on a 65-yard run and Hachey ran the ball in from the same distance. Along the way, Mark Hall had four converts. Steve Cormier tallied two touchdowns for the Mustangs while Paul Guimond and A.J. Gallant also had majors. Olivier Eddie recorded four conversions and a field goal. Riverview picked up two points on a safety. "They're a tough team," Gallagher said of the Mustangs. "That's a prime example of how good the league is getting." NB Telegraph-Journal | Sports - As published on page B12 on August 5, 2006 Senior Football
All eyes on the prize
Saint John Wanderers meet Riverview Mustangs today at 4 p.m. at Simonds High School
From a professional tryout in the spring to local football dominance
during the summer, 25-year-old Jon Haines finds himself in the middle
of a football dream.
Now, as his Saint John Vito's Alpines Wanderers prepare for today's New Brunswick Football Conference championship game against the Riverview Mustangs, the star running back figures to stand front and centre for the defending champions from the Port City. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back is one of three players - including Riverview's Steve Cormier - up for the conference's most outstanding player of the year award, reflective of his role as one of the main cogs for a team that is 16-0 over the past two years, looking for a second straight perfect season. For Haines, the personal success was a continuation of the fine form he displayed during a tryout with the Hamilton Ti-Cats in April, one that helped turn a few heads and provide motivation to keep going in his pursuit of a professional career. "He's just proving why he should be there,' said Wanderers head coach Mark Gallagher. This year, Haines led the Wanderers to a perfect 6-0 record with more than 1,200 yards on the ground. He scored 12 touchdowns, some of them electrifying, others amazing - such as a 75-yard jaunt with 22 seconds remaining in the first matchup with Riverview, a scoring run that turned a one point deficit into a five-point victory. The results almost predictably happened on the heels of his brief professional experience - one that was almost a year in the making. 'I came into our camp and I was ready to go," said Haines, who worked throughout the winter with a personal trainer - his Saint John teammate Marcus Fitzgerald. "I was in prime shape and that experience definitely put me ahead of the game." It was last November when Haines, the former Simonds High School star who spent time at Acadia University, chatted with Saint John's Craig Carr, then off a season with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League about football, training and getting noticed. Carr told Haines and Wanderers' teammate Jon Roscoe of potential free agent opportunities in the CFL and provided the duo with a list of contacts. Haines and Roscoe followed with detailed Internet research, an extensive e-mail campaign and the traditional delivery of action tapes to some of the CFL's eastern-based squads. It all landed them a chance at Hamilton's camp in April, with about 120 others, many with high level U.S. college experience. It was a longshot but one Haines was willing to take.
With Fitzgerald's assistance in the training room, Haines was in the
best shape of his life and entered Hamilton primed to make an
impression during the short mini-camp.
In general, they did the things I thought they would and we did surprisingly well," said Haines. 'When it was over, they called five or six players over and told us that we had what it took to play in the CFL and to stay in shape." Haines followed that with his incredible run through the MFL campaign, one he hopes has another week remaining. He said he is taking nothing but positive thoughts away from that Hamilton experience and will continue his pursuit of a professional dream in the coming months as well. "I am going to make it happen," he said. He credited the MFL for providing him an opportunity. "This league was a major stepping stone," he said. "This league, for this region, is the best thing to happen for kids out of high school." Today, the Wanderers hook up with the Mustangs at Simonds High School Field for the fourth time in the past two seasons. At stake is the Burchill Trophy for the New Brunswick Senior Football champions. The winner advances to the Maritime Football League title game next week, a contest the Wanderers won last year over Halifax. Riverview might be sick of seeing Haines exploits. Earlier this season, the Mustangs held a late lead in the fourth quarter but Haines rolled off that 75-yard touchdown scamper with 22 seconds remaining. In the 2005 provincial final, Haines scored a pair of touchdowns in a 34-31 Wanderers win over Riverview while in a 14-10 regular season triumph that year, he scored both touchdowns for Saint John. Overall, the Wanderers are 7-0, a slate that includes a 27-0 shutout of the rival Saint John Longhorns in the New Brunswick semifinal. Riverview, 6-1, advanced to the New Brunswick final with a 25-17 win over the Capital Area Gladiators. In the other Maritime Football League contest today, Dartmouth takes on Halifax.
Times & Transcript | Sports - As published on page D1 on August 4,
2006
Mustangs hit road for N.B. final
SAINT JOHN - Two years ago, it was Steve Cormier racing to the
end zone with nine seconds remaining as the Moncton Marshals edged the
Saint John Wanderers 29-27 for their first Maritime Football League
New Brunswick Conference championship.
Last year, it was Mike Thomas catching the game-winning touchdown pass with five seconds left as Saint John got revenge with a 34-31 win over the Riverview Mustangs - most members of the Marshals team joined the Mustangs following their 2004 championship - for the New Brunswick title. Moncton/Riverview and Saint John have met in the last three New Brunswick finals. In each of the last two meetings, three touchdowns were scored in the final two minutes in dramatic games. Both teams expect the same tomorrow when Riverview and Saint John meet again in the MFL New Brunswick championship game at 4 p.m. at the Simonds High School field here. The winner moves on to the Maritime Bowl Aug. 12 against the winner of the Eastern Conference final tomorrow between the Halifax Shockers and Dartmouth Knights. "It's guaranteed to be a good game. If you're a fan of football, you're definitely going to want to watch this game," Wanderers head coach Mark Gallagher said this week. "These championship games just seem to go down to the wire. Every time. It's just two great teams rising to play one another." Saint John finished first in the New Brunswick Conference with a 6-0 regular season record. Riverview was second at 5-1. They met once with the Wanderers winning 25-20 in Week 5. Again, it was dramatic. Saint John won on a 90-yard touchdown run in the final 20 seconds. "If anyone's been to a Saint John-Riverview game they know it's a rough battle to the very end. That's just the way it goes," Mustangs all-star defensive lineman Dwayne Ells said. "One team scores and the other team comes right back and scores. It just goes like that. Both teams play hard and it's a really good rivalry." Saint John blanked the Saint John Longhorns 27-0 in a semifinal last week to earn a ticket to the final. Riverview downed the Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton 25-14 in the other semifinal. Mustangs haven't forgotten last year's playoff loss to the Wanderers. "Saint John's a solid team. They have some experienced guys and they play well together," said Ells, who played basketball at Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Que. "But we're a confident team, confident in our ability. We know they're the team to beat, they haven't lost in awhile and we're going there trying to knock them off." Riverview's defence has played a bigger role on this year's team as its offence has adjusted to new players. Ells said the defence is up for the challenge tomorrow taking on Wanderers quarterback Jon Hachey, running back Jon Haines and receiver Mike Thomas. "I love playing against the best and I'm sure every guy on our team feels the same way," Ells said. "I'm really proud of the way our defence has played. We've come together and really gelled as a defence and we're ready to play (tomorrow)." Meanwhile, Riverview has seven players nominated for conference awards. They are Steve Cormier (most outstanding player, most outstanding player-offence and most outstanding running back), John Forbes (most outstanding player-defence and most outstanding defensive back), Nick Sleeper (most outstanding offensive lineman), Dwayne Ells (most outstanding defensive lineman), Mike Cochrane (most outstanding receiver), Olivier Eddie (most outstanding special teams player) and Andy Stultz (most outstanding rookie). Week 8: July 29
NB Telegraph-Journal | Sports - As published on page B5 on July 31,
2006
Maritime Football League
Wanderers gain playoff shutout
Saint John club gears up for New Brunswick Conference championship
Saturday against Riverview at Simonds
The Saint John Alpine Vito's Wanderers were explosive on offence and
stingy on defence.
That combination led to a 27-0 whitewashing of the Saint John Longhorns in New Brunswick Football Conference semifinal action. With the win, the Wanderers earn the right to play for the New Brunswick Conference championship on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Simonds High Field. Their opponent will be the Riverview Mustangs, who earned a berth with a 25-14 NBFC semifinal win over the Capital Area Gladiators. In the Eastern Football Conference semifinals, the Dartmouth Knights defeated the Prince Edward Island Privateers 55-6 and the Halifax Shockers blanked the Moncton Marshals 42-0. The winners of the conference championship games meet in the Maritime Bowl on Aug. 12 at the home of the N.B. Conference winner. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. In Saint John, Wanderers quarterback Jon Hachey enjoyed a productive outing, running 25 yards for a touchdown and finding Ken Lawrence Jr. in the endzone for another major. Other TDs came from Jon Haines, who ran in from three yards, and defensive back Jon Roscoe, who intercepted a pass and returned it 60 yards. Mark Hall added three converts to round out the scoring. "We tried some new stuff on offence," Wanderers head coach Mark Gallagher said. "We're right where we need to be. Riverview is a tough team and if there are two teams in the New Brunswick Conference that are equally matched in a lot of areas, it's these two teams. "It's going to be a battle. We're not willing to let anyone come into our house and steal our prize." Gallagher said Saturday's win was about more than outstanding offence. The coach said there were several unsung heroes, including Jay Stephens, Phil Dobson, Roger Muise, Clifton Richards, Tyrell Sparks, Tommy Gallagher, Jon Bailey, Matt Robichaud, Josh Brown, Andrew Salkey and Ben Allen. Gallagher said strong efforts also came from Joel Cox and Scott Eatmon. In Riverview, running back Steve Cormier ran for three touchdowns as the Mustangs defeated the Gladiators. The Mustangs led 7-0 at the half on a two-yard touchdown run from Cormier, who finished with 91 yards on 16 carries. Riverview went ahead 15-0 in the third quarter when Cormier found the end zone again on a one-yard run and then caught a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Paul Guimond. After Capital Area cut the lead to 15-6 with a third quarter touchdown, Cormier scored again on another one-yard run to make it 22-6 Mustangs. The Gladiators stayed in the game in the fourth quarter when quarterback Allison Brooks hooked up with Jeff Taylor on a 22-yard touchdown pass, to go along with a two-point convert, to trail 22-14, but Riverview's Olivier Eddie nailed a 35-yard field goal with six minutes remaining to secure the win. Guimond finished 5-for-10 for 70 yards in passing. John Forbes led the Mustangs with six tackles. "This was a great game and our guys did a fantastic job against a very good Fredericton team," Mustangs chief executive officer Mark Crandall said. "Now, we're definitely looking forward to going down to Saint John and looking to win that game and then moving on to win the Maritime title." In Halifax, quarterback Chris Livingston tossed touchdowns to five different receivers as the Shockers beat the Marshals. Meanwhile, this year's N.B. Conference final will be a rematch of last year's conference championship game, which saw the Wanderers score the winning touchdown in the final seconds of a thrilling 34-31 victory.
Times & Transcript | Sports - As published on page D1 on July 31,
2006
Cormier lifts Mustangs past Gladiators
Riverview running back runs for three touchdowns to move on to New
Brunswick senior football final
It's taken some time, but chief executive officer Mark Crandall feels
his Riverview Mustangs are coming together at the perfect time.
Mustangs beat the Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton 25-14 in a Maritime Football League New Brunswick Conference semifinal Saturday at Dobson Field. Riverview advances to the New Brunswick Conference final on Saturday against the rival Saint John Wanderers in Saint John. The game will be a rematch of last year's conference championship game, which saw the Wanderers score the winning touchdown in the final seconds of a thrilling 34-31 victory. "It was a huge win for us. We're looking to rebound from last year's New Brunswick final loss against Saint John and we've been getting ready for them," Crandall said. "This was a great game and our guys did a fantastic job against a very good Fredericton team. Now, we're definitely looking forward to going down to Saint John and looking to win that game and then moving on to win the Maritime title." Wanderers blanked the Saint John Longhorns 27-0 in the other New Brunswick semifinal Saturday. In Eastern Conference semifinals Saturday, the Halifax Shockers thumped the Moncton Marshals 42-0 and the Dartmouth Knights bombed the P.E.I. Privateers 55-6. Halifax and Dartmouth will meet in the Eastern Conference final on Saturday in Halifax. The two conference winners move on to the Maritime Bowl Aug. 12. In Riverview Saturday, running back Steve Cormier ran for three touchdowns as the Mustangs defeated the Gladiators. It was just the type a victory Crandall was looking for. "It took us some time this year with a lot of changes and the loss of some key veterans and 20 some rookies. It took us six regular season games and this one to gel, but we did it," he said. "The defence played awesome, our offence - with Steve Cormier and AJ Gallant - is always good and this was the first game we really gelled as a team. We're prepared both mentally and physically for next week." Mustangs led 7-0 at the half on a two-yard touchdown run from Cormier, who finished with 91 yards on 16 carries. Riverview went ahead 15-0 in the third quarter when Cormier found the end zone again on a one-yard run and then caught a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Paul Guimond. After Capital Area cut the lead to 15-6 with a third-quarter touchdown, Cormier scored again on another one-yard run to make it 22-6 Mustangs. Gladiators stayed in the game in the fourth quarter when quarterback Allison Brooks hooked up with Jeff Taylor on a 22-yard touchdown pass, to go along with a two-point convert, to trail 22-14. However, Riverview's Olivier Eddie nailed a 35-yard field goal with six minutes remaining to secure the win. Guimond finished 5-for-10 for 70 yards in passing. John Forbes led the Mustangs with six tackles. Mustangs christened their new scoreboard at Dobson Field with the win. The $3,000 scoreboard was paid for by the province and the Town of Riverview. In Halifax, quarterback Chris Livingston tossed touchdowns to five different receivers and defensive back Jamaal Edwards ran an interception back 60 yards as the Shockers beat the Marshals.
Daily Gleaner | Sports - As published on page B1 on July 31, 2006
Lady Gladiators to play for grid title
The Capital Area Curves Lady Gladiators are going to play for a
Maritime women's football league championship on their home
field at Leo Hayes High School Sunday.
Lady Gladiators, who went 5-1 during the regular season to earn the top seed billing in the post-season, defeated Saint John Buccaneers 22-6 in semifinal play yesterday at Leo Hayes Field to earn a spot in the final against the Halifax Xplosion, 17-15 winners over Moncton Vipers at Rocky Stone Field yesterday. The championship game will be played Sunday at 4 o'clock. Meanwhile, the Capital Area DQ Gladiators were eliminated in the Maritime senior men's semifinal Saturday, falling on the short end of a 25-14 score to the Riverview Mustangs in Riverview. Mustangs will play the Saint John Wanderers in the provincial final Saturday in Saint John with the winner taking on the Nova Scotia winner for the Maritime title Aug. 12. Dartmouth Knights play Halifax Shockers in the N.S. final. Natasha Canning's 30-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter got the Lady Gladiators on the board against the Buccaneers. With the Alex Black convert, it was 8-0. With less than a minute left in the half, Black, who is the quarterback, took off on a bootleg and scampered 20 yards for the score. With her convert, it was 16-0 at the half. With some three minutes remaining, Saint John got on the board courtesy of a fumble which gave them the ball on the Gladiators' five-yard line. Two plays later, Amanda Craine scored from two yards out. The convert was missed. Buccaneers tried the onsides kick to no avail. Lady Gladiators took over on the Saint John side of the field and marched down for one final touchdown, that being a 35-yard run by Black. She added the convert to round out the scoring. In the men's game at Riverview, the Gladiators propensity to self destruct with penalties, bad snaps and turnovers proved costly in the final scheme of things. A Gladiator fumble on their 25-yard line led to the Mustangs opening score, that being from one yard out courtesy of a Steve Cormier plunge through the line. A facemask penalty on the Gladiators on the five-yard line set up the Cormier TD from the one. Olivier Eddie's convert make it 7-0. Mustangs would score late in the first half after taking a Gladiator punt to the 40-yard line. Cormier did yeoman-like work rushing the ball, eventually scoring the major from one-yard out. He also took the ball over on a two-point convert attempt and it was 15-0 at the half. Cormier scored his third TD of the day on Riverview's first series of the second half and with the Eddie convert, it was 22-0. Gladiators tried to come back with Andrew Hubbard taking the enusing kickoff to the 45-yard-line. QB Allison Brooks then marched the Gladiators down the field, finally getting it to Andrew Fisher from four yards out for the score. Justin Conn took a pitchout from holder Jeff Taylor and made the two-point conversion, making it 22-8. Mustangs drove the ball to the Gladiators 25-yard line next time they had the ball, and settled for an Eddie field goal to extend their lead to 25-8. Gladiators finally hit paydirt in the dying minutes of the game when Brooks hit Jeremy Bigger in the end zone from 10 yards out for the major score. The two-point conversion failed. Gladiators tried the on-sides kick to no avail.
Week 7: July 22-3
Week 6: July 11,
14-16 The Saint John Wanderers' offence generated more than
400 yards during their 39-7 march against the Dartmouth Knights in
Martitime Football League action.
Steve Cormier scored three touchdowns, all on highlight reel plays,
and he was the big difference maker as the Riverview Mustangs defeated
the Moncton Marshals 42-14 in Maritime Football League action last
night in front of 600 fans at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Riverview rallied from an early 14-7 deficit and outscored its opponent 35-0 over the final 44 minutes of the contest. Cormier had 230 yards rushing on 10 carries and scored touchdowns on a 46-yard pass and runs of 48 and 67 yards. Riverview had 411 total yards - 265 rushing and 146 passing. Quarterback Paul Guimond threw four touchdown passes against his former team. The first two plays of the game resulted in a touchdown. Jeff Drisdelle picked up a Guimond fumble and ran it in from the 15-yard line as Moncton opened the summary. Guimond then hit Cormier with a 46-yard pass as Riverview made it 7-7 just 1:06 into the contest. The Marshals took a 14-7 lead just over three minutes into the game as quarterback Gaetan Beaulieu and Ryan Sabean combined on a 40-yard touchdown pass. The Mustangs scored twice late in the first quarter to jump ahead 21-14. Guimond threw touchdown passes of 21 yards to Mike Cochran and eight yards to A.J. Gallant. The only scoring in the second quarter came with 1:15 left in the first half. Cochran hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass to put Riverview ahead 28-14 heading to the locker room. Riverview pounded Moncton 77-0 and 44-6 last season. The spread was reduced to 28 points last night in the third meeting ever between these clubs. Daily Gleaner | Sports - As published on page B2 on July 12, 2006 Gladiators let it get away
Saint John Wanderers continue to roll in the Maritime Football League. Wanderers, the defending league champs, improved to 4-0 on the season by eking out a 28-27 victory over the Capital Area Gladiators Tuesday at Leo Hayes High School Field. The game had been twice postponed because of inclement weather. Jon Haines ran for three touchdowns, threw for another and ran in a two-point conversion as the Wanderers rallied from a 27-12 second half deficit. Marcus Fitzgerald scored the winning points on a two-point conversion in the final minutes, moments after Haines ran in his third major of the game. Mike Thomas caught a 25-yard pass from Haines in the first half to round out the scoring. Jeff Taylor and Andrew Hubbard scored touchdowns for the Gladiators in the first half and O.J. Burnett and Jeremy Biggar added majors in the second half for the big lead. But the Wanderers got back in the game, thanks in part to a 60-yard punt return by Jon Roscoe that set up a Haines touchdown. Scott McNamee had one sack and six tackles and Matt Robichaud recorded two sacks for the Wanderers. Saint John is back in action Saturday when its host the 1-2 Dartmouth Knights at Simonds Field, beginning at 4 p.m. On Sunday, the Gladiators, who are now 1-3, entertain winless the University of New Brunswick Saint John Wolves at Leo Hayes Field, game time 4 p.m. Friday, Riverview (3-1) and Moncton (1-3) hook up at Rocky Stone Field. Daily Gleaner | Sports - As published on page b5 on July 12, 2006
ROUGHHOUSE
Jon Roscoe, left, of the Saint John Wanderers aggressively takes down
Patrick Casey of the Capital Area Gladiators during Maritime
Football League action Tuesday night at Leo Hayes Field. Wanderers
improved to 4-0 with a dramatic 28-27 victory. Gladiators dropped to
1-3 with the defeat
Times & Transcript | Sports - As published on page C3 on July 10,
2006
Mustangs, Marshals shaded
You can never count out the Saint John Wanderers.
The defending Maritime Bowl champion just always seems to find a way to get the job done. They proved that again with a dramatic turn of events in the dying seconds for a 25-20 win over the Riverview Mustangs in Maritime Football League action on Saturday at Dobson Field. Olivier Eddie punted the ball through the endzone from the 30-yard line for a single point to give the Mustangs a 20-19 lead with 22 seconds remaining in the game. But the celebration didn't last long. The Wanderers opted to take the ball on their own 20-yard line rather accept a kickoff. The next play was a reverse to John Haines and he went on a 90-yard touchdown run to seal the victory in stunning fashion for the visitors. The Wanderers, 3-0, and the Mustangs, 3-1, are battling for top spot in the New Brunswick Conference and their head-to-head clash was a hard-fought thriller featuring all kinds of momentum swings. Meanwhile, the Saint John Longhorns improved their record to 2-2 by edging the Moncton Marshals 22-15 yesterday at the Canada Games Stadium in Saint John. The Marshals are 1-3. In Riverview, Saint John jumped out to a 13-0 lead after the first quarter. There was a 16-yard touchdown run by Haines and a nine-yard touchdown pass by quarteback John Hachey. Riverview did all the scoring in the second quarter and it was 13-13 at halftime. Quarterback Paul Guimond hooked up with Steve Cormier for a 45-yard touchdown pass. Cormier also had a seven-yard touchdown run. The Mustangs led 19-13 after the third quarter on A.J. Gallant's five-yard touchdown run. The Wanderers tied it 19-19 early in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Hachey to Marcus Fitzgerald, setting the stage for the game's dramatic finish in the last minute. Guimond connected on five of 13 pass attempts for 73 yards and one touchdown for the Mustangs. Cormier paced the club along the ground with 74 yards rushing on 14 carries. Yesterday, the Longhorns downed the Marshals in a game that featured several long drives both teams that were thwarted by turnovers. Kyle Spencer, on a 109-yard return off a missed field goal, and Mario Collette, on a 20-yard pass from quarterback Gaetan Beaulieu, had Moncton's touchdowns. Jeff Beal added a convert and a pair of singles. Linebacker Adam Beal led Moncton's defence with an interception and a fumble recovery. Longhorns led 14-7 at halftime. Halifax, 4-1, sits atop the Eastern Conference. P.E.I. is 2-1 and Dartmouth is 1-2. Riverview and Moncton will clash on Friday at 7 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Week 4: June 28-July 3
NB Telegraph-Journal | Sports - As published on page B6 on July 3,
2006
FOOTBALL
Privateers pummel UNBSJ
SAINT JOHN - Mike Chaloner, Corey Chaloner and Tex Mutch were
offensive forces in the Prince Edward Island Privateers' 31-0
whitewashing of the University of New Brusnwick at Saint John Wolves
on Sunday in Maritime Football League action at Canada Games
Stadium.
Corey Chaloner had a touchdown in the first quarter, followed by Mutch's one-point convert. Corey Chaloner scored his second major in the second quarter before brother Mike hauled in a 25-yard pass in the endzone from Mutch later in the frame. Mike Chaloner followed his third TD with a two-point convert for a 21-0 halftime lead. Mike Chaloner tallied six points once again in the third quarter and Mutch followed with a one-point convert. Mutch added to the onslaught with a 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The same two teams meet again Saturday at 4 p.m. in Charlottetown A moment of silence was held for 20 year-old Tyler Henderson, former Hampton Husky, who was tragically killed on PEI late Friday night. Tyler was looking forward to joining his good friend Curt Gillies and the rest of the Wolves next season...he will be missed. July 1 Riverview Mustangs 14 Dartmouth Knights 7 Halifax Shockers 28 Moncton Marshals 1
Times & Transcript | Sports - As published on page C1 on July 3,
2006
Forbes lifts Mustangs to grid win
Riverview club improves to 3-0 with 14-7 victory over Dartmouth
Knights; Moncton Marshals fall 28-1
The defining moment was easy to identify.
Defensive back Johnathan Forbes forced the fumble and then had a 109-yard touchdown return with six minutes remaining to lift the Riverview Mustangs to a 14-7 win over the Dartmouth Knights in Maritime Football League action on Saturday at Dobson Field. Dartmouth quarterback Dan Williams tried to score on a one-yard plunge. But Forbes ripped the ball out of his hands and dashed the length of the field to give Riverview a 14-0 lead. ``We played well together as a defensive unit, lots of communication on the field. Lots of guys came up with big plays," said Forbes, who also had one interception and eight tackles. Riverview, 3-0, moved into first place in the New Brunswick Conference. The Saint John Wanderers, 2-0, will look to pull even when they visit the Capital Area Gladiators tomorrow. Mitch Willinger's three-yard touchdown run gave Riverview a 7-0 lead at halftime. The Mustangs had a drive stopped inside the five-yard line in the second quarter and they botched a 26-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter. The Mustangs finally gained breathing room with a 14-0 lead thanks to a big play from their defence. The Knights made it 14-7 with four minutes remaining on a 33-yard touchdown reception by Tyrone Roue. Riverview had 355 total yards - 152 passing and 203 rushing. Quarterback Paul Guimond made good on nine of 20 pass attempts and Willinger keyed the ground game with 101 yards rushing. But it was defence that enabled the Mustangs to escape with victory. Linebacker Paul Best was a standout with four tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. ``The wind obviously had an impact on both offences," said Guimond. ``It was a team effort to get the win. I can't say enough about our defence, especially the big play by Johnathan Forbes late in the game." In Saturday's other action, the Halifax Shockers defeated the Moncton Marshals 28-1 at Rocky Stone Memorial Field and Capital Area downed the Saint John Longhorns 31-21. Halifax, 3-1, is first in the Eastern Division. It held a 20-0 halftime lead against Moncton, which generated nothing offensively and left its defence on the field for too much of the game. ``Our starting quarterback (Gaetan Beaulieu) missed most of the game with injury so that's a big piece of the puzzle," said Marshals defensive coordinator Peter Beers. ``We were also missing three starters on defence. ``No excuses, though. Halifax was the better team today. We have to put this behind us and get ready for the next one." Yesterday, the Prince Edward Island Privateers beat the UNBSJ Wolves 31-0 in Saint John. Capital Area, Moncton and the Saint John Longhorns, all 1-2, are tied for third place. Riverview meets the Wanderers on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field in a showdown for first place. Moncton visits the Longhorns on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Canada Games Stadium. July 1 Capital Area
Gladiators 31 The Gladiator QB Allison Brooks threw three touchdown
passes to Jeff Taylor and two to Andrew Hubbard as Capital
Week 3: June 24-25
NB Telegraph-Journal | Football - As published on page B7 on June 26,
2006
MARITIME FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Defence sparks Wanderers to second straight triumph
Saint John is back in action on Tuesday July 4 when it visits the Capital Area Gladiators in Fredericton at 7 p.m.
The Saint John Vito's Alpine Wanderers won their second straight game
in convincing fashion, blanking the Moncton Marshals 38-0 Saturday in
Maritime Tackle Football League action at Simonds High Field.
Running back Jon Haines tallied two touchdowns, running 55 yards for one and 45 for the other. Quarterback Jon Hachey ran 40 yards for a major and fired a 40-yard pass to Mike Thomas for another touchdown. Running back Marcus Fitzgerald added to the onslaught when he scored from seven yards out and Jon Roscoe had three interceptions, the most impressive a 70-yard return that he carried into the endzone. "He's everywhere he needs to be," Wanderers head coach Mark Gallagher said about his deadly defensive back. "He's picking balls off like they're being thrown to him."
"He's everywhere he needs to be," Wanderers head coach Mark
Gallagher said about his deadly defensive back. "He's picking
balls off like they're being thrown to him."
Tanner McDevitt notched a pair of one-point conversions for the winners. Gallagher credited offensive lineman Allan Shephard, Tommy Gallagher and Chris Wall for creating room to run and maneuver. "We had holes that you could drive trucks through," the coach said. "We're really happy with the way the guys played. That's a game we needed to set us up for the rest of the season (the Wanderers are back in action Tuesday in Fredericton against the Capital Area Gladiators at 7 p.m.)."
Gallagher added that the "D-Unit" was at its best.
"They played unbelievable," he said of the defence. "They played 150 per cent, it was all take and no give." Fullback Nick Coombes enjoyed a solid game, carrying the ball 45 yards on four carries. Roger Muise had the hardest luck of the day, running back an interception for 110 yards before the play was called back. Meanwhile, quarterback Reece Roche passed for 250 yards and running back Peter Shea ran for 200 as the Saint John Longhorns defeated the University of New Brunswick-Saint John Wolves 39-1. In Halifax the host Shockers broke open a tight football game with 20 unanswered fourth quarter points, including 13 in the last two minutes, on their way to a 27-0 victory over the Capital Area Gladiators. The Gladiators were inside the Halifax ten yard line twice but turned over the ball on both occasions. In total Capital Area committed 8 turnovers in a game played on a wet and muddy field.
Wanderers get past Halifax in MFL action
Jon Hachey scored two touchdowns and Jon Haines added
another major to lead the Saint John Wanderers to a 21-14 win over the
Halifax Shockers in Maritime Football League action. Jon Roscoe helped
the winning cause with four interceptions. In other action, Ryan Sabean tallied three touchdowns as
the Moncton Marshals defeated the University of New Brunswick Wolves
37-6. Kafali Akili's 75-yard kick return accounted for the Wolves'
offence.
Week 1: June 10-11 June 10
Dartmouth Knights 27 Saint John Longhorns 6 The PEI Privateers kicked off their 3rd season on Saturday at Co-op field in Charlottetown. The Halifax Shockers downed the Privateers 19-14 in a close battle in the rain. Halifax opened the scoring with QB Adam Perry scoring on a 1 yrd plunge. Former CFL player Alan Wetmore made the extra point. PEI replied when Tex Mutch found Michael Chaloner in the endzone to make the score 7-6. Halifax had two other touchdowns by Duncan Raymond. Scoring the second touchdown for PEI was rookie Ian Perry. Perry held
on to the pass from Tex Mutch after colliding with the goalpost. Tex
Mutch made up for the missed extra points by kicking two rouges during
the contest. Defensively, Kevin Hanlon and Keighan Scott had sacks for
PEI. Scott also led the defense with an interception and fumble
recovery. The Privateers travel to Dartmouth to play the Knights on
Saturday. |
