Maritime Football League
2009 Game Summaries

Week 5: June 27

It may turn out to be a Maritime Bowl preview.

In a marquee matchup that lived up to all the hype, the Riverview Molson Mustangs rallied from two deficits and defeated the Dartmouth Knights 17-14 in a hard-fought Maritime Football League game on Saturday in front of 300 fans at Dobson Field.

"We knew that if we hung in there and played our game which is to grind the ball that we could eventually wear them down," said Riverview quarterback Donovan Boucher. "Dartmouth is the toughest opponent we've faced this season.

"That's one of the toughest and most athletic defences I've ever seen in the league. We kept pounding the ball on the ground to try to open things up for the passing game. Then as soon as their corners got lazy or started to cheat in we threw deep."

Dartmouth entered the weekend with the league's No. 1 offence and No. 1 defence, outscoring opponents 129-17 in its first three games. Riverview was missing injured Steve Cormier, the league's best running back, but still found a way to remain the league's only undefeated club.

Riverview did the only scoring in the fourth quarter, executing a 15-play drive that covered 87 yards. Boucher threw a 15-yard touchdown strike to Jonathan Forbes with 4:20 remaining to give the club a 17-14 lead.

"Dartmouth has an explosive offence and a very strong defence," said Boucher. "We just had to grind it out on offence. We did a good job of being patient, taking what they gave us and moving the chains.

"I think both defences played very well in this game. Both clubs were forced to work for all the yards they gained."

Riverview, 4-0, sits atop the Eastern Conference. Dartmouth and the Halifax Shockers are both 3-1 and the Prince Edward Island Privateers are 1-3.

The Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton are first in the Western Conference at 3-1, followed by the Saint John Longhorns at 2-2. The Saint John Wanderers are 1-4 and the Moncton Marshals have been outscored 214-8 en route to an 0-5 record.

The Wanderers pounded Moncton 40-0 on Saturday at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

Riverview defensive back Matt Kenny was a force with three interceptions in the game. His first interception came at the Dartmouth 23-yard line and eventually led to a 20-yard field goal which gave Riverview a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Quarterback Vince Williams connected with Joe Doherty on a 70-yard touchdown pass to give Dartmouth a 7-3 lead on the next drive. Boucher hit Josh Dickenson with a 47-yard touchdown pass to put Riverview ahead 10-7 with less than three minutes remaining in the first half.

Dartmouth bounced back in the final minute of the first half to grab a 14-10 lead. Tyler Schussler had a three-yard touchdown run.

The clubs scored 24 of the game's 31 points in the second quarter. Riverview's touchdown with 4:20 remaining in the game was the only scoring in the second half.

Dartmouth had two ball possessions after that. But Kenny came up big with his second and third interceptions of the game to make sure Riverview didn't surrender the lead.

"We knew coming into this game it was going to be a huge test," said Kenny. "Our defence bent a few times, but we didn't break.

"Their quarterback is a great player and they scored a lot of points in their first three games. We take a lot of pride in being able to hold them to 14 points."

Moncton will visit the Saint John Longhorns on Friday. Riverview will be on the road to face the Saint John Wanderers on Sunday.

MONCTON - The Saint John Wanderers broke their four-game losing streak this weekend with a 40-0 win over the Moncton Marshals in Maritime Football League action. Running backs Jon Haines and Adam Naves had two touchdowns each, while receiver Doug McPhee caught two TD passes from 35 and 37 yards via quarterback Trevor Harrison. McPhee went four for six on the conversions. Charlie Harroun caught the pigskin seven times for an accumulative gain of 140 yards. In the backfield, Bruce MacMillian had two interceptions while Roger Muise, Josh Brown and Mike Thorne were defensive standouts. "It was a long awaited win, but we finally got it," Dave Grandy, coach of the Wanderers, said. "We're coming along here with the young players we've got and hopefully things will keep on trucking." In other MFL action, the Riverview Mustangs edged the Dartmouth Knights 17-14.

By Neil Hodge
Published in the Times-Transcript on Saturday June 27, 2009
Appeared on page C1

The Riverview Molson Mustangs believe this will be their toughest test so far this season.

"I would expect that to be the case,'' said Mustangs head coach Rob Weir in looking ahead to his club's home game against the Dartmouth Knights in Maritime Football League action today at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field.

"I don't want to discount Halifax or Capital Area, two very good teams we've already faced. But Dartmouth seems to be the team to beat right now. They have a talented team and I expect them to come out strong. They have a quarterback that likes to scramble, a good passing game with top-notch receivers and some good running backs. They're obviously playing well on both sides of the ball.''

Riverview and Dartmouth, both 3-0, and the Halifax Shockers, 3-1, are tied for first place in the Eastern Conference. The Prince Edward Island Privateers, 1-3, are in the basement.

There's no admission fee to attend today's marquee matchup between Riverview and Dartmouth. Fans are asked to make a donation and all this money will go to the Canadian Cancer Society.

The Mustangs play a home game on this weekend every year and turn it into a charity fundraiser event that's called the Sunfest Bowl. The contest is tied in with Riverview Sunfest and there's a licensed bar at the field.

The Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton, 3-1, sit atop the Western Conference, followed by the Saint John Longhorns at 2-2. The Moncton Marshals and Saint John Wanderers, both 0-4, are in the basement entering their head-to-head clash today at 2 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

Riverview boasts a 34-5 lifetime record in the regular season and playoffs combined and it captured the Maritime Bowl the past two seasons. The Wanderers own the distinction of being the only club to ever defeat the Mustangs.

Dartmouth has the No. 1 offence and No. 1 defence in the league at this stage, outscoring opponents 129-17. Will it become just the second club to ever defeat Riverview when they meet this afternoon?

"Let's face it, it's just a matter of time before we lose a game to somebody else (besides the Wanderers),'' said Weir. "I hope it's not this year. It's not something we really think about. There's only one game that truly counts and that's the championship game.''

The longer the rest of the league -- all teams except the Wanderers -- goes winless against Riverview, the more this storyline will continue to grow.

"Absolutely, it's a motivation for other teams when they play against us and our motivation is let's not lose to anybody else,'' said Weir. "We know we have to stay sharp given that everybody is coming after us.''

There will be no admission fee when the Riverview Molson Mustangs host the Dartmouth Knights in Maritime Football League action on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field.

Fans are asked to make a donation and all this money will go to the Canadian Cancer Society.

The Mustangs play a home game on this weekend every year and turn it into a charity fundraiser event that's called the Sunfest Bowl. The contest is tied in with Riverview Sunfest.

"We support a different cause each year in the Sunfest Bowl,'' said Riverview offensive lineman Bob Giffard. "Our former head coach, Woody Hayes, is fighting cancer and one of the girls that works at the gate for us just got through battling breast cancer.

"We figured we would do this year's fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society where it's so relevant to the team right now. We're looking to draw a big crowd and do whatever we can to raise money for a great cause. There's going to be a representative from the Canadian Cancer Society on hand to accept a cheque at halftime.

"We'll have a licensed bar at the field. With this game tied in with Riverview Sunfest and a great charity cause, it's a chance for us to reach out to people who wouldn't normally come to a game and let them see the product we have.''

Riverview and Dartmouth, both 3-0, and the Halifax Shockers, 3-1, are tied for first place in the Eastern Conference of the senior mens tackle league. Dartmouth has outscored opponents 129-17, giving it both the best offence and best defence in the league so far.

"I don't have any doubt that this will be our toughest test of the season so far,'' said Giffard. "Dartmouth is a very strong team so we're going to have our hands full in this game. They're scoring a lot of points and they're not allowing a lot of points. On paper, it looks like a great matchup.''

The Moncton Marshals will host the Saint John Wanderers on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field. They're tied for last in the Western Conference at 0-4.