Maritime Football League
2009 Game Summaries

Week 8: July 18

By Rob Touchie
Published in the Daily Gleaner on Monday July 20, 2009
Appeared on Page B3

Good things come in small packages for the Capital Area Gladiators.

On Saturday night the Gladiators Andrew Hubbard and Bobby McIntyre proved you don't have to be a giant in stature to make a big difference on the gridiron, leading the Glads to a 34-30 victory over the visiting Dartmouth Knights in Maritime Senior Football League play.

The game was a seesaw battle that had the lead change nine times before the final whistle, in what was the final regular season match for each team. Each finish with identical 4-3 marks as they prepare for playoff matches this coming weekend.

The 5'8'' and 180-pound Hubbard was virtually unstoppable for the Gladiators, tallying 290 yards in total offence. Hubbard caught six balls for 175 yards and three TD's and also was a force on special teams and in the running game, netting 115 yards on returns and end-arounds.

"We had no answer for No. 4 (Hubbard) tonight, he was phenomenal out there," said Knights coach Chris Anstey. "He is real quick and he runs great routes. He's easily the best receiver we've seen this year."

Hubbard and quarterback Brendan Cornford set the tone early for the Glads, connecting for a 70-yard bomb in the Glads' first possession, putting the Knights down 6-0 (the Gladiators missed the covert) after just two minutes of play.

"We saw that the deep middle was open and Brendan hit me in stride," said the fleet-footed Hubbard. "He (Cornford) is developing into a real good QB and he was really impressive. Obviously we were in synch...I felt good out there tonight."

While Hubbard was a force on the offence, defensive back Bobby McIntyre was making an impact of his own on the other side of the ball.

The 5'8'' 160-pound McIntyre made three pivotal plays on the night for the Gladiators: knocking down a third down pass-play in the second quarter in the Glads' end zone preventing a Knight touchdown; a third quarter punt return fumble on the Knights 12 yard line that led to a 12 yard Erik Watson touchdown reception; and in the dying minutes of the game, an interception on the Glads 35-yard line which helped seal the deal.

"I thought I played OK," said McIntyre. "Our defence and offence played well and I was happy to get that pick at the end to help us seal the deal tonight."

The McIntyre interception proved pivotal as the Knights lost momentum thereafter, going three and out on their next, and final, possession. A sack and key pass defence from Gladiators player-coach Jamie Edwards, left the Knights third and ten at their own 48 with just over a minute to play.

The third down pass fell incomplete, officially ending the Knights comeback hopes.

The pre-game hype around Knights free wheeling QB Danny Williams turned out to be much ado about nothing as the Gladiators defence chased Williams from the game by halftime despite the Knights holding onto a slim 8-6 lead.

Williams ended the night just 5 for 12 with only 55 yards through the air.

The Knights backup QB, T.C. Croft (6-1, 260 pounds), moved the ball better, but not enough to overcome the relentless pass rush from Edwards and his imposing Gladiator defensive posse, limiting the vaunted Knights offence to under 100 yards on the ground and 235 yards in the air.

The Knights had been averaging over 400 yards a game in offence with Williams at the helm, and had their way against the Glads last season with over 400 passing yards in a 49-48 shootout, which the Knights winning in the dying minutes. No such luck this year.

"Our defence was good tonight," said Edwards, who managed three sacks, numerous QB pressures and a number of key defensive stops. "Our timing was off a bit with the offence in the beginning so our defence really saved us, especially in the first half."

Some new moving parts created problems early on offensively for the Gladiators.

Edwards inserted a new centre for the game, and with Cornford filling in for the injured Andrew Hickey at QB, the changes resulted in six fumbles, of which only one was actually lost.

By the second half, the Glads' offence was running more smoothly, rattling off 28 points on a befuddled Knights' defence.

Aside from the snap issues, the strong-armed Cornford was effective at the Glad helm, going 12 for 27 and 293 yards with five TDs and two interceptions.

Besides Hubbard, Cornford's leading target was Cody Stewart, who hauled in five passes for 95 yards. The trio of Josh MacArthur (45 yards), Niels Thakkar (30 yards) and Tommy Broad (40 yards) combined for 115 yards on the ground to balance out the Gladiator attack.

Croft ended the night at 12 for 18 with 180 yards and three TDs, his primary target being Channy Flint, who finished with 150 yards receiving.

By Jon MacNeill
Published in the Telegraph-Journal on Monday July 20, 2009
Appeared on Page B5

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Longhorns wrapped up their regular season with a 3-4 record after losing 15-0 to the Halifax Shockers Saturday at Millidgeville Field.

The Longhorns enter the first round of the Maritime Football League playoffs next week as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Shockers (6-1) finish regular season action in second from the East.

A slick field and drizzling rain ruled out any running plays Saturday afternoon as the game quickly became a duel between receivers and cornerbacks.

Both teams tried some unsuccessful manoeuvres in a slow first half, but the Shockers weren't long adapting their style to suit the elements.

"I think both teams were content in the first half with the sloppy conditions, (thinking) this was how the game is going to go," Blair Ryan, the Shockers head coach, said.

"But we decided to take control and run the plays we could in those conditions."

The team opted for short, snappy passes while relying on their kicker's heavy boot, when a couple of mistakes by Saint John early in the third quarter allowed Halifax to cash in for 15 points within three minutes.

With the wind at his back, the Shockers' James Michener belted the pigskin from his 30-yard line into the Longhorn's end zone for a rouge at 42 minutes. In the Shockers next series, Brett Backman made a 70-yard dash for a touchdown off a punt return. Rick McMahon kicked the extra point to make it an 8-0 game.

"That was a mental mistake," Eric Sabean, coach of the Longhorns, said. "The punt return for a touchdown was the first killer; it was silly and shouldn't have happened."

The fatal blow came 40 seconds later, when the Shockers recovered a fumble that set them up on the Port City squad's doorstep. Ryan, who had to play because of a short bench, dove two yards for the touchdown.

"That was clutch, it was a short plunge into the end zone and seven points in a real close game," Ryan said.

McMahon kicked again for the extra point to make it 15-0.

The Longhorns tried to narrow the deficit with several bombs from quarterback Reece Roche, but the damp and heavy pigskin might as well have been a brick of butter as receivers struggled to catch it.

"Reece guns the ball, but he looked like he had a tiny hand when he was throwing today, he just couldn't get a grip on it," Sabean said.

"It was slick and wet, and just dropped or slipped out of our (receiver's) hands."

With the loss, the Longhorns play the Saint John Wanderers (2-5) in round one of the playoffs. The game date is yet to be determined.

The Wanderers were seeded third in the West after defeating the Prince Edward Island Privateers 22-14 Saturday. Touchdowns came from an eight-yard run by Jon Haines, a two-yard pass from Trevor Harrison to Ty Sparks and a three-yard sprint from Josh Brown. Charlie Calhoun and Nick Noel had conversions for Saint John.

Sabean expects the playoff showdown between the Port City rivals to be a battle, especially after his team defeated the Wanderers for the first time in league history earlier this season.

"I have no concerns about our team getting fired up for this game, as I'm sure the Wanderers will be fired up and gunning for us," Sabean said.

He can count on that.

"We're definitely looking for revenge," Dave Grandy, the Wanderers coach, said. His squad fell 20-0 to the Longhorns in week two.

"The boys anticipate a hard-hitting game. The playoffs are what count and we're looking forward to the match."

Meanwhile, the Shockers are pitted against the Dartmouth Knights (4-3) in their first round playoff bout next week. The Knights finished third in the East, after losing 34-30 to the Capital Area Gladiators Saturday.

The Gladiators improved to 4-3 and finished best in the West, They'll square off against the Moncton Mooselight Marshalls (0-7) in the playoffs Friday in Fredericton.

Defending champions the Riverview Mustangs took a commanding lead over the Eastern Conference and finished the regular season at 7-0. They meet the P.E.I Privateers (2-5) in the first round of post-season action.

Mustangs finish undefeated in regular season
Riverview shuts out Moncton 47-0 on Saturday

By Jamie Ross
Published in the Times-Transcript on Monday July 20, 2009
Appeared on Page B1

The Riverview Mustangs capped off a perfect regular season in the Maritime Football League Saturday, defeating the Moncton Marshals 47-0 at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

The win gives the Mustangs an undefeated 7-0 record going into playoffs, which begin next weekend.

Shea Lanahan and Jordan Kenny each had first quarter touchdowns in Saturday's game against Moncton, and the Mustangs didn't look back from there, scoring three more times in the second quarter and once more in the fourth to secure the win.

The score was 37-0 at halftime.

With the loss, Moncton falls to 0-7 on the season.

Riverview quarterback Donovan Boucher threw touchdown passes to Cody Hollohan and Patrick Forbes and ran one into the end zone himself on a 27-yard run, leading the Mustangs to victory.

Justin Savoie also had a touchdown on a four-yard run.

Riverview forced two safeties in the game.

Matt Archibald kicked an extra point on all Mustang touchdowns.

Riverview is set to face the Prince Edward Island Privateers next Saturday at Dobson Field. Game time is 4 p.m.

"We hope to remain unbeaten," said Mustangs head coach Rob Weir. "We've had a great season and we hope to keep it up and roll through the playoffs like last year."

The Privateers, who finished with a 2-5 record, scored an upset victory over Fredericton in week seven, and Weir expects they'll be hungry when they visit Riverview.

"They play a tight game, so we won't be taking them lightly. I think they'll come out expecting to beat us," he said.

"We have our work cut out for us, because everyone wants knock us off, but that's been the story of our season,"

Other MFL playoff action sees Moncton travel to Fredericton this Friday to square off against the Capital City Gladiators (4-3), while the Saint John Wanderers battle the Saint John Longhorns in the Port City.

Dartmouth Knights face the Halifax Shockers on Saturday.

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Longhorns host the Halifax Shockers today at Millidgeville Field for the last game of their Maritime Football League regular season. The Longhorns (3-3) are locked in a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference with the Capital Area Gladiators (3-3), and will be looking to secure the No. 1 slot with a win over Halifax (5-1) today at 4 p.m. The Saint John Wanderers (1-5) wrap up regular-season action today in Prince Edward Island against the Privateers (2-4). The Wanderers are third in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the Moncton Marshalls (0-6), who take on the Riverview Mustangs (6-0) this afternoon at Rocky Stone Field. Meanwhile, the Dartmouth Knights (4-2) are in Fredericton tonight to battle the Gladiators. Playoffs start next week

By Rob Touchie
Published in the Daily Gleaner on Saturday July 18, 2009
Appeared on Page B2

Every morning when Capital Area Gladiator football player Bobby McIntyre wakes he reads words from a plaque that quote the immortal football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and epitomize how McIntyre lives his life.

"It ain't the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

The diminutive McIntyre has always overcome long odds, on the football field and in life.

"I've always been the smallest guy on the field," said the five-foot eight-inch, 165 pound McIntyre.

"It's just the way it's been; it's tough but I just have to outwork, out think and outplay my opponents."

McIntyre's resolve will be put to the test tonight at 6 p.m. at Chapman Field when the Gladiators put their 3-3 record on the line against the 4-2 Dartmouth Knights in their final regular season Maritime Football League game.

The Gladiators will attempt to shake off two straight road losses that have put them in a dogfight with the Saint John Longhorns, also 3-3, for top spot in the Western Division.

The pass-happy Knights are led by former professional arena league quarterback Danny Williams and will surely have McIntyre and his Gladiator teammates on high alert.

"The Knights love to sling the ball around and they will test our secondary, no question," said Gladiator player-coach Jamie Edwards.

"They are playing 10-man ball and we'll have to adjust, but I think our defense is up to the task."

In the Maritime League, teams have the option of running 10-man or 12-man formations. The Gladiators usually run a 12-man formation. The 10-man formation essentially translates to playing with fewer linemen - a misfortune for the Gladiators as their line has been their greatest strength.

To thwart the more pass friendly 10-man game the Gladiators will use a 'nickel' package which will utilize an extra defensive back, which plays into the hands of McIntyre, the Gladiators primary cover corner.

"Bobby does everything right out there at corner," said Edwards. "He's one of the most sound football players you'll find and if Williams challenges him, it may not work out as well as he thinks."

McIntyre is more bold.

"Williams is definitely going to put the ball in the air, and I look forward to having him throw my way," he said. McIntyre is used to being underestimated, and attributes a relentless work ethic and meticulous attention to detail as the reasons for his success in football and life.

"I set high goals for myself," said McIntrye, who carries a 3.7 grade point average into his fourth year of a Business degree at Acadia University. Meanwhile, he plays varsity football for the Axemen and is involved in the student council.

"My parents taught me that to set the bar high, you can't help but succeed." he said.

So far it's working; McIntyre has been an academic All-Canadian the last two seasons for the Axemen and has started at corner at various times in his first three years.

His expectation for this season at Acadia is to take ownership of that starting corner position, for good.

"I've been dressing the last year and two years ago I started a few games due to injury," said McIntyre. "This year I've continued working under the Acadia off season program six days a week with weights and speed drills and I am hoping that translates to success on the field."

So does Axemen head coach Jeff Cummins.

"I expect Bobby to come in to training camp and compete," said Cummins. "Nothing is guaranteed, but he always has a great attitude, works hard and prepares well and we can't ask for anything more from our players than what Bobby brings to the table. He's a great kid and we are very lucky to have him."

But it's not what McIntyre is doing now that excites Cummins most; it's what he envisions him doing.

"Bobby McIntyre is one of the smartest kids we've had here, he's destined to be successful in his future after Acadia, at whatever he chooses in life, and I think his being such a student of the game will make him one helluva coach someday, a great coach," said Cummins.

McIntyre envisions coaching some day, following in the steps of his father Terry, who is the President of the Capital Area Minor Football Association, and mom Marion who is an avid football volunteer, just not in the near future.

"Football is religion in my family; if you come through my parent's front door all you'll see are boxes of football jerseys and football equipment everywhere" said the 20-year-old McIntyre.

"I do look forward to coaching, but as long as I can still walk and run, I'm just focusing on playing," he said.

League playoffs are next Saturday, and the Gladiators are guaranteed at least one home game by virtue of being one of the top two finishers in the West.

Starting QB Andrew Hickey is resting his injured ankle this week and will be replaced in the lineup by rifle armed Leo Hayes product Brendan Cornford.