MTL: DL Mateo Cousineau | Active Roster -> Injured Reserve
MTL: DL Stewart DuBoeuf | Reserve List -> Active Roster
OTT: QB Drake Young | Active Roster -> Injured Reserve
OTT: QB Roger Stump | Reserve List -> Active Roster
OTT: S Marc Bellecourt | Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
OTT: S Theodore Young | Active Roster -> Reserve List
VAN: RB Jeremiah Morrow | Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
VAN: OL Dominic Bissonette | Active Roster -> Injured Reserve
(7) Ottawa Royals @ (1) Vancouver Wolves - Vancouver Exhibition Stadium - October 13, 1973 - 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT - Weather: Cloudy - 12°C | 55°F - Attendance: 35,196
1st Quarter
The Wolves elected to give Ottawa the ball to start the game. QB Logan West led the Royals’ offence, making his first career start. The opening drive would be short, only gaining one first down before being turned away by the Wolves. Vancouver’s opening drive was much the same. Both sides would trade short drives with both defences rising to the occasion. In the final 5 minutes of the opening frame, the Wolves started to find their groove. QB Kevin Westwood led the Wolves meticulously down the field, much like he had last week against Pittsburgh, to get down to the 5. From there, RB Richard Morin, who remained the starter despite RB Jeremiah Morrow returning to the lineup, would punch it in for the only score of the 1st.
OTT 0-7 VAN
2nd Quarter
So far, QB Logan West had been faring okay. He wasn’t doing much to harm the Royals, but wasn’t creating much positives either. After Vancouver scored, there was more pressure to move the ball. The pressure affected West, who made errors on back-to-back plays. First, he was nearly intercepted by DB Apollo Duckworth, but WR Charles Toothacre was able to get his hands on the ball to force the incompletion. Then, he would hold the ball for far too long in the pocket and eventually be wrapped up by DL Derick Parks. On the other side, Vancouver’s offence remained confident, scoring a field goal on the following drive. Despite the rough outing before, Logan West was able to reset himself and get the Royals into field goal range to answer back, cutting the lead back down to 7. The Royals’ defence stepped it up following the field goal, forcing Vancouver to a 2 and out. Unfortunately, on offence, West would, this time, be intercepted on an overthrow to WR Sterling Underhill, which landed in the hands of S Takuya Sasaki. Vancouver wouldn’t have to go far to get back into field goal range, and K Sterling Brooks would make it a 10-point game once again.
OTT 3-13 VAN
3rd Quarter
The offensive struggles continued for Ottawa into the 2nd half as Vancouver was not letting them get much of anything going. Logan West was doing what he could, but his inexperience certainly showed. Ottawa’s defence was keeping them in the game, slowing down the league’s #1 offence. Midway through the quarter, Vancouver would find a way through and get into scoring range, but DB Sergio Alvarez would come up with a timely interception to turn them away. Unfortunately, Ottawa had to punt the ball back just 3 plays later. The remainder of the quarter would look much the same. Vancouver continued to press, getting over midfield, but the Royals continued to stop them short of field goal range. Big plays from DL Bernhard Hartmann and LB Maxwell Trevorrow for a sack and deflected pass would help keep Vancouver off the board.
OTT 3-13 VAN
4th Quarter
Starting the final quarter, the Royals began to play with more urgency. QB Logan West was able to shake some of the nerves and get the Royals back into Vancouver territory. However, the drive would be killed with LB Lochlan Bourne intercepting a pass intended for WR Simon Riley. Vancouver wouldn’t score on the following drive, but were able to pin the Royals deep in their own end. The Royals didn’t get much and had to punt back, giving Vancouver great field position. This time, the Wolves were able to make up more ground as the Royals’ defence was getting worn. QB Kevin Westwood would hit WR Tristian Lewis for a 26-yard gain, setting them up at the 12. On the next play, Westwood would fire a pinpoint accurate pass to WR Keshawn Johnston towards the sideline in the endzone. The pass was perfectly placed, so DB Sergio Alvarez had no way to get it. Johnston secured the ball to put the Wolves up by 17. Despite the deficit, the Royals remained committed to West. The rest of the offence didn’t give in either, supporting their young QB in an attempt to pull off a miracle. RB Nikki Yang, against his old club, would pick up a good chunk of yardage on a screen pass. Then, WR Charles Toothacre would make a jumping grab to put the Royals in field goal range. On first down, West would hit TE Luiss de Brands for 9 yards, setting up 2nd and 1. From there, West would run play action to RB Corbyn Knight. Vancouver expected the run, which allowed WR Sterling Underhill to gain a step on S Gunpei Koizumi. West showed off his solid arm by hitting Underhill in stride for a touchdown. The Royals had life. However, Vancouver squashed the momentum with a time-consuming drive. RBs Richard Morin and Jeremiah Morrow picked up short chunks of yardage, but enough to keep the drive alive. By the time the Royals got the ball back, there was limited time left in the game. West would take some shots down the field, but they wouldn’t connect. Vancouver would hold on, sending themselves to the McCallister Cup for the 3rd time in 4 years.
(4) London Tigers @ (3) Montreal Rouge - Mount Royal Stadium - October 14, 1973 - 7:00 PM ET - Weather: Mostly Cloudy - 11°C | 53°F - Attendance: 46,492
1st Quarter
The Tigers were the next team up to face the Rouge at the loud and rowdy Mount Royal Stadium. The noise didn’t appear to have an effect early in the game. A strong game plan from OC Edward Hines would help the Tigers reach field goal range on their first drive of the game. K Nimrod Handsworth would easily put the ball through the uprights to give London an early lead. Montreal hoped to answer back on offence. QB Tom Applewhite was able to connect on back-to-back plays to get them up to the 43. On the next play, Applewhite would make an ill-advised throw to WR Taylor Karis that was jumped by LB Everett Lynch. The LB snagged the ball and nearly had a break for the endzone, but was wrapped up by RB Bo Frazier. The Tigers took over in Montreal’s end, and RB Jeremy Royal would slip through and into the endzone just a few plays later to make it 10-0. The early lead would hold for the rest of the quarter.
LDN 10-0 MTL
2nd Quarter
The Rouge bounced back to start the 2nd quarter, with the offence pressing into Tigers’ territory. QB Tom Applewhite was looking confident in the pocket and delivered several key throws to get them down to the 16. Applewhite would then lob a pass to WR Antonio Villanueva, who slipped past Rookie of the Year finalist, DB Oliver Benson, to score a touchdown and cut the lead down to 3. The crowd was back into the game, making London’s next drive difficult. A miscommunication between QB Henry Johnsson and WR Cole Fletcher would result in the ball flying into no man's land, where S Mathieu Cazenave would get underneath it and take it back the other way. On the ensuing drive, Applewhite would connect again with WR Antonio Villenueva to get within striking range. Then, RB Bo Frazier would power his way into the endzone to suddenly take the lead for the Rouge. The scoring slowed again, but the Tigers were able to bounce back from the interception. After a 17-yard catch, WR Juwan Sylvester would slip away from S Etienne LaMond to pick up an extra 23 yards. The play would set up K Nimrod Handsworth to cut the lead down to 1 heading into halftime.
LDN 13-14 MTL
3rd Quarter
Coming out of the break, the Rouge would attempt to put more points on the board. Their first drive went nowhere with DL Matt Brown getting to QB Tom Applewhite to quickly shut it down. The Tigers would have about the same luck on their next drive with both of Henry Johnsson’s pass attempts hitting the turf. Montreal got the ball back but would suffer injuries on the ensuing drive. Both WR Antonio Villanueva and WR Taylor Karis would get banged up, limiting their play for the rest of the game. Luckily, the two contributed enough to get Montreal in position for another field goal, extending their lead. The Tigers were also able to pick up some yardage behind RB Jeremy Royal, as they answered back with a field goal of their own. The trading of field goals would continue. RB Bo Frazier would be the focus on offence for Montreal, who took advantage of a weakened D-line with DL Quinton Hextal also getting hurt. Frazier would push the Rouge into field goal range to make it 16-20. It seemed like the trading would continue with the Tigers once again pressing midfield; however, once they got over half, LB Jean-Christophe Bain would manage to strip the ball from RB Jeremy Royal, allowing Montreal to head back the other way. RB Bo Frazier would continue to push the ball to start the next drive, which ran into the end of the quarter.
LDN 16-20 MTL
4th Quarter
Frazier continued to push Montreal into the redzone. QB Tom Applewhite would then step back and look to throw. Applewhite looked to WR Nathan Hackman, but he was covered well, so he flipped his hips to see WR Evan Moore open in the flat. Applewhite hit the rookie WR, who then got a block from WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence en route to the endzone to take an 11-point lead. Montreal was well in control, but the Tigers were not going to go down without a fight. On the following drive, the Tigers were able to push the ball towards midfield, but eventually had to punt. After a defensive stop, they would get the ball back. On this drive, QB Henry Johnsson was able to get the Tigers into Montreal’s end with a big catch from WR Lloyd Lane. However, Montreal forced back-to-back incompletions to force a 3rd down. Being down by 11 and still outside field goal range, the Tigers decided to go for it. Johnsson would drop back and then be forced out of the pocket. With Montreal chasing him down, he would flip a pass to RB Jeremy Royal, who would slip past one defender and then dive for the first down marker. The ball would land over the line, but then pop out as he hit the ground. Several players scrambled for it, but the whistle was blown signalling that Royal was down, and the Tigers kept that ball. The Rouge fans were not happy, especially when Montreal came up with the ball once the dust had settled. The Tigers narrowly escaped catastrophe. They remained composed and kept on rolling. Johnsson would then hit WR Juwan Sylvester, who got the ball down to the 6. Johnsson would then hit WR Cole Fletcher for a touchdown to make it a 5-point game. The Tigers would attempt the 2-point conversion to make it a 3-point game, but RB Jeremy Royal was stopped short of the goal line. Holding onto the lead, Montreal went a bit conservative. RB Bo Frazier became the game plan, running the ball almost every play. He was able to pick up a couple of first downs before the team needed to punt. The Tigers now had a chance to try and take the lead. QB Henry Johnsson was also able to pick up a couple of first downs, nearing midfield. On the next set of downs, Johnsson would take a shot. He saw WR Lloyd Lane get a bit of daylight past DB Lamar Brown. Johnsson took the shot. It was a bit underthrown, meaning Lane had to slow up. Brown was able to catch up and get his hand up. Lane still had the jump on him and got his hands on the ball. As Lane came down, Brown never gave up and swatted at the ball. He made contact, and the ball popped right back up. It had enough air time for S Mathieu Cazenave to run underneath it and grab his 2nd interception of the game. He then started heading back into Tigers’ territory and got to the 38. From there, Frazier would kill more of the clock before eventually putting in a game-sealing touchdown with 1:02 to go. The Tigers were unable to score in the final minute as Montreal was headed to the McCallister Cup for the 2nd time in 3 years.
Injury Report
LDN: DL Quinton Hextal - Mild Soreness - Day-to-Day
MTL: DB Jean Paul du Pont - Contusion - 2 Weeks
MTL: WR Taylor Karis - Severe Cut - Day-to-Day
MTL: WR Antonio Villanueva - Tight Hamstring - Day-to-Day
OTT: OL Tommy Reynolds - Sprained Ankle - 1 Week
OTT: WR Chad Anderson - Hand Injury - 1 Week
OTT: S Marc Bellecourt - Mild Ligament Sprain (Reaggravated) - 2 Weeks
VAN: OL Nick Bowen - Wrist Sprain - 1 Week
VAN: LB Shawn Anderson - Severe Ligament Tear - 9 Weeks
Players of the Week
55th McCallister Cup Preview
(3) MTL (9-5) VS. (1) VAN (11-3) - OCT 21 - 7:00 PM ET - Minneapolis, MN
1973 Head-to-Head: Did Not Play
Historic Head-to-Head: Have Not Played
Playoff Head-to-Head: MTL 1-0 VAN
For just the 3rd time in NAAF history, the McCallister Cup will feature an all-Canadian matchup. The Rouge and Wolves have still yet to play in the regular season, but did have a Quarter-Final matchup in 1971, which Montreal won 22-29. Both teams are going to be looking for redemption, having both lost McCallister Cups in the last several seasons. Montreal made the big game in 1971, losing to Louisville, while Vancouver made it in both 1970 and 1972, losing both. The Rouge fans have been waiting a while for the team to finally return to the top. Their last title win was in 1953, 2 decades ago, in a win over Providence. The Rouge have had 3 appearances since then and have been unable to secure a 3rd NAAF title. 3 appearances in 4 years certainly proves it, but there is a sense that the Wolves still want to show that they belong amongst the NAAF’s elite.
Montreal enters the game with good news. Both WR Antonio Villaneuva and WR Taylor Karis will not miss the game, however, DB Jean Paul du Pont will not start, leaving DB Jim Norbel to fill the role. So far, Montreal has been able to outscore their opponents on the back of Villanueva and solid play from QB Tom Applewhite, who will start his 2nd McCallister Cup (1st was in 1968 with Indiana). There have been now 5 occasions where a team has made it to the McCallister Cup with a QB in their first year as the starter, 3 of which are owned by Montreal (1951 MTL - Oliver Callahan, 1953 MTL - Andrew Glover, 1955 LI - Lyle Painter, 1969 OTT - Drake Young, 1973 MTL - Tom Applewhite). Montreal did win both of the first two instances. Montreal’s defence has been solid, but has allowed 42 points over 2 games. They have come up with big plays so far, namely in the turnover department, but they will not be able to rely on that against a well-coached Wolves team, who will limit their mistakes. It’s going to be a real test for Montreal, but they have had closer games, which could lend well to their chances in the game.
As for Vancouver, they do get both DL Qian Zhou and LB Jaylen Murray back, which should help with some of the other injuries, but will still be without OL Nick Bowen and OL Dominic Bissonnette. QB Kevin Westwood will make his 3rd McCallister Cup start, and will hope to break 20 points for the first time in the big game. The Wolves as a team have been steady. Top offence and top defence this season. They are not a flashy team. They beat you with strategy, poise, and execution. Expect them to be laser-focused as they hope to avoid losing back-to-back McCallister Cups. Their defence has been especially good, despite injuries, only allowing 20 points over 2 games. They will be tested with Montreal’s strong offence; if they stick to their game, it will be tough to break them.
No comments:
Post a Comment