November 8, 2008
YATES CUP REMAINS AT WESTERN
LONDON, Ont. – For the 28th time in school history, the Western Mustangs are winners of the Yates Cup.
The Mustangs won back-to-back Ontario University Athletics (OUA) football championships with their 31-17 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the 101st Yates Cup, presented by Pioneer Petroleums.
Quarterback Michael Faulds (Eden Mills, Ont.) won his second consecutive Dalt White Trophy as the Yates Cup Most Valuable Player. Faulds was forced to contend with a stiff breeze, but still completed 15 of 29 pass attempts for 201 yards and a touchdown. He also scrambled for 52 yards, and most importantly, did not turn the ball over, keeping the ball out of Ottawa’s hands.
Western never trailed in the game, taking a 2-0 advantage early in the first quarter as a result of a strong special teams play. Ryan Tremblay (London, Ont.) made a brilliant tackle on punt returner Ezra Millington (Ottawa, Ont.), pinning the Gee-Gees on their six-yard line. Ottawa was forced to concede a safety.
A pair of one-yard runs by Nathan Riva (LaSalle, Ont.) capped off two Western touchdown drives, putting the home side ahead 16-0 after one quarter. Darryl Wheeler (Hamilton, Ont.) would add a 24-yard field goal before Ottawa got on the scoreboard late in the half. Gee-Gees quarterback Josh Sacobie (Fredericton, N.B.), playing his last OUA game, hit Cyril Adjeitey (Ghana) who made a circus catch for a 23-yard score. But Wheeler would add another field goal from 24 yards away, giving Western a 22-7 advantage at the half.
Following the belairdirect. half-time show performed by Rides Again, both teams got into a defensive mode, with the third quarter stalemate finally broken with a 32-yard Faulds pass to receiver Zach Bull (Port Colborne, Ont.) up the middle that resulted in Western's final touchdown.
Ottawa conceded another safety before Sacobie connected with receiver Ron Kelly (Sault Ste Marie, Ont.) for a touchdown. The two-point conversion pass to Ivan Birungi (Pickering, Ont.) was a success to make the score was 31-15 with less than three minutes remaining. But the ensuing on-side kick attempt failed, sealing Ottawa’s fate. Western conceded a safety of its own for the final points of the game.
Sacobie completed 30 of 55 passes for 357 yards and a pair of touchdowns mixed in with a pair of interceptions. Sacobie leaves Canadian university football as its third-most prolific passer in history.
The Gee-Gees were forced to play without running back Davie Mason (Brampton, Ont.) who was injured against the Queen’s Gaels in the OUA semi-final. Mason rushed for 422 yards and five majors in two post-season games.
The Mustangs will now host the Atlantic University Sport champion Saint Mary’s Huskies in the Mitchell Bowl, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport semi-final game, on Sun., Nov. 16 at TD Waterhouse Stadium. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.ca or in person at the Alumni Hall ticket office on the campus of The University of Western Ontario from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 9 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Nov. 10 through Nov. 15.
– OUA –
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
The Mustangs won back-to-back Ontario University Athletics (OUA) football championships with their 31-17 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the 101st Yates Cup, presented by Pioneer Petroleums.
Quarterback Michael Faulds (Eden Mills, Ont.) won his second consecutive Dalt White Trophy as the Yates Cup Most Valuable Player. Faulds was forced to contend with a stiff breeze, but still completed 15 of 29 pass attempts for 201 yards and a touchdown. He also scrambled for 52 yards, and most importantly, did not turn the ball over, keeping the ball out of Ottawa’s hands.
Western never trailed in the game, taking a 2-0 advantage early in the first quarter as a result of a strong special teams play. Ryan Tremblay (London, Ont.) made a brilliant tackle on punt returner Ezra Millington (Ottawa, Ont.), pinning the Gee-Gees on their six-yard line. Ottawa was forced to concede a safety.
A pair of one-yard runs by Nathan Riva (LaSalle, Ont.) capped off two Western touchdown drives, putting the home side ahead 16-0 after one quarter. Darryl Wheeler (Hamilton, Ont.) would add a 24-yard field goal before Ottawa got on the scoreboard late in the half. Gee-Gees quarterback Josh Sacobie (Fredericton, N.B.), playing his last OUA game, hit Cyril Adjeitey (Ghana) who made a circus catch for a 23-yard score. But Wheeler would add another field goal from 24 yards away, giving Western a 22-7 advantage at the half.
Following the belairdirect. half-time show performed by Rides Again, both teams got into a defensive mode, with the third quarter stalemate finally broken with a 32-yard Faulds pass to receiver Zach Bull (Port Colborne, Ont.) up the middle that resulted in Western's final touchdown.
Ottawa conceded another safety before Sacobie connected with receiver Ron Kelly (Sault Ste Marie, Ont.) for a touchdown. The two-point conversion pass to Ivan Birungi (Pickering, Ont.) was a success to make the score was 31-15 with less than three minutes remaining. But the ensuing on-side kick attempt failed, sealing Ottawa’s fate. Western conceded a safety of its own for the final points of the game.
Sacobie completed 30 of 55 passes for 357 yards and a pair of touchdowns mixed in with a pair of interceptions. Sacobie leaves Canadian university football as its third-most prolific passer in history.
The Gee-Gees were forced to play without running back Davie Mason (Brampton, Ont.) who was injured against the Queen’s Gaels in the OUA semi-final. Mason rushed for 422 yards and five majors in two post-season games.
The Mustangs will now host the Atlantic University Sport champion Saint Mary’s Huskies in the Mitchell Bowl, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport semi-final game, on Sun., Nov. 16 at TD Waterhouse Stadium. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.ca or in person at the Alumni Hall ticket office on the campus of The University of Western Ontario from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 9 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Nov. 10 through Nov. 15.
– OUA –
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
