102ND YATES CUP PRESENTED BY PIONEER PETROLEUMS
It’s a showdown two seasons in the making as the No. 5 nationally-ranked Western Mustangs converge on Richardson Stadium in Kingston, Ont. to take on the No. 4 nationally-ranked Queen’s Gaels in the 102nd Yates Cup presented by Pioneer Petroleums on November 14.
Queen’s head coach Pat Sheahan and the Gaels will be playing with a vengeance, looking to prove to their fans and foes alike that, despite their finish last season, they are a championship-worthy team.
The undefeated Gaels had a short playoff run last season with a surprising loss in the semifinals to the eventual Yates Cup-contending uOttawa Gee-Gees. After losing top running back Mike Giffin to a leg injury in the final game of the regular season, the Gaels weren’t able to move forward without his superior skills and were unexpectedly knocked out of the race.
Alternatively, the Western Mustangs were able to stick it out to the very end, meeting with
In the 102nd Yates Cup, Michael Faulds & Co. will be looking to restore their road to the Vanier Cup and finish the season as strong as it started by winning their third consecutive OUA final and solidifying their status as an OUA dynasty.
But along with a new season comes a new crop of talent and the returning players have another year of experience under their helmets, as evidenced by the regular season’s results.
Both teams have been Yates Cup favourites since September and continued to prove their merit throughout the weeks leading up the playoffs. The Gaels went undefeated until their final game against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, in which they lost 25-13, while the Western Mustangs started with a four-game win streak and dropped a 42-35 decision to the McMaster Marauders on October 3. Needless to say, both of these squads were bound to end up fighting for the OUA title.
When the Gaels and Mustangs faced each other in the regular season on October 17, it was as close a game as you can get without a tie. After Queen’s went into halftime leading by 11 points, the Mustangs came out in the third quarter and owned the scoreboard, shutting down the Gaels offence but still trailing by one. The last 15 minutes saw the Mustangs showing some promise, nailing two consecutive touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough of a fight and Queen’s took the win, 27-26 on Brannagan’s last-minute touchdown drive.
It was, more than anything, an offensive match-up, as Western’s Zach Bull (Port Colborne, Ont.) completed five receptions for 131 yards, averaging 26.2 yards per catch, while Queen’s Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.) made 12 receptions for 154 yards (averaging 12.8 yards per catch) and one touchdown.
The offensive competition continued with Western’s quarterback Michael Faulds (Eden Mills, Ont.) and Queen’s Danny Brannagan (
Richardson Stadium will be the stage for not one, but two battles this weekend. OUA’s proverbial quarterback showdown will come to rest on the field once and for all, as Brannagan and Faulds face off for the last time in their university football careers.
The 2009 season was one for the record books, as the two quarterbacks went head-to-head in the chase for both OUA and Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) records. It all came to an end on October 24, when Faulds took the title as all-time CIS career passing yards leader with 10,811. Brannagan, who played against and lost to Wilfrid Laurier that same day, fell short with 10,714.
As impressive as records are, it’s the here and now that matters most to these veteran playmakers. Regardless of who has passed for the most yards, completions, touchdowns or otherwise, the outcome of this championship matters most to these quarterbacks.
