Ontario and Quebec to battle for gold at Football Canada Cup

By John Edwards

REGINA (July 10, 2024) – For the first time since 2017, the Football Canada Cup will be heading to Central Canada. Ontario upset the hosts, and four-time defending champions, Saskatchewan 32-7 to book their spot in the final, while Quebec used a walk-off field goal to get past Alberta 12-11 in the other semifinal at Leibel Field.

Quebec will be looking for its first outright title since 2017 (Quebec and Saskatchewan were co-champions in 2023), while Ontario will be looking for its first title since 2014. Quebec and Ontario last met for gold in 2015, when Quebec won 15-12 in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.

In the day’s earlier action, Manitoba defeated Nova Scotia 23-6, while New Brunswick downed British Columbia 16-12. Manitoba will play New Brunswick for fifth place, while Nova Scotia and B.C. will play for seventh.

The third and final game day of the Football Canada Cup is set for Saturday, July 13, at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. For ticket and streaming information, visit the Football Canada website. Recaps of each of the four games are below.

MANITOBA 23 NOVA SCOTIA 6

A pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes by Rogan Vergata allowed Manitoba to pull away late and notch a 23-6 win over Nova Scotia in the first consolation semifinal. Trailing 6-3 after three quarters, Vergata, who earned offensive MVP honours, led the Manitobans pair of long drives. Halfway through the fourth quarter, he hit Nathan Esch from six yards out to cap a nine-play, 72-yard drive. On Manitoba’s next possession, he marched the Black and Gold down the field, covering 68 yards in nine plays, capped by a four-yard pass to Taylor Trosky, making the score 16-6 with 1:41 left.

Vergata completed 14 of 30 pass attempts for 156 yards and added three kicking points. A first-half safety touch and a late touchdown by Onan Furst rounded out the scoring for Manitoba.

Nova Scotia’s scoring came off the foot of Thatcher Manuel, who connected from 31 and 17 yards out and was named their offensive MVP.

Defensively, Jesse Deneka led Manitoba with five tackles (three solo, four assists) with a pass knockdown. Carson Thomas, who as Manitoba’s defensive MVP, had their only sack, while Owen Sampson had an interception and Noah Heppner had a 52-yard fumble return that set up Manitoba’s final score. Malakai Cuvelier-Brooks was Nova Scotia’s defensive MVP with five total tackles and an interception.

NEW BRUNSWICK 16 BRITISH COLUMBIA 12

A 47-yard fourth-quarter run by Noah Crowley was the difference as New Brunswick edged B.C. 16-12 in the second consolation semifinal. Crowley, New Brunswick’s offensive MVP, finished the day with 14 carries for 115 yards to lead NB to their second straight win over the west coasters. The decisive score came after a short punt and a B.C. penalty set New Brunswick up in B.C. territory.

New Brunswick’s other touchdown also came on a big play, as Logan Smith recovered a blocked punt and scampered 45 yards to the end zone to break a 3-3 tie, after B.C.’s Andrew Lawson and N.B.’s Santiago Vincent traded first-quarter field goals.

B.C., who outgained New Brunswick 308 yards to 140, only found the end zone once, on a two-yard run by Matthew Chapman in the third quarter. A 35-yard field goal by Hudson Jones rounded out their scoring. Chapman, who was B.C.’s offensive player of the game, had 19 carries for 132 yards and also completed a pass for 25 yards.

Gabriel Currie, B.C.’s defensive MVP, had three tackles. New Brunswick’s defensive MVP was Noah Theriault, who had a pair of blocked kicks.

QUEBEC 12 ALBERTA 11

Tristan Charpentier’s 32-yard field goal on the last play of the game gave Quebec a return to the gold medal game by the barest of margins, as they edged Alberta 12-11.

Charpentier had a potential game-winning 42-yard field goal attempt on the play before blocked by Joseph Abou-Mechrek, apparently sending Alberta into the final. However, the play had not ended when Alberta’s players came onto the field to celebrate their apparent victory, resulting in a penalty for illegal participation. Given a second chance at victory, Charpentier made no mistake, and it was Quebec who had the final celebration.

Quebec led 9-3 after the first half thanks to a 32-yard pass from Louis Fortier to Olivier Dallaire early in the second quarter, along with a safety touch. Alberta scored three the hard way, with an Ira Hozack 40-yard single and a safety touch. Alberta took a 10-9 lead on a six-yard rush by Seth Poelzer in the third quarter, and a punt single by Hozack extended Alberta’s lead to 11-9.

Poelzer took offensive MVP honours for Alberta, as he gained 106 yards on 17 carries and had two catches for 17 yards. Thomas Rowan got the nod on defence, after making two tackles and breaking up two passes.

For Quebec, Dallaire was the offensive MVP, as he had six catches for 89 yards, while Sasha Durand took defensive honours with sevent tackles and an interception.

ONTARIO 32 SASKATCHEWAN 7

Team Ontario started with a big play and never looked back as they upset the hosts from Saskatchewan, 32-7, in the second semifinal. Ontario, who had lost to Saskatchewan in each of the last six Football Canada Cup semifinals, recovered a surprise onside kick on the first play of the game, and forced a Saskatchewan fumble on a punt return three plays later. On the next play, Massimo Ferrone-Byrd rumbled four yards into the end zone and Ontario had their dream start.

Ontario doubled their lead on the last play of the first quarter thanks to a 17-yard pass from Riley Chalmers to Drake Logan. After Saskatchewan conceded a safety touch to go down 16-0, they were finally able to shift the momentum. A punt by Ontario’s Zachary Aubin pinned Saskatchewan on the their own 2-yard line, but Adrian Reaume found Ben Blackburn streaking down the sideline and, 108 yards later, Saskatchewan was on the board, trailing only 16-7.

Aubin hit a field goal late in the half to give Ontario a 19-7 lead at the long break, and was good on two more in the second half as the visitors pulled away. The only major in the second half came on a 44-yard pass from Chalmers to Kymarri Smith in the third quarter.

Chalmers took offensive MVP honours for Ontario, as he went 19-for-28 for 323 yards. Smith, for his part, caught five passes for 108 yards while Gabriel Hamilton had three catches for 98 yards. Carter Gooden was Ontario’s defensive MVP, as he made four tackles, including 1.5 sacks, broke up a pass and had a fumble return.

For Saskatchewan, Reaume was the offensive MVP, as he went 5-for-13 for 160 yards. Liam Platt was the hosts’ defensive player of the game, as he made a game-high 8.5 tackles, including seven solos and had both Saskatchewan interceptions on the day.