QUEBEC SETS SIGHTS ON GOLD MEDAL GAME FOLLOWING WIN OVER NOVA SCOTIA
WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Team Quebec will head into Saturday’s gold medal game with a 2-0 record and a 55 to six point advantage over their opponents, following a 31-0 win over Team Nova Scotia.
With twenty two of the 31 points scored in the opening half, Quebec created an insurmountable lead that took advantage of Team Nova Scotia four first half interceptions.
Sebastien Champagne’s 17 yard touchdown reception from François Hamel ended a seven play 69 yard drive that begun with a Jesse Mills pass intercepted by Quebec’s Kermentz Oreste.
When questioned about how he kept his players motivated with a 22-0 lead at the half, Loranger noted that his team expected Nova Scotia to fight back. “I expected Nova Scotia to come and play a physical second half and we had to be ready for that”.
Both teams will now prepare for the Saturday, July 17 medal games as the host Team Nova Scotia will play the 4:00 pm “battle of the coasts” against B.C., while Quebec will meet Team Saskatchewan for the gold medal game scheduled for 7:00 pm on Saturday.
Auclair was 11 for 17 for 136 of the 186 passing yards, leading team Quebec to 343 net yards in offense compared to Team Nova Scotia’s 100. Alarie-Tardif landed the longest reception of the game of 41 yards.
Quebec’s ground and air attack churned out 186 yards each. The running game was led by 86 yards on six carry performance by Christopher Amoah. Teammates Vincent Alarie-Tardif and Guiillaume L’Abbé posted 63 yards and 34 yards respectively.
Quebec’s head coach Marc Loranger was quick to point out that his team took advantage of Nova Scotia’s mistakes. “Turnovers early in the game gave us some momentum and points. I thought Nova Scotia played well but just could not catch up. We had field position most of the time and took advantage of it”.
Team Nova Scotia pivot Jesse Mills, who rounded off game one against Alberta with 303 yards in passing, fell short against Quebec with 105 yards from nine receptions. Donald Tabor had a team high 32 yards in receiving on two receptions.
Team Quebec was limited to a third quarter 47 yard run by Christopher Amoah and a early fourth quarter saftey.
Mills’ third interception of the half, stolen by Gabrial Gendreau, offered a 13 yard pass from Anthony Auclair to Quebec’s Champagne for his second of two touchdown receptions and ending the half with a 22-0 Quebec advantage.
At the midpoint of the second quarter Team Quebec put together a string of plays, that began at the Quebec 53 yard line after a 19 yard Team Nova Scotia punt, resulted in their second touchdown of the first half. A one yard dive by running back Vincent Alarie-Tardif pushed the lead to fifteen.
Louis Charles Dussault snagged Quebec’s second interception early in the second quarter, but the result of the ensuing drive was a single point off of a missed Mathieu Hébert field goal.
Players of the Game:
Offense:
Quebec – Christopher Amoah
Nova Scotia – Donald Tabor
Defense:
Quebec – Louis-Charles Dussault
Nova Scotia – Adam Melanson