Box Score Last week, rookie cornerback
Tyrell Ford (Niagara Falls/) grabbed headlines as the Waterloo Warriors football team snapped a 16-game losing streak. This week, it was twin brother Tre's turn to steal the show in Waterloo's home opener.
Rookie quarterback
Tre Ford (Niagara Falls/) rushed for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns, adding another 50 yards and a touchdown through the air, leading the Warriors to a 52-8 victory over the York Lions on Saturday afternoon at Warrior Field. The victory was Waterloo's first home triumph since a 48-29 win over the Windsor Lancers on October 20, 2012.
"That's what I expected when I came in," said Tre. "I wanted to turn the program around. Everybody is getting their job done, and I'm just trying to get mine done too."
The win – the first at home for Head Coach
Chris Bertoia – moves the Warriors to 2-0 on the young season. Platooning at the pivot position with Ford, veteran
Lucas McConnell (Waterford/) also had a spectacular day: the veteran went 10-16 for 140 yards and a touchdown pass, while also rushing for a 5-yard major.
Meanwhile, the Lions suffered their second straight lopsided defeat, as they fell to 0-2. Quarterback Brett Hunchak tossed for 233 yards on 14-28 passing, with a pair of interceptions. Receiver Adam Adeboboye was his favourite target, catching 9 balls for 173 yards, but the game was won on the ground – Waterloo outrushed York 274 yards to 47. The loss also ruined a prolific stat line from Lions defensive lineman Rossini Sandjong-Djabome, who registered a pair of sacks and 8 tackles – including five tackles in Waterloo's backfield.
While the Waterloo offense certainly fired on all cylinders, the Warriors defensive attack proved to be the difference. The Warriors held an opponent out of the end zone for the first time since a 12-0 loss to Laurier in 2012, and dating back to last week, Waterloo's opponents have not scored a major in six straight quarters. Â
"Our defence stood on its head today," said Bertoia. "How we stopped the run was fantastic. I'm really proud of our defensive effort."
The linebacking trio of
Kurtis Gray (Waterloo/),
Michael Reid (Sault Ste. Marie/), and
Brandon Corelli (Sault Ste. Marie/) were a nightmare for the Lions to handle. They combined for 13.5 tackles, two pass breakups, and Corelli's third-quarter interception that turned the tables back in Waterloo's favour after the Lions had gained some momentum. Corelli returned the pick 45 yards, and two plays later, Ford ran it in from 21 yards to pad the Waterloo lead.
"It's a great feeling, I'm just happy for our guys," said Corelli. "We've worked hard for this for years."
Before Corelli's big play on defence, the Warriors used an explosive second quarter to seize control of the game. With a stiff westward wind at their backs in the opening frame, the Lions used advantageous field position to jump to a 6-0 lead – an advantage that would have been wider, had the Warriors defence not stepped up deep in their own territory to force a pair of field goal attempts.
"We have to credit our coaching staff," said Corelli. "They gave us a great gameplan, rallying to the football, and trying to get as many hats on the ball as we can. Its just bend, don't break for us. We bent, but we never broke."
When the field flipped in the second quarter, so, too, did the Warriors' offensive gear. Waterloo scored in all four second-quarter possessions, as a 9-yard Ford scamper and a 6-yard Ford-to-
Blair McKay (Waterford/) pass sandwiched two
Caleb Girard (Waterford/) field goals, giving the Warriors a 22-6 lead heading into the half.
The Warriors picked up where they left off in the third quarter, as
Mitch Kernick (Elmira/) scored a nine-yard receiving major on a broken play to extend the Waterloo lead. The Corelli pick and subsequent Ford touchdown made the score 36-8 after three quarters.
McConnell added a rushing touchdown early in the fourth, and
Dion Pellerin (Abbotsford/) punched one in on a 3
rd-and-1 play to make it 50-8 in the late stages. A conceded safety from York rounded out the scoring, putting the finishing touches on Waterloo's first home win in nearly five years.
The Warriors will now look to move to 3-0 for the first time since the 2007 season when they host the Toronto Varsity Blues for the annual Black and Gold Day, where thousands of Frosh will descend on Warrior Field. Kickoff is slated for 1pm on Saturday, September 9. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
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