2010 AGM Minutes

On November 22, 2010 we held our anual public AGM according to the rules laid out in our constitution. Minutes were kept by Secretary, Justin DeMerchant, and are included here. Read more

Bombers season ends in the semis with a loss to Dal

Alex Wickwire – The Brunswickan November 17, 2010 6:00 AM ADT

The Atlantic Football League will be awarding the Moosehead Cup to a new team this season.

The reigning champion UNBF Red Bombers were defeated on Saturday night 33-21 by the Dalhousie Tigers.

The game kicked off in front of a small crowd with the Tigers receiving the ball to start. Dalhousie’s offence fizzled on their opening drive and they were forced to kick the ball away, the punt was fumbled and the Tigers recovered the ball inside the UNB twenty-yard line.

Dal scored the game’s first touchdown on a 19-yard screen pass from quarterback Andrew Adamczyk to running back Greg Pelly.

UNB’s first possession was at midfield and the Bombers marched into Dalhousie territory with help from Jeff Madsen’s arm and Eric Smith’s legs. A 30-yard pass from Madsen to Pat Forbes set up a Smith touchdown.

After the game head coach Mike Dollimore praised his offensive players, “We moved the ball well.”

The Tigers responded with a 71-yard catch-and-carry from receiver Brendan Poupore to bring them deep into Bombers territory, but Jory Smith stopped the Tiger threat with a red zone interception.

In the second quarter, Jeff Madsen took the lead for the Bombers by running in a touchdown himself on a quarterback bootleg.

The Tigers evened the game at fourteen on a 65-yard touchdown run from Pelly.

“They hurt us on big plays,” commented coach Dollimore.

The second half started slowly, until midway through the third quarter when Pelly caught a short screen pass and ran 54 yards to score the go-ahead touchdown.

UNB responded with a long drive that ended with a Forbes touchdown catch as the third quarter ended.

In the last frame, UNB kept the Dalhousie runners in check, limiting the gains from Pelly.

While the Bombers kept the Dalhousie ground game in check, they forgot about the Tigers passing game. Aaron Wolf ran a standard post pattern and hauled in the winning touchdown grab midway through the quarter.

Despite some late scoring and gritty offensive production, the Red Bombers came up short.

Coach Dollimore discussed his teams play and the disappointment in the fourth quarter.

“We were down on the four yard line, we had a chance and they came up with an interception with four minutes to go in the game,” said Dollimore. “We had the opportunity tonight and we just didn’t seize it, and they turn around and hurt us on three or four big plays.”

The final words from the coach were, “They’re a fast team, and you can’t defend speed.”

Tigers defensive captain Bryce Wade had a similar mindset about the game. “UNB is a lot bigger and stronger than we are and we had to match their physicality with speed.”

Dollimore seemed pleased with his team’s success and the AFL as a whole. “Overall the team had a good year, we got off to a slow start,” he said. “This league is incredible, the games are so exciting and they’re back and forth. It is extremely entertaining football and I’m looking forward to another great season next year.”

Tigers advance to football title game

From the Chronicle Herald

The Dalhousie Tigers are headed to the championship game of the Atlantic Football League.

Brendan Festeryga completed 15 of 26 passes for 270 yards and Greg Pelly ran for 177 yards as the Tigers defeated the UNB Red Bombers 33-21 on Saturday in a semifinal contest in Halifax.

At Wickwire Field, Pelly had two touchdowns, breaking free for a 54-yard run and scoring on a 16-yard screen pass from Festeryga, who also had TD strikes to Brendan Poupere and Kyle Golding.

Bryce Wade made 11 solo tackles to lead the defence.

The Tigers will meet the unbeaten UNBSJ Seawolves next Saturday in Saint John for the league championship.

Last minute heroics clinch third place

Christopher Cameron – Sports Editor of the Brunswickian November 3, 2010 9:43 AM ADT

The Red Bombers went into their last game of the season with a playoff spot locked up, but third place on the line.

Defeating the Holland College Hurricanes meant facing Dalhousie Tigers in the first round of the playoffs while a loss meant playing the undefeated UNBSJ Seawolves.

The UNBF Red Bombers were able to pull off the win, but by no means was it an easy victory.

The Bombers came out in the first half with a TD pass by Pat Forbes followed by a TD run from QB Jeff Madsen running the ball into the end zone himself. The early first half offence from Holland College was no match for UNB as they mustered seven points, with the first half ending 13-7.

In the second half, the Bombers opened up the half as the receiving team. They kicked off their first drive on the Hurricanes 55. Forbes took a pass to the 37 yard line, but after another run and a penalty the Bombers had to punt the ball away.

Their special teams stepped up allowing the Hurricanes to get no return, holding them inside their own five yard line. The Bombers were able to get a safety after no run from the Hurricanes to put themselves up 15-7.

After UNB’s next possession did nothing and they punted the ball back to the Hurricanes, the Bombers holes on defence from previous games became evident again.

Holland College kicked off their possession on their own 40, but after a run to the Bombers 52, a timeout was called. Another run play from the Hurricanes found the hole and Phillimon Rolle took it to the house for a 52-yard TD run.

Head coach Mike Dollimore knows this is where consistency is needed on the team.

“We were inconsistent throughout the whole game as was the other team,” said Dollimore. “We had moments of glory on both offence and defence, but faltered for awhile and got ourselves in a bad situation.”

With the Hurricanes now within one, the Bombers bench became silent. The third quarter ended at 15-14 for the Bombers, with their most important quarter of the regular season remaining.

The Hurricanes came out firing and with ten minutes remaining in the game a pass TD from the Bombers 20 yard line gave the Holland College faithful something to cheer about, putting the team up 21-15.

Both teams were unable to convert on any offensive chances trading possessions until, with 1:13 left in the game, the Bombers had the ball. It was now or never and the arm of Brendan Cornford in for an injured Madsen, who sprained his finger at the end of the first half, had the game on his shoulders.

Starting their drive on the Hurricanes 39, a twelve yard pass to Andrew Guest kicked off the drive. They followed with a 17 yard run to the ten for another first down. A short gain by Eric Smith gave Cornford 18 seconds and ten yards to win the game.

Off the snap it looked like all the receivers were covered, but Forbes got Cornford’s attention at the back of the end zone. Cornford completed the pass under pressure and the Bombers had tied the game. The point after was good to put the Bombers up 22-21.

“It was unbelievable, I don’t even know what to say,” said Cornford. “I saw his hands at the back of the end zone. I trusted him, let it go and he caught it.”

Two incomplete passes from the Hurricanes and the game was in the books. Dollimore is happy with the result, but wishes the win had of come easier.

“We hung in there and Cornford came in and made a phenomenal play at the end of the game, as did Pat Forbes in catching it. It was a good win to come away with, but it was a tough game.”

The Bombers will now take on Dalhousie the weekend of Nov. 13 with final time to be announced. Dollimore is not concerned as much with the plays on the field but more with who will be making them.

“We have to heal, we have some key injuries still,” he said. “We always come away from games like this with a bunch of injuries, nagging injuries and some of them serious. We have to heal and get our key players healthy.”

In other AFL action UNBSJ destroyed Moncton 38-0.

Team Photo 2010

Cornford rallies Bombers to dramatic gridiron victory

Published Monday November 1st, 2010 by Robert Touchie of the Daily Gleaner

In a season that has left UNB Red Bombers quarterback Brendan Cornford feeling he’s been at the losing end of a bad trick, Cornford was pleased to come off the bench and provide his Bomber mates an early treat to their Halloween celebrations, leading the Red Bombers to a last minute 22-21 Atlantic Football League victory over the Holland College Hurricanes before 269 frozen fans at Chapman Field.

With the win, UNB runs its AFL record to 3-3, while the Hurricanes fall to 2-4 as the playoff picture begins to come closer into focus for the expansion Island entry and the defending league champion Bombers.

UNB came out strong after forcing and recovering a Hurricane fumble on their first play from scrimmage. Just one possession later, starting quarterback Jeff Madsen found Pat Forbes with a 20 yard pass play at the 10 minute mark of the first quarter to put UNB ahead 7-0.

Holland College responded midway through the second quarter when Jeff Hillier took a 15 yard Nick Hunsley pass 55 yards after finding a seam in the Bomber defence and darting diagonally across the frozen Chapman turf to even the score at 7-7.

The half would end 13-7 after a 15 yard TD scamper by Madsen (the PAT was no good) just 1:20 before halftime. UNB added two more points on a Holland College safety on the ‘Canes first possession in the second half.

Madsen left the game late in the fourth quarter with a hand injury, giving way to Cornford.

“The whole game Jeff carried us and then he got banged up and they needed me to come in, but I wasn’t fazed at all about the situation, I actually was really calm and had been playing through my mind from the bench, exactly what I would do if I had to go in,” said Cornford, the starter for the Bombers in their inaugural season..

“Our O-line did an amazing job and when I went in I wanted to score, we needed the win and I felt I had a statement to make. I think I made it, and hopefully there may be more opportunities for me over the remainder of the season.”

In just two series’ Cornford drove his team to the Hurricane goal line twice, winding up with 43 yards passing from four of six pass attempts, drilling one for a TD and one for an interception, just to keep things interesting.

Coming in ‘cold’ on a night that was numbing enough to those brave enough to venture out, Cornford entered the game with UNB trailing 21-15 and 2:39 remaining in the game. Starting on the UNB 40, Cornford led the Bombers on a six play drive that died on the Hurricanes three when he was picked off by Dave Clark. The whole thing took 53 seconds.

As quickly as Cornford had pumped the UNB faithful up, the air quickly appeared gone and it seemed to be ‘game over’.

UNB lineman Tyler Doak and the Bomber defence had something to say about that.

UNB’s stellar defence, led on this night by Doak, Justin DeMerchant, Brian Gilliland and Mike McSorley, came on to stuff the ‘Canes in two plays and force a punt.

That ate up 33 more seconds. More importantly, it forced the Hurricanes to punt from terrible field position and set Cornford and company up on the Hurricane 40 with 1:13 left to play.

Cornford went to work quickly, hitting Andrew Guest with a 12 yard pass, setting up the Bombers on the 28 yard line with a little under a minute to play. Randy Madsen ran 13 yards up the gut on a draw play, right into the eye of the Hurricanes, so to speak.

Cornford didn’t give them time to recover, quickly going to bruising Eric Smith running off tackle for another six yard gain and setting the ‘Canes up for a play action call that sent the UNB faithful into a frenzy.

“The pick on that first series almost threw me off but when I saw I’d get another chance, there was nothing but touchdown in my head,” said Cornford.

It came on a broken play.

“(Pat) Forbes was my last outlet, the tight end (Andrew Guest) was the first but he got held up at the line with the play action and then I saw Ethan McClellan was covered and I finally saw Pat’s hand up and I put it in the space they gave me.”

There wasn’t much: possibly a two foot window of opportunity before Forbes would run out of real estate at the back of the end zone.

“I had maybe a yard, maybe less and I really didn’t notice until the last second when the ball was on me that it was as close as it was,” said Forbes. “But it was a perfect throw under tough circumstances by Brendan and all that was going through my mind at the moment the ball came into my hands was ‘what a perfect ending!’, he said.

The former StFX X-Men, in his first year at UNB, scored the first and last touchdowns for the Bombers. He wound up with six catches for 75 yards. He believes the Bombers are revving up for another title run.

“We’ve come a long way since the beginning of this year and our ‘D’ is really coming together and taking control of this team,” said Forbes.

UNB also put together a solid ground game as Smith rambled for 127 yards on 15 carries and Randy Madsen, had 71 yards on 11 carries. Randy’s brother Jeff finished 6-of-16 passing for 58 yards and a TD while also running for 42 yards and a touchdown.

“It was an up and down game, as it has been really in all our games this year and that’s what you get in a league that is evenly matched like ours is,” said UNB head coach Mike Dollimore. “It’s great to watch and great to coach and I think we are showing everyone, with efforts like these tonight, that this is an excellent place for local talent to play.”

Dollimore was impressed most by Leo Hayes High School alum, Cornford, and Forbes, the Riverview High alum receiver who combined on UNB’s final score.

“That last play of the game with Cornford coming in cold, driving us down the field, giving up an interception; then he turns around and does it all over again, seconds left on the clock, freezing cold, with four Holland College defenders in his face, firing a bullet that’s bang-on to Forbes at the back of the end zone…it was just an amazing play and it speaks volumes of our local talent. The highlight…the story of this game, is Cornford coming in cold and doing what he did.”