Red Bombers knock off Hurricanes in AFL play

Sports digest Published Monday October 31st, 2011

In one of the most exciting games of the Atlantic Football League season, the UNB Red Bombers knocked off the previously unbeaten Holland College Hurricanes 28-26 in Charlottetown Saturday. FL season, The UNB Red Bombers Football team defeated the unbeaten Holland College Hurricanes by a score of 28-26 at PEI on Saturday. The win for the Bombers (3-3) leaves them in second place, while the Hurricanes (5-1) had already secured a first- place finish.

The Bombers were down quickly, trailing 14-0 four minutes into the game, but they tied it up before the end of the quarter on a 32-yard pass from quarterback Brendan Cornford to slotback Pat Forbes after a UNB interception, and a five-yard TD pass from Cornford to Eric Smith.

A Phil Lanthier field goal allowed the Hurricanes to take a 17-14 lead into the half. Bombers were hemmed deep in their own zone following a wide Lanthier field goal attempt in the third quarter. They conceded the safety to fall behind 19-14. But a 12-yard strike from Cornford to Cody Stewart and a missed two-point convert attempt left the Bombers with a 20-19 lead. Hurricanes struck back with a touchdown from quarterback Humsley to Jeff Hillier covering 47 yards to make it 26-20 for the ‘Canes entering the fourt quarter.

In the final two minutes, Cornford and company drove the ball deep into Holland College territory but the drive was snuffed out by a Patrick LeFrank interception. Holland College conceded a safety and kept the ball, leading 26-22. Bombers got the ball back and Cornford connected with Forbes on a 30-yard TD pass with 56 seconds to play. Bombers rattled the convert off the upright.

Holland College marched up the field and got to within field goal range for one final attempt, but the field goal attempt was short, giving the Bombers the victory and home field advantage for the AFL semifinal here Nov. 11 at 1 p.m.

Smith sparks Red Bombers

Published Monday October 17th, 2011  By COLIN MCPHAIL For The Daily Gleaner

A pair of touchdowns from running back Eric Smith led the University of New Brunswick Red Bombers to a 27-20 win over the Dalhousie Tigers in a see-saw affair at BMO Centre Saturday night.

It was an important comeback victory for the Red Bombers after a heartbreaking loss to the Saint John Seawolves in their Atlantic Football League home opener Oct. 1. After the Thanksgiving bye week, the well-rested Bombers outlasted their Nova Scotian rival to improve to 2-2 on the season.

UNBSJ is also 2-2 and Dal is 0-4. The Holland College Hurricanes, who beat the Seawolves 22-14, are 4-0.

“We were expecting the win and we came out with it,” said UNB quarterback Brendan Cornford.

A blocked punt early in the fourth quarter set up a two-yard score by Smith to give his squad a 24-20 lead. On the following kick return, the Bombers recovered a loose ball fumbled by Dalhousie’s Greg Pelly at his own 32-yard line, which led to Cody Stewart’s second field goal of the game, clinching the 27-20 final.

“We just hung in there and waited for our breaks, and we made our own breaks with the punt block,” said Red Bombers head coach Mike Dollimore.

“We made that move and blocked that punt. It was huge. When the kid fumbled coming around the corner, that was the icing on the cake for us.”

After taking an early 3-0 lead, Cornford opened the second quarter by evading pass rushers to find an open Stewart, who doubles as a wide receiver, for a 37-yard catch-and-run play to go up 10-0.

Cornford’s mobility was key in the victory. On several occasions the Bombers’ quarterback scrambled around the pocket and found targets downfield or decided to hold on for significant gains.

As UNB was trying to run out the clock with under two minutes left, Cornford swung outside of the pocket for a 10-yard run on second and 9, picking up the important fresh set of downs for his squad.

“He made some really nice reads and late in the game we asked him to come outside to kill the clock and he did that really well,” Dollimore said.

Cornford praised his offensive line for the available time and space.

“Our O-line played a hell of game tonight,” he said. “That’s what it comes down to – if you don’t have good blocking, you can’t make good plays.”

After a botched punt snap, the Tigers were handed the ball in the Bombers’ red zone. Dalhousie would punch in its first score on a goal-line play, but fail on the extra point attempt to leave the score at 10-6 midway through the second quarter.

UNB responded two minutes later with a 25-yard rushing touchdown by Smith for his first score of the night after Cornford connected with Stewart for a 34-yard gain.

Stewart, a Leo Hayes High School product who played with the Saint Mary’s Huskies of the AUS, made himself open for deep looks from Cornford all game long.

“Cody Stewart coming from Saint Mary’s last year, he’s just an awesome addition to our offence,” Cornford said. “I couldn’t ask for anything better from my receivers.”

The Tigers answered right back as quarterback Brendan Festeryga went deep just before the half and minutes into the third quarter for a 38-yard touchdown and a 36-yard TD. A successful two-point convert on the second score gave the Tigers a 20-17 lead before Smith mounted the comeback.

Although Festeryga picked apart the UNB secondary, the defence made a number of timely stops in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Jeff Madsen made four impressive coverage plays on deep throws by Festeryga during the Tigers’ final two drives to seal the win.

“Jeff Madsen saved our team in the final three minutes,” Dollimore said.

The two squads meet again Saturday at 6 p.m. at Wickwire Field in Halifax.

Seawolves spoil Bombers’ homecoming

Published Monday October 3rd, 2011 By CHRISTOPHER CAMERON For The Daily Gleaner

After being routed 33-7 by the UNB Red Bombers the previous weekend, the UNBSJ Seawolves spoiled the Bombers’ homecoming game Saturday with a 14-7 victory at BMO Centre.

Prior to the Atlantic Football League game, the Red Bombers retired Tony Proudfoot’s No. 24 jersey, hanging it below the scoreboard at BMO Centre. They also awarded the scholarship in Proudfoot’s name to UNB slotback Pat Forbes.

Once the game got underway, both teams struggled to have any offensive success through a scoreless first quarter.

The Bombers’ offence started to click late in the second quarter. Starting on their own 35-yard line, UNB quarterback Brendan Cornford completed an 18-yard pass to Forbes and another to wide receiver Andrew Guest to push the ball into Seawolves territory at the 45-yard line.

Nick Lane-McEachern ran the ball to the 34 on the next play and, with a five-yard penalty to the Seawolves, the Red Bombers were in a position to score.

However, Cornford’s next pass attempt was intercepted by Justin Mousek of UNBSJ.

“Offensively, surprisingly, we moved the football,” said Red Bombers head coach Mike Dollimore. “We moved it on the ground to the outside better and we moved it in the air, but we have to give them credit. They really prepared for our inside running game that we had last week. We ended up not being able to finish up any offensive drives, shooting ourselves in the foot with either an interception or a fumble.”

Beginning on their 27-yard line, the Seawolves put together a scoring drive when Isaiha Nice ran for 23 yards and, after a two-yard loss, UNBSJ quarterback Trevor Harrison threw to Joel Searle, who took the ball from his own 48-yard line to UNB’s five.

After two failed attempts to get into the end zone, Harrison pushed the ball in himself and the point after gave the Seawolves a 7-0 lead.

After the Bombers fumbled the ball away in Seawolves territory, the Saint John squad put up some insurance points after starting near midfield. Alex Peabody’s 56-yard touchdown run gave the Seawolves a 14-0 halftime lead.

The Red Bombers recovered a fumble on the UNBSJ 21-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but fumbled the ball away two plays later to waste the opportunity.

UNB finally got on the board with 4:11 remaining. Cornford hooked up with Cody Stewart for a 25-yard pass and, following a UNBSJ offside penalty, Derek Broad caught consecutive passes from Cornford to get the Bombers on the board, but the Seawolves held on for the 14-7 win.

“The film of last week’s game wasn’t so pretty,” UNBSJ head coach Dave Grandy said. “We just got the guys to work harder in practice this week and work on our fundamentals. Last week we were caught a little off guard by their offence and they’ve got some great receivers out there. Today, we ended up with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries and really hurt their offence.”

Although Dollimore would have preferred a victory, he was pleased with his defence and knows his offense was unlucky on certain drives.

“The defence was just swarming,” he said. “They (defence) were energized, they blitzed well, they tackled well, they were in the backfield on a lot of the plays. There are a lot of positive things in this game. We just didn’t get the win.”

The Red Bombers are idle until hosting the Dalhousie Tigers on Oct. 15.