Red Bombers rally to sink Seawolves

Published Saturday November 12th, 2011 by COLIN MCPHAIL For The Daily Gleaner

It was a game to remember for some, and possibly one to forget for others.

The score was 22-22 with one second left in the fourth quarter. The University of New Brunswick Red Bombers were lined up just inside the Saint John Seawolves’ half, looking to avoid overtime in the Atlantic Football League semifinal.

The whistle blew and the ball was snapped to Cody Stewart, who sent a punt sailing into the UNBSJ end zone. Evan McAulay, who simply needed to run five yards and get out of his end zone, hauled the ball into his clutches, took a step to his right, bumped into a teammate and promptly fell to the BMO Centre turf.

As McAulay’s knee touched the green surface, the referee’s whistle screeched, signalling a single point and the end of the game. UNB had won 23-22.

Confused? So were the teams. There was a two-second pause before the reality of what had happened sunk in. However, before his club charged Stewart and celebrated at midfield, Bombers head coach Mike Dollimore already knew they had advanced to the AFL final.

“You take them whichever way you can,” he said after Friday’s roller-coaster game.

“At the end it was just wild. We just got ourselves in a position where we were able to kick for the single and we put it in the end zone. They had a nice catching play and they stumbled and tripped and fell in the end zone.

“What an incredible ending to a pretty good football game.”

Stewart was still in disbelief after the once-in-a-lifetime finish.

“It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever played in or seen,” he said.

“I just had lots of great blocking, lots of great time. I just knew we had to get it into the end zone and luckily the guy couldn’t get it out and we won the game.”

It was a see-saw affair as much as it was a comedy of errors. The Red Bombers had several opportunities to run away with the match, yet always managed to commit a costly blunder that allowed Saint John back in.

After running back Eric Smith punched a four-yard score to open the game, Jory Smith picked off a Trevor Harrison pass for a 40-yard interception return to give the Red Bombers a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. Then a series of mistakes took the wind out of their sails.

UNB’s Jordan Ley dropped a sure interception, and possibly a 110-yard touchdown return, off Harrison at the Bombers’ goal line. The play left the Bombers deep in their end and they eventually conceded a safety. Three minutes later, Stanley Barnaby did pick Harrison for another interception, but fumbled back to the Seawolves, who marched and kicked a field goal.

Shortly after, Tommy Broad had plenty of room to run after a clever reverse by the Bombers at their own eight-yard line. Broad was on his way to a significant gain until he tripped over a teammate, forcing the punt squad to surrender another safety.

Three plays that could have blown the game wide open were all for not and the Seawolves left down by seven at the half before they came out firing in the third.

The Seawolves caught the Bombers napping and scored 15 points that would go unanswered until 1:37 left in the fourth quarter.

After marching down the field and with help from the Seawolves conceding 25 yards in penalties, Bombers QB Brendan Cornford spotted Eric Smith in the end zone to cut the deficit to 22-20. Then Cornford swung out to his right and sent a strike to Pat Forbes to complete the two-point conversion before Stewart kicked his miracle punt.

It was ugly, but Dollimore said it showed a lot of character.

“Against Holland College last weekend, we spotted them 14 points in the first two or three minutes, then we marched and came back and see-sawed back and forth and won. That’s the way this league is: it’s open to really anybody.”

However, the Bombers coach knows the game could have played out differently if luck wasn’t on their side. He said they have to execute better on offence at all times, noting when Cornford threw up an interception at the goal line midway through the fourth after marching over 60 yards.

“We can’t keep creating our drives and shutting down our drives.”

Despite the manner in which they advanced, every Bomber will be smiling for the rest of the weekend nonetheless.

“This group of guys is unbelievably good to play with and I’m excited we get to move on to the final together,” said Stewart.

When asked who he’d rather see emerge from today’s Dalhousie-Holland College semifinal, Stewart said he couldn’t care less.

“It doesn’t matter because we’re going to give it our all and do our best and try to bring home the championship.”