The Carleton Ravens football team went full throttle against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Sept. 23, with a dominating 46-7 win at TAAG Park.
Despite the occasional misstep, the Ravens looked sharp following a massive 52-0 win over the York Lions. Carleton not only levelled out their season record to 2-2, but have now generated momentum as they prepare to face their crosstown rivals, the uOttawa GeeGees, in the historic 54th annual Panda Game next week.
The action began with several back-to-back punts between the Ravens and Varsity Blues. Despite a lack of early success on offence, Carleton’s powerful defensive line parlayed with a feisty secondary allowed for the defensive unit to stake their claim early on.
The first quarter concluded with a fantastic touchdown throw from Ravens quarterback Tristan Lefebvre to receiver Tristan Ready, locking in the first score of the game.
The second quarter commenced with a Ravens field goal, increasing their lead to 10-0. Carleton then committed a costly special teams mistake, handing the ball to the Varsity Blues in Carleton’s own zone. This set up a massive sequence of back-to-back stops from Ravens defensive lineman Michael Lightbody and linebacker Anthony Lukan, who collectively prevented Toronto from earning any points.
Led by defensive lineman Ifenna Onyeka, contributions from linebacker Xavier Malone and defensive back Schneider Cave Philippe continued the dominance on the defensive side.
Onyeka deflected the credit of the Ravens’ defensive success to his teammates.
“We just rally around each other,” Onyeka said. “We’re such a tight knit brotherhood that […] I don’t have to try to be a leader. It just comes out because of how close we are.”
A kickoff return fumble by Toronto set up a lightning-fast field goal for the Ravens in the third quarter.
With a 23-0 lead, the Ravens soared with contributions from all three units. Another Carleton sack forced the punt from Toronto, leading to another Ravens drive, and a mind-boggling one-handed catch from Ready set up a touchdown throw to fellow receiver Frederik Hachey.
However, an injury on the play to Ravens’ star player Kaseem Ferdinand marred the almost flawless drive. His full strength will certainly be needed as the season progresses, but the Ravens are fortunate to have a deep and capable receiver room.
In response to Ferdinand’s injury, Brown emphasized his teammates’ unselfishness and teamwork.
“We understand that when we run our routes, it’s to get each other open,” Brown said. “We’re not thinking about the ‘I’ in the routes or getting ourselves open or us getting the ball.”
“We take a lot of pride in getting each other open and making plays for each other.”
It wasn’t until the end of the third quarter when Toronto began to show signs of life. Varsity Blues defensive back Devon Crenshaw intercepted a tipped pass, and running back Adam Williams drudged his way into the end zone for a goal-line touchdown.
Defensive pressure carried on throughout the rest of the game, forcing the Varsity Blues to take a safety. The Ravens slammed the door shut with back-to-back touchdowns by Hachey. They were Hachey’s second and third touchdowns of the game, capping off a remarkable effort from both him and the entire receiver room.
With a 46-7 win and a .500 record, all eyes shift to the Panda Game. While the result of the game will only count for one win in the standings, the emotional stakes are much higher than any other week.
As the Ravens prepare to battle the GeeGees in front of a packed crowd, they hope to emulate their success from the past two weeks. With both teams’ records equal at 2-2, the game will be a pivotal matchup for playoff seeding. The Panda Game will take place on Oct. 1 at 12 p.m. at TD Place.
Featured image by Marc Lafleur.
