The Ravens football team’s season came to a end on Nov. 3 as they were defeated 39-13 by the Western University Mustangs in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Yates Cup semi-finals.
The game started with the Mustangs scoring first when the team picked up a safety to take a 2-0 lead just six minutes in.
The Ravens answered back three minutes later, as kicker Michael Domagala sent a 29-yard field goal through the uprights to take a 3-2 lead.
“We definitely went down there with the right attitude. The guys went there [thinking] they were going to go and win the game and we battled hard,” head coach Steve Sumarah said.
Western retaliated with a field goal of their own from kicker Marc Liegghio as the Mustangs took a 5-3 lead heading into the second quarter.
The second quarter started out slow for both teams, as the Mustangs scored the first touchdown of the game when running back Cedric Joseph dashed two yards into the end zone to give his team a 12-3 lead with four minutes left in the quarter.
Carleton moved the score to within six points as Domagala kicked a 12-yard field goal to make it a 12-6 game in Western’s favour heading into halftime.
The third quarter would be all Western, as Liegghio sent his second field goal of the game to extend his team’s lead to 15-6 five minutes into the second half.
Less than two minutes later, Joseph made his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game as the Mustangs pulled further ahead with a 22-6 lead.
With one minute remaining in the third quarter, Western would take a comfortable 29-6 lead, when running back Alex Taylor received a 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Merchant.
“It felt like there were probably two or three plays that really changed the game,” Sumarah said. “In every game, there’s five or six plays that make the difference, and it just didn’t feel like those weren’t in our favor and they took full advantage.”
“Obviously, they’re a very good football team and they’re not gonna pass up opportunities on you,” he added.
Early in the final quarter, Liegghio scored a 23-yard field goal to increase the Mustangs lead 32-6.
The Ravens scored one final touchdown as wide receiver Quinton Soares caught a seven-yard pass from quarterback Michael Arruda to make it a 32-13 game with four minutes remaining.
The Ravens’ chances of a comeback would be fruitless, however, as Merchant sent a 57-yard pass into the arms of receiver Harry McMaster to give the Mustangs a 39-13 victory over the Ravens.
“I think the biggest thing that we’ve gotta work on is, ‘okay we’ve got to here, this is the second time in three years—now we’re going to have to re-evaluate and figure out what we need to do to get playing in a final one,’” Sumarah said.
“You can’t make any decisions at this point, you just got to sit back and re-evaluate everything you’ve done as a coach, and what do we need to do to set the tone for the offseason.”
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