Following a disappointing loss to the McMaster Marauders on Sept. 21, the Carleton Ravens football team took down the York Lions for their second win of the season in a rocky 24-10 win.
The win kept the Ravens’ playoff hopes alive, but they now face the same stakes in the Panda Game against the uOttawa Gee-Gees on Oct. 6. Both teams will fight for the last playoff spot in the OUA, as they hold identical 2-4 records.
The Lions were winless heading into the game, suggesting Carleton as an easy favourite to take the win. However, with a of 7-7 score heading into halftime, concern started to set in at TAAG Park.
Any sense of worry faded away in the second half as two touchdowns and a field goal from the Ravens trumped York’s single field goal.
Carleton quarterback Elijah Barnes showed off his cannon of an arm by throwing 69 yards to receiver Frederick Hachey for the first touchdown of the second half. Barnes followed it up with a shorter but incredibly quick 22-yard pass to receiver Kaseem Ferdinand for the second.
A late interception for Carleton defensive back Schneider Cave allowed the Ravens offence to hold onto the ball long enough to prevent York from scoring in the dying minute of the contest, sealing the win.
Barnes said he saw the game’s slow first half as an area for growth, but has no doubt in his team’s abilities.
Panda Game to playoff fates
Carleton hasn’t come out of a Panda Game with a victory since 2017. Last year, the Ravens came agonizingly close, losing in the final minute on a shocking 55-yard field goal.
Adding fuel to the fire, this Panda Game will likely decide who qualifies for the OUA playoffs.
But looming playoff fates are no matter forRavens defensive lineman Ifenna Onyeka.
“At the end of the day, it’s just another game,” Onyeka said. “It’s gonna be our 12 against their 12.”
The more than 20,000 fans at TD Place won’t add any extra pressure to win, said head coach Corey Grant.
“We’re trying to win every single game we play,” Grant said. “This one might be a little more pressure because both of us are coming in with the same record and we know that the winner of this game will probably get that last spot in the playoffs, and we’ll have the tiebreaker.”
“Every game is a must-win game.”
Featured photo provided by Carleton Ravens
