(Sackville, N.B.) - In dramatic fashion, the StFX X-Men secured their first conference football championship in almost two decades with a come-from-behind 14-12 victory over the Mount Allison Mounties Saturday afternoon in the AUS Subway Loney Bowl at MacAulay Field.
With 45 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the X-Men were trailing by one point, until freshman placekicker Jonathan Heidebrecht booted what would prove to be the game-winning field goal from 41 yards.
"I didn't see it bounce; I was on my back after the kick - the momentum took me off my feet, so I didn't really know if it when in or not," the Loney Bowl MVP said, with a laugh, after the game.
The Heidebrecht kick, which capped a four-play, 30-yard drive, caromed off the cross bar before making it over to seal the heart-stopping win.
"All that went through my head was how thankful I was to my team to get me back into position to make the kick," Heidebrecht said.
"The defense was able to stop them and the offense took us down to that point, so I could have the chance. I was just praying to God that he give me the grace and favor to get it in - maybe a little extra wind; or just that the wind would slow down a little."
Both teams battled cold and wind throughout the game, with Heidebrecht having to kick the winning points against the fall breeze.
Heidebrecht, at 22, was a toddler the last time the X-Men won the Jewett Trophy as AUS champions in 1996.
The Mounties, two-time defending conference champions, started the scoring on the first play from scrimmage, when Ryan Lambert kicked a rouge on the opening kick-off.
The home team extended their advantage to 3-0 when the X-Men conceded a first quarter safety.
Lambert doubled the Mountie lead (6-0) early in the second quarter on a Lambert 18-yard field goal.
With 8:33 remaining in the second quarter, the X-Men took their first lead on a Randy Roseway touchdown catch and a Heidebrecht point-after. The fifth-year receiver completed a one-play drive when he made a spectacular catch on a Tivon Cook pass, before taking it to the end zone for a 67-yard score.
Heidebrecht gave the blue and white a 10-6 edge on a 36-yard field goal with 6:33 remaining before halftime.
Lambert answered for the Mounties with a 30-yard field goal to trim the X-Men lead to 10-9.
Heidebrecht wrapped up the scoring before intermission, with a rouge, to make it 11-9.
The teams played to a scoreless third quarter, with both defenses bottling up the offenses.
Midway through the fourth quarter, with 8:51 remaining, the Mounties regained the lead on a 31-yard field goal from Lambert.
The X-Men were driving to take the lead, but the Mounties forced a fumble on a sack of Cook by AUS all-star lineman Shaun Robinson. The Mounties recovered four X-Men fumbles during the game.
Once again, the StFX defense smothered Mount Allison and forced a late punt, which set the stage for the Heidebrecht heroics.
The Mounties got the ball back for one final push for the win, but all-star defensive back Hayden Peters intercepted Mountie quarterback Brandon Leyh and took it inside the Mount Allison five-yard line on a 67-yard return.
Cook, who completed 15-of-31 passes for 249 yards, and the X-Men offense ran out the clock to clinch the title.
"It feels great. I am so happy for the kids - all the work that they put in," X-Men head coach Gary Waterman said after the game.
"And, it is not just for these kids, it's for the kids that I have coached before and the kids that have been here since 1996, who really worked hard and came up short. Sometimes you just need a little bit of stay-with-it, a little bit of a bounce and a little bit of things to go your way, and it did for us today.
"I am just happy for all the people that came before them," he added.
AUS MVP and Hec Creghton Award nominee Ashton Dickson provided another workhorse performance for the X-Men - racing for 157 yards on 27 carries, while adding three catches for 44 yards.
Roseway topped StFX receivers with 89 yards on three catches, while Christian Ridley caught five balls for 69 yards.
Leyh connected on 16 of 28 for 137 yards, while 2014 conference rookie of the year Chris Reid, in his first game since breaking his collarbone in the first week of the season, had 20 carries for 47 yards.
The X-Men held a 397-212 edge in total offense.
Defensively, freshman Adam Kuntz collected a game-high 11 tackles, while Jimmie Cunningham added eight, with half a sack, which he shared with Kyle Forde. Daniel Tshiamala also added one sack, while Kay Okafor and Peters added six and 5.5 tackles, respectively.
Including the Loney Bowl win, the X-Men defense has allowed only two touchdowns in the last seven games.
For the Mounties, Devante Sampson, Kwame Adjei and Dylan Cossar collected five tackles apiece, while Sampson also chipped in two forced fumbles.
The X-Men will now host the Canada West champion UBC Thunderbirds in the 2015 CIS Uteck Bowl semifinal game on Saturday, Nov. 21st at StFX Oland Stadium, beginning at 5 p.m.
Thunderbird head coach Blake Nill started his career on the sidelines as an assistant with the X-Men.
The winner of the match-up will play for the Vanier Cup Saturday, Nov. 28 at Laval, facing either the Guelph Gryphons or Montreal Carabins who will play in the CIS Mitchell Bowl semifinal.
Tickets for the November 21st CIS Uteck Bowl at StFX will go on sale at the Keating Centre box office on Tuesday, November 17th at 9:00 am, as well as online at www.ticketatlantic.ca.
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