Antigonish, NS - The StFX X Men football team extended their perfect season, dropping the Mount Allison Mounties 21-14 in the 2022 Subway AUS Loney Bowl to win their second consecutive AUS championship banner as they take home the Jewett Trophy once again.
Third year X-Men receiver/returner Ben Harrington (Halifax, NS) was named Subway player of the game and won the Don Loney trophy as playoff MVP as he had 183 all-purpose yards in the game including a 94-yard punt return touchdown that kickstarted the X-Men offense early in the first quarter.
STFX all-star quarterback Silas Fagnan (Bonnyville, AB) went 11 for 21 in the air for 161 yards, while AUS most valuable player running back Malcolm Bussey (Hammonds Plains, NS) had 119 yards on the ground.
Harrington had three receptions for 24 yards on the offensive side of the ball, along with a pair of kickoff returns (56 yards) and three punt returns (103 yards).
X-Men receiver Devaughn Blackwood (Kanata, ON) made three catches for 87 yards, while on the defensive side of the ball, AUS lineman of the year Alex Fedchun (Calgary, AB) had three solo tackles and one tackle for a loss.
AUS Coach of the Year Gary Waterman said he and his STFX squad were extremely happy to make it out with the win, noting games are "never easy to win in the AUS, and championship games are supposed to be challenging."
"Mount A, credit to them, the fought hard, they battled, and we knew it was going to be a tough game. I'm just happy with the guys getting the victory."
It was a rainy afternoon with the defense coming up big for both teams, limiting the total offence on both sides in the first half.
Mount Allison's Daniel Bell (Saint John, NB) had 9.5 tackles to lead his squad on D, while quarterback Justin Vogels (Sackville, NB) went 20 for 35 in the air with 206 passing yards and 51 yards on the ground.
Mounties player of the game Cody Barton (Lower Coverdale, NB) had 8 catches for 113 yards.
StFX scored on their first possession of the game, with Ben Hadley (Halifax, NS) hitting a field goal from the 30-yard line.
Mount Allison's first points came with six minutes left in the first quarter, with X conceding a safety while pinned deep in their own end during a punt.
A few minutes later, Harrington scored the first major of the game with his long 94-yard punt return for six. Hadley hit the extra point to give STFX a 10-2 lead.
The playoff MVP was quick to credit his teammates regarding his endzone dash, commenting, "I'm back at the endzone, I got the ball, I was just looking for my blockers and they were all there," he said of the game breaking play.
"I couldn't have done it without my teammates and I just used my speed to get to the edge and eventually I got to where I was going, which was the endzone."
The X-Men didn't light up the scoreboard again until the second quarter, when Mount Allison conceded a safety with less than two minutes left. At the end of the first half, it was 12-2 in favour of the home team X Men.
Mount Allison conceded another safety early in the third quarter but were able to force an interception on the next series, getting the ball back in the X end. However, STFX was able to force a fumble that the Mounties recovered, and the visitors had to punt away.
Late in the quarter, Mount A went for it on third down and were able to keep the offence on the field. A run from Vogels left the Mounties with excellent field position, and the drive resulted in a Graeme Maither (Hinchinbrooke, QC) 22-yard field goal.
STFX had the ball on the Mounties 30 yard-line to start the fourth quarter, and Bussey was able to scoot in for the major, with Hadley kicking the extra point.
Mount A was able to score a safety with just over 11 minutes left, making it a two-score game at 21-7. The Mounties went straight to the air for their next series, and quickly marched 62-yards down the field with Barton making the catch for six, and Maither kicking the extra point.
With less than four minutes left, STFX forced a third down, but the Mounties converted for the third time and kept the ball moving. Mount A found themselves on third down a short time later, but X was able to force them off the field and regain possession.
Mount Allison got the ball back with 13 seconds left but Thomas Bentley (Dartmouth, NS) picked off the deep pass attempt and the game was over as the X-Men closed out the 21-14 victory.
With the win the X-Men extend their unbeaten streak to 9-0 this season and earn the right to host the 2022 U SPORTS Uteck Bowl national semi-final game. STFX will await their opponent – the Canada West Champion – either UBC or Saskatchewan.
With the Uteck Bowl berth, Coach Waterman said they will enjoy today's victory and then get back to work. "That's the message to the guys, it's really all about getting ready for the next one but look, we've had a great season so far and if you don't enjoy the wins, then what are we doing this for," he noted, following the trophy presentation.
Kick-off for the Uteck Bowl is Saturday, November 19th at 1:00 pm at STFX Stadium with tickets going on sale Monday morning at 9:00 am.
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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics
X-Men Football captains accept the AUS championship banner and trophy from AUS Football Sport Chair / STFX Director of Athletics & Recreation Leo MacPherson and AUS Executive Director Phil Currie.