The No. 4 nationally ranked Windsor Lancers football team hosted the No.1 ranked Western Mustangs on Saturday during the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. The Mustangs served the Lancers their first loss of the season with a 21-10 final score.
Both teams came into the end of September midday matinee with undefeated records on the campaign. The marquee matchup between two of the OUA's football juggernauts boasted a lot of excitement and buzz coming into the long weekend contest which was played in front of a raucous close to capacity sold out crowd of nearly 6,500 fans at Alumni Field.
STATS
Javonni Cunningham scored a 80 yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter which was the play of the game for Lancer fans to enjoy witnessing.
Brady Lidster had a 37-yard field goal in the first quarter.
Western was led offensively by their kicker Brian Garrity who appeared on the scoresheet four times for the purple and white including converting on an 18-yard field goal, 37-yard field goal kick, and a pair of 48-yard field goal kicks in the fourth quarter.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Brady Lidster opened the scoring with a 37-yard field goal kick through the uprights towards the midway mark of the opening quarter at 7:19 to put the blue and gold up 3-0.
Western would respond with a team safety to clip the Lancers lead down to one point to make it 3-2 within the final few minutes of the first quarter at 3:50.
The Mustangs would score an 18-yard field goal when Brian Garrity's kick went between the uprights with 17 seconds left in the first to steal the lead and go up 5-3 on the blue and gold to close out the opening quarter ahead.
In the second quarter,
Javonni Cunningham scored a crazy coast-to-coast 80-yard punt return for a touchdown at 12:30 which was followed up immediately by a good kick from Lidster to go up 10-5. The play would bring the Lancer Family in attendance to their feet roaring at the marvel of the momentous play that put the Lancers back out in front.
Western's kicker Garrity cashed in on another kick opportunity through the uprights at 8:34 left in Q2 with his 37-yard field goal to shrink the Lancer lead down to 10-8.
The score would remain unchanged throughout the third quarter standing at 10-8 Lancers.
It was not until 8:54 in the fourth quarter when the Mustangs would score on a touchdown play when Seth Robertson completed a 30-yard pass from Evan Hillock. Garrity would follow up with a good kick to put Western up 15-10 in the fourth.
Garrity would continue to make his impact in the game when he converted on a 48-yard field goal kick to extend the Western lead to 18-10 at the 7:10 mark of the fourth quarter.
Garrity and the Mustangs would strike again late in the fourth quarter at 1:40 when he blasted another 48-yard field goal kick through the uprights to go up 21-10 on the blue and gold.
Western would ultimately hold on besting the Lancers in a game that encompassed the spirit of a game which was the tale of two halves.
UP NEXT
The Lancers will now rest up and get set for their next battle on the road which will not take place until Saturday October 14th in Waterloo against the Laurier Golden Hawks at 1:00pm. The Lancers will return home to Alumni Field on the following weekend on Saturday October 21st in their regular season finale versus the York Lions at 1:00pm. Fans can purchase their tickets for the October 21st home game at goLancers.ca or at the gate on game day.
