The No. 6 Lancer football team saw their 2026 season come to an end on Saturday afternoon, falling 43-33 to the No. 7 Western Mustangs in the OUA semi-final in London, Ont.
GAME FLOW
The Lancers opened the contest with an early safety to get on the scoreboard before quarterback Kareame Cotton connected with
Isaiah Vallderruten for a six-yard touchdown. Western responded with a rushing touchdown from Ethan Dolby, but Windsor regained the lead as Cotton found
Colby Ginn for a 33-yard touchdown reception. The back-and-forth contest continued as the Mustangs answered with an explosive 86-yard touchdown pass from Ben Casselman to Emmett Charles before adding a safety to close out an eventful opening quarter tied at 16-16.
Both teams found points difficult to come by in the second quarter, with each side managing just a field goal.
Alex Patrinos connected on a 23-yard attempt for Windsor, while Mateo Pasquini answered with a 22-yard field goal for Western, sending the teams into halftime again tied this time at 19-19.
Western began to create separation in the third quarter, as Pasquini converted a 10-yard field goal before the Mustangs struck with another explosive passing play. Casselman connected with Dasani McIntosh for a 108-yard touchdown reception to extend the Western lead. Windsor responded late in the quarter, as
Weagbe Mombo rushed into the end zone for his first touchdown of the afternoon. Patrinos added the extra point to make it a 29-26 game heading into the final quarter.
The Lancers continued their offensive push early in the fourth, as Mombo broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run to give Windsor the lead back at 33-29. The Lancers lead was short lived however as Western responded with two rushing touchdowns from Dolby, who scored from four yards and eight yards out to put the game beyond reach. The Mustangs held on for the 43-33 victory, ending Windsor's postseason run in the OUA Semi-Final.
STATS
Cotton led the Lancers offensively, completing 21-of-31 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 82 rushing yards on seven carries. Mombo delivered an outstanding performance on the ground, rushing for 177 yards on 13 carries, averaging 13.6 yards per attempt, including touchdown runs of six and 65 yards.
Through the air, Ginn led for Windsor in receiving with six receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. Vallderruten added three catches for 22 yards and a touchdown, while
Nathan Smith contributed two receptions for 31 yards.
Evan Martin also recorded two catches for 22 yards.
Patrinos was perfect on the afternoon, converting his lone field-goal attempt from 23 yards and all four of his extra-point attempts.
Rico Abelson recorded five punts for 204 yards, averaging 40.8 yards per punt.
Defensively,
Marco Piccioni led Windsor with seven total tackles, including two solo tackles.
Ahmad Taylor added six tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack, while
Sean Adams recorded seven total tackles.
Kevin Rakowska contributed four tackles and an interception, while
Alijah Metz added three tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack.
As a team, Windsor accumulated 521 yards of total offence, including 213 passing yards and 308 rushing yards. The Lancers recorded 22 first downs and averaged 8.4 yards per offensive play. Windsor also controlled possession for 30:26, compared to Western's 29:34.
For Western, Casselman completed 12-of-23 passes for 345 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Dolby led the Mustangs' rushing attack with 10 carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns, while McIntosh's 108-yard touchdown reception highlighted the Western passing game.
UP NEXT
The loss brings the Lancers' 2026 football season to a close following their run to the OUA Semi-Final. Windsor finishes its campaign after a hard-fought postseason battle against the Western Mustangs. Despite the loss we are proud of the Lancers football team and their 2026 campaign.
Stay tuned to goLancers.ca for more information on the Lancer football team throughout the off-season.
