Rick Rivers Report Vol. 1-21

EXCITING DALHOUSIE FOOTBALL RETURNS!

It has been a long time coming and head coach Hagget’s Dalhousie Tigers showed up hungry for the season opener against the UNB Saint John Seawolves.After a spirited pre game warmup, in dense fog, the black and gold feasted on the blue and white, 35-0 by first Q’s end.All facets of Dal’s game functioned well as the Tigers cruised to a lop-sided 63-0 victory.

With less than a minute gone in the first Q, Dylan Waugh followed some good blocking and broke a number of tackles as he sprinted for a 65 yard TD.His second major came minutes later from three yards out, which was set up by a 25 yard Chris Duplisea toss to Kye Swansburg.In total #21 had 93 yards on three carries for two sixes.

Not often do specialty teams make up game reports butcoach Kyle Kelly’s chargers showed real game.Reid Marchand went 8 for 8 on converts while Okyay Kepenek went two for three (34, 13) on field goals and fell short on a 58 yarder.But Kepenek’s kickoffs routinely came down between the goal line and the ten, where eleven sprinters allowed next to nothing on returns and gave bad field position.One fourth Q kickoff went for a single.

Brody Boudreau was versatile and huge on the scoreboard during the afternoon.Wearing target number 1 jersey he ran 37 yards for one TD, caught a Duplisea pass(20) for another and showed his jets on a late game 48 yard punt return.Aiden Keefe’s 18 yard run, rounded out the first Q points.

As the second half began the clock ran continuously (mercy rule),because Dal was up 35 points.The Tigers only scoring in the third Q came off a FG and a two yard run by Matt Lindsay which was set up by a Seawolves’ unnecessary roughness call at the end of QB Colton Allen’s run.Allen finished the game 6/11 for 104 yards while Duplisea was 4/8 for 114 yards and two TD strikes.

The Tigers’ fourth Q scoring came from a field goal and a scoring drive led by Chris Amezquita who carried the rock five times for 50 yards and a major. The games’ most scintillating points came via Boudreau’s wide side 48 yard punt return sprint for six.

The Seawolves were a game opponents, but no match for the Tigers’ tenacious defence which only allowed them over mid-field once.Interceptions by Connor McCormick, Omar Bitar and Logan Hillier helped the cause, while Eric Purcell had two sacks.Jeremy Miller(3) and Liam Chisari(4) solo tackles rounded out coach Dave Kelly’s defence effort.

We know the Green Bay Packers’ fans travel well but a large black and gold dressed contingent sure exerted their influence in Dalhousie’s win.Hopefully, these exuberant fans will trip to Prince Edward Island’s Holland College for our next tilt.

Coach Hagget’s post game numerous repeatings of “I am proud of you guys”, will only provide further motivation for these 2021 Dalhousie Tigers.