“Our defense played extremely well. There are a few areas that we will continue to improve. But they finished the game very strong.”
The Gee-Gees picked up a victory on Sunday afternoon, but also received a scare to start the 2023 season. Midway through the first quarter at TD Place, star quarterback Ben Maracle tripped and fell with a first down just steps away and remained on the ground for quite some time.
The fourth-year got up favouring his right leg, but stayed in the game and returned under centre for the team’s next offensive drive. This time, it went from bad to worse. Almost immediately after receiving the snap, he fell awkwardly, and after receiving medical attention, again got up favouring his right leg. After completing 4 passes on 4 attempts, including a touchdown pass, Maracle was out of the game.
It wasn’t all bad news, however, for the new-look Gee-Gees. The group was busy preparing for life after Campbell Fair, but the Second-Team OUA All-Star was a surprising returnee to the special teams unit.
The kicker and school record holder for longest field goal was drafted by the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders in the sixth-round of the CFL Draft this past May.
Fair was the first kicker selected in the CFL Draft since 2021. Fair spent the preseason with Calgary but went on to be released and signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in early July.
Coach Marcel Bellefeuille explains that they were “hoping Campbell would make pro this year”. But Fair was then released without seeing any game action and thus fell back into the Gee-Gee’s possession. “Having him back is excellent for our team. His level of play has improved. He is also a great mentor for our other young players.”
Although the team was missing their starting quarterback for much of the game, that didn’t cost them against a Waterloo team who limped to a 1-7 record last season.
Charles Asselin received the opening kickoff from Waterloo’s Cole Crossett and dashed 23 yards to put the Gee-Gees in good field position to start the game. After a 2-and-out, the ball was on Fair’s toe. He sent a high, spinning, punt which bounced off Waterloo’s Adrian Popielec-Henry’s outstretched hands, and was then recovered by Ottawa’s Marc Djonay Rondeau.
Maracle used this opportunity and field position to start targeting receiver Maxim Malenfant. Malenfant started with a 2-yard reception, then a diving catch for a first down, and finally a 16-yard pass that led Malenfant to the end zone for the U of O’s first touchdown of the year.
Waterloo ill-advisedly went for it on third-and-two a few drives later and were stopped at the line of scrimmage by the U of O defensive line, who even forced a fumble, which was recovered by the Warriors to no consequence.
Ottawa recovered a total of four fumbles in the game — including another dropped punt, which was grabbed by Emmanuel Aboagye-Gyan. After the turnover on downs, the Gees started a drive with great field position on the Warrior’s 46-yard line. Maracle handed the ball over to running back Amlicar Polk, who dashed all the way through the bright yellow-shirted defense on the way to the second touchdown of the game for the home team.
Although poor snaps and setups led to missed kicks on both Gee-Gees extra point attempts, the special teams unit made up for their errors in a big way. Zachary Copeland placed the ensuing kickoff 71-yards downfield, almost directly above the orange end zone marker.
The ball was grabbed by the Waterloo receiver out-of-bounds, which led to the away team setting up for their ensuing drive on their own 4-yard line. After a 3-yard rush and then an incomplete pass, the Warriors were forced to punt from deep in their end zone. On an off-target snap, the Gees were able to tackle the punter in his end zone for a 2-point safety.
Late in the first quarter, the Cumberbatch brothers started to show off their defensive ability. The returning defensive backs’ length and speed proved a problem for the opposing pass game. With Waterloo having good field position, their quarterback Noah Kaban began taking deep shots.
On first down, Kaban’s pass was swatted down by the older Eric. On second down, Kaban mistakenly tried to force through another long pass, even while being pressured by the Ottawa line. This time, Eric snatched the ball out of the air and ran for 16 yards after the interception. Near the end of the game, it was younger brother Patrick’s turn to pick-off Kaban. This time, the Cumberbatch interception made it all the way to the end zone, for six points.
Bellefeuille, spoke positively when asked about the team’s defense, saying “Our defense played extremely well. There are a few areas that we will continue to improve. But they finished the game very strong. That is a good sign. It is very important at this level to have this group playing their best football early. Typically, defenses are further ahead of offenses early in the season. Plus, they were able to control the game with the injury to our starting QB.”
U of O jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and led 16-0 at the half, thanks to a pair of rouge points. Waterloo added 10 points in the third quarter to close the gap, but the Gees added 13 insurance points in the final frame to wrap up a 29-10 victory.
Bellefeuille, when asked about the win, said “We are always excited to open with a win. The first game of the season is always challenging for every team. There are lots of logistics to work through. Our team started really well and finished well. We will continue to work on the areas of the game we need to play better in.”
Backup quarterback Ryan Licandro completed 12 passes for 133 yards on 25 attempts, and an interception, coming off the bench. Polk rushed for a game-high 142 yards and a touchdown. Malenfant racked up 7 completions for 55 yards and a touchdown. Fifth-year linebacker Max Charbonneau led the game with 9 tackles, forced a fumble, recovered that fumble, and blocked a kick.
The Gee-Gees sit seventh in the USPORTS Football rankings after Week 1, behind OUA division rivals Western (second) and Queens (sixth). Defending Vanier Cup winner Laval is on top.
Week 2 sees the Gees travel to Varsity Stadium to square off against the University of Toronto, for a 7:00 PM kickoff on Sunday. The team has stated they are still assessing Maracle’s injury, and it is unclear when he will return.
