CIS

Team’s powerful offence a huge threat, as long as they avoid penalty trouble  

Last season the Gees posted a 5-3 record that led to a squandered playoff berth with a first-round exit. Their offseason was one of change, as they lost their starting quarterback to graduation, and their star running back to the Canadian Football League draft.

It’s hard to predict what the team will do this season, and plenty of eyes are fixed on the men in garnet and grey to see what they can accomplish.

Spirit was running high at the Labour Day home opener as, fans eagerly filed their way into the stands of Gee-Gees Field on a rare Monday afternoon and sold out the stadium. 

The Gees wasted no time satisfying their supporters, as they scored their first touchdown just minutes into the game on a short pass from newly appointed Gee-Gees starting quarterback Derek Wendel. The new signal caller would go on to have an impressive game that’s sure to put him on the list of the most dangerous QBs in the conference. 

“I wasn’t even thinking about my passing during the game, I was just hoping everyone else did their jobs and we all wanted to excuted,” said Wendel. 

Particularly in the second half, the defence was a stonewall as they held the Lions to single-digit scoring in the first half, and was particulary strong in the second as they pitched a shutout in the second. For the game they limited York to fewer than 200 yards. The defence created a lot of turnover chances, nabbing two interceptions and forcing four fumbles.

On the offensive end, the Gee-Gees racked up just under 600 yards of total offence, and the game was peppered with electrifying plays. This year’s team is stocked with offensive threats, including receiver Nick Dagher, who caught seven passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

The team was firing on all cylinders, as long as they weren’t hindered by penalties. Head coach Jamie Barresi was disappointed in his team’s 20 penalties, and began to take players out of the second half to prove his point. 

“We can’t do that against the teams coming up,” he said. “We can’t take those penalties. When we make a big play, we cannot afford that … you get that opportunity, you can’t let it slip by. I’m pleased we won the game, but I won’t tolerate it.”

The game lost some heat in the fourth quarter, but if it’s a glimpse of what’s to come there should be plenty of excitement on this season. 

“It’s a pretty good game overall for us. I think we did some good execution, but we’ve got to be a little more disciplined for the next couple weeks,” said Wendel. 

“We got some tough teams coming up. So we’ve got to take it easy on the penalties. We’ve got to take the positives, put it behind us, and move on