Huskies Football reach AUS Championship final, lose in overtime
Written by Theressa Jabbour
Header and Thumbnail photo of Huskies Football at AUS final by SMU Huskies
The Saint Mary’s University community has much to be proud of regarding its varsity football team. Reaching the Atlantic University Sports Championship final, named the Loney Bowl, for the first time since 2018, Huskies football, ranked third in the league, played a strong game against Bishop’s University’s Gaiters, ranked first, on the 9th of November in Lennoxville, Quebec. 1670 spectators saw the Huskies tie at the end of the 4th quarter, but lose in overtime.
With the Gaiters going 8-0 in the regular season, it should perhaps come as no surprise that they were just crowned the Loney Bowl champions on Saturday. But the Huskies did not give up without a fight. They had a balanced regular season, wrapping up their 4-4 record with a game 8 loss against STFX, the three-time defending champions. However, they fared better in the semi-final, avenging this loss and proving they deserve a spot in the final with a 21-17 win against STFX on the 2nd of November.
If fans expected the Gaiters to run away with the Championship game at the start, they thought wrong. Although the Gaitors led 59-0 to Acadia in their semi-final game, the Huskies proved to be tougher competition. Even watching on AUS.TV, the official streaming service of Atlantic University Sports, I could almost feel the tension. With both teams forcing multiple turnovers, the Huskies and Gaiters had one touchdown a piece and plenty of action for their special teams players. Fumbles, field goals and flying punts seemed to be the theme of the game.
The first half was filled with flags, as a total of 12 penalties (out of 22) were handed out: 5 (out of 7) for the Gaiters and 7 (out of 15) for the Huskies. The first quarter saw the two teams exchange punts, with the Gaiters coming off better having scored a field goal with 6 minutes left and ending the quarter 0-3 to the Gaiters. The second quarter saw a Gaiter’s fumble lead to a Huskies field goal with 9 minutes left, but an interception by the Gaiters allowed them to score another field goal with 2 minutes left. The first half ended 3-6, with the Gaiters ahead of the Huskies.
The Huskies fared better in the second half, with both teams seeing some touchdown action. The third quarter boasted of the Gaiter’s only touchdown, scored by running back David Chaloux with 8 minutes left. The Huskies trailed 3-13 to the Gaiters by the end of it. The fourth quarter was a mixture of highs and lows for the Huskies, with excitement ramping up. The Huskies scored a field goal with 13 minutes left and their only touchdown, by quarterback Allan Young, with 5 minutes left on the clock. The Huskies were leading 16-13 at this point, and after punting the ball with 1 minute left took possession of the ball with 48 seconds remaining owing to a Gaiter’s fumble. There was a brief glimmer of hope here, felt doubly so by the Huskies players, who got flagged for excessive celebration. In another universe, the Huskies might have clinched the AUS championship at that moment. But alas, the Gaiters had other plans. A Huskies fumble forced by the Gaiters with 16 seconds on the clock saw them lose the ball to the Gaiters, who managed to score a field goal at the final moment with 6 seconds left in the game. They tied the Huskies 16-16 at the end and forced a need for overtime.
In the first overtime, the Gaiters matched the Huskies’ field goal, while in the second overtime the Huskies returned the favour by matching the Gaiter’s. The third overtime is where everything changed, with the Huskies, unable to move down the field, missing their field goal attempt. The Gaiters then went on to score the three-point field goal that won them the game and the championship, with a final score of 22-25.
That Huskies fumble in the last seconds of the 4th quarter seemed to change the course of the game, and one might wonder what could have been. Nevertheless, one cannot deny that the Huskies, while probably disappointed with the outcome, brought their toughest competitive spirit to the Gaiters this final, ensuring a thrilling game for fans and players alike.
This win marks the Gaiter’s first since joining the conference in 2017, and they will be hosting the Uteck Bowl on the 16th of November. While it may be disappointing to Huskies fans that the SMU Huskies could not secure the Loney Bowl trophy this year, their return to the finals of this Championship can be commended. This team, which last made an appearance at the Bowl in 2018 and last won it in 2010, has outshined their last five seasons, with the return of veteran head coach Steve Sumarah in 2022. Sumarah, who has worked for the team for 14 seasons, as the offensive coordinator from 1998-2005 and head coach from 2006-2011, has seen the team win 10 AUS Championships and 2 Vanier Cups during his time. While the Huskies were unable to succeed this year, losing so narrowly in the finals can indicate that they’re on the right track, and might have a chance for redemption in the future. Who knows? This time next year the Huskies might just have a reason to celebrate.
Did you think the Huskies had a missed opportunity? Do you think they can win the Loney Bowl next year? If you enjoyed the game, let us know on our social media!
Although the football season is over, when the Huskies return to the field next August, you can keep up to date by visiting their website, their Instagram page and watching their games on AUS.TV.