Confident Lions down Mustangs
Confident Lions down Mustangs
Written By BRIAN SMILEY, EXPOSITOR STAFF
Football championships in Brant County aren't awarded in September, but some of the confidence towards that goal sure can be gained. And right now, there may not be a more confident senior team than the Assumption College Lions.
"A lot of us read the paper the other day and it had BCI as the team to beat but we know we're the team to beat," ACS quarterback Connor Quinn said after his team handed the Mustangs a 10-3 loss at Assumption on Wednesday afternoon to open the season.
The Mustangs entered this season as defending Brant County champions and the slight favourites to retain that title. However, that didn't stop the Lions from believing they can take the championship away. "We had a lot of confidence before this game but after the game, it proves that we're the No. 1 team in Brant County," Quinn said. While there's nothing wrong with being a little confident, overconfidence could come back to haunt the Lions. Quinn said that shouldn't be a problem. "It will all come down to our coaches," he said. "They know us and know how to keep us level-headed."
Assumption coach Kelly Ireland acknowledged how big the win was while also saying the victory shouldn't give his players big heads. "I don't think this group of kids we have, the commitment is so high, we're going to have to worry about that," Ireland said. Even though they got the big opening win, Ireland said the team isn't functioning at its best yet. "We can only get better," he said. "On offence we need to move the ball better."
Both teams struggled to move the ball for much of the game but the Lions were able to score in the first quarter. After Quinn was intercepted on his team's first possession by BCI's Adam Struck, the Lions got the ball back when Brodie Tansley picked off BCI quarterback Benton Gibbons on a tipped pass. Tansley got the ball down to the two-yard line before being tackled. Two plays later, Scott George pounded it in for the score. Quinn kicked the convert and before the half was out he added a 24-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead. The Mustangs weren't able to get anything going offensively until the fourth quarter. With a little less than six minutes left in the game, BCI finally got things rolling and was able to get on the board with a 28-yard Jeff Wreaks field goal. After Assumption lost possession following the BCI field goal, the Mustangs started driving again, getting all the way down to the Lions' four-yard line. However, a holding penalty brought the ball back to the 14-yard line and two plays later the game was over when Assumption's Taylor Chowhan knocked down a Gibbons pass on third and goal.
BCI coach Dave Giancola said his team was prepared, things just didn't start off the way he'd hoped. "We were flat," he said. "Flat was an understatement. Offensively we didn't do anything.
