The Waterloo Warriors came out punching in their OUA west division semi-final against the Western Mustangs. But in the end, the Warriors saw their season end at the hands of the number two team in the country.

The Mustangs used an explosion at the end of the first half to wrestle control of the game, as the Warriors fell 51-24 in London on Saturday afternoon.

In what was likely his final game as a Warrior, Quarterback Tre Ford (Niagara Falls/) completed 21 of 33 passes for 305 yards and 2 TDs. Nicklas Sua (Nepean/) added 69 yards on the ground and a major, while Gordon Lam (Kitchener/) caught 5 balls for 106 yards and a score.

Despite outgaining the Mustangs 434 to 378 yards on the day, Western took advantage of some short fields and turnovers to claim victory. Rookie quarterback Evan Hillock threw three touchdown passes, while the two-headed backfield of Trey Humes and Keon Edwards added three scores on the ground.

The Warriors drew first blood early, as they pieced together a 7-play, 69-yard opening drive that concluded with a 32-yard Ford-to-Lam hookup for an early 7-0 lead. The Warriors nearly had a two-touchdown advantage when Tyrell Ford (Niagara Falls/) returned a punt 61 yards to the Western 17, but the Mustangs forced a 32-yard field goal from Cole Crossett (Ottawa/) to make it 10-0 Waterloo.

But the hosts took advantage of some Waterloo miscues on each of the next two possessions. First, a Ford pass was mishandled and intercepted by Daniel Valente, leading to an Edwards touchdown. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, the Mustangs recovered a fumble and turned it into another major and a 14-10 lead.

The Warriors punched back quickly though, as a 52-yard bomb from Ford to Lam on third down set up a Sua 4-yard plunge to make it 17-14 Waterloo after one quarter.

The Warriors nearly had a pooch punt recovery early in the second quarter, but an illegal procedure penalty erased the play and forced a standard boot. From there, the Mustangs again reclaimed the lead, as Humes ran it in from 8 yards out.

With just over three minutes left in the half, Ford completed another lengthy drive with a 12-yard strike to James Basalyga (Thunder Bay/), giving the Warriors a 24-23 lead. But the Mustangs flipped the game on its ear in the following three minutes, as they scored twice in the closing moments of the half for a 37-24 halftime advantage.

After a Brian Garrity field goal extended the lead to 40-24 early in the third, Ford once again sparked a clock-eating drive of 14 yards, all the way down to the Western 15-yard line. But the Mustangs defense forced an incomplete pass on third down, and the Warriors found themselves down 16 points heading into the fourth.

Any hope of a miraculous Waterloo comeback might have been dashed early in the fourth, when Ford was stripped of the ball on a third-and-one rush from midfield. The Mustangs were able to tack on another touchdown late to complete the victory.

The Warriors will now turn their attention to an important offseason, as they look to build on their reputation as one of the fastest-growing football programs in the country.