The Waterloo Warriors saw a chance to control their own playoff destiny slip through their fingers on Saturday afternoon, as they dropped a heartbreaking 31-30 thriller to the visiting Carleton Ravens in week 8 OUA football action.
The Warriors led 19-10 at halftime and 30-10 late in the third quarter, only to see the Ravens claw their way back. Carleton kicker Brandon Forcier tied the game with a 47-yard field goal late in the fourth, and won it on the final play of the game, when his field goal attempt sailed out of the back of the endzone for a single point.
The loss drops Waterloo to 2-5 on the season, as the black and gold missed an opportunity to control their own playoff destiny. But, a path to the postseason still exists for Waterloo - they'll need a win in their season finale in Toronto, and they'll need Guelph to drop their week 9 matchup against Carleton.
The Warriors got off to a hot start in their final home game of 2023, forcing a fumble and a turnover on the opening kickoff. And while the hosts were stymied on a third-and-short to turn it back over on downs, the Waterloo defense hit the scoreboard first when Isaiah Blackson (London/) jumped a field-side throw for a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown, making it 7-0 early.
Waterloo's defense continued to wreak havoc in the first quarter, forcing consecutive two-and-out punts from Carleton. Cole Crossett (Metcalfe, ON/) added a 26-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter to make it 10-0 for the Warriors.
The Warriors extended the lead early in the second with another Crossett field goal, this time from 24 yards out. Then, rookie running back Quinten Springer (Cambridge, ON/) took a swing pass out of the backfield for a 14-yard touchdown, and the Warriors led 19-0.
The Ravens answered back with two scores of their own - a Forcier 19-yarder and a major from Tristain Lefebvre to Hunter Brown - to cut Waterloo's lead to 19-10 at the half.
The Warriors hit a big play early in the third to reclaim momentum, as Nick Orr (Caledon, ON/) hit James Basalyga (Thunder Bay, ON/) on a 76-yard touchdown bomb to extend Waterloo's lead to 26-10. It was part of a massive day for the graduating receiver, as Basalyga caught four balls for a game-high 158 yards and a touchdown.
Crossett tacked on another chip shot field goal, as well as a single on a booming punt, making the score 30-10 for Waterloo midway through the third quarter. But, the Ravens started adjusting their playcalling to combat the pass rush from Tyson Hergott (Waterloo, ON/) and the stout Waterloo defensive line, and it paid immediate dividends when Lefebvre found Kaseem Ferdinand on a 47-yard pass-and-catch to draw the Ravens back within two scores, at 30-17.
Carleton narrowed the lead even further early in the fourth, as Lefebvre threw his third of three touchdown passes on the day, this one a 32-yarder to Brown to make it 30-24. It was part of a massive day for the Ravens receiver, as Brown finished with 5 receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
The Ravens continued to claw their way back, this time aided by a huge special teams play: Carleton brought all-out pressure and were able to block a Crossett punt, setting up a Forcier field goal to make it 30-27.
The Ravens forced another two-and-out to get the ball back down three, and Forcier hit a 47-yarder with a howling wind behind him to knot the game up at 30-30 in the closing moments of the game. The ensuing kickoff was also blasted with the wind, and it gave the Warriors' special teams unit fits - Justin Succar (Niagara Falls, ON/) barely avoided the single and got the ball out to the Waterloo two-yard-line. The Warriors then had to guard against conceding a safety, forcing a Crossett punt from his own endzone with just 16 seconds left. The Ravens got excellent field position, and Forcier's 35-yarder at the buzzer was wide, but it had plenty of leg and wind aid to sail out of the end zone for the game-winning rouge.
Despite the loss, Waterloo QB Nick Orr (Caledon, ON/) authored perhaps his most impressive start of his young career, completing 13-22 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns, and running 10 times for 54 yards.
The Warriors will now shift focus to the Toronto Varsity Blues, with a chance to make the playoffs at 3-5 with a win and a Guelph loss at Carleton. Kickoff from Varsity stadium next Saturday, October 21 is scheduled for 1 pm.
