In a back-and-forth week one affair, the Waterloo Warriors came up just short to the visiting Toronto Varsity Blues.
The Blues earned an emotional first victory for head coach Darrell Adams, as they edged the Warriors 31-29 in front of a hot crowd and even hotter temperatures on a steamy Sunday night at Warrior Field.
Adams earned his first victory in his debut on the Blues sideline, after spending nearly a decade as a defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator with the Warriors. The visitors seized the lead with 17 straight points in a fourteen-minute span straddling halftime, and the Warriors' comeback bid came up just short, as the black and gold dropped their first game of the season.
Toronto rookie pivot Kaleb O'Donoghue threw for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns in his OUA debut, while adding a touchdown on the ground. His favourite target was Chris Joseph, who racked up 6 catches for 120 yards and 2 scores.
Warriors quarterback Nick Orr (Caledon/) kept his team in it until the very end, passing for 246 yards and a pair of touchdowns - one each to Brett Timbeck (London/) and Romell Samuel-Slocombe (Brampton/). James Hinsperger (Waterloo/) led all players with 8 total tackles, while Toronto got 7.5 tackles and a sack from Elia Lini.
The Warriors drew first blood when a booming punt from Cole Crossett (Metcalfe/) and an ensuing two-and-out forced the Blues to concede a safety early in the first quarter. The Warriors added to their lead on their next drive, which Crossett punctuated with a 21-yard field goal. The veteran kicker also booted a 26-yarder early in the second quarter, and the Warriors had an 8-0 lead before the Blues had even registered a first down on offense.
However, the Blues responded with a ground attack, as Garrett Ellis rushed for a big 58-yard gain on second-and-inches. Two plays later, O'Donoghue scampered in from 6 yards out, and the Blues cut their deficit to 8-7.
The Warriors swung back with a big play of their own on the ensuing kickoff, when Yinka Ogunotte raced upfield for a 59-yard kickoff return to set the Warriors up with a short field. After Orr scrambled for 29 yards on a broken 3rd-and-1 play, Anthony Miller (Brampton/) punched it in from two yards out to extend the Waterloo lead to 15-7.
But the Blues were undeterred, and their redshirt freshman quarterback helped flip the momentum permanently: On the next drive, O'Donoghue completed five passes in a row to march downfield, culminating in a 30-yard touchdown catch-and-run from Joseph on a crossing route. After forcing a 2-and-out, the Blues got a 19-yard field goal from Sam Henke, and the visitors went into halftime ahead 17-15.
Waterloo had momentum on the first possession of the third quarter, but it was snuffed out when the Blues made a big stop on 3rd-and-1, forcing a turnover on downs. The Blues then gained some breathing room in the see-saw affair when short-yardage quarterback Scott Barnett plunged in for a 1-yard touchdown, putting Toronto up 24-15.
The Warriors refused to go away though, and they answered back late in the third quarter when Orr found Timbeck on a gorgeous double-move along the right sideline. Timbeck tip-toed the sideline to haul in the 20-yard major, cutting the hosts' deficit to 24-22.
It was a defensive battle for much of the fourth quarter, but with the clock creeping under two minutes to play, the Blues re-extended their lead to two scores with Joseph's second touchdown reception of the night to make it 31-22. The Warriors pushed back, as Orr connected with Samuel-Slocombe on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 50 seconds left, setting up an onside kick attempt with Waterloo down 31-29. But the miracle was not to be, as the Blues corralled Crossett's sky-high onside attempt to put away the victory.
The Warriors will now move on to their first road contest of the season when they visit the three-time defending Yates Cup champion Western Mustangs on Sunday, September 1 at 7pm.
