Anterior crucial ligament injuries are conventionally viewed as a career-altering incident. Two ACL tears are as close to career-ending as it gets.

But on Sept. 6, Chris Pezzetta made his return to the endzone, his first touchdown since the 2011 Vanier Cup. It was just his second game since hoisting the national championship trophy, after suffering an anterior crucial ligament tear in the second day of 2012 training camp and tearing the same ligament in testing before the 2013 season.

The first injury did not come as a result of a pile-up or huge hit.

“It was a simple run play, something I do a hundred times at practice, thousands of times a year,” said Pezzetta. “My foot got stuck in the ground and my body didn’t go with me.”

And so the rehab began. Coming back from a severe tear of one of the main knee ligaments is physically and mentally taxing.

Pezzetta had surgery two months after the tear but also suffered another setback, re-injuring the knee about five to six months after the initial injury. Recovering leg strength started as soon as possible.

“It starts off slow, just getting your range of motion back,” said Pezzetta of the long rehabilitation process. “Our head physiotherapist, Chris Puskas, has been guiding me the whole way.”

“At the beginning, it’s more simple stretching and simple exercises. You’re slowly progressing back into getting your muscles going, but once you get six, seven months into the rehab, you’re getting back to regular lifts. I was doing team lifts and teams runs.”

The injury was in his rear-view mirror, and Pezzetta looked like he would be back to help McMaster in the 2013 season, when the team would start a new era without Hec Creighton-winning quarterback Kyle Quinlan.

But during a testing session in the early stages of training camp, Pezzetta did a vertical jump and heard a pop. The ACL was torn again – the same ACL, on another non-contact play.

Pezzetta seemed cursed, but began the rehab routine again. Puskas – who head coach Stefan Ptaszek called “the best in the country” after the open- ing game against Guelph – was there to help him.

“It was through [Puskas’s] guidance that I was able to come through,” said Pezzetta. “The facilities we have here at Mac allow him to do what he wants to do. Everything I needed and he needed was here for me to use.”

While nursing the injury, the running back would sit in a coaching booth of the Ron Joyce Stadium press box, watching his team play. In his first season on the mend, Mac went undefeated until the Vanier Cup, where they lost to Laval.

During the second, McMaster struggled out of the gate and finished 5-3 before losing the OUA semifinals to Western. While it was tough to not be able to contribute on the field, Pezzetta gained perspective that go beyond the sport.

“I don’t think you learn so much about football,” said Pezzetta. “I think you learn different things about life.

“You can’t take things like sport for granted. When you’re injury-free for a while, you expect to be able to be out there and playing with the guys. You get a different perspective to see how fortunate you are to be playing.”

Recovering from severe injuries is physically taxing for an athlete, but the mental toll lingers long after the pain is gone. When asked about if he still thinks about the knee when he’s out there, Pezzetta paused for a while before answering.

“It’s tough,” said he. “Every play you run, every practice you go through, every snap you take, you think about it less and less. After the first two weeks of training camp, after I got more confidence, both physically and mentally, it made it easier to get over thinking about [the injury].”

Now, Pezzetta joins a running back corps that features a variety of players taking snaps at the position.

Wayne Moore is still getting the majority of snaps and since he’s produced a country-leading six touchdowns, it looks like he will continue to get the ball.

But the return of the 2011 Vanier Cup winning running back gives the team another option, as well as an emotional lift.

Getting the majority of snaps is at the top of mind for Pezzetta. He is happy just to be back in the Maroon and Grey, helping his team towards another OUA playoff run.

By: Jaycee Cruz

First down production is a constant focus for McMaster’s football program. Due to the three-down system in Canadian football, positive yardage on first downs is crucial to the success of an offense. After the game against Guelph, Mac was not thrilled with their production.

The Marauders ran 43 plays on first downs against the Carleton Ravens on Sept. 13. Of those plays, only two accounted for negative yardage, 11 were incompletions, and the remaining 30 plays went for positive yardage. Mac racked up 223 total yards off of their first-down plays and averaged a healthy 5.2 yards per play. If that figure were to be measured against Behie’s criteria for a “first-down win”, meaning five or more yards, Mac had a lot of first-down wins against the Ravens defense.

The final score over Carleton may seem impressive on paper, but those who watched the game know that Carleton made it too close for comfort near the middle of the fourth quarter. On two straight drives between the 14-minute mark and the 9-minute mark in the fourth quarter, quarterback Marshall Ferguson threw interceptions that gave Carleton the ball back with a chance to grab the lead. Prior to those two turnovers, the Marauders had made two trips to the red zone that ended in two Tyler Crapigna field goals instead of two Marauder touchdowns.

This brings us to another area worth focusing on: the production of the Mac offense in the red zone.

McMaster took three trips to the red zone and came away with two field goals and a touchdown, instead of the ideal 3 touchdowns. While it is easy to criticize the ratio of field goals to touchdowns in the Carleton game, Behie remains positive.

“The positive thing, if we want to take anything away, is that we’re ending with points. We’re not coming away totally empty-handed. With that in mind they haven’t been total wastes, but we absolutely need to finish with touchdowns and not field goals,” said Behie.

Going perfect in red zone trips is a great sign but there is room for improvement. Had Mac scored three touchdowns on their three red zone trips, the score would have been 45-17.

Behie says the pieces are in place for a touchdown producing offence in the final third of the field.

“I think that system, scheme-wise, we’re okay, we just have to finish,” said Behie.

Mac will have to wait to work out the kinks of the red zone offence. This weekend’s opponent, York, has conceded 51, 61 and 70 points in their three match-ups so far. The Homecoming game against Queen’s will be the best opportunity to see if the Marauders can finish drives with six points instead of three.

On Saturday, the McMaster football team travelled to York University to square off against the Lions. The Marauders won handily by a margin of 49-2. The highlights of their victory is below.

Marauders quarterback Marshall Ferguson threw for 152 yards while running back Chris Pezzetta rushed for 69. Wide reciever Daniel Petermann racked up 107 yards in the air.

The win keeps McMaster's undefeated season alive at 4-0. The Marauders will host Queen's on Sept. 27. as part of McMaster's homecoming.

Photo Credit: Rick Zazuiak

After week one, McMaster football is 1-0. It was not as methodical of a win as the team has seen the past few seasons – 26-2 over Queen’s in 2011, 50-9 over Guelph in 2012, 51-24 over Ottawa last year – but it showed the team’s holes while still getting a positive result over the Guelph Gryphons.

It’s worth mentioning that McMaster played Waterloo on Sept. 6 – the Marauders won, 66-0 – but given the weakness of the Warriors squad, the statistics in those games have very little significance when trying to draw any conclusions. 66 points and 650 yards look good on paper, but it is not indicative of future performance. In order to analyze the areas for improvement, it is better to stick to games against top talent.

From the Guelph game, Mac’s most glaring hole is a familiar one. First down production was not an area of strength last year, and the Marauders did not instill confidence through the opening half of the 2014 season either. At the half, Mac had 58 yards on 17 first down attempts, or 3.4 yards per play. The struggle put the Marauders in a 13-9 hole.

“In a perfect world, a first-down win for us is five or more yards [gained],” said Jon Behie, assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the football program. “We weren’t overly pleased with how we did. We did not think it was as terrible as it seemed on the sideline – we were driving the ball a little bit but not consistently.

First down production improved in the second, and with that, Mac put together more point-lucrative drives. On 20 first-down plays, McMaster gained 104 yards on 20 plays, meaning 5.2 yards per play. (Or, a first-down win by the coaching staff’s definition.)

Mac outscored Guelph 18-14 in the second half, and won the game in overtime.

Guelph was piling more players on the defensive line – a stand-up seven-man front on many plays – something that McMaster had not game planned for. Mac’s half-time adjustments to the increased pocket pressure gave the team a second-half edge.

“The defence [Guelph] was playing was not what we prepped for. And that’s the problem with week one, you don’t know. You don’t have film to go off of, you’re relying on last year’s stuff and rumours. When they came up in the seven-man front, it was not where we spent a lot of our practice time in the past week,” said Behie.

To combat Guelph’s blitzing style, Mac moved towards bootleg passes, play-action throws, and quick passing attempts involving a few reads and finding the open receiver. That is evident in the play-by-play of the third quarter, where quarterback Marshall Ferguson completed passes to a variety of receivers for gains of 4, 7 (twice), 10, and 11 yards before stretching it out for a couple of 20+ yard plays later in the game.

Behie says the offence loves their quick passing game but do not expect the second half success they achieved against Guelph to last week after week. But there are so many weapons that even if teams scheme to take away some options, there will be players who can escape coverage.

If Mac can continue winning first downs – which will require an improved rushing game, a whole different beast in itself – then a deep playoff run should be well within reach for the No. 5 CIS-ranked team.

After week one, McMaster football is 1-0. It was not as methodical of a win as the team has seen the past few seasons - 26-2 over Queen’s in 2011, 50-9 over Guelph in 2012, 51-24 over Ottawa last year – but it showed the team’s holes while still getting a positive result over the Guelph Gryphons.

Mac’s most glaring hole is a familiar one. First down-production was not an area of strength last year, and the Marauders did not instill confidence through the opening half of the 2014 season either. At the half, Mac had 58 yards on 17 first down attempts, or 3.4 yards per play. The struggle put the Marauders in a 13-9 hole.

“In a perfect world, a first-down win for us is five or more yards [gained],” said Jon Behie, assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the football program. “We weren’t overly pleased with how we did. We did not think it was as terrible as it seemed on the sideline - we were driving the ball a little bit but not consistently.”

First down production improved in the second, and with that, Mac put together more point-lucrative drives. On 20 first-down plays, McMaster gained 104 yards on 20 plays, meaning 5.2 yards per play. (Or, a first-down win by the coaching staff’s definition.)

Mac would outscore Guelph 18-14 in the second half, and win the game in overtime.

Guelph was piling more players on the defensive line - a stand-up seven-man front on many plays - something that McMaster had not game planned for. Mac’s half-time adjustments to the increased pocket pressure gave the team a second-half edge.

“The defence [Guelph] was playing was not what we prepped for. And that’s the problem with week one, you don’t know. You don’t have film to go off of, you’re relying on last year’s stuff and rumours. When they came up in the seven-man front, it was not where we spent a lot of our practice time in the past week,” said Behie.

To combat Guelph’s blitzing style, Mac moved towards bootleg passes, play-action throws and quick passing attempts involving a few reads and finding the open receiver. That is evident in the play-by-play of the third quarter, where quarterback Marshall Ferguson completed passes to a variety of receivers for gains of 4, 7 (twice), 10 and 11 yards before stretching it out for a couple of 20+ yard plays later in the game.

Behie says the offence loves their quick passing game but do not expect the second half success they achieved against Guelph to last week after week. There are so many weapons, though, that even if teams scheme to take away some options, there will be players who can escape coverage.

If Mac can continue winning first downs - which will require an improved rushing game, a whole different beast in itself - then a deep playoff run should be well within reach for the No. 5 CIS-ranked team.

 

 

Ron Joyce Stadium is becoming the Hamilton Tiger-Cats home away from home.

After the City of Hamilton and Tiger-Cats organization announced that the new Tim Hortons Field will not be ready in time for the July 26 and July 31 home games, McMaster has been tapped as the temporary home for CFL football in Hamilton, but only has room in the stands for 6,000 of the 22,000 tickets sold.

"The Tiger-Cats approached us. We had a pre-season game on campus in June and that went very well in terms of planning, coordination, traffic and crowd management. Shortly thereafter, about a week or ten days ago, the team approached the university and we had a conversation about hosting a July game here on campus," said Gord Arbeau, Director of Public & Community Relations at McMaster.

There will not be grandstands rolled in to accommodate extra spectators, due to cost. "The basis of that conversation was always about renting the stadium as is, so no expansion of seats," said Arbeau. "Two years ago, the plan that [the Tiger-Cats] brought to us was to add an extra 15-20,000 seats to the stadium which would mean closing off parts of campus and roadways. We would have to build seating over Mitchell Crescent and the roadway. That would impact the ability to get to student residences, and would have been in place for half the academic year – from June right through to the end of November."

Students may have access to alcohol at the games, but will not be able to drink in the stands. "The seats of the stadium are not licensed, so alcohol is not allowed to be sold, or consumed in the stands. The area at the north end of the field is a licensed area for a beer garden, so that will be a part of the plan," said Arbeau.

Scott Mitchell, CEO of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, explained the situation on July 7.

“Today’s meeting with Toronto 2015, Infrastructure Ontario, ONSS and the City of Hamilton has made it clear that it would not be possible to safely deliver a game experience that would meet our standards within the current timeframe. As a result, we will now host our first two home games at Ron Joyce Stadium,” said Mitchell.

Tim Hortons Field’s building delays should surprise no one who has followed the stadium saga closely. Infrastructure Ontario – the company responsible for construction – says that a harsh winter and bankruptcy of a contractor are the cause for being behind schedule.

McMaster hosted the 2014 training camp, practices and exhibition games.

There’s a possibility that McMaster hosts the August 16 game too. Infrastructure Ontario gave The Hamilton Spectator a lengthy list of tasks to be completed: field of play installation, exterior building facade work, sprinkler systems installation, all mechanical and electrical work, installation of seats, VIP and box suites, installation of broadcast facilities, installation of railings and elevators throughout public areas.

Mitchell said that the builders “remain adamant” the stadium will be ready for the Labour Day Classic against the Toronto Argonauts, but in the case it is not, McMaster will not be available as a host. "The Labour Day game, we would not be able to host. We have our own game," said Arbeau.

 

Tyler Crapigna, Aram Eisho and Kevin Malcolm have been selected in the fifth and seventh rounds respectively, and for Assistant Coach Jon Behie, these selections are well-deserved.

“It’s certainly not a shock that any of those guys got selected,” said Behie.

The highest-scouted CFL prospect of the three was Tyler Crapigna, who was selected 40th overall by the Calgary Stampeders.

His success and drafting eligibility is something that the coaches saw coming early on in his collegiate career.

“Tyler was one of the highest-scouted recruits as a kicker that we’ve ever brought in, and he certainly lived up to that billing” said Behie.

“We had assumed throughout his career that he would be selected for the CFL draft at some point.”

Behie notes Crapigna’s ability to keep calm under pressure as a valuable asset that he is carrying with him in to the draft.

This quality of his was on full display in the 2011 Vanier Cup Championship final when his dramatic final kick is ultimately what got them to win the Cup.

“He missed that first (kick) in regulation, and then bounced back and kicked the winner probably 15 minutes later, that’s a good attribute for a kicker is a short memory and he’s got that.”

Crapigna’s potential was recognized by the coaching staff years ago, and his preparation, skill and experience in high-pressured situations are an added bonus for him in the draft.

“He’s been preparing for this for a long time and he’s definitely ready,” added Behie.

Aram Eisho, on the other hand, was picked 56th overall in the final round by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Eisho, who was named to the Marauders roster for three years, brings both accolades and lots of energy to the 2014 draft.

“He’s very, very accomplished,” said Behie.

Eisho was a standout linebacker in high school, and was the CJFL defensive player of the year for three years in a row.

More recently he was named the OUA defensive player of the year and President’s trophy recipient in 2012.

“He’s a straight-up gamer, and a guy that’s going to bring a lot of energy to the next level , and his enthusiasm for the game is definitely on display anytime he steps onto the field,” said Behie.

The Marauders have benefitted from Eisho’s competitive drive and enthusiasm in their consecutive Vanier Cup final runs, and his heart and passion for the game of football is something that will not go unnoticed by the Blue Bombers coaching staff.

Lastly, offensive lineman Kevin Malcolm was the final player chosen in the draft, selected 65th overall by the Ottawa Redblacks.

“Kevin does one of the hardest things to do, and that’s throw a football between your legs while upside down, fifteen yards, and he does it very, very, very well,” said Behie.

Malcolm has never missed a snap in his four seasons as a Marauder, which is something that the Ottawa Redblacks have recognized and appreciate.

“It’s such a valuable thing, and some teams may take it for granted,” said Behie.

“But I’m glad Ottawa saw that and understands that it is a difficult thing, and that (Kevin) could have a great career just snapping a football,” added Behie.

Over the last two years, the Marauders have been able to produce eight CFL prospects, with last year’s draft consisting of Matt Sewell, Ben D’Aguilar, Mike DiCroce, Spencer Moore and Michael Daly.

Behie credits the athletes for their dedication and hard work that they have put in that has led to their recognition from the CFL.

“It’s safe to say that they might have been in this position, and probably would have been in this position no matter what school they chose, and that’s because they’re extremely talented football players and great guys,” said Behie.

The players have also been able to maximize their potential through the renowned facilities and programs that McMaster has in place.

“We offer opportunity through our systems that we run and through our schemes to prepare them mentally for the next level, and the way we structure our strength and conditioning and the facilities that we have to offer are all considered world-class, and that certainly contributes to them reaching their potential as well” added Behie.

The ability of the Marauders coaching staff to recruit these accomplished and talented athletes also does not go unnoticed, as the coaches showing an interest in these players has given them both confidence and interest to come to McMaster in the first place and to work hard to make the roster.

Once they make the roster, the rest is up to them.

For Crapigna, Eisho and Malcolm, the hardest part of the draft is underway.

They are currently trying out for their respective teams and need to make an impression early.

Although they will have to work extremely hard at try-outs to prove themselves and to stand-out as players and people, Assistant Coach Behie has all the faith in the world for his athletes.

“They just have to keep doing what they’ve been doing. They’ve gotten to this point through hard work and perseverance and dedication to the game of football, so if they just keep going with that, they’re going to be just fine, because all three are extremely talented young guys.”

Marauder football rookie Danny Vandervoort had a season that many veterans work all their careers to achieve, and it’s only his first year playing at the university level.

It didn’t take long at all for the Barrie, Ont. native to find his place in the Marauder football club and prove to many that he was going to be a starter this season.

The Bear Creek Secondary School graduate topped off his rookie season with 31 total catches for 594 yards and eight touchdowns in eight season games.

Although the game of football has always been his primary focus, Danny also dabbled with some success in both basketball and track, though his passion for the football is what kept him involved despite other options.

“Football was always my passion. I played basketball and ran track in high school but for me it really wasn’t as fun,” said Vandervoort.

“It was just kind of something to do during the off-season to stay in shape.”

Since he started playing the game at eight, Danny knew that it was always going to be an important part of his life, even though he originally stumbled upon the sport accidentally.

“It was grade two when I started playing football, my dad signed me up for a football camp but it ended up being a football league, so it sort of started out for me accidentally actually.”

With scouts all over the CIS trying to lure Danny to their University, it was McMaster in the end that had the coaching staff, academics and facilities to convince the rookie that McMaster was the most suitable decision for him.

“McMaster was overall the best fit for me, the academics were very high and with football being really good it was an easy decision for me,” said Vandervoort.

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However, it isn’t always smooth sailing, as being a rookie in general can prove to have it’s challenges when trying to find a rhythm at a new school and with a new team.

“I really just wanted to fit in with the team but making sure I wasn’t stepping on anybody’s toes,” said Danny.

“My goal was to get to start but not get the resentment, but that never happened which was great.”

Despite stellar freshman statistics which would lead Danny to both an OUA Rookie of the year and CIS Rookie of the year win, it all came down to achieving time on the field.

“As a rookie I just basically wanted a spot on that field, that was my main goal and everything else that happened for me was just sort of above and beyond.”

“I ended up starting my first week here, which was amazing and going off from there. I never planned on it.”

Being a part of the Marauders means being apart of something bigger than a football team. To Danny Vandervoort, it’s about being a part of a family unit.

“Being a Marauder means being a family. You go to other universities and you don’t really have that feel. There is a lot of individualism at other school’s but when you come here, you have great players on the team but there is still always that great camaraderie with the team and it just feels really great to be a part of that.”

With another season come and gone for Marauder football and a series of challenges which lead to an early season end for the Maroon and Grey, it seems that a player such as Danny Vandervoort might be exactly what the Marauders need to help bring home another Vanier Cup for the football club.

With everything he has achieved in his first season as a Marauder, Danny Vandervoort knows that his work is nowhere close to being done. Five years can fly by and there is one thing in particular that the number 83 in Maroon and Grey wants to accomplish for his University.

“My goal here is to reach for another Vanier Cup, that is what I really want to accomplish in my five years here. I want to get a national title for my school.”

The 8^th place Marauders dominated the 9th-ranked Warriors today at Ron Joyce stadium with a score of 66-3.

The first quarter of action saw multiple interceptions by Marauders defensive back Keldyn Ahlstedt, which eventually led to a single by the maroon and grey, where Tyler Crapigna made a kick to put the home team up 1-0.

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The Marauders would maintain the lead for the rest of the quarter, with Kasean Davis scoring his first touchdown of the season with 3:18 to go in the first, which put Mac up 8-0.

On the defensive end, #54 Mark Mackie on the Marauders sacked quarterback Brian Chris with 2:08 to go, and the maroon and grey scored another touchdown in the last seconds of the quarter. Vandervoort made a catch to put the team up 15-0 after the extra-point conversion from Crapigna.

After the early lead in the first quarter of play, the maroon and grey never looked back.  The second quarter of play saw the Marauders wide receiver  # 84 Vandeweerd score a touchdown early, with 13:15 left to make the score 21-0. Tyler Crapigna’s kick was good, which made the score 22-0 for Mac.

With 8:29 to go in the quarter, Kasean Davis scored his second touchdown of the game, running it through easily to bring the Marauders to a score of 29-0, with Crapigna making the score 30-0 shortly after.

After another gutsy sack from defensive lineman Mackie, just before the half, Marshall Ferguson found Tyler Loveday on the left side, putting the maroon and grey up 36-0, and 37-0 after Crapigna’s kick.

The Marauders whopping lead in the first half forced the Warriors into making a  decision to kick a 34-yard field goal with just seconds left in the half, which brought the score to 37-3 for the maroon and grey.

After the half, the Marauders extended their lead with another touchdown with 8:06 to go from Tyler Loveday, which made the score 43-0. Crapigna brought the score to 44-0 shortly after.

The Marauders kept the momentum going after a Waterloo turnover at the 50^th yard-line, that Mac picked up, which eventually led to another touchdown from #16 Kingsley Amankwaa that made the score 50-0 before Crapigna’s kick, bringing the score to 51-0.

The Marauders shared the ball in the third quarter, putting numerous teammates on the score sheet, with #35 wide receiver Declan Cross scoring a touchdown with 2:23 to go in the third quarter which made the score 58-3 for the Marauders.

In the fourth quarter the Marauders had one more push, scoring yet again, with their last touchdown of the game by Wayne Moore, who sprinted to the end zone with 7:27 to go in the game, and got the home team up to a score of 65-3.

The kick was good from Crapigna, which made the score 66-3.

With 3:45 left in the fourth quarter, #27 Scott Martin knocked down a Warrior toss, which gave the Marauders the win, as the team was able to maintain their lead, and finish off the Waterloo Warriors with a score of 66-3.