Too little, too late for Marauders

By: Griffin Marsh

Saturday marked a difficult end to the McMaster football team’s 2016 season.

The Marauders suffered a disappointing loss to the University Sports No. 5 ranked Laurier Golden Hawks on Nov. 5, falling 21-19 after coming up just short on a late comeback attempt.

It is no surprise that this team, often ranked in the Top 10 in Canada, had Vanier Cup goals in mind. To bow out in the Ontario University Athletics semi-finals was not the end they had envisioned.

Following a solid victory against Guelph on Oct. 29, things were looking strong for the Marauders. Head coach Greg Knox was happy to get that first win out of the way.

“We are at a stage where we are playing every game like it is our last,” Knox said after the win over Guelph. “Getting that win under our belt was important because it is part of those steps towards reaching our goal.”

But coming into Laurier’s home, a team with an extra week’s rest and one they had not faced yet this season was never going to be easy. Still, for coach Knox and the rest of the squad, the game plan and preparation was business as usual.

“[We] have a season’s worth of film to watch and are preparing accordingly.”

Even with the game film and week of preparation, McMaster came up just short against Laurier. This game that was every bit as close as the score line suggests.

McMaster got off to a slow start, trailing Laurier 20-6 at the half, with all of McMaster’s points coming from rookie kicker Adam Preocanin on two field goals.

The second half favoured the Marauders, who dominated the score sheet in as third-year quarterback Asher Hastings connected with receivers Dan Petermann and Max Cameron. They were unable to tie things up at near the end of the game, as they failed the two-point conversion attempt on the second touchdown.

A few more pushes from McMaster’s offense produced nothing, as Laurier’s No. 4 ranked defense for points allowed per game, held strong at the end.

A real positive from this game was the performance of Hastings. Coming off the heels of an impressive quarterfinal performance against Guelph, Hastings threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 32 of 47 passes for an efficient 68 per cent. For Knox, this came as no surprise.

“Ash is a leader on and off the field for us,” he said. “We count on him to manage our offence and perform on the field. He is a big part of our success on the field and in the locker room.”

Other notable performers were wideouts Danny Vandervoort and Dan Petermann, who racked up 116 and 131 receiving yards respectively.

While this season ends earlier than McMaster would have liked, the future continues to be exciting for the program. Hastings still has two years of eligibility and his performances improved as the season went on.

Similarly, both Petermann and Vandervoort are eligible to come back next season, with Vandervoort finishing this season ranked 10th nationally for yards per game, averaging 78.9. The longer Hastings is throwing to a consistent core of receivers, the better the chances are for the Marauders to improve on their journey from this year.

It may not be a Vanier Cup appearance this year at our local Tim Hortons Field, but this team will be contenders for years to come. A disappointing end, but that was still a great season of tough, Marauder-style football.