“We’re proud of you.” That was the message Concordia Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan delivered to his football players as they gathered around him at the end of a tough 32-16 loss to the No. 1-ranked Laval Rouge et Or in Quebec City on Sunday afternoon.
“No one wants to lose, but you played 60 minutes,” he told the players with his coaching staff standing behind him. “We love you. Keep your heads high.”
It was the first loss in five games for the No. 9-ranked Stingers, but the team went down fighting.
Concordia trailed 25-0 with three minutes left in the third quarter. Then a Keegan Treloar field goal (30 yards) got the team on the scoreboard.
Laval increased its lead to 32-3 with a one-yard run for TD with 8:53 left to play, but Concordia answered back with two touchdowns in the final two minutes.
Quarterback Colin Sequeira finished an 11-play, 94-yard drive with a one-yard dive for a TD. On the ensuing kickoff, Mike Charland recovered the short kick for the Stingers and took it back 30 yards to the Laval five-yard line. Sequeira took over from there, finding receiver Daniel Skube for a major.
Overall, Concordia had 17 first downs and 201 yards of offence. Sequeira, who came in for injured starter Frank Dessureault, completed 21 of 36 passes for 238 yards.
Charland, a third-year safety, was one of the top Stingers on the day. He had seven solo tackles, seven assists and the fumble recovery on the short kick.
Saturday, Oct. 11, Concordia hosts the Montréal Carabins, who also boast a 4-1 win-loss record. Kickoff is 1 p.m.
