Concordia Stingers rookie running back Raul Thompson stole the show in his first Canadian university football game.
The 19 year old from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School in Mississauga, Ont. carried the ball 11 times for 107 yards and a touchdown to help the Stingers defeat the Guelph Gryphons 40-23 in exhibition play at Concordia Stadium in Montreal Thursday afternoon.
His exceptional play all came in the second half when the rookies took over from the veterans. His major was scored with just 52 seconds left to play, sealing the fate of the persistent Gryphons.
“It was a pretty good debut,” said Concordia head coach Gerry McGrath. “We knew Raul was going to be great, but at this point he’s exceeded our expectations. He was on fire.”
McGrath also had high praise for fifth-year quarterback Rob Mackay. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw one interception. When Mackay left the game at halftime, the Stingers had a 24-10 lead.
“Rob was masterful,” said McGrath. “He threw for almost 200 yards in one half of play. He completed 68 per cent of his passes. He also had a couple of completions called back on penalties.”
Mackay’s touchdown strikes came in the second quarter when he hit Liam Mahoney (62 yards) and rookie Michael Harrington (31 yards).
Veteran back Mike Donnelly also hit paydirt in the second quarter with a 48-yard TD run.
Kicker Rene Paredes helped the Stingers’ cause with three field goals (16, 27 and 44 yards) and a rouge.
Overall Concordia rolled up 416 yards of offence. Guelph had 293 yards.
On defence, McGrath was satisfied. He especially liked what he saw from the defensive line.
“Overall, there’s a lot to feel good about but there’s still a lot of work to do,” said the coach.
Concordia opens the season on the road versus the Bishop’s Gaiters on Sept. 4. The Stingers’ first home game is Sept. 11 versus the Montreal Carabins. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at Concordia stadium.
