The Waterloo Warriors took to the road for the first time this season, and it became instantly apparent that they remembered to pack their high-octane offense.
The Warriors used an explosive 17-point first quarter to seize control early, as they moved to 2-0 on the young season with a 41-18 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues at Varsity Stadium on Saturday night.
"It was a great team win on a very humid night in Toronto," said head coach Chris Bertoia. "Everyone made a significant contribution to the victory tonight, sticking to the game plan."
Tre Ford (Niagara Falls/) followed up his eye-popping stat line in week one with yet another top-notch performance: the second-year pivot completed 21 of 27 passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns, while adding another 67 yards on the ground.
Coming off a week where he tied the OUA record for touchdown receptions in a game, Tyler Ternowski (Hamilton/) was at it again, catching 5 balls for 106 yards and a pair of scores, while Mitch Kernick (Elmira/) was on the receiving end of two touchdown throws as well. Gordon Lam (Kitchener/) didn't crack the endzone, but he was Ford's most frequently looked-to target, making 6 catches for 86 yards on the night.
Blues quarterback Clay Sequeira was the busiest player on either side of the field, completing 31 of a jaw-dropping 47 pass attempts for 361 yards and a touchdown. Sequeira was constantly on the run and flushed out of the pocket all night, but he was able to turn some of those pressure situations into some gains with his feet – the pivot rushed 5 times for 62 yards and a touchdown.
Unlike their season-opening win against Windsor, the Warriors found more balance in the offense in week two, as they outrushed the Blues 212 yards to 84 yards. Waterloo's duo of third-year backs were both major factors, as Dion Pellerin (Abbotsford/) rushed for 72 yards on 12 carries, while Brandon Metz (Cambridge/) added 7 rushes for 55 yards and a touchdown.
The Warriors scored on each one of their first three possessions, starting with a 20-yard touchdown scamper from Metz on the game's first drive. After a Caleb Girard (Waterford/) 34-yard field goal, Kernick expertly dragged his toes inbound while hauling in a 10-yard bullet from Ford to make the score 17-0 just over 13 minutes in.
The Blues got on the board early in the second quarter via a 30-yard boot from Ethan Shafer, but the home side's momentum was snuffed out when Ternowski took a harmless-looking screen pass and turned it into a 52-yard touchdown, making the score 24-3.
The Warriors extended their lead late in the third quarter on back-to-back possessions, as Girard booted a 26-yarder, and Ternowski capped off a 7-play drive with a 13-yard touchdown reception. Sequeira added a highlight-reel 21-yard touchdown run in the fourth to make it 34-11, but the Warriors responded with another methodical drive that ended with a 1-yard Ford-to-Kernick hookup. Sequeira found Daniel Diodati for a 15-yard touchdown in the waning minutes of the game to round out the scoring.
The Warriors' defense rebounded nicely from an up-and-down outing in week one, as the front seven were able to get pressure in the backfield consistently – 8 of the team's 41 tackles resulted in a loss of yardage for the Blues. In just his second career USports game, linebacker Jack Hinsperger (Waterloo/) was a beast – the rookie notched a team-high 5.5 tackles and 1.5 sacks, including 3.5 tackles for a loss of yardage. Dylan Whitty (London/) added a sack as well, and the Warriors were able to make the Toronto offense one-dimensional: the Blues handed the ball off to their running backs just 8 times, netting only 22 yards.
The Warriors will now return home for the annual Black and Gold day, where they'll host one of the OUA's powerhouse programs in the Carleton Ravens. Kickoff on Saturday, Sept 8 is scheduled for 1pm at Warrior Field.
"We're looking forward to a very intense game next Saturday. Carleton will be hungry for revenge after our win down in Ottawa last season. It should be a great game of football and we look forward to seeing all of our fans at Warrior Field," concluded Coach Bertoia.
