MONTREAL - There was a lot of ambiance, spirit and excitement in the crowd at the kickoff of the 26th annual Shrine Game pitting Concordia University's Stingers against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or Saturday in NDG, but the joy was short-lived for the hometown fans.
The Sherbrooke visitors scored early and often, eventually crushing the home team by a score of 48-6.
The Stingers turned over the ball four times in the first half alone and it didn’t get much better in the second half.
Concordia Stinger Quarterback Reid Quest bravely faced reporters after the painful match.
“Things like that happen,” he said. “They built momentum off of that. We couldn’t get back on our feet.”
The Stingers fell to 2-4 with the loss and the Sherbrooke team now has an eye on a playoff spot with the win.
Concordia Coach Gerry McGrath wasn’t too happy with his team’s performance.
“There were a lot of balls that shold have been caught. Our offensive line didn’t help. Our defense played well in the first half,” said McGrath.
Sherbrooke Quarterback Jeremi Roch went 22 for 31 on his pass attempts, amassing 230 yards in the process.
Roch seemed to enjoy upsetting the fans in his hometown of NDG, where he once played for the baseball Lynx.
“It’s a different sport, different city,” he said. “I have lots of family here.”
On the upside, the Shrine Bowl raised more money for charity, as it had already whipped up over $800,000 for good causes over its previous 25 years.
