(ANTIGONISH, N.S.) - A last-second field goal by Jeremy Ford (Halifax, NS) gave the StFX X-Men a dramatic 18-17 come-from-behind win over the Acadia Axemen in the Subway AUS football semifinal Saturday afternoon at Oland Stadium.
More than 600 fans watched in rainy conditions as Ford split the uprights from 36-yards away with 10 seconds left in regulation - a boot that capped a 10-point fourth-quarter rally by the home team.
The game-winning field goal came a couple plays after the X-Men took possession with 45 seconds remaining on an on-side kick. Randy Roseway (Ottawa, Ont.) soared sky-high along the sidelines to deflect the Ford kick out of bounds, giving the X-Men offence the ball near midfield.
After falling behind 17-8 late in the fourth quarter, Donald Tabor (Dartmouth, N.S.) made an acrobatic touchdown catch to move the X-Men within two points. The veteran receiver caught a pass from X-Men quarterback Tivon Cook (Scarborough, Ont.) along the sideline. While avoiding two defenders and not stepping out of bounds, Tabor lunged the final three yards and crossed the goal line for the major score.
The game ended on an interception by X-Man Dylan Bell (Brockville, Ont.) on a desperation pass attempt by Axemen freshman quarterback Thompson Richards (Ottawa, Ont.).
Highlighted by tough defence from both sides and turnovers, the X-Men took a 6-4 lead at halftime.
After the Axemen fumbled the opening kick-off, the X-Men jumped to a 3-0 advantage on a Ford field goal. Acadia hit the scoreboard on a rouge from Ryan Begin (Orleans, Ont.).
After Cook threw an interception, his first of two in the opening half, to Suleiman Semalulu (Gatineau, Que.), the Axemen took a 4-3 lead on a Begin field goal.
On the subsequent X-Men possession, Ford shanked a punt, which gave the Axemen the ball at the StFX 27-yard line.
On the Acadia drive, X-Men linebacker James Menzies (Montreal, Que.) made a big tackle on a third-and-one attempt, which gave the ball back to the blue and white. From there, the X-Men engineered their best drive of the first half, which included two Cook completions to Tabor.
After a Jesse St. James (Pincourt, Que.) sack stalled the effort, Ford kicked a 39-yard field goal to put the X-Men up 6-4.
With 22 seconds remaining in the half, running back Zack Clarke (Sackville, N.S.) fumbled near midfield and the X-Men recovered. On the next play, Cook connected with Roseway on a deep sideline pass. A final second 20-yard field goal attempt from Ford rang off the goal post.
To open the second half, the Axemen put together an eight-play, 84-yard drive, which culminated in a one-yard TD plunge by Eli Prochnau (Cochrane, Alta.). With the Begin point-after, Acadia took a 11-6 lead.
On a missed Begin field goal, the Axemen extended to a 12-6 advantage with a single point.
Keyed by the rushing of Ashton Dickson (Ottawa, Ont.), the X-Men marched down the field, but they came away with no points. A fake field-goal attempt by the X-Men was stymied by the Axemen defense.
After the turnover, Acadia's offence stalled and they conceded a safety, which trimmed their lead to 12-8. The X-Men returned the favour with a conceded safety, which gave the visitors a 14-8 lead.
After chewing up yardage and time on the clock, Begin kicked another field goal to extend the margin to 17-8.
The stage was then set for the late-game X-Men heroics.
The X-Men outgained the Axemen 338-293 in total offence, while each team committed three turnovers apiece.
Cook was 25-of-43 for 268 yards, while Tabor was the top receiver for the X-Men with 126 yards on 10 receptions. Roseway added six receptions for 87 yards. Dickson rushed for 81 yards on 18 carries.
For the Axemen, Richards threw for 106 yards on nine completions. Jordan Koch (Bedford, N.S.) caught three balls for 52 yards, while Brian Jones (Syracuse, NY) added four catches for 33 yards.
Clarke rushed for 110 yards on 22 carries for Acadia, while Derek Wodz (Lakeside, N.S.) amassed 75 yards on eight rushes.
Defensively, Ron Omara (Aylmer, Que.) led the X-Men with nine tackles, along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Menzies also chipped in a forced fumble and six tackles. Mete Konya (Osnabrueck, Germany) recorded a quarterback sack.
For Acadia, Brett Backman (Tantallon, N.S.) led the way with 7.5 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, while Harrison da Costa (Ottawa, Ont.) contributed 5.5 tackles. Along with Semalulu, Harland Hastings (Calgary, Alta.) had an interception for the Axemen.
With the win, the X-Men have earned the right to face the Mount Allison Mounties in the Subway AUS Loney Bowl, which is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8 in Sackville, N.B. Opening kick-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Source: StFX Sports Information