In the final game of their 2016 OUA football season, the Varsity Blues beat the Waterloo Warriors 38-7 on Saturday, October 15 at Varsity Stadium. The Blues won only their second game of the season, finishing off the year 2-6. Prior to the game, the Blues coaching staff celebrated the departure of 19 graduating players with commemorative gifts.
In what was the final game of Marcus Hobbs’ university career, he went 15-for-26 for 348 yards and one touchdown. The 240-pound quarterback from Mississauga also rushed for a touchdown.
Hobbs’ favourite target, Anthony Naccarato, had three receptions for 111 yards. He also returned five punts for 86 yards, earning Player of The Game. Naccarato opened up the scoring six minutes into the contest, returning a Waterloo punt 61 yards.
UTM’s Adrian Bernard was a leader of the defensive side of the ball all year, and in the final game with nothing to gain or lose, put his body out on the line and grabbed a fumble deep in Warriors territory, which eventually led to a one-yard touchdown run.
UTM’s TJ Morton faked a punt late in the third quarter, running for the first down that led to another one-yard rushing touchdown.
“I think overall the team didn’t meet their expectations, but we left feeling like we did our thing—not what we expected to do, but we finished strong,” says fifth-year head coach Greg Gary.
The coaching staff is sad to see their graduating players leave after building strong relationships for the past five years, but they’re excited to welcome a new recruiting class to fill their lockers: “This is the recruiting class that I was part of, this fifth one until now, so seeing that group leave is very special to me. This group really had their way with the culture, and did their own thing developing the program,” said Gary. He adds, “I’m really going to miss all 19 of them.”
The Blues will now enjoy a couple months off where they’ll work out as a team before their winter practices start in January. The players train for many more months than just the two months spent on playing games. For many, the new season is just beginning, even though the CIS playoffs have begun.
