By Maxime Trottier
Coming off a disappointing result in Week 1, the Gaiters football team immediately turned the page in optimism, looking towards their next match against cross-town rival Sherbrooke. It would be the first time in close to a decade that Estrie’s two university football teams would have the chance to square off. Both teams started their year off with a 0-1 loss and were hungry to again find themselves in the win column, against the perfect opponent no less. Estrie’s finest hadn’t seen each other in eight years, and the rivalry didn’t skip a beat.
Photo courtesy of Chase Besner
The Gaiters team have had UdS circled on their calendar for months, and as it turned out, so did the fans. The buzz entering Coulter Field that Saturday was intoxicating; the gray pavement surrounding the field was masked by a sheet of purple storming in before kickoff. Not to be outdone, the Sherbrooke faithful made their way to Lennoxville in large numbers to see the latest iteration of the Bishop’s Sherbrooke rivarly. The Gaiters started first with the ball, and on the opening play of the game, quarterback Justin Quirion found Lionel Ostiguy on the sideline, who then made his way all the way down to Sherbrooke’s 20-yard line. The excitement, however, was short-lived. The ensuing play saw a pass intercepted and returned one hundred yards to the Giaters’ end zone. in the span of two minutes, Coulter Field had transformed from a madhouse to a ghost town. The Gaiters, as they always do, continued to fight and maintained a close game going into the fourth quarter. With two and a half minutes remaining, they found themselves in a do-or-die third down in their own territory, down six points. Backup quarterback Mathieu Bellavance came in to replace Quirion, as he often does in such situations. To the surprise (and delight) of those in attendance, Bellavance did not dive for a first down, instead numbers to see the latest iteration of the running the ball sixty yards to the end zone for a Gaiters touchdown. A UdS time miscommunication in the dying seconds sealed the victory for Bishop’s, proving after nine years that Estrie is purple after all.
The post-game festivities were short- lived, as next on the Gaiters’ schedule was the most imposing of all foes USports has to offer: The Carabins of the University of Montreal. UdM has won two of the last three National Championships and has been ranked number one in Canada all year long. They faced the Gaiters at the CEPSUM under Friday night lights. I had the occasion of attending the game, and everything from the pregame presentation to the scoreboard at the game’s end showed me why Montreal is still the team to beat in Canada. The Gaiters put up a valiant fight, one to be proud of, but the experience of the Carabins proved too much. Star quarterback Pepe Gonzales and his arsenal of receivers flowed effortlessly around the field, putting up 33 points to Bishop’s nine.
It’s important to note that seasons like these are a process. When you’re the new kid in a big kid’s world, nothing is ever going to be easy. This is a common understanding in the Gaiters locker room. Still, the mission remains the same. Winning at Bishop’s has never been a hope; it’s an expectation. Five games remain in the regular season, and as the Gaiters become increasingly comfortable in the RSEQ, expect them to push forward to victory as they strive for the playoffs.
