Western Mustangs looking for redemption after rare loss

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The soul-searching is complete.

The meetings are done.

The Western football team doesn’t lose very often. In fact, it hasn’t dropped two games in the same regular season in a decade.

But after the Laurier defeat two weeks ago, the Mustangs (3-1) try to get back on the horse against the strong Queen’s Gaels (4-1) Saturday (1 p.m.) at Western Alumni Stadium. There is a lot riding on the Homecoming outcome.

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“Sometimes, it’s a bit of a wakeup call,” head coach Greg Marshall said. “I think, ultimately, our coaches can talk to the players and I can talk, but it’s got to come from within themselves. We do have great leaders on our football team.”

Linebacker Riley MacLeod and safety Jackson Findlay took the vocal lead. They wanted to stress that nobody hangs 43 points again on the Mustangs the way the Golden Hawks managed.

“Those guys sat down with them and said we’ve got to play better, run better, hustle and play tougher than we did against Laurier,” Marshall said. “That has to happen if we expect to beat them in the playoffs and certainly if we expect to beat Queen’s this weekend.”

GOOD START: Western aims to put maximum pressure on the visiting Gaels. Its first-half inconsistency in scoring only two points by the half at Laurier made that impossible.

“In a game against a good team like that, you’ve got to stay with them,” Marshall said. “Even when we came out in the second half and started moving the ball and scoring, there was never a point where they were stressed and felt like it was a close game.

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“Laurier’s playbook was wide open and their quarterback (Londoner Taylor Elgersma) extended plays with his legs.”

Elgersma was able to take advantage of some space in the flats to expose the Mustangs defence. You better believe the rest of the Ontario conference took notes.

“That’s partly our linebackers but partly our defensive backs were too soft in trying to take away the deep stuff,” Marshall said. “You’re worried about their dynamic receivers pushing the top off and tend to leave some of those areas a bit undercovered. You hope you can rally down and we just didn’t do a very good job of it.

“Part of it is scheme. We have to put our guys in a better position as a coaching staff, so they can play better.”

BANGED UP: Western right guard Sebastian Sibbald is still waiting on an MRI for his knee to find out the extent of the damage suffered against Laurier. The six-foot-seven, 380-pounder from Victoria, B.C.,  won’t play Saturday. Cornerback Kojo Odoom, a late scratch two weeks ago, won’t be available until he gets some imaging done on his knee again.

Offensive lineman Keegan O’Neil and defensive lineman Chinedu Ezeonwurie are on the mend from off-season knee surgeries and still week-to-week while undergoing strict physiotherapy protocol.

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“We’re not going to put in either of those kids that would jeopardize their recovery for the sake of winning a football game,” Marshall said. “It’s about being 100 per cent and they have to feel confident about going in there, too.”

OLD TEAM: Oliver Griffiths wore the Queen’s tricolour for Steve Snyder in 2021 and ’22 before breaking his right arm in a preseason game against McGill last year.

The former London Central player and South grad transferred home, couldn’t play for a year because of ineligibility rules and took over Mustangs punting duties after AJ Williamson suffered a freak hand injury. He has done well so far despite his first crack at regular duty since high school.

“It’s a process each week,” the 22-year-old said. “Our team is very talented and most of the time if I am punting, it’s more like ‘coffin corners’ from the middle of the field. Other places, you might not get a chance to kick punts like that. We have a great group here and I’m happy to be back home.”

His father Jason and uncle Nick played for the Mustangs, so Homecoming means a lot to him.

“It’s a rich football tradition here,” Griffiths said, “and we hope to make the alumni proud.”

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He made good use of the time while sitting out the 2023 season by working out year-round under the tutelage of Western kicking coach Darryl Wheeler. He wishes his old Gaels mates well, but just wants to help the Mustangs get on the right track.

“We’re not getting any Queen’s info from him,” Greg Marshall said.

Western knows what it will see. Queen’s has a solid offence and its defence ranks high during its four-game win streak.

“If you look at the top teams in our conference,” Marshall said, “they are certainly up there with Laurier.”

rpyette@postmedia.com

OUA FOOTBALL

Western (3-1) vs. Queen’s (4-1)

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. at Western Alumni Stadium.

The matchup: The Mustangs have won 13 straight against the Gaels and haven’t lost at home to their Old Four rival since 2007.

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