CIS Football Report (Week 5)
This week the CIS would see a number of important games for all of the conferences as the top teams looked to separate themselves from the pack. The top teams in each conference would use this week to show that they are the team to beat in their conference. Some teams would continue their dominance in the conference racking up another win. Other teams would add a win against a very important opponent showing that they were ones to watch in the conference. Then others would begin to show that they were more than just a fluke at the beginning of the season. Five weeks into the 2013 season and teams are beginning to show their true colours even with a lot of football left. Many week 5 games would go a long way to showing where teams are so far this year and would set the table for the eventual playoff race. It is the halfway point of the season and in only a few weeks the playoff races will take full focus as October marks the last month of the season before the most important games begin. In the AUS the strange season continued as there seem to be no true powerhouses in the conference. Both of the week 5 games in the conference would be very important for every team as Acadia and Saint Mary’s would look to try to get back to the top of the conference where they have been for the last few years. The Axemen would get their win while taking the first shot at the StFX X-Men who were looking like the team to beat but are now at the edge of falling off. The Huskies would not get the win losing to the Mounties and putting their hopes of making the playoffs in doubt. The Mounties however would get their first win and enter the battle for that last playoff spot. The AUS is still confusing and jumbled as no one team has stood out yet but the writing may be on the wall as to who can takeover. In the RSEQ the most important game of the weekend in the entire AUS would see two of the best teams in the country face off. The Laval Rouge et Or would take on longtime rivals the Montreal Carabins. It was the latest chance for the Carabins to take on and beat Laval to take the top spot in the conference and possibly in the country. Laval took the win though and would send their biggest challenger back to third place. More importantly the Rouge et Or would meet the biggest challenge they will face all year and seem unchallenged to take the RSEQ title and possibly another Vanier Cup. The win would solidify the Rouge et Or as the best team in the RSEQ and as the true n#1 team in the country. The OUA also had a very important game this week but it would not involve the best team in the conference. Instead it was the second place team that would be involved as the Guelph Gryphons took on the McMaster Marauders. The Gryphons had some unresolved issues with the Marauders as they had been on the losing end of this game more than once last season and they were looking to get past it this year. The Gryphons would win and remain in second place as they continue their run to try to unseat the Western Mustangs. Finally in the CanWest the Calgary Dinos would take on the last challenger to their title in a game that might have changed the face of the conference. The Dinos would get the win and would be left with no challengers for the conference title. They would beat the Manitoba Bisons and remain at the top of the conference. The CIS would see plenty of games that had the power to change the face of the CIS but the top teams would all come out on top. Now there are another 5 weeks left, four for the OUA, until the playoffs arrive and the race is revving up. Teams only have a limited time left to make an impact on their conference and take a playoff spot as the sprint to the end is about to begin.
CIS Top 10:
1. Laval Rouge et Or (1)
2. Western Mustangs (2)
3. Queen’s Golden Gaels (3)
4. Montreal Carabins (4)
5. Calgary Dinos (5)
6. Guelph Gryphons (6)
7. Saskatchewan Huskies (6)
8. Bishop’s Gaiters (10)
9. McMaster Marauders (9)
10. Manitoba Bisons (8)
CIS Standings
AUS:
1. StFX X-Men (4)
2. Acadia Axemen (2)
3. Mount Allison Mounties (2)
3. Saint Mary’s Huskies (2)
CanWest:
1. Calgary Dinos (8)
2. Saskatchewan Huskies (6)
3. Manitoba Bisons (4)
4. UBC Thunderbirds (4)
5. Regina Rams (2)
6. Alberta Golden Bears (0)
OUA:
1. Western Mustangs (10)
2. Guelph Gryphons (8)
3. Queen’s Golden Gaels (8)
4. Windsor Lancers (6)
5. York Lions (4)
6. McMaster Marauders (4)
7. Ottawa Gee Gees (4)
8. Waterloo Warriors (2)
9. Laurier Golden Hawks (2)
10. Toronto Varsity Blues (2)
11. Carleton Ravens (0)
RSEQ:
1. Laval Rouge et Or (8)
2. Bishop’s Gaiters (6)
3. Montreal Carabins (6)
4. McGill Redmen (4)
5. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (2)
6. Concordia Stingers (0)
Key Scores:
Mount Allison Mounties 29 – 15 Saint Mary’s Huskies
– The Huskies started off the season with a win against the Axemen but fell off of the pace in the crossover and this was their chance to get back until the Mounties beat them and took their first win to join the playoff conversation
#5 Calgary Dinos 48 – 24 Manitoba Bisons #8
– The Dinos had already taken out the Saskatchewan Huskies and now they would take on the new #2 in the CanWest and would be able to solidify their spot at the top beating the Bisons and leaving no challengers
#6 Guelph Gryphons 24 – 22 McMaster Marauders #9
– The Gryphons have always had difficulty with the Marauders and last year the loss to the Marauders would be for the Yates Cup and this year the Gryphons would get revenge in a tight game that saw them keep their second place spot in the OUA
#1 Laval Rouge et Or 16 – 9 Montreal Carabins #4
– The Carabins have taken a back seat to the Rouge et Or for years and this was their latest chance to take that top spot but they could not do it even after pushing Laval as close to a loss as they have been all season
Next Week:
StFX X-Men vs. Saint Mary’s Huskies (Friday September 27th; 7:00 pm ADT)
– The X-Men suffered their first loss in week 5 and are now hoping to prove that they deserve the top spot they currently hold while the Huskies are hoping to show that they are far from done this season
McGill Redmen vs. Concordia Stingers (Saturday September 28th; 1:00 pm EDT)
– The Redmen are clinging on to a playoff spot right now and are looking to take advantage of a struggling Concordia team to take another step towards the playoffs while the Stingers are just looking for their first win of the year
Queen’s Golden Gaels vs. Western Mustangs (Saturday September 28th; 1:00 pm EDT)
– The rivalry is alive and well in the OUA as two of the most legendary programs face off once again in one of the most bitter rivalries in the CIS with the Gaels looking to take out the Mustangs who look like one of the strongest teams in the CIS this year
Saskatchewan Huskies vs. UBC Thunderbirds (Saturday September 28th; 2:00 pm PDT)
– The Huskies may have lost to the Dinos but they still have a shot at the top spot as long as they can keep pace but they will have to beat the Thunderbirds who are hoping to keep hold of their playoff spot
The Sport Addiction 