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| Canisius' players join hands after Friday's 26-14 win over Bishop Timon/St. Jude |
Paul
Fitzpatrick field was loud and intimidating once again Friday night, but this
week it was the away team’s fans that were celebrating into the night.
Canisius beat Bishop Timon/St. Jude 26-14, preserving their perfect record on the
season, and validating their ranking as the number one team in Western New
York.
“We
struggled a little bit, they did some real nice things running the ball and
some things that kept us off balance,” said Canisius head coach Rich Robbins
after the victory. “But once we got our feet under us and played our kind of
football, everything went our way.”
Canisius
coaches and players were excited to be able to go on the road, into a hostile
environment, and come out with a gutsy win.
“(Timon
is a) tough place to come in and get a win, so I’m proud of my kids,” said
Robbins.
Junior
running back Qadree Ollison led the way for the Crusaders, rushing for 203
yards and 3 touchdowns on 26 carries. After the game, a beaming Ollison was humble, complimenting his
supporting cast for his success.
“Everybody
came out and played today,” said Ollison. “My entire offensive line played
excellent today.”
Robbins seemed awe-struck after the game when talking about his star running
back’s performance.
“Qadree
Ollison was a beast running the ball tonight,” he said. “He wanted to come out
tonight and perform well out here, and once we saw he was going and the look in
his eye, we just kept ridding him.”
Canisius’
defense also stepped up to the plate in the big win Friday. The Crusader secondary continued their dominant
play of late, coming up with three interceptions. They now have 12 picks in their last four games.
“All
year our secondary has been great, and again tonight they made big
interceptions,” said Robbins.
Sophomore
cornerback Josh Huffman recorded two interceptions, including one late in the
first half while Timon was driving for a score.
“I
saw the ball go up, I just knew I had to make a big play for my team,” he said.
After
his second interception, Huffman was greeted by chants of “He’s a sophomore!”
from the Canisius student section.
“All
the hard work in practice, from the sprints to the weight room to film,
everything we did, hard work pays off,” he said after the game.
Senior
Kyle Abernathy had the other interception on the night, giving him seven picks
on the season.
The
loss drops Timon to 5-3, but their 3-1 record in Monsignor Martin League play
has them in a good spot in terms of the playoff picture. Timon wraps up its season next Saturday
night on the road against St. Francis.
Canisius
improves to 8-0 with the win, and will meet rival St. Joe’s next Saturday in a
huge game for both teams.
Even
through the celebration, Canisius players were cognizant of next week’s game
against their bitter rivals.
“Its definitely a big win for us, coming
in to their house,” said quarterback Tyler Mascio. “Its hard to play here, its loud
and we got Joe’s next week. That’s going to be a tough game too.”
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