McMaster Marauders Christopher Pezzetta runs with the ball in front of Western Mustangs' Beau Landry during second-half Yates Cup action in London, Ontario, Saturday, November 12, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave ChidleyDAVE CHIDLEY/The Canadian Press
McMaster Marauders' quarterback Kyle Quinlan touched on a mid-season jolt to underline how important it was to beat the Western Mustangs 41-19 for the Yates Cup on Saturday.
"It was a mess and still is," he said of an off-field incident that resulted in a three-game suspension. "But this is the highlight of my career easily."
Details of the incident aren't clear, except there was alcohol involved and police were called. Quinlan caught fire in the second half to complete 16-of-24 passes for four touchdowns — including a 102-yard strike to Michael DiCroce.
Quinlan, who also ran 10 times for 103 yards, overshadowed Western quarterback Donnie Marshall, who started the game after missing more than five weeks following ankle surgery. The small but deceptive pivot lacked the pace he'd shown in driving defences crazy earlier this season as Western was stopped three times on the McMaster goal-line.
"Yeah, it hampered him a bit but he was our best chance to win," said his father Greg, head coach of the Mustangs and seven-time Yates Cup winner as coach. "When you get on their goal-line, you've got to score."
After a tentative first half, Quinlan hit his stride in the third quarter as McMaster took control on the way to ending Western's 13-game winning streak at TD Waterhouse Stadium.
McMaster will now face the Acadia Axeman on Friday in Moncton, N.B., for the Uteck Bowl and a berth in the Vanier Cup.
Setting up drives with his legs, Quinlan passed for two touchdowns to DiCroce and one each to Robert Babic and Bradley Fochesato in the second half, with Teddy Peters kicking a 15-yard field goal.
Tyler Varga had another highlight-reel game for Western as the 18-year-old bulled for extended yardage and scored eight points — a touchdown run and a two-point conversion run. Donnie Marshall's brother Brian caught passes for Western's other touchdown and a two-point convert.
Varga ended up rushing for 154 yards on 30 carries
For Greg Marshall, a win would have given him four with Western after winning the Yates Cup four times as coach of McMaster.
McMaster held a 10-3 lead at halftime off a seven-yard touchdown run by Christopher Pezzetta and a 29-yard field by Peters. Western's points came when McMaster's Marshall Ferguson conceded a safety and a single off a wide 29-yard field goal attempt by Western's Lirim Hajrullahu.
Western defeated McMaster in the second week of the season when Varga carried 25 times for 149 yards and four touchdowns.
"That game showed us what had to be done," McMaster coach Stefan Ptaszek said.
The Yates Cup is the oldest football trophy in existence, going back 104 years, and surpasses the CFL's Grey Cup and the Little Brown Jug for longevity.