Photos from the preseason game, Queen's vs. the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at Varsity Stadium, Toronto, ON on August 31, 2009. Not surprisingly, the Gaels knocked off the Varsity Blues 33-6 in what seemed like a looong evening spectacle.


GAELS SHARP IN PRE-SEASON WIN
By Mike Koreen from notes by Claude Scilley, Kingston Whig Standard

The Queen's Golden Gaels' first-stringers looked sharp in their only pre-season football test. The offensive starters scored two touchdowns and the top defensive unit held the University of Toronto starting offence off the scoreboard as the Gaels beat the Varsity Blues 33-6 last night in Toronto.

The news wasn't all good for the Gaels. Kicker Dan Village suffered a left leg injury when he was tackled after attempting a field goal in the second quarter. The Blues were called for a roughing the kicker penalty on the play. Village was helped off the field and did not return to the game.

Running back Jimmy Therrien opened the scoring, rushing in from two yards out. Queen's missed the convert on a bad snap. Earlier in the drive, Therrien scampered for a 56-yard rush.

After fifth-year quarterback Dan Brannagan's touchdown pass to Devan Sheahan was called back on a holding call, he found Tom Howes for a two-yard TD reception on the first drive of the second quarter. That was the final drive for the Queen's starting offence, which looked good heading into its Ontario University Athletics season opener next Monday against the visiting Guelph Gryphons at Richardson Stadium. Queen's led 13-0 when the starting offence exited the game.

The Queen's defence held Toronto's starting offence in check. The highlight was an interception by star defensive back Jimmy Allin. Gaels defensive lineman Osie Ukwuoma, back from the Calgary Stampeders practice roster, also registered a sack on Blues starting quarterback Andrew Gillis.

Toronto backup quarterback George Gretes engineered his team's first scoring drive midway through the second quarter as the Blues kicked a 27-yard field goal to cut the lead to 13-3.

Before the end of the first half, second-year Queen's kicker/ punter Mike Petranovic added two field goals to give Queen's a 19-3 lead heading into the break.

Rookie quarterback Justin Chapdelaine replaced Brannagan and had an up-and-down debut. He had a pass picked off, but also led the Gaels on a touchdown drive in the third quarter, capped by a 16-yard touchdown run by Ryan Granberg. Howes came in as a quarterback for Queen's in the second half.

Former Queen's backup quarterback Jansen Shrubb, now an MBA student at Toronto, entered the game in the third quarter for the Blues.

Queen's kicker Garnet Peters, a rookie out of Sydenham, booted a 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.


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All photos are Copyright (c) Jeff Chan 2000-2009, but may be used for personal non-commercial use, and by Queen's University, the CIS and its member conferences, and by the Vanier Cup, so long as photo credits are shown or the photos are otherwise attributed to Jeff Chan. All other rights are reserved.