NEWSROOM

By NEIL HODGE, Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday December 31st, 2008
Appeared on page D1

Mustangs captured second straight MFL title in 2008

The Riverview Molson Mustangs never missed a beat in Rob Weir's first season as head coach.

They captured their second consecutive Maritime Football League championship in 2008 by defeating the Saint John Wanderers 21-13 on Aug. 9 at Dobson Field.

"I found it very sweet because we fought through some adversity," said Weir. "We lost to them in the regular season and then came back to beat them in the championship game on our home field.

The fact we rose to the occasion when we met them in the playoffs was one of the sweetest parts for me.

"The Wanderers are the team we wanted to face in the championship game. They're our arch rival and the team we always want to face in the playoffs. There's other fine teams in the league, but it's the Mustangs and Wanderers that want to go out there against each other and bleed for the cause."

Riverview, the Saint John Wanderers and Dartmouth Knights finished at 7-1 in the regular season. Riverview was awarded first place and home-field advantage in the playoffs based on a formula that involves points for and against.

"There was a little controversy over the fact we were awarded first place," said Riverview offensive lineman Bob Giffard. "Saint John beat us in the regular season so they felt they should've been awarded first place, but the league rules called for a different tie-breaker formula in the event of a three-way tie.

"We really had nothing to do with it, but a lot of people painted us as cheaters over that. So, beating them on our home field in the championship game was really special."

Riverview is the model franchise in the MFL with a lifetime record of 31-5 and two championships during its four seasons in the league. The Mustangs have lifetime records of 25-3 in the regular season and 6-2 in the playoffs.

The only team that's ever beaten them? The Saint John Wanderers.

"We've put together a really good group of athletes," said Giffard. "The biggest thing is the amount of work that people put into training, into practice and into running the team. That's what really makes the difference."

Riverview was dominant on both sides of the ball in 2008, outscoring opponents 286-78 during the regular season.

"We were a well-balanced team," said Weir. "The offence was spectacular all season and the defence seems to have gotten better with age. I believe the defence really matured this year and made the difference in our championship run.

"We have everyone showing up to practices and I think that's what separates us from other teams in the league. We're proud of our success, but we also work hard as an organization for it."

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday August 4th, 2008
Appeared on page D1

Riverview will face off against Saint John Longhorns in Maritime Football League playoffs

RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

The Riverview Mustangs will play for the McIntyre Cup league championship this weekend after beating the Halifax Shockers 13-7 yesterday in the Maritime Football League playoffs.

In front an energized home crowd, the Maritime Bowl semifinal ended just before a sudden downpour overtook Dobson Field. The Mustangs now move on to the MFL Maritime Bowl championship game against the Saint John Wanderers Saturday at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field.

In yesterday's game, Halifax scored in the first quarter with a 25-yard pass from quarterback Chris Livingston to AJ Tufford. Halifax was successful in getting the extra point.

In the second quarter, Riverview scored on a one-yard run by Steve Cormier. It was the only score in the second quarter. Riverview's Jordan Beyea was successful in getting the extra point. Halftime score 7-7.

In the second half, Riverview scored on a four-yard run by Steve Cormier. The extra point was unsuccessful which brought the game to its final score.

"We had hoped to take advantage of Halifax's cover zero and that's when they have all their player off playing very tight on the line," said Mustangs head coach Rob Weir immediately following the game. "They adjusted to our adjustments quite well so we had to change our tune a little bit half way through the first quarter."

Weir said his team found their strategic footing in the fourth quarter.

"We went from the 15-yard line, the length of the field, to eight and nine yards at a time to shoot up at least 13 minutes of the last 15 minutes," he said.

In their only previous meeting this season, Riverview gave Halifax a 30-0 beating back in June. But before the teams met again yesterday, Weir said the Mustangs weren't about to take anything for granted, noting how Halifax had become a much stronger team over the summer.

The Wanderers beat the Dartmouth Knights 41-29 in the other Maritime Bowl semifinal on Saturday. In their previous meetings this season, the Wanderers overtook the Mustangs 36-26 in an early July game.

"Saint John is a tough team, much like Halifax," said Weir. Anticipating a huge home team crowd, the Mustangs head coach said their championship game play strategy would be a "state-secret" up until kick off.

Meanwhile, the Moncton Marshals lost 41-7 to the Saint John Longhorns in a Mariner Bowl semifinal yesterday in Saint John. Moncton's touchdown was scored by Olivier Eddie in the second half.

The Longhorns will host Fredericton's Capital Area Gladiators Saturday in the Mariner Cup consolation trophy championship game. The Gladiators defeated the P.E.I. Privateers 28-21 in the other Mariner Bowl semifinal on Saturday.

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday July 28th, 2008
Appeared on page B4

Riverview places first in league with 7-1 record

ROTHESAY - The Riverview Mustangs completed the Maritime Football League regular season with a 63-0 hammering of the UNBSJ Wolves here Saturday.

The Mustangs finish the regular season in first place with a 7-1 record and will host the fourth-place Halifax Shockers (6-2) in a semifinal on the weekend.

Riverview, Saint John Wanderers and Dartmouth Knights all tied for first place at 7-1, but the Mustangs were awarded top spot on a points-against versus common opponents tiebreaker between the three teams.

The Wanderers grabbed second place and the Knights took third. They'll meet in the other Maritime Bowl semifinal. Saint John fell to Halifax 31-26 for its first loss of the season Saturday.

Justin Savoie rushed for 220 yards and scored three touchdowns leading Riverview to the win over UNBSJ.

Steve Cormier added a pair of touchdowns and racked up 150 yards on the ground in the first half before he was given the second half off.

Shawn Wareham also found the end zone twice on a pair of runs for the Mustangs. The other Riverview touchdowns came from Josh Scott, on a 70-yard punt return, and Josh Dickinson, on a 35-yard reception from Kelly Nichols.

John Forbes scored a two-point conversion and Jordan Beyea kicked four converts in the victory. The Mustangs led 44-0 at halftime.

The Riverview defence allowed just two first downs in the game. Defensive lineman Dwayne Ells had two sacks and recovered a fumble while Jason Terris added three sacks and Mike MacLeod had two for the winners.

The fifth through eighth-place teams also qualified for the playoffs and will compete for the Mariner Bowl consolation championship trophy.

Semifinals will see the fifth-place Saint John Longhorns (5-3) host the eighth-place Moncton Marshals (1-7) and the sixth-place Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton (3-5) entertain the seventh-place P.E.I. Privateers (2-6).

Moncton was awarded the eighth and final playoff spot on a three-way tiebreaker between UNBSJ (1-7) and Super City Mean Green of Halifax (1-7).

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday July 14th, 2008
Appeared on page B3

Moncton Marshals lose by forfeit to Saint John Wanderers

Quarterback A.J. Gallant threw three touchdown passes and the Riverview Mustangs hammered the Saint John Longhorns 37-8 in Maritime Football League action yesterday at Dobson Field.

Gallant hooked up with Jordan Beyea twice for majors on passes of five and 40 yards. Gallant also threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to John Forbes in the victory.

Saint John led 8-1 at one point in the first half, but Riverview answered by scoring five straight touchdowns, including four in the second half, to roll to the win. The Mustangs were ahead 12-8 at the break.

Riverview improved its record to 5-1 and is tied for second place with the Dartmouth Knights (5-1). Saint John dropped to 3-3.

Other Mustangs touchdowns came from Ben Kinden on a fumble recovery in the end zone, Josh Scott on a 35-yard interception return and Justin Savoie on an eight-yard run. Bryce Wake kicked a convert in the win.

Riverview rookie linebacker Curtis Page recorded two sacks and two fumble recoveries in the victory.

Also yesterday, the Moncton Marshals lost by forfeit to the Saint John Wanderers. The Marshals are now 1-5 on the season.

In other weekend games, Dartmouth downed the P.E.I. Privateers 64-6, the Halifax Shockers edged the Capital Area Gladiators 28-26 and the UNBSJ Wolves won by forfeit over the Super City Mean Green of Halifax.

Riverview hosts Moncton Saturday at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field.

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday June 30th, 2008
Appeared on page B7

Sunfest Bowl raises $1,900 for fund in memory of basketball players killed in crash

The Riverview Molson Mustangs held their fourth annual Sunfest Bowl on Saturday at Dobson Field.

For the third year in a row the game was a fundraiser with all proceeds going to a charity. This year's charity was the Boys in Red Fund, which helps the families of the boys who died in the Bathurst High School tragedy, the seven $1,000 Boys in Red Scholarships given at BHS and the building of a memorial in Bathurst.

The Sunfest Bowl and after party raised over $1,900 for the fund which was created after seven members of the BHS men's basketball team, and a teacher were killed in a car accident near Bathurst on their way back from a game in Moncton on Jan. 12. Two of the Mustangs competitors, the Saint John Longhorns and the Dartmouth Knights, contributed to the fundraiser giving $500 and $100 respectively.

"It's a tragic event and we just want to recognize a fellow sporting team, and hope this never happens again," said Mustangs CEO Mark Crandall.

"We have four away games, and our boys are on the road. This could have happened to anybody. This is something that affected New Brunswick and Canada that we shouldn't forget, nobody should forget."

Crandall said because the tragedy hit so close to home, this charity was an obvious choice, adding that his god-son Tim Daley was also a survivor of the crash.

The Riverview football club also inducted the seven deceased basketball players as honorary Mustangs.

"We want to celebrate these young athletes lives," said Crandall.

Daley accepted token plaques on behalf of the Boys in Red Fund during a short presentation at half time.

Though this is one of many donations and gestures the Boys in Red have received, Daley said each one means a lot to his community.

"The whole province has been affected by it and everyone's willing to help," he said.

Daley said all the support they've received has really helped them get through the tragedy. But with that support has come a lot of attention.

"I'm not a big attention fan to begin with," he said. "It's not about me it's about the Boys in Red."

The accident broke Daley's wrist and his pelvis in five places.

He was in a wheelchair for six weeks then had a walker with two wheels for another six weeks, but has been able to walk fine on his own for some time now. He has what he hopes will be his last check up today in Saint John.

"Hopefully after that I'll be able to play basketball," he said.

Daley graduated from BHS a little over a week ago and will be training in Miramichi this fall to become a police officer. He hopes to someday be in the RCMP.

But last weekend he was just glad to see people supporting the Boys in Red, as was Crandall, who received a lot of positive feedback about the fundraiser.

"It's gone from a sobering effect just because of the magnitude of the situation, to a deep appreciation, and a sense of pride that these young men, who are no longer with us, won't be forgotten," he said.

Hundreds attended the game between the Mustangs and Dartmouth Knights which also counted as a league game in the Maritime Football League.

"It's great to see the people of Riverview come out to something like this," said Crandall. "It's not only showing that Riverview has great community support not only for the town, but for everything that affects us in the province."

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday June 30th, 2008
Appeared on page B1

Riverview moves into tie for first place in MFL at 4-0

VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

The Riverview Molson Mustangs faced their biggest test of the season so far and passed it with flying colours.

They turned in an outstanding performance on defence en route to a 21-7 win over the Dartmouth Knights in an entertaining Maritime Football League contest on Saturday in front of 970 fans at Dobson Field.

Dartmouth entered the weekend with the second best offence in the league, scoring an average of 42 points per game.

Riverview shut down its high-flying opponent with a hard-hitting defence that came up with big plays to change the momentum of the game.

Riverview and the Saint John Wanderers, both 4-0, are tied for first place at the midway mark of the regular season. They're the only remaining undefeated clubs and they will clash on Friday at 7 p.m. at Dobson Field.

Dartmouth, 3-1, had two squandered scoring opportunities. The visitors had the ball inside the 20-yard line in the second and fourth quarters, but defensive backs Matt Kenny and Johnathan Forbes made interceptions to stop those drives and keep Riverview's 14-point lead intact.

"They have an explosive offence so our defence definitely took it as a challenge," said Forbes. "We think we're the best defence in the league and I think this game is something for us to feel good about.

"Our defence bends, but doesn't break. That's what we like to say. This was our home opener and it was two undefeated clubs so we were pretty excited for it. We wanted to show the league that we're for real."

Dartmouth quarterback Vince Williams was under pressure throughout the game and looked uncomfortable while being forced into many hurried passes. Riverview defensive lineman Dwayne Ells had four sacks.

"We had opportunities, but we just didn't make plays," said Williams. "There were some dropped balls. The guys weren't concentrating as well as they usually do. There was a lot of hype coming into this game, but I think we just didn't come prepared to execute.

"They're the defending champs and they're definitely the toughest team we've played so far this season. They have talent from top to bottom -- offence, defence and special teams.

"You definitely need to execute and make plays to beat a team like them. By far, this was not our best effort at all. I mean if we get a second chance to meet these guys in the playoffs I think it will be a better outcome."

Riverview piled up 520 yards in total offence, the breakdown being 310 yards rushing and 210 yards passing. Steve Cormier was the workhorse along the ground with 210 yards rushing.

The Mustangs jumped out to a 7-0 lead after the first quarter on A.J. Gallant's one-yard quarterback keeper. Gallant connected with Francis Best on a 13-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to make it 14-0 at halftime.

Riverview recovered its own kickoff to begin the second half and took over on the opposition's 31-yard line. That set the table for Gallant's 28-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Boucher to put the Mustangs ahead 21-0.

Dartmouth pulled to within 21-7 on an eight-yard touchdown reception by Michael Squires in the fourth quarter.

This was the only weekend action in the league and defending Maritime Bowl champion Riverview won its 14th consecutive game, a streak that dates back to Aug. 5, 2006.

"We knew that Dartmouth is a tough team," said Boucher, who led Riverview with 105 yards receiving. "They've been scoring a lot of points all season, but we came in mentally prepared and executed well.

"I thought this game had the potential to be an offensive slugfest, but our defence really stepped up and shut them down. It says a lot about our defence to hold that team to seven points."

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday June 23rd, 2008
Appeared on page B1

Riverview cruises to win over Halifax in Maritime Football League action

HALIFAX - A.J. Gallant and Donovan Boucher hooked up on three touchdown passes as the Riverview Molson Mustangs cruised to a 30-0 victory over the Halifax Shockers in Maritime Football League play over the weekend.

Quarterback Gallant sent a 25 yard pass to receiver Boucher to open the scoring, and the pair added another touchdown on a 12 yard pass later in the game.

The Mustangs, who led 16-0 at half, also had a 1-yard touchdown run from Stevie Cormier.

The third Gallant-to-Boucher strike on the day finished Riverview's offensive onslaught, the final touchdown being a 57 yard scoring play.

Boucher finished with seven receptions for 172 yards and Stevie Cormier had 170 rushing yards for the Mustangs.

Brice Wade converted all four points after touchdown and Jason Terris (four sacks) and Shawn Wareham (two sacks) were defensive standouts.

The Mustangs also had a safety in the game.

With the victory, Riverview improved to 3-0, while Halifax fell to 2-2.

The Mustangs next game is Saturday at home, against the Dartmouth Knights in the Sunfest Bowl. Kickoff is 4 p.m.

Also Saturday, the Moncton Marshals fell 20-11 to the Saint John Longhorns on the road.

D.J. Carmichael returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown for the Marshals while Olivier Eddie kicked a field goal and a single in the loss.

Saint John improved its record to 3-1 while Moncton dropped to 1-3.

The Marshals visit the Halifax Shockers (2-2) July 5 at 1 p.m.

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday June 16th, 2008
Appeared on page B3

Riverview posts another impressive Maritime Football League win

The Riverview Molson Mustangs continue to gallop along in impressive fashion.

They extended their winning streak to 12 games with a 38-14 victory over the Prince Edward Island Privateers in Maritime Football League action on Saturday in Charlottetown. The Mustangs haven't suffered a loss since Aug. 5, 2006.

Riverview, the defending Maritime Bowl champion, jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead en route to improving its record to 2-0. Pat Forbes hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Kelly Nicols in the first quarter to get things started.

A.J. Gallant added a 12-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and J.R. Gallant connected with Forbes on a 15-yard touchdown pass in the dying seconds of the first half. Bryce Wade was good on two of three convert attempts in the first half.

Justin Savoie had a five-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and, with the missed convert, that made it 26-0. Jeff Hillier had a 45-yard touchdown pass to cut P.E.I.'s deficit to 26-6 after three quarters.

Riverview added fourth quarter touchdowns to make it 39-6 on A.J. Gallant's one-yard dive into the end zone and a 35-yard pass from Nicols to Donovan Boucher. P.E.I., which dropped to 0-3, scored a late touchdown with a two-point convert to round out the summary.

``Overall, we played a good controlled offensive game,'' said Riverview defensive back and linebacker coach Jeff Reath. ``Our offence scored on every possession except for one. We only had one punt.

``Donovan Boucher was a good player for us. He had one touchdown and 250 yards in all-purpose yardage. Pat Forbes had a couple of real key receptions that set up touchdowns.''

Riverview wasn't able to field its best lineup in this game. It was missing a handful of key players due to injury.

``It was a hard-hitting game on both sides of the ball,'' said Reath. ``Our defence played really well. We had an interception by Derek Van Den Brink. Shawn Wareham had two sacks and a couple of tackles in the backfield. We were missing some key starters on defence, but the guys that were there played really well.

``Everybody on the team saw some field time today. They were able to step into positions and do a good job filling the holes we had given the guys we were missing.''

There remains three undefeated teams: Saint John Wanderers (3-0), Riverview (2-0) and Dartmouth Knights (2-0).

In Saturday's other action, the Wanderers downed the Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton 23-18, Dartmouth defeated the Halifax Shockers 15-13 and the Saint John Longhorns trounced Super City Mean Green of Halifax 34-12.

Riverview will visit the Halifax Shockers on Saturday. The Moncton Great Canadian Marshals, 1-2, will be on the road to face the Saint John Longhorns on Saturday.

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday June 9th, 2008
Appeared on page B3

Moncton Marshals hammered 61-25 by Dartmouth Knights

OROMOCTO - The defending Maritime Football League champion Riverview Mustangs opened the 2008 season on a winning note Saturday.

The Mustangs scored three second-half touchdowns and cruised to a 27-13 victory over the Capital Area Gladiators in their regular season opener.

It was the second game of the season for the Gladiators, who dropped to 1-1.

Riverview led 7-0 at halftime and then put the game away in the second half. Josh Scott romped 86 yards for a kickoff return touchdown on the very first play of the second half.

The other Mustangs touchdowns came from Donovan Boucher, on a 12-yard pass from quarterback Kelly Nichols; Francis Best, on a seven-yard run; and Justin Savoie, on an eight-yard run. Jordan Beyea kicked three converts in the win.

Riverview head coach Rob Weir praised the play of his defence, which shut down the Capital Area running game. Matt Kenny (50 yard return) and John Forbes (80 yard return) each recorded interceptions in the win.

"Our defence was very, very strong. The score was 27-0 at the beginning of the fourth quarter," Weir said.

"It was our first game of the season and it showed. We played well overall, but our timing was off."

Gladiators quarterback Brendan Cornford threw touchdown passes to Jay Thomas and Jeff Taylor in the loss.

In another game Saturday, the visiting Moncton Marshals were thumped 61-25 by the Dartmouth Knights. The Marshals dropped their record to 0-2.

In other weekend games, the Saint John Wanderers blanked Super City Mean Green of Halifax 63-0, the Saint John Longhorns edged the UNBSJ Wolves 19-15 and the Halifax Shockers defeated the P.E.I. Privateers 23-8.

Moncton hosts UNBSJ Friday at 8 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field while Riverview visits P.E.I. Saturday at 4 p.m.

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Saturday May 31st, 2008
Appeared on page C1

Terry McIntyre of Fredericton never expected to see this kind of growth when he helped found the Maritime Football League.

"I bought a trophy, donated it and put my name on it (McIntyre Cup). I just did it so the teams would have something to play for. I figured it would probably last one year and be gone."

McIntyre is now deputy commissioner of the MFL which opens the regular season this weekend. This is senior men's tackle football, it's four downs and the minimum age is 18.

"The fact that we've struck a fairly good balance between competition and recreational participation," he said when asked what's allowed the MFL to experience such growth.

"We've tried to be all inclusive rather than having a four-team hot shot kind of league. We've pushed the teams to keep their costs down and not go crazy on too many extras. I think we made a major step forward last season when we went to the two-tier playoff format so that everybody has something to play for."

The MFL expanded to 10 teams this season with the addition of the Super City Mean Green of Halifax.

Others are the defending champion Riverview Molson Mustangs, Moncton Great Canadian Marshals, Saint John Wanderers, Saint John Longhorns, UNB Saint John Wolves, Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton, Prince Edward Island Privateers, Dartmouth Knights and Halifax Shockers.

Moncton opens the eight-game regular season by hosting Super City today at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field. Riverview will play its first game on the road against Capital Area next Saturday.

The top four finishers will compete in the upper playoff bracket for the Maritime Bowl. The next four clubs will drop into a consolation group and battle for the Mariner Bowl.

Riverview, Halifax, Capital Area and the Saint John Wanderers were in the upper playoff bracket last season. Riverview trounced Halifax 23-0 to capture the Maritime Bowl.

The Saint John Wanderers have captured the Maritime Bowl three times since it was first presented in 2002. Riverview, Moncton and Halifax have hoisted the top prize once each.

The top four clubs this season appear to be Riverview, the Saint John Wanderers, Capital Area and Dartmouth. The Saint John Longhorns and Halifax could be threats to crack the upper playoff bracket.

"I would be willing to put money on the top three clubs being Dartmouth, Riverview and the Saint John Wanderers," said McIntyre. "The top three clubs look solid and after that it's up for grabs. I think fourth place will be a dogfight."

Riverview chief executive officer Mark Crandall was among the MFL's co-founders. It was a loose format back then with three teams getting together each weekend to meet in a series of shortened games.

"Initially, I didn't think the league had the potential to be where it is today," he said. "Four years ago, Bob Giffard and I realized the potential and that's why we formed a team in Riverview. We realized it could be run as a business and that we could have a strong and financially viable league.

"With a lot of hard work and a good vision, it seems to be spiraling into something bigger every year. It's not a me, me, me type of scenario now. Teams are exchanging ideas and helping each other behind the scenes to make for a stronger league."

The inaugural MFL Pro Bowl will be played on Aug. 16 in Halifax. The all-star game will pit the best players from the six New Brunswick clubs against the best from the four teams in Nova Scotia and P.E.I.

"We'll move the location of the game from year to year," said Crandall. "If we do this properly, it could be an annual event that draws fans from around the Maritimes and be a good revenue stream for the league. We're looking for ways to improve the league and create fan base."

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday May 30th, 2008
Appeared on page D1

The Riverview Molson Mustangs are coming off the most dominant season in Maritime Football League history.

They compiled a perfect 10-0 record en route to capturing their first Maritime Bowl in 2007, outscoring opponents by an eye-popping total of 408-37. They posted six shutouts, they were No. 1 in the league both offensively and defensively, and their closest game was a 16-point margin of victory.

The Mustangs galloped over everyone, scoring an average of 40.8 points per game and allowing an average of 3.7 points per game. They will begin defence of their title when they open the eight-game regular season against the Capital Area Gladiators on June 7 in Fredericton.

"We have a strong returning cast with 32 players back from last season," said Mustangs head coach Rob Weir. "There's a lot of familiarity in what we do in practice. On top of that, we have a lot of good leaders."

"We have just as much hunger to defend the championship as we had to win it for the first time last season."

In fact, even moreso. The guys are fired up in practice and itching to play against another team instead of themselves".

Weir believes it could be tougher to defend the championship than to win it for the first time.

"We will probably have our trials and tribulations, but I expect us to stay on top the whole season," he said. "I expect we'll be as strong as we were last season. I hope to have the same kind of offensive production and watching our defence in practice I think we'll be even tougher there this season."

"We're going to have an entertaining team to watch. We've got a lot of big hitters on defence and a lot of big playmakers on offence. This isn't a beer league.

When fans come out to watch a game they're very surprised by the quality of the league."

Riverview, which is aiming to average 1,200 fans per game, is only missing two key players from last season. Gone are quarterback Paul Guimond and offensive lineman Mark Teed.

Some key returnees on offence are quarterbacks A.J. Gallant and Kelly Nichols, running backs Steve Cormier and Francis Best, wide receivers Donovan Boucher and Josh Dickinson, and offensive linemen Bob Giffard and Nick Sleeper.

Some noteworthy names back on defence are linebacker John Jamieson, defensive linemen Dwayne Els and Jason Terris, cornerback Mike Miller, halfback Paul Best, and halfback Josh Scott.

Newcomers to watch out for on Riverview's roster are wide receiver Dylan Hollohan, fullback Dan MacArthur and offensive lineman Kevin Jones. Hollohan was a star at MacNaughton High. MacArthur and Jones are former Riverview High players.

Defensive back Jonathan Forbes, who played for Riverview two seasons ago, has rejoined the club. He played professionally in Finland last summer.

"For sure, we're the target team," said Forbes. "Everybody wants to knock us off and we like it that way.

I'm sure we'll have to play just as well as last season, maybe even better, to repeat as champion. We're looking forward to the challenge."

Riverview has a lifetime record of 22-4 in regular season and playoffs combined. The breakdown is 6-2 in 2005, 6-2 in 2006 and 10-0 in 2007.

The Mustangs are currently on a 10-game winning streak and haven't suffered a loss since falling 36-33 to the Saint John Wanderers in the league semifinal on Aug. 5, 2006. In fact, all four of their lifetime losses have come against the Wanderers.

"Everybody's going to be gunning for us this season," said Mustangs running back Steve Cormier. "Maybe we did set the bar high for ourselves, but we have to approach this season the same way as always. No cockiness. Just play hard-nosed football.

"Our hunger to win is as high as it's ever been. We've been practising hard and we're excited to start the season."

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday May 26nd, 2008
Appeared on page C1

Dartmouth Knights edge out Riverview squad for top spot

The Riverview Molson Mustangs snagged second place at the Maritime Football League's pre-season jamboree Saturday, finishing with a 7-point spread, just behind the first-place Dartmouth Knights who finished 8.

But winning isn't what the pre-season tournament is about, said Mustang coach Rob Weir.

Instead the tournament, held at Rocky Stone Memorial Field, was a chance for teams to get out and test their strengths and weaknesses against other MFL teams.

"We scored 13 touchdowns in the 45 plays and that's what we were looking for," Weir said. "We got to try the plays we wanted. We didn't do anything fancy, we just worked on our regular plays and they were successful for us today and we are quite happy with that."

The tournament pitted nine teams of 10 players against each other. Each team played three offensive games and three defensive games consisting of 15 plays each that had to be completed in 20 minutes.

Offences began their drives on the opposition's 35-yard line. The tournament winner was the team with the largest differential between points for and against. Likewise, rules differed for the jamboree as quarterbacks could not be hit unless they ran the ball, there were no special teams and no advancing the ball on turnovers.

Different teams worked on different aspects of their game. For the Mustangs, who posted a solid 10-0 record last season while capturing its first Maritime Bowl, it was an opportunity to test an already strong team both defensively and offensively.

And, scoring 13 touchdowns positioned the club as the top team offensively in the tournament ahead of tournament champs Dartmouth Knights who scored nine.

"It was an awesome day," said Mustang linebacker Ryan Eadie. "We played three offensive scrimmages and we looked pretty good."

Offensively the Mustangs are stacked with returning veteran players Steve Cormier, Bob Giffard, Francis Best and Andrew Gallant who have been with the club since inception four years ago. Gallant, however, was unable to make the tournament because of a pulled groin, but teammates were confident he would be back in time for the regular season beginning May 31.

"I think we're all working our systems right now," Eadie said of the tournament. "We're not playing our starters and neither is anyone else. It's a good competition early in the season to see what the rest of the season will present."

Defensively, however, the Mustangs came up short, allowing six touchdowns overall.

But that didn't seem to phase Weir, as he praised the team's defense as having "no weaknesses."

"We have a lot of experience defensively," Weir said. "Most of our guys are back and we have a few young guys out that were the cream of the crop in the high school league. We have 14 or 15 all-stars on the team and we only get a few of them out on the field at a time."

Defensively the team played rivals the third place Saint John Warriors who finished 5 with 10 touchdowns for and five against as well as the heavy hitting Dartmouth Knights who posted nine touchdowns for and one against.

The Saint John Longhorns tied the Halifax Shockers at 1 for fourth place with six touchdowns for and five against. The Fredericton Gladiators also finished fourth with five touchdowns for and four against.

At fifth was the Super City Mean Green recording a -4 with zero touchdowns and four against, just ahead of the Moncton Marshalls who finished with a -6, managing three touchdowns for and nine against.

Behind them were the UNB Saint John Wolves who finished -6 with one touchdown for and seven against, ahead of the last place P.E.I. Privateers who finished -7, scoring one touchdown for with eight against.

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Thursday May 22nd, 2008
Appeared on page B1

Mark Crandall sees the big picture.

As part owner and chief executive officer, he looks well beyond the field when discussing the defending champion Riverview Molson Mustangs of the Maritime Football League. He's proud of the business model that makes this a unique amateur sports team.'

"We had a five-year plan not only for what we wanted to do on the field, but also financially off the field,'' he said. "e've achieved everything we wanted to do on the field within three years. Now, off the field we have some work to do.'

"We've had success on the field and we've been able to make it happen because of the way we operate off the field. When you run it like a business you're going to attract the better players. We've set the bar high for ourselves if you look at what we've done on the field in our first three seasons.'

"We're looking to repeat as champion and on the business side we've set a goal this season to be a little more financially stable. We averaged 600 fans per game last season. I've been mandated by the shareholders to double that.'''

The 10-team MFL will hold its pre-season jamboree tournament on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field. The senior men's tackle league will kick off the regular season on May 31.'

Riverview posted a perfect 10-0 record last season en route to capturing its first Maritime Bowl. The Mustangs are operated as a company with 42 investors owning a combined 100 shares. It's $150 per share.'

Crandall and offensive lineman Bob Giffard own a combined 51 shares, which makes them the majority shareholder. As an incorporated not-for-profit organization, the Mustangs must adhere to all income tax regulations and corporate guidelines.'

Any revenue that's generated from sponsorship is put toward operating the team. The only place the shareholders can make money is off the gate, merchandise, concessions and the bar.'

"We have a shareholders meeting twice per year,'' said Crandall. "They get to make decisions on buying jerseys, the hiring of game day staff, promotions and how we spend our money. This is really their team. It's like they're the owners of the ultimate fantasy football team.'

"What we've also done is purchased one share for the players. Every time we have a shareholders meeting they get to send one representative on their behalf to vote on the agenda items.'''

The Mustangs lost money in their first two seasons thanks in large part to high startup costs, but they could be in position to turn a profit this season.'

"No one's ever going to get rich at this,'' said Crandall. "We just want to get to the point where it doesn't cost us anything. If we make money, it could be paid out in dividends to the shareholders or it could be dumped back into the team for equipment, game day initiatives or whatever.'

"This year, our shareholders had the choice of taking a small payout or buying the team another set of jerseys. They voted for the jerseys. These guys are in it for the long haul. They come to the games, have fun and see what we're doing. They want to be part of making this bigger and better.'''

The Mustangs have stayed at 100 shares since 2006.'

"Will there be a time when we open it up and sell more shares?,'' said Crandall. "I get asked that every day. I don't know. Right now, we don't see it. It was voted down this year to open it up any more.'''

Riverview has an annual operating budget of $30,000. Team budgets across the league range from $10,000 to $30,000 depending on a variety of factors.'

"Some teams are playing on nicer fields,'' said Crandall. "Some teams have zero staff that they're paying because they don't have any concessions, they don't have a sound guy and they don't have a bar. We're at the high end of the league for budget because we run things professionally.'''

The Mustangs are entering their fourth season with several new sponsors, including Taylor Ford which is backing a giant promotion. Every fan who attends each game will receive a ballot that enters them in a contest.'

At the club's first home playoff game, a ballot will be drawn and that person will get the chance to kick a 35-yard field goal to win a new Ford Mustang. The person chosen must be in attendance to be eligible.'

It's through various sponsorship related promotions that the Mustangs hope to average 1,200 fans per game this season.'

"It definitely is a lot easier to get sponsorship when you win a championship, but what's easier is when you go to a company and prove to them that you're not a bunch of guys goofing around on the weekends,'' said Crandall. "You show them there's value for them to partner with the Mustangs.

"We offer companies exposure through website advertising, public address announcements at games, banners at the field and our game program. People who buy a game program will have the chance to win team merchandise and prizes from Molson. We're trying to build the Mustangs into a brand that people know.''

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Friday May 9th, 2008
Appeared on page D4

Moncton will host league's pre-season jamboree on May 24

The Riverview Molson Mustangs will carry a new title into this season in the Maritime Football League.

They boasted a perfect 10-0 record and captured their first Maritime Bowl last season. The defending champion is clearly targeted as the team to beat this campaign, but head coach Robbie Weir doesn't think that will create much extra pressure.

"We've always had pressure anyway as one of the top three teams in the league,'' he said. "The way I look at it, we're still in that position. I expect us to be strong again this season and to have a shot at winning the championship.

"We've climbed to the top of the mountain and we absolutely want to stay there. I'm not sure I call that pressure. We're happy to be in the position we are. We know other teams will be gunning for us this season, but we're happy to defend the position we're in.''

The 10-team MFL will hold its pre-season jamboree tournament on May 24 at Rocky Stone Memorial Field. The senior mens tackle league will begin the regular season on May 31.

Upon completion of the eight-game regular season, the top four clubs will compete for the Maritime Bowl. The next four finishers will drop to a consolation bracket and battle for the Mariner Bowl.

Riverview opened training camp in mid April in the Riverview Middle School gym. There's been an average of 30 players per workout, but those numbers will rise now that university students are returning to the city.

"We plan to have 35-40 players on the roster, the same as last season,'' said Weir. "Our camp is progressing well, but we're anxious to get outdoors. The coaches especially want to get outside. It's hard to coach indoors.

"You can't run drills that have to do with passing or covering a pass in the gym. Mostly what we've been doing so far is physical activity. We're doing cardio to get ourselves physically prepared. We're going to go outside for at least four practices before the jamboree.''

Riverview's next workout is on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Riverview Middle School gym. Anyone age 18 and over who wants to try out is still welcome.

"I won't say that our roster is absolutely set, but we are pretty close,'' said Weir, who acknowledges it would take a pretty good player to come in at this stage and make the team.

"We're looking for dedicated players. The more guys we have who truly enjoy being there the stronger we are. That's been our strength over the past couple of years. We have a corps of players who never miss practice.''

The Moncton Doc Dylan's Moosehead Marshals will hold their next workout on Monday at 8:30 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field. It's an open tryout.

"We're working on our offence more than anything at this stage,'' said Marshals head coach Dan Fougere, whose club finished last in the league and missed the playoffs with a 1-7 record last season.

"We've got thirty-something guys on paper. We've been getting about 25 guys out for practice, but I think the numbers will go up now that university is over. I think we brought in some new guys who are more serious this year.''

By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Tuesday April 22nd, 2008
Appeared on page B4

Woody Hayes steps down as head coach of Riverview's senior football team

It's with a heavy heart that Robbie Weir takes over as head coach of the Riverview Molson Mustangs in the Maritime Football League. He's replacing Woody Hayes, 69, who stepped down to spend more time with family while he battles cancer.

"I'm very happy to be the head coach, but I'd rather have Woody here," said Weir. "I'm really going to miss Woody. We all are. He's a quality coach and a quality person.

"Woody and I are friends on top of being coaches together. I respect him a lot. I learned a lot from him. You always learn football things from someone that has as much experience as him. Our team is going to miss his leadership."

Hayes was Riverview's head coach the past three seasons. The Mustangs had a perfect 10-0 record en route to capturing the Maritime Bowl last season.

Weir has been coaching in the MFL since it was founded in 2000. He's been Riverview's offensive coordinator the past three seasons and before that he coached on the defensive side of the ball.

The Mustangs outscored opponents 342-22 during the eight-game regular schedule last season. They have about two-thirds of that 38-man roster back this season which should keep them among the league's top powers.

"I expect to change as little as possible," said Weir. "I'll address any problems that develop, but I don't expect to re-invent the wheel on an undefeated championship team. We have some new faces, but we have a lot of returning players. I'll continue to handle the offensive coordinator role.

"I'm lucky because the coaching staff has a smooth dynamic. We have two guys that work the offensive side of the ball and two guys that work the defensive side of the ball. The two partners on each side work well together. We all have our own niches, but we share responsibilities and discuss things."

Weir, 44, knows that he's in a no-win situation with Riverview. If the team keeps on winning, it will be pointed out that success was expected because he took over a talented team.

"If we do well, I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do," he said. "If we fall short of the mark, the fingers will be pointing at me. I'm in a tough position, but we have a very strong coaching staff.

"We also have a core group of players that don't need to be motivated. They're there because they want to be. They don't miss practice. You need strong coaching, but you need that core of 15 to 20 guys that really take ownership of the team."

The 10-team MFL is senior men's tackle football, it's four downs and the minimum age for players is 18.

The league's pre-season jamboree tournament will take place on May 24 at Rocky Stone Memorial Field. The eight-game regular season will begin on May 30 and it wraps up with the championship game on Aug. 9.

Riverview's next open workout is on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Riverview Middle School gym. The Moncton Doc Dylan's Marshals are holding an open workout tonight at 9 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

2007 NEWS

Brent Myre/Times & Transcript
Riverview Mustangs quarterback Andrew Gallant goes up to score the final touchdown of an undefeated season in their Maritime Football League victory over the Halifax Shockers Saturday at Dobson Field

Riverview completes unbeaten season in MFL

Times & Transcript staff
Published Monday August 13th, 2007
Appeared on page C1

The Riverview Molson Mustangs are a perfect 10.

They capped off an undefeated season with yet another lopsided victory, defeating the Halifax Shockers 23-0 in the Maritime Football League championship game on Saturday in front of a hometown crowd of 1,200 at Dobson Field.

The third-year Mustangs captured their first Maritime Bowl and the truth is they were in a league of their own. They were 10-0 in the regular season and playoffs combined and outscored opponents by a staggering overall count of 408-37.

``This is unbelievable to finally win the championship,'' said Riverview slotback Mike Cochran, whose club lost in the league semifinal the past two seasons.

``It's taken a lot of hard work and dedication from a lot of guys. We have a lot of the same guys from the past two seasons, but we also had a quality group of rookies come in this season. We've got a lot of great leaders on both offence and defence. We gelled as a team early in the season.''

Riverview went 67 yards in nine plays on the opening drive of the game. Cochran capped it off by pulling in a 38-yard touchdown pass from A.J. Gallant and that turned out to be all the points the club would need.

The Mustangs added single points on a pair of missed field goals and held a 9-0 lead at halftime.

``Halifax came to play today and they made us work for awhile,'' said Cochran.

``We had a couple of miscues early on offence. Our defence was on the field a long time in the first half. They bent a little, but never broke. That's the way it was all season.''

Riverview turned the game into a blowout in the second half. Gallant scored two touchdowns, both on a one-yard quarterback keep play, and rounded out the summary by making it 23-0 early in the fourth quarter.

Gallant had 137 yards passing and also rushed for 15 yards. Steve Cormier turned in another stellar performance with 89 yards rushing, including several key carries to keep scoring drives alive.

``I've been playing football since age 11 and it's my first championship,'' said Gallant. ``This is a lot of fun. I should've been doing this more often. Defence wins championships and you saw that again today.

``It's pretty remarkable the number of shutouts our defence had this season. Halifax played us tough in the first half, but I think we wore them down as the game went along. We've been wearing down teams in the second half all season.''

Riverview scored an average of 40.8 points per game and allowed an average of 3.7 points against per game this season. The Mustangs posted six shutouts in 10 games in the regular season and playoffs combined.

``We always figure that if we hold our opponent off the scoreboard it's just a matter of time before our offence gets things going,'' said Mustangs defensive back Paul Best. ``That's the way it's been all season. We've got so many explosive guys on offence.''

``The depth on this team is great,'' added Gallant. ``We didn't need to have guys playing both ways. Our depth and talent made the difference in the second half in a lot of games this season and you saw that again today.''

Riverview's smallest margin of victory this season was 24 points.

``The reason we had success all season and won the championship is not because of one individual,'' said Mustangs defensive coordinator Sean MacIsaac. ``It's because everybody played as a team. The guys that weren't starting were on special teams and I think our special teams were the best in the league. Everybody played their role.''

The fifth- through eighth-place clubs competed in a lower bracket in the playoffs. The Dartmouth Knights defeated the hometown Saint John Longhorns 20-15 in the consolation championship game on Saturday.

For a list of MFL award winners, please see the Scoreboard page.

Brent Myre/Times & Transcript
Riverview Mustangs running back Justin Savioe, 31, is taken down by Capital Area Gladiators Bobby McIntyre and John Hayward during their MFL semifinal game Saturday at Dobson Field in Riverview.

Riverview to tackle Halifax after upset in semifinal game

Times & Transcript staff
Published Monday August 6th, 2007
Appeared on page C3

They're not called the Shockers for nothing.

Halifax Shockers upset the two-time defending champion Saint John Wanderers 9-2 in a Maritime Football League semifinal game Saturday in Saint John and no one was more surprised than the Riverview Mustangs.

"We heard the score and we didn't believe it at first,'' said Mustangs chief executive officer and fullback Mark Crandall.

"We had to call some people in Saint John just to make sure it was true. Halifax has a strong team, but it's still quite a shock for everyone around the league.''

Mustangs will host the Shockers in the league final after they beat the Fredericton Gladiators 43-15 in the other semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Dobson Field in Riverview.

The championship game is scheduled for this Saturday at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field.

"We were not expecting this,'' Crandall admitted. "Now, we have to prepare in a different way because we were expecting to face the Wanderers.

"Halifax has a strong quarterback (Chris Livingston), who has a great arm and he can scramble as well as anyone. They also have a former CFLer in Alan Wetmore, who controls the play defensively as an oustanding linebacker. It's going to be a great final.''

Riverview and Saint John had met in the final three years in a row and the Wanderers had won twice. This will be the first time in five years the Wanderers have not played in the Maritime final.

Mustangs finished first during the regular season with an 8-0 record and the Wanderers were 7-1. The Shockers and Gladiators tied for fourth spot with 4-4 records.

In Saturday's game in Riverview, Steve Cormier, A.J. Gallant and Francis Best each had two touchdowns for the Mustangs.

Jordan Beyea caught a 60-yard pass for a major from Gallant while Donovan Boucher added a two-point convert and Olivier Eddy kicked six converts.

Derek Madsen and Andrew Hubbard each had touchdowns for the Gladiators, who trailed 21-1 at halftime.

Riverview blanked Halifax 44-0 in the only meeting earlier this season.

"That score doesn't mean anything now,'' Crandall said.

"Obviously, they have improved themselves a lot over the course of the season. They've got a lot of talent.''

Meanwhile, the Moncton Vipers and Fredericton Gladiators will play for the Maritime Women's Football League title on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field. Both teams had 4-2 records during the regular season.

Moncton Vipers advance to women's Maritime football league championship game

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday July 30th, 2007
Appeared on page D4

Running back Steve Cormier rushed for 90 yards and three touchdowns leading the Riverview Molson Mustangs to a 44-0 win over the Saint John Longhorns in their Maritime Football League regular season finale Saturday at Dobson Field.

The Mustangs completed the regular season in first place with a perfect 8-0 record. They'll host the fourth-place Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton (4-4) in a Maritime Bowl semifinal Saturday at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field.

The other Riverview touchdowns on Saturday came from Justin Savoie, on a 20-yard run; Francis Best, on a 18-yard pass; and Mark Crandall, on a two-yard run.

The Mustangs were the only team in the nine-team league to go unbeaten during the regular season. They outscored their opponents 342-22.

The second-place Saint John Wanderers (7-1) will face the third-place Halifax Shockers (4-4) in the other Maritime Bowl semifinal Saturday in Saint John.

The two winners will meet in the Maritime Bowl league championship game Aug. 11.

The Wanderers are the two-time defending Maritime champions.

The five through eighth-place teams also qualified for the playoffs. They will compete for the Mariner Bowl consolation championship trophy.

Mariner Bowl semifinals next weekend will see the fifth-place Longhorns (4-4) play the eighth-place UNBSJ Wolves (2-6) and the sixth-place Dartmouth Knights (4-4) take on the seventh-place P.E.I. Privateers (2-6).

The Mariner Bowl championship game is set for Aug. 11.

The Moncton Marshals (1-7) finished in ninth place and failed to make the playoffs. The Marshals, who had a bye on the weekend, and Wolves were tied for eighth place entering play on Saturday. Moncton needed UNBSJ to lose its final game in order to clinch the eighth and final playoff spot, but the Wolves scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes to upset Halifax 28-21 and end the Marshals' playoff hopes.

In other games Saturday, the Wanderers edged Dartmouth 28-26 and Capital Area defeated P.E.I. 21-7.

Meanwhile, three-time all-star Gaetan Beaulieu was inducted into the Moncton Marshals Hall of Fame on Friday. Beaulieu is the first inductee in the Marshals hall.


Maritime Women's League

The Moncton Vipers blanked the Halifax Xplosion 20-0 in a Maritime Women's Football League semifinal Saturday at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

Moncton will play the Capital Area Lady Gladiators of Fredericton in the Maritime SupHer Bowl championship game Aug. 12 at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone.

Vipers running back Justine Barter rushed for a pair of touchdowns on 15 and 20-yard runs. She finished with 108 yards rushing.

Quarterback Jenny Miller added a one-yard touchdown run in the victory.

Kristen Nicholson, Jill Forbes and Sarah Haines each recorded interceptions for Moncton. Sacha Gaudet had two quarterback sacks and Dawna Ward had another. Heather LeBlanc recovered a fumbled Halifax punt.

Tara Keohan led the Vipers defence with five tackles while Tina Theriault added four and Laura Casey and LeBlanc each chipped in with three.

Capital Area thumped the Saint John Storm 46-6 in the other semifinal in Oromocto yesterday.

PETER WALSH/CANADAEAST NEWS SERVICE
Stevie Cormier of the Riverview Mustangs runs away from Saint John Wanderers defenders during Maritime Football League action Saturday afternoon at Simonds High Field..

Marshals top Wolves for first victory of Maritime Football League season

Times & Transcript staff
Published Monday July 23rd, 2007
Appeared on page C4

SAINT JOHN - In a battle for first place in the Maritime Football League and home-field advantage in the playoffs, the Riverview Mustangs defeated the Saint John Wanderers 24-8 at Simonds High School Field on Saturday.
With the win the Mustangs improve to 7-0 while the Wanderers fall to 6-1. The loss ended the Wanderers 24-game winning streak.
Quarterback A.J. Gallant and running back Steve Cormier led the way for the Mustangs. Gallant threw for 188 yards and a touchdown pass to Jordan Beyea.
Cormier had 140 yards rushing on the game and two TDs. Josh Scott converted the three TDs and kicked a field goal.
The Wanderers' lone score came on a trick play in the second quarter.
Wide receiver Mike Thomas took a handoff and tossed it to Matt Smith in the end zone.
Dave Grandy then hooked up Smith on the two-point conversion.
The Capital Area Gladiators edged the Saint John Longhorns 21-20. Reece Roche had three TD passes on the day for Saint John including a 60-yard strike to Jim Mather on the second play from scrimmage. The Longhorns missed the convert which was the deciding factor in the game.
"It was a tough loss," said Longhorns head coach Eric Sabean.
"The Gladiators are a good team that have been up and down this year."
Roche's other TD passes were caught by Mather and Gary Brown. The loss drops the Longhorns record to 4-3 while the Gladiators improve to 3-4.
On Saturday, the Dartmouth Knights shut out the Prince Edward Island Privateers 37-0.
Riverview completes the regular season Saturday when it hosts the Saint John Longhorns at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field.
Meanwhile, the Moncton Doc Dylan's Marshals broke through for their first win of the season yesterday and it couldn't have come at a better time.
Randy LeBlanc ran for a pair of touchdowns and the Marshals beat the UNBSJ Wolves 27-14 at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
The Marshals (1-7) and Wolves (1-6) are tied for eighth place in the nine-team league.
The ninth-place team will miss the playoffs, which begin in two weeks.
The top four clubs will advance to the playoffs and compete for the Maritime Bowl. The fifth-through eighth-place teams will also go to the playoffs and battle for a consolation championship trophy.
Moncton has already completed its regular season schedule and has a bye next week. If UNBSJ loses its final game to the Halifax Shockers on Saturday, the Marshals will grab the eighth and final playoff spot.
"The guys knew they had to come up big and go get this one. It's come down to us and the Wolves," Moncton head coach Dan Fougere said.
"We knew if we could win, it would give us a shot at the playoffs and the guys were pretty fired up for this game and went out and got it done."
Ryan Sabean rushed for a Marshals touchdown and quarterback Caleb Jordan hooked up with Scott LeBlanc for another major.
Scott LeBlanc kicked three converts and Sabean also recorded an interception.
The Moncton Vipers completed the Maritime Women's Football League regular season with a 14-8 win over the Halifax Xplosion Saturday at Rocky Stone.
The Vipers finished with a 4-2 record. The Xplosion went 3-3.
Moncton received touchdowns from Tara Keohan and Mandy Mallais. Michelle McLeod replied for Halifax.
The Vipers will host the Xplosion in a league semifinal Saturday at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone.

VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
Riverview Molson Mustangs Josh Scott takes down Halifax Shockers AJ Tufford who fumbles the ball during Maritime senior football action at Dobson field in Riverview yesterday.

Riverview running back Steve Cormier scores pair of majors in 41-0 victory over Halifax

By NEIL HODGE Times & Transcript Staff
Published Tuesday July 3rd, 2007
Appeared on page B1

It was supposed to be the toughest test so far this season for the Riverview Molson Mustangs.
What was expected to be a hard-fought battle didn't even amount to a minor skirmish. They dominated in every aspect of the game en route to a surprisingly easy 41-0 victory over the Halifax Shockers in Maritime Football League action yesterday at Dobson Field.
Good thing the league has a rule that calls for the fourth quarter to automatically be played in straight time when there's a 30-point spread. That's the only thing that prevented this game from being an even more embarrassing blowout.
``We didn't expect it to be that lopsided against them,'' said Riverview slotback A.J. Gallant. ``I don't know if they didn't bring their `A' game. We try to make it a habit to bring our `A' game every time out.
``We actually want some team to take a big shot at us. Halifax was jacked up to stop the run, but when they bring everybody in the box that opens up possibilities for our passing game and you saw what happened today. We've got speed across the board and we made a lot of big plays both through the air and along the ground.''
There's no question that Riverview, 5-0, and the Saint John Wanderers, 4-0, are in a class by themselves atop the MFL. Halifax, 3-2, and the Saint John Longhorns, 3-1, are tied for third place.
Upon completion of the eight-game regular season, the top four clubs will advance to the upper bracket in the playoffs and compete for the Maritime Bowl. The next four finishers will make the playoffs and battle for a consolation championship trophy.
The Moncton Doc Dylan's Marshals, 0-5, and UNBSJ Wolves of Saint John, 0-4, are at the bottom of the nine-team league looking for the eighth and final playoff berth. Moncton will host the Dartmouth Knights on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.
Riverview has a bye in the schedule next weekend.
Riverview has outscored opponents 218-14 in five games and that includes a mind-boggling 138-0 in the past three outings. Yesterday's game was close for one quarter and a half, but then the Mustangs turned it on and made life miserable for their Nova Scotia visitors.
Riverview running back Steve Cormier had 114 yards rushing on 11 carries and he scored two touchdowns. Gallant had 93 yards rushing and 154 yards receiving before taking over as quarterback in the second half.
Starting quarterback Paul Guimond hooked up with Gallant on a 74-yard passing play early in the second quarter to bring the ball to the one-yard line. Cormier ran it into the endzone from there to make it 7-0.
Francis Best had a one-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter to make it 14-0. Guimond's 79-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Boucher in the dying seconds of the first half made it 21-0 entering the intermission.
``In the first quarter, it was more a case of us playing bad than anything they were doing,'' said Gallant. ``We just weren't into it early. But once we got things rolling things went downhill pretty quick for them.''
Riverview upped the count to 27-0 early in the third quarter on Cormier's three-yard touchdown run. The two-point convert was missed.
Gallant hit Josh Dickenson with a 73-yard touchdown pass to make it 34-0 after the third quarter. Justin Savoie completed the assault with a three-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
``Of course, we expected it to be a little closer,'' said Cormier. ``Halifax came out and they were hitting hard and it was a close game for quite awhile. We didn't go ahead 14-0 until midway through the second quarter.
``Everybody knows that we have a strong team. We just wanted to show that even against the tougher teams in the league we're still able to put up points and our defence obviously played another great game. Halifax is a tough offence to shut down, but our defence did the job.''
Riverview is the top offensive team in the league, scoring an average of 43.6 points per game. It's also the best defensive club, allowing just 14 points against in five games.
``We've been playing strong defensively all season,'' said Riverview defensive back Matt Kenny, whose club has posted three consecutive shutouts. ``Halifax is a strong team, but we came out and proved again today that our defence is not to be messed with.
``We had a good defence last year and we're even better this year. We've got great coverage and everybody's just flying around the ball. We bent a couple of times today, but we didn't break when Halifax was on our half of the field.''

Riverview Molson Mustangs fullback Francis Best, 25, plows his way into the endzone for a touchdown before being tackled by Jamie Gosbee of the Prince Edward Island Privateers in Maritime Football League action Saturday at Dobson Field in Riverview.

Riverview outscores opponents 126-14 in three games

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday June 18th, 2007
Appeared on page C3

It took the Riverview Mustangs a little while to get their offence in gear, but once they did they were unstoppable.
They broke open a scoreless tie after the first quarter and kept their perfect record intact with a 46-0 victory over the Prince Edward Island Privateers in Maritime Football League action on Saturday at Dobson Field.
``We weren't sure what to expect from them,'' said Riverview quarterback Paul Guimond. ``They came out hard in the first quarter and gave us a scare, but we rebounded well and the scoreboard is indicative of how much talent we have on this team.
``We know that we're capable of putting teams away and it's just a matter of time as far as we're concerned. We're looking for every kind of challenge we're going to get this season and we're going to just hit it straight on like a Mustang would.''
Riverview and the Halifax Shockers, both 3-0, sit atop the league. The Saint John Wanderers are next best at 2-0.
Olivier Eddie nailed a 30-yard field goal on the opening play of the second quarter to give Riverview a 3-0 lead. The Mustangs exploded for three more quick touchdowns in the frame and took a 24-0 lead into halftime.
Steve Cormier scored on a 14-yard run and Francis Best entered the endzone from the one-yard line. Guimond then hooked up with Eddie on a 30-yard touchdown pass.
Riverview continued to pour it on in the third quarter. Guimond hit Cody Hollohan with a 20-yard touchdown pass and Prince Mwenga had a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Mustangs added a single point on a kick through the endzone to make it 39-0.
The Mustangs completed the blowout on Justin Savoie's 25-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Riverview has outscored opponents 126-14 in three games. It piled up yardage seemingly at will in the final three quarters on Saturday.
P.E.I. moved the ball to the opposition 30-yard line on the opening drive of the game, but then elected to punt instead of attempt a field goal. It never threatened to score over the remainder of the game.
``Our offence is well balanced,'' said Guimond. ``Steve Cormier is obviously the guy who sets the tone so we go to him early in games, but after that we have lots of different guys involved.
``I think it was an all-around effort in this game. We had lots of guys involved on offence and our defence came up with another big performance.''
In Saturday's other action, Halifax posted a 41-9 home win over the Moncton Doc Dylan's Marshals, the Saint John Wanderers dumped the Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton 35-6 and the Saint John Longhorns shaded the Dartmouth Knights 28-27.
The Longhorns are in fourth place at 2-1 while P.E.I. is 1-1 and Dartmouth is 1-2. The UNBSJ Wolves of Saint John (0-2), Moncton (0-3) and Capital Area (0-3) are at the bottom of the league.
Riverview and Moncton will clash on Friday at 7 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field..

Steve Cormier's three touchdowns carry Riverview football squad past Capital City

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday June 4th, 2007
Appeared on page D2

Steve Cormier caught a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another major to lead the Riverview Mustangs to a 49-7 win over the Capital City Gladiators of Fredericton in the Maritime Football League season-opener for both teams yesterday at Dobson Field.
Cormier gained 130 yards on the ground, which included a 65-yard run for a major.
Rookie Donovan Boucher added a pair of touchdown receptions then was taken off the field in a stretcher with a tailbone injury late in the first half.
Matt Kinney, on an interception return, and fullback Paul Best added touchdowns for the Mustangs, who led 42-0 at halftime.
Olivier Eddy kicked five converts. Eddy also threw a two-point conversion to Best.
Alex Paul, on a pass from Jeff Taylor, had the Gladiators lone touchdown.
Mustangs quarterback completed six of eight passes for 160 yards.
Mustangs visit the Dartmouth Knights, who are also 1-0, on Saturday.
Moncton Marshals (0-1) host the Saint John Wanderers (0-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. at Rocky Stone Memorial Field.

Published Wednesday March 21st, 2007 Appeared on page A12, Times & Transcript
Canadian troops distribute gifts to Afghan poor
By Sean Hatchard Times & Transcript Staff ABOVE LEFT: Sergeant Paris Keeping, an engineer at Camp Nathan Smith and originally from Moncton, helps pack gift bags to give to local Afghans as recognition of the upcoming celebrations around New Rooz, the Afghan New Year. ABOVE RIGHT: Corporal Greg Smith, a Moncton native who is a technician with the Civil-Military Co-operation Team at Camp Nathan Smith, helps assemble the gift bags for distribution.

The Commander of the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team, Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Chamberlain, and other personnel from the KPRT are helping distribute 150 gift bags in the days leading up to New Rooz.

Included in the group are a number of Moncton area natives who are part of the Canadian Forces deployed to the area.

In the tradition of New Rooz, the gifts will go to the poor and needy in the local area.

Included in the gift bags are blankets, school bags, beans, flour, tea, cooking oil, a radio and many other supplies.

The KPRT consists of Canadian Forces members, a civilian police contingent led by the RCMP, Correctional Services Canada, representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Canadian International Development Agency.

The KPRT conducts coordinated interdepartmental operations to promote good governance, assists the Government of Afghanistan in extending its authority in the province of Kandahar, and facilitates the development of a stable, secure and self-sustaining environment for the people of Afghanistan.

Times & Transcript | Sports - As published on page D1 on August 4, 2006
Mustangs hit road for N.B. final
By Sean Hatchard Times & Transcript Staff
(JOEL CULLIGAN/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT) Defensive specialist Dwayne Ells pushes a giant tractor tire back and forth during Riverview Mustangs senior football practice last night in Riverview. The Mustangs travel to Saint John tomorrow to face the host Wanderers in the N.B. final.

SAINT JOHN - Two years ago, it was Steve Cormier racing to the end zone with nine seconds remaining as the Moncton Marshals edged the Saint John Wanderers 29-27 for their first Maritime Football League New Brunswick Conference championship.

Last year, it was Mike Thomas catching the game-winning touchdown pass with five seconds left as Saint John got revenge with a 34-31 win over the Riverview Mustangs - most members of the Marshals team joined the Mustangs following their 2004 championship - for the New Brunswick title.

Moncton/Riverview and Saint John have met in the last three New Brunswick finals. In each of the last two meetings, three touchdowns were scored in the final two minutes in dramatic games.

Both teams expect the same tomorrow when Riverview and Saint John meet again in the MFL New Brunswick championship game at 4 p.m. at the Simonds High School field here. The winner moves on to the Maritime Bowl Aug. 12 against the winner of the Eastern Conference final tomorrow between the Halifax Shockers and Dartmouth Knights.

"It's guaranteed to be a good game. If you're a fan of football, you're definitely going to want to watch this game," Wanderers head coach Mark Gallagher said this week.

"These championship games just seem to go down to the wire. Every time. It's just two great teams rising to play one another."

Saint John finished first in the New Brunswick Conference with a 6-0 regular season record. Riverview was second at 5-1.

They met once with the Wanderers winning 25-20 in Week 5. Again, it was dramatic. Saint John won on a 90-yard touchdown run in the final 20 seconds.

"If anyone's been to a Saint John-Riverview game they know it's a rough battle to the very end. That's just the way it goes," Mustangs all-star defensive lineman Dwayne Ells said.

"One team scores and the other team comes right back and scores. It just goes like that. Both teams play hard and it's a really good rivalry."

Saint John blanked the Saint John Longhorns 27-0 in a semifinal last week to earn a ticket to the final. Riverview downed the Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton 25-14 in the other semifinal.

Mustangs haven't forgotten last year's playoff loss to the Wanderers.

"Saint John's a solid team. They have some experienced guys and they play well together," said Ells, who played basketball at Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Que.

"But we're a confident team, confident in our ability. We know they're the team to beat, they haven't lost in awhile and we're going there trying to knock them off."

Riverview's defence has played a bigger role on this year's team as its offence has adjusted to new players. Ells said the defence is up for the challenge tomorrow taking on Wanderers quarterback Jon Hachey, running back Jon Haines and receiver Mike Thomas.

"I love playing against the best and I'm sure every guy on our team feels the same way," Ells said.

"I'm really proud of the way our defence has played. We've come together and really gelled as a defence and we're ready to play (tomorrow)."

Meanwhile, Riverview has seven players nominated for conference awards. They are Steve Cormier (most outstanding player, most outstanding player-offence and most outstanding running back), John Forbes (most outstanding player-defence and most outstanding defensive back), Nick Sleeper (most outstanding offensive lineman), Dwayne Ells (most outstanding defensive lineman), Mike Cochrane (most outstanding receiver), Olivier Eddie (most outstanding special teams player) and Andy Stultz (most outstanding rookie).

Times & Transcript | Sports - As published on page D1 on July 31, 2006
Cormier lifts Mustangs past Gladiators

Riverview running back runs for three touchdowns to move on to New Brunswick senior football final
By Sean Hatchard Times & Transcript Staff
(GREG AGNEW/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT) Riverview Mustangs quarterback Paul Guimond lays one out there for a reception against the Capital Area Gladiators in first quarter action during the N.B. senior football semifinal at Dobson Field on Saturday.

It's taken some time, but chief executive officer Mark Crandall feels his Riverview Mustangs are coming together at the perfect time.

Mustangs beat the Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton 25-14 in a Maritime Football League New Brunswick Conference semifinal Saturday at Dobson Field.

Riverview advances to the New Brunswick Conference final on Saturday against the rival Saint John Wanderers in Saint John. The game will be a rematch of last year's conference championship game, which saw the Wanderers score the winning touchdown in the final seconds of a thrilling 34-31 victory.

"It was a huge win for us. We're looking to rebound from last year's New Brunswick final loss against Saint John and we've been getting ready for them," Crandall said.

"This was a great game and our guys did a fantastic job against a very good Fredericton team. Now, we're definitely looking forward to going down to Saint John and looking to win that game and then moving on to win the Maritime title."

Wanderers blanked the Saint John Longhorns 27-0 in the other New Brunswick semifinal Saturday.

In Eastern Conference semifinals Saturday, the Halifax Shockers thumped the Moncton Marshals 42-0 and the Dartmouth Knights bombed the P.E.I. Privateers 55-6. Halifax and Dartmouth will meet in the Eastern Conference final on Saturday in Halifax.

The two conference winners move on to the Maritime Bowl Aug. 12.

In Riverview Saturday, running back Steve Cormier ran for three touchdowns as the Mustangs defeated the Gladiators.

It was just the type a victory Crandall was looking for.

"It took us some time this year with a lot of changes and the loss of some key veterans and 20 some rookies. It took us six regular season games and this one to gel, but we did it," he said.

"The defence played awesome, our offence - with Steve Cormier and AJ Gallant - is always good and this was the first game we really gelled as a team. We're prepared both mentally and physically for next week."

Mustangs led 7-0 at the half on a two-yard touchdown run from Cormier, who finished with 91 yards on 16 carries.

Riverview went ahead 15-0 in the third quarter when Cormier found the end zone again on a one-yard run and then caught a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Paul Guimond.

After Capital Area cut the lead to 15-6 with a third-quarter touchdown, Cormier scored again on another one-yard run to make it 22-6 Mustangs.

Gladiators stayed in the game in the fourth quarter when quarterback Allison Brooks hooked up with Jeff Taylor on a 22-yard touchdown pass, to go along with a two-point convert, to trail 22-14.

However, Riverview's Olivier Eddie nailed a 35-yard field goal with six minutes remaining to secure the win.

Guimond finished 5-for-10 for 70 yards in passing. John Forbes led the Mustangs with six tackles.

Mustangs christened their new scoreboard at Dobson Field with the win.

The $3,000 scoreboard was paid for by the province and the Town of Riverview.

In Halifax, quarterback Chris Livingston tossed touchdowns to five different receivers and defensive back Jamaal Edwards ran an interception back 60 yards as the Shockers beat the Marshals.

Times & Transcript | Sports - As published on page D4 on July 28, 2006
Mustangs have score to settle

Riverview hopes to reverse final-seconds setback in last playoff game; Moncton Marshals on road to face Halifax
By Sean Hatchard Times & Transcript Staff

Riverview Mustangs haven't forgotten their last playoff game.

(JOL CULLIGAN / TIMES & TRANSCRIPT) Slotback and backup quarterback Andrew Gallant gets in a few tosses and loosens up during the Riverview Mustangs practice last evening at Riverview High.

Mustangs, in their first year of existence, watched the Saint John Wanderers score the winning touchdown in the final seconds of a thrilling 34-31 win in the New Brunswick Conference final of the Maritime Football League last season.

Wanderers went on to also win the Maritime title.

"You don't like to keep stuff like that in your head over time because it will drive you nuts, but it's always back there," Riverview star running back Steve Cormier said this week.

"It was a close game. The year before when I was with Moncton we beat them in the same situation and last year was their turn. But it wasn't good. It left a sour taste in our mouth.

"We talked about it over the winter and it really drove us. We really want to win this year and that's why everyone is trying their best to get us there."

Mustangs begin their Maritime championship quest when the league playoffs open tomorrow. Riverview hosts the Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton in a New Brunswick Conference semifinal at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field.

The other New Brunswick semifinal tomorrow has the Wanderers entertaining the Saint John Longhorns at 4 p.m.

In the Eastern Conference semifinals tomorrow, the Moncton Marshals visit the Halifax Shockers and the P.E.I. Privateers are home to the Dartmouth Knights in 4 p.m. games.

Wanderers finished first in the New Brunswick Conference with a 6-0 record, followed by the Mustangs (5-1), Gladiators (3-3), Longhorns (3-3) and Marshals (1-5), who grabbed the fifth and final playoff berth and moved over to the Eastern Conference for the playoffs.

Shockers (4-2) placed first in the Eastern Conference in front of the Privateers (2-3) and Knights (2-3).

Riverview defeated Capital Area 29-13 in Week 2.

"They (Gladiators) have a very explosive offence with (former Mount Allison Mounties quarterback) Allison Brooks. Their offence is really good and their defence is very good, too," said Cormier, 23, who won a league championship with the Marshals in 2004 and joined the upstart Mustangs last season.

"I expect them to play well on both sides of the ball. They haven't made the finals in a long time and this is their year with Allison being there, so I expect them to come full out."

Cormier said it's vital his team doesn't look past the Gladiators to the presumed New Brunswick final against the rival Wanderers next weekend.

"Since the start of the year everyone's expected we would meet in the final, but going into the playoffs it can be anyone's game. You mess up on one play and your entire season could be over," the Harrison Trimble Trojans product said.

"We've talked about it as a team to make sure our heads are clean. We don't want to assume just because we had a 5-1 record we're automatically going to the final. We can't be too confident going into the playoffs."

Meanwhile, the Marshals head to Halifax tomorrow riding a five-game losing streak. Moncton won its opening game of the season but then lost five in a row.

"We've had a tough schedule and it's been a combination of things - injuries, suspensions, guys away at opportune times, but that's how it goes," Marshals head coach Todd Greening said.

"We've been making mental errors, taking too many penalties, giving up too many big plays and not executing. We've had our opportunities but have dropped the ball."

Moncton fell 28-1 to Halifax in Week 4.

"We know it's a tough matchup, we're going in as big underdogs. They have a good, solid team but it's a winnable game if we play our A game," Greening said. "We have to execute on offence, control the ball and keep it out of their hands and on defence play very aggressive."

The New Brunswick and Eastern conference finals follow next Saturday. The winners will meet in the Maritime Bowl Aug. 12.

Meanwhile, Riverview had 12 players named to the New Brunswick Conference all-star team this week. They were running back Steve Cormier, fullback Pat Duff, slotbacks Andrew Gallant and Mike Cochrane, offensive linemen Mark Teed and Nick Sleeper, defensive linemen Dwayne Ells and Matt Cochrane, linebacker Paul Best, defensive backs John Forbes and Chris Sparks and kicker/punter Olivier Eddie.

Times & Transcript | Sports - As published on page C3 on July 10, 2006
Mustangs, Marshals shaded

You can never count out the Saint John Wanderers
Times & Transcript Staff
The defending Maritime Bowl champion just always seems to find a way to get the job done. They proved that again with a dramatic turn of events in the dying seconds for a 25-20 win over the Riverview Mustangs in Maritime Football League action on Saturday at Dobson Field.

Olivier Eddie punted the ball through the endzone from the 30-yard line for a single point to give the Mustangs a 20-19 lead with 22 seconds remaining in the game. But the celebration didn't last long.

The Wanderers opted to take the ball on their own 20-yard line rather accept a kickoff. The next play was a reverse to John Haines and he went on a 90-yard touchdown run to seal the victory in stunning fashion for the visitors.

The Wanderers, 3-0, and the Mustangs, 3-1, are battling for top spot in the New Brunswick Conference and their head-to-head clash was a hard-fought thriller featuring all kinds of momentum swings.

Meanwhile, the Saint John Longhorns improved their record to 2-2 by edging the Moncton Marshals 22-15 yesterday at the Canada Games Stadium in Saint John. The Marshals are 1-3.

In Riverview, Saint John jumped out to a 13-0 lead after the first quarter. There was a 16-yard touchdown run by Haines and a nine-yard touchdown pass by quarteback John Hachey.

Riverview did all the scoring in the second quarter and it was 13-13 at halftime. Quarterback Paul Guimond hooked up with Steve Cormier for a 45-yard touchdown pass. Cormier also had a seven-yard touchdown run.

The Mustangs led 19-13 after the third quarter on A.J. Gallant's five-yard touchdown run. The Wanderers tied it 19-19 early in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Hachey to Marcus Fitzgerald, setting the stage for the game's dramatic finish in the last minute.

Guimond connected on five of 13 pass attempts for 73 yards and one touchdown for the Mustangs. Cormier paced the club along the ground with 74 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Times & Transcript | Sports - As published on page C1 on July 3, 2006
Forbes lifts Mustangs to grid win

Riverview senior club improves to 3-0 with 14-7 victory over Dartmouth Knights; Moncton Marshals fall 28-1
By NEIL HODGE
Times & Transcript Staff

(GREG AGNEW/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT)
Riverview Mustang players Jonathan Forbes (4) and Ben Best (24) combine to knock Dartmouth Knights ball carrier Ryan Moxsom off his feet in Maritime Senior Football League action at the Dobson Field in Riverview on Saturday.

The defining moment was easy to identify.

Defensive back Johnathan Forbes forced the fumble and then had a 109-yard touchdown return with six minutes remaining to lift the Riverview Mustangs to a 14-7 win over the Dartmouth Knights in Maritime Football League action on Saturday at Dobson Field.

Dartmouth quarterback Dan Williams tried to score on a one-yard plunge. But Forbes ripped the ball out of his hands and dashed the length of the field to give Riverview a 14-0 lead.

``We played well together as a defensive unit, lots of communication on the field. Lots of guys came up with big plays," said Forbes, who also had one interception and eight tackles.

Riverview, 3-0, moved into first place in the New Brunswick Conference. The Saint John Wanderers, 2-0, will look to pull even when they visit the Capital Area Gladiators tomorrow.

Mitch Willinger's three-yard touchdown run gave Riverview a 7-0 lead at halftime. The Mustangs had a drive stopped inside the five-yard line in the second quarter and they botched a 26-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter.

The Mustangs finally gained breathing room with a 14-0 lead thanks to a big play from their defence. The Knights made it 14-7 with four minutes remaining on a 33-yard touchdown reception by Tyrone Roue.

Riverview had 355 total yards - 152 passing and 203 rushing. Quarterback Paul Guimond made good on nine of 20 pass attempts and Willinger keyed the ground game with 101 yards rushing.

But it was defence that enabled the Mustangs to escape with victory. Linebacker Paul Best was a standout with four tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

``The wind obviously had an impact on both offences," said Guimond. ``It was a team effort to get the win. I can't say enough about our defence, especially the big play by Johnathan Forbes late in the game."

In Saturday's other action, the Halifax Shockers defeated the Moncton Marshals 28-1 at Rocky Stone Memorial Field and Capital Area downed the Saint John Longhorns 31-21.

Halifax, 3-1, is first in the Eastern Division. It held a 20-0 halftime lead against Moncton, which generated nothing offensively and left its defence on the field for too much of the game.

``Our starting quarterback (Gaetan Beaulieu) missed most of the game with injury so that's a big piece of the puzzle," said Marshals defensive coordinator Peter Beers. ``We were also missing three starters on defence.

``No excuses, though. Halifax was the better team today. We have to put this behind us and get ready for the next one."

Yesterday, the Prince Edward Island Privateers beat the UNBSJ Wolves 31-0 in Saint John.

Capital Area, 2-2, sits third in the New Brunswick Conference. Moncton, 1-2, and the Saint John Longhorns, 1-3, are tied for fourth place.

Riverview meets the Wanderers on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field in a showdown for first place. Moncton visits the Longhorns on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Canada Games Stadium.

Times & Transcript | Football - As published on page B6 on June 27, 2006
Marshals shrug off first loss of football season

By NEIL HODGE
times & transcript staff
``We knew we were going into a tough game last weekend," he said in reference to a 38-0 road loss to the defending Maritime Bowl champion Saint John Wanderers in Maritime Football League action on Saturday.

``We made some early season mistakes and against a team that is the defending Maritime champion you can't do that. It really wasn't a 38-point differential type of game. We probably played them within a couple touchdowns had we not made our mistakes."

Moncton is trying to rebound from a blowout loss as it prepares to face the Halifax Shockers on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Field. What can the Marshals take from their setback to the Wanderers?

``I think a lot of it is that we're still working on the mental aspect of the game," said Greening, whose club opened the season with a 38-6 win over the UNBSJ Wolves.

``There are weeks in this league that we will face weaker teams and some weeks we will face the tougher teams. We need to be able to keep playing our `A' game regardless of the level of competition.

``I don't think we did that against the Wanderers. The intensity started to wane by the second half and we paid the price because they don't let up. I think it's a handful of big plays that made the game lopsided. We were hurt by key mental mistakes as well as the fact the Wanderers are a very, very good team."

The Wanderers, 2-0, sit atop the New Brunswick Conference. Moncton, the Riverview Mustangs and Saint John Longhorns are all 1-1 while the Capital Area Gladiators and UNBSJ are both 0-2.

Halifax, 2-1, is first in the Eastern Conference. The Dartmouth Knights are 1-0 and the Prince Edward Island Privateers are 0-1.

In other action last weekend, Halifax trounced Capital Area 27-0 and the Longhorns pounded UNBSJ 39-1 in an all-Saint John matchup.

Riverview meets UNBSJ tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Canada Games Stadium in Saint John.

The Wanderers appear to once again be the team to beat in both the New Brunswick Conference and the league.

``I think until someone defeats the Wanderers they are the team to beat," said Greening. ``I also think there are other teams in the league that are legitimate contenders for the championship this year.

``The Wanderers are going to have some tough games, but time will tell. I think in our conference there are three teams that could finish behind them in second place."

Times & Transcript | Football - As published on June 19, 2006

Mustangs win opener

TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

Riverview Mustangs chief executive officer Mark Crandall knew his team was eager to hit the field.

After three months of practice and seeing their opening game rained out, the Mustangs opened their Maritime Football League season at Rocky Stone Memorial Field Saturday and Crandall was impressed.

Mustangs defeated the Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton 29-13.

"You could tell our guys were a little nervous at first, but they settled down and played a great game," Crandall said.

"We were solid on defence and the offence moved the ball very well. Our quarterback (Paul Guimond) had big shoes to fill and he was outstanding.

"It was a good game for all of our guys."

Guimond, a former Mathieu-Martin Matador who played for the the Moncton Marshals of the senior league last season, threw for 141 yards and rushed for a touchdown.

He replaces former St. Francis Xavier standout J.R. Gallant, who is pursuing a career in the navy.

Mustangs return to action next Wednesday in Saint John against the UNBSJ Sea-Wolves. Mustangs host the Dartmouth Knights, last year's Nova Scotia conference winners, on July 1 at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field in Riverview.

Crandall was also impressed with the Gladiators. Riverview trounced Capital Area 71-0 last year, but two-time league MVP Allison Brooks, a former Mount Allison Mounties starter, rejoined the team and showed his leadership yesterday.

"Every team in the league has improved," Crandall said.

"You have to be ready to play every game. It's going to be an interesting season."

Running back Steve Cormier racked up 122 yards on 14 carries for the Mustangs.

Cormier also ran for a 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Mike Cochrane and Mitch Willinger also had majors for the Mustangs. Olivier Eddie kicked four converts and added a single on a missed field goal.

Alex Paul and Andrew Hubbard scored touchdowns for the Gladiators and Nathan Paul kicked a convert.

Times & Transcript | Football - As published on June 17, 2006
Senior football teams hit field this weekend

Mustangs at home today; Marshals host game tomorrow

By NEIL HODGE, Times & Transcript staff

The Maritime Football League has its own distinct brand.

For one thing, the rulebook states you need to have at least one passing attempt on the first three downs. This is a senior league with a minimum age of 18 and another element that makes it unique is the fact it's 10 players per team on the field.

"If you don't have a decent quarterback, it's very difficult especialy with the passing rule in this league," said Riverview Mustangs defensive coordinator Shawn MacIsaac. "There's such an emphasis on passing in this league and being a defensive guy that presents challenges.

"With it being 10-man football, they eliminated the tackles but you still have to cover as many receivers as you do in 12-man football. Most teams will eliminate a linebacker and a defensive lineman. There's just as many receivers, but we have a little less guys to cover so it helps out the offence for sure."

Riverview faces the Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton today at 4 p.m. at Rocky Stone Field. In other action today, the Prince Edward Island Privateers visit the Dartmouth Knights and the Halifax Shockers host the defending Maritime Bowl champion Saint John Wanderers.

The Moncton Marshals meet the UNBSJ Wolves of Saint John tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Rocky Stone Field.

Capital Area, one of the league's weakest teams the past two seasons, has added a new quarterback in Allison Brooks. He's a former quarterback for the Mount Allison Mounties and a two-time all-star in the MFL.

"Allison is going to add a totally new dimension to that team," said MacIsaac. "He can move around. He's got good arm strength and he's a fairly intelligent guy so I think he's going to make a huge difference for that team.

"I think Capital Area can challenge to be among the top four teams in the league. We're expecting a tough game (today). Watching them at the jamboree, I thought they looked really good."

The nine-team MFL opened the regular season with two games last weekend. Halifax defeated P.E.I. 19-14, Dartmouth pounded the Saint John Longhorns 27-6 and two other contests were cancelled because of weather conditions.

The Longhorns, 0-1, are the only club that's seen action in the six-team New Brunswick Conference. In the three-team Eastern Conference, Dartmouth and Halifax are both 1-0 and P.E.I. is 0-1.

Riverview lost 34-31 to the Saint John Wanderers in the New Brunswick championship game last season.

"The Wanderers are still the top dogs," said MacIsaac. "They've still got to be knocked off and until they lose they're still the champion. Halifax looks pretty good. Dartmouth looks solid.

"I think we can contend. There should be no reason why not. I mean we've had some player losses. When you lose your quarterback (J.R. Gallant) it's definitely big, but at the same time we picked up some key guys on defence in Johnathan Forbes, Josh Scott and Anthony Brown. I think our pass defence will be much better this season."

Moncton captured the 2004 Maritime Bowl, but then had to do some major rebuilding last season after losing most of its players to the new squad that started up in Riverview. The Marshals surpassed expectations with a 4-2 record in the regular schedule last season.

"We were proud of what we accomplished last season," said Marshals defensive coordinator Peter Beers. "We had a young team with a lot of first-year players and we improved steadily as the season went along.

"We're looking to continue building on what we did last season. You could feel the enthusiasm in training camp. We're anxious to get the season started."

Moncton begins the season on its home turf tomorrow against an opponent that could be the weakest in the league. The UNBSJ Wolves are a first-year team that lack players with MFL experience.

"One thing's for sure, we're not looking past them," said Beers when asked about the need to guard against a feeling of overconfidence.

"They're our first opponent and being a new team we're not exactly sure what to expect from them. They're the team we're going to war with this week and we're not thinking about anyone else in the league until this game is over."

Times & Transcript | Football - As published on page D5 on June 10, 2006
Senior football season kicks off tomorrow

By NEIL HODGE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

The Riverview Mustangs are back with a much different look for their second season in the Maritime Football League.

Gone are quarterback J.R. Gallant, running back Alex Best and wide receivers Chris Miller and Ryan Doucet. All were key components in helping the club compile a 5-1 record last season while outscoring opponents by an unbelievable margin of 311-35.

"Last year's team was phenomenal on the offensive side," said Mustangs chief executive officer Mark Crandall. "To compare the teams from last year and this year, I would say they're night and day.

We have about 22 rookies this year and there's some good young talent there. The defence might be stronger this season. Once we get some games under the belt of our new quarterback, I think you'll see us be as competitive as last year. "

Riverview opens the six-game regular season on the road against the UNBSJ Wolves tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the Canada Games Stadium in Saint John.

There are three other season openers today at 4 p.m. The Maritime champion Saint John Wanderers meet the Capital Area Gladiators in Fredericton, the Halifax Shockers visit the Prince Edward Island Privateers and the Dartmouth Knights host the Saint John Longhorns. The Moncton Marshals get the bye in Week 1.

Paul Guimond, who played for Moncton last season, is Riverview's new quarterback. The Mustangs will rely on star returning running backs Steve Cormier and Andrew Gallant along with the addition of former Moncton running back Mitch Willinger.

The Mustangs key losses on defence were defensive lineman Mike Pitman and defensive back Colin Steeves. Defensive linemen Jason Terris and Dwayne Els are significant returnees.

The Mustangs also bolstered their defence with the addition of free safety Jonathan Forbes, linebacker Anthony Brown and defensive lineman Shawn Wareham.

Riverview lost 34-31 to the Saint John Wanderers in the New Brunswick championship game last season.

"We're probably not quite as offensive this season," said Mustangs head coach Woody Hayes. "When you lose J.R. Gallant at quarterback, you lose a lot. Paul Guimond is trying to fit in now. We've got a new play calling system and new plays.

We're going to be a running team this year. That's the way it looks right now, but you've got to be like an elastic band and adjust. We had such a good passing attack last year that maybe we didn't make as much use of the running game as we could've."

Times & Transcript | Football As published on page D4 on June 3, 2006
Mustangs have big plans for grid season

Riverview squad came close in last year's N.B. final - hope to win it all this time around By Sean Hatchard Times & Transcript Staff

Riverview Mustangs are in just their second year of existence, but they have big plans for their second season in the Maritime Football League.

On the field, the Mustangs hope to capture their first-ever Maritime championship after losing a 34-31 heartbreaker to the Saint John Wanderers in the New Brunswick Conference final last year.

Off the field, the Riverview club wants to continue its prolific business plan and improve its game day activities.

"We're looking forward to a successful campaign on and off the field," Mustangs' chief executive officer Mark Crandall said this week as the team prepares for the 2006 season.

The Maritime league - featuring nine teams from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island - opens its regular season June 10.

The New Brunswick Conference features Riverview, Moncton Marshals, defending Maritime champion Saint John Wanderers, Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton, Saint John Longhorns and the expansion UNBSJ Wolves.

The Eastern Conference is comprised of the Dartmouth Knights, Halifax Shockers and P.E.I. Privateers.

Mustangs kick off the 2006 season June 11 when they visit UNBSJ at 2 p.m. at the Canada Games Stadium in Saint John.

Marshals have an opening week bye. They visit the Wolves June 18 in Saint John.

Riverview has added quarterback Paul Guimond and running back Mitch Willigar, who both played for arch rival Moncton last season. Guimond will replace former Mustangs pivot J.R. Gallant, who is not returning this summer. Also not back is all-star defensive lineman Mike Pittman.

Key returnees include running back Steve Cormier and receiver Andrew Gallant. A newcomer is Riverview native John Forbes, who is coming off a five-year career as a defensive back at St. Francis Xavier University.

"The guys played fantastic in a championship game last year against the Saint John Wanderers but just fell short. Winning a championship is always nice and this year we hope to take it one step further than we did last year," Crandall said.

"We've got quite a few returning veterans and some strong rookies and I think this year the boys definitely have the team to do it."

Crandall hopes to see success off the field, too.

The team has retained all of its sponsors from a year ago and has added more. Its focus on game day will be a family atmosphere.

Each home game will see money raised from concession sales go to a different Riverview charity. There will also be punt, kick and pass competition for children. Kids under 15 get in free.

Games will also feature 50/50 draws, along with contests and give-aways. The team also has a line of merchandise for adults and children.

The club will introduce a new mascot this season - Cletus the Mustang. The Fillies, the team's cheerleading squad, won't be back, however.

"In our last game we had over 1,000 fans and I think our game day experience is the best for families of any sport," Crandall said. "We really want to build on last year and take the next step forward."

Meanwhile, in Moncton the Marshals hope to build on their 4-2 season last year and a loss to Riverview in a New Brunswick Conference semifinal.

While Moncton has lost Guimond and Willigar, the team has picked up defensive back Mike Goguen of Riverview, linebacker Adam Beal of Sackville, defensive end Paul Blakney of Salisbury and Mike Donahue, who will challenge Gaetan Beaulieu for the starting quarterback job.

"Offensively and defensively we expect to be better at both ends of the ball than we were last year," second-year Marshals head coach Todd Greening said.

"I think the expectations on us from the league last year as a first-year team were quite low, but we're proud of our 4-2 season.

"This year we're more experienced and time will tell how we fare this season because we've been handed a very tough schedule."

Returnees include running back Ryan Sabean and defensive back Kyle Spencer, who both made major impacts as rookies last season.

Mustangs slate open tryout

Times & Transcript | Football As published on page C4 on April 17, 2006

Riverview Mustangs of the Maritime Football League will hold a tryout Thursday at Riverview Middle School. The workout will run from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The tryout is open to players 18 and over. There are openings at all positions. Players are asked to wear non-marking footwear. For more information on the Mustangs, call Mark Crandall at 854-4717 or Bob Giffard at 878-3274. The nine-team league opens June 10.

Mustangs earn ticket to final
SEAN HATCHARD Times & Transcript Staff

(JOEL CULLIGAN / TIMES & TRANSCRIPT) Riverview Mustangs running back Steve Cormier scampers toward the end zone during Saturdays Maritime Football League playoff game against the Moncton Marshals.

From one rivalry to another.

Riverview Mustangs thumped their cross-town rival Moncton Marshals 44-6 in a Maritime Football League New Brunswick Conference semifinal at Dobson Field in Riverview on Saturday.

Mustangs now move on to meet another rival - the Saint John Wanderers - in the conference final on Saturday in Saint John.

Riverview, an expansion team which rolled through the regular season and finished second in the conference with a 5-1 record behind Saint John (6-0), lost its only game of the season to the Wanderers 14-10 in Week 4.
"We're going down to Saint John and we expect another close game with the Wanderers, just like the last one. I feel if my boys play the way they're capable of playing, we'll be able to pull it off," Mustangs chief executive officer Mark Crandall said.
"I'm very confident of our team. The boys have the talent to go all the way to the Maritime Bowl championship."

The conference regular season champion Wanderers beat the fourth-place Simonds Longhorns of Saint John 47-3 in the other conference semifinal yesterday. The New Brunswick conference winner will play the Eastern Conference winner for the league championship in the Maritime Bowl Aug. 13.

Riverview's win over Moncton Saturday was still a blowout, but not nearly as bad as the Mustangs' 77-0 victory over the Marshals in the season opener. Riverview is made up mostly of players from last year's league championship Moncton team, which jumped ship to the upstart Mustangs in the off season. Steve Cormier and Andrew Gallant led Riverview with a pair of touchdowns. Cormier found the end zone on eight and 44-yard runs, while Gallant ran for a 51-yard major and also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from brother J.R. Gallant.
Other Mustang touchdowns came from Mike Pittman, on a 25-yard run, and Chris Miller, on a nine-yard pass from J.R. Gallant.

Riverview led 21-0 at the half.

Dartmouth Knights will host the Halifax Shockers in the Eastern Conference final on Saturday.

In conference semifinals on the weekend, Dartmouth defeated the Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton 50-13 and Halifax edged the P.E.I. Privateers 39-34.

***

Maritime Football League Rivals prepared for rematch
SEAN HATCHARD Times & Transcript Staff

Alex MacDonald works his way past Steve Cormier during a blocking drill at a Riverview Mustangs practice.

Neither team has forgotten it. The Riverview Mustangs' 77-0 hammering of the rival Moncton Marshals in Week 1 of the Maritime Football League regular season is fresh on the minds of both clubs as the playoffs open this weekend. Now, the rematch is on.

The two teams meet in the New Brunswick Conference semifinal tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Dobson Field in Riverview. "We're going to treat this like every other game. We're not going to take them lightly and we'll be going full out," Mustangs slotback/running back Steve Cormier said this week. "It's playoff time and we're just like every other team, we want to go all the way and this is the start of what we hope is a long playoff run."

Riverview (5-1) finished second in the New Brunswick Conference behind the Saint John Wanderers (6-0). Moncton (4-2) placed third. Marshals captured the league championship last season, but lost almost their entire roster and coaching staff to the expansion Mustangs in the off season.

While Moncton lost its first two games of the regular season, it rebounded to win its last four. Cormier doesn't expect to see a repeat of the opening week blowout. "The Marshals have improved dramatically through the season and I expect a closer game this time," said Cormier, a 22-year-old Harrison Trimble Trojans product. "Their defence has stepped up a lot and they have some leaders over there and they've got what they needed from their defence. Kyle Spencer at DB has been making interceptions and turning the ball around and that's stuff they need."

Meanwhile, the Marshals say they're prepared to give the Mustangs a better run this time around. "We haven't forgotten that first game and we'd love to prove that it was a fluke, that we're a lot better team than that. That game hurt, it hurt at the time and it still hurts, it was embarrassing," said Moncton slotback Andrew Sharpe, one of just a handful of returnees from last year's league championship team. "We've improved a lot since then and maybe it turns out it was a positive thing. Maybe it was a reality check to show us just how hard we had to work."

Riverview rolled through the regular season, outscoring opponents 311-35. Its only loss came in a 14-10 defeat in Week 4 to the undefeated Wanderers. "We're happy with everything, but the Saint John game. We've picked it up a lot since then. "You never like to lose a league game, but we still have the playoffs and that's what matters," said Cormier, who also played two seasons with the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. "Everyone is excited for the playoffs. This is what we've been waiting for since the winter."

Marshals will head into the game with the attitude they can compete with their rivals. "I think in the game of football if you go in thinking you're going to get beaten then you might as well not show up. If we go in thinking they'll beat us, we'll get physically destroyed and you can't play football that way," said Sharpe, 29, a third-year veteran. "We have to come in and hit hard and do some damage. I'm not going to say we'll win or have a shot of winning, I don't know, but we can't go in thinking we'll lose." Sharpe said Moncton's game plan against Riverview is simple. "You have to make them respect you, if you don't they'll run all over you. They're a big team, physical and extremely aggressive, and they have big guys who can cause a lot of pain," he said. "You really have to stand up to them. They're like a school yard bully. If you can make them respect you, I think you'll have more success."

A barbeque and a dunk tank, with Riverview Mayor Clarence Sweetland and Mustangs chief executive officer Mark Crandall inside, will be held during the game. All proceeds will go to the United Way.

Meanwhile, the Wanderers host the fourth-place Simonds Longhorns of Saint John (3-3) in the other conference semifinal Sunday at 4 p.m. in Hampton.

In the Eastern Conference, the first-place Dartmouth Knights (4-2) entertain the fourth-place Capital Area Gladiators of Fredericton (1-5) and the second-place Halifax Shockers (2-4) host the third-place P.E.I. Privateers (2-4) in conference semifinals tomorrow.

In the New Brunswick Women's Football League, the first-place Moncton Vipers (3-0) wrap up the regular season Monday when they visit Saint John at 4 p.m.