2012 kicked off in dramatic fashion this weekend for the Northern Football Conference Ottawa Invaders and Toronto Titans.
The visiting Invaders showed a great deal of promise in their season debut Saturday, falling just 14 points short of cross province rivals the Toronto Titans. The heated game was a back and forth affair that began with an incredible opening return from the Titans which put them in excellent scoring position.
Despite tremendous pressure, Ottawa’s quarterback Jeff Hildreth orchestrated all three touchdowns and threw for over 250 yards in his first appearance this year. Hildreth got the team’s offence going right away, hooking up with slot back Danny Mullins for a 61 yard completion to answer the Titans opening drive. Although the touchdown on the play was called back, the pass left the Invaders in great field position for Curtis Gates to cap off the comeback.
After the tone was set by Ottawa’s determination and competitive opening drive, Raymond Alidu and Mullins would later both score to keep it close. Kicker Jeff Morris converted on all three extra point opportunities while notching a 21 yard field goal late in the first quarter as well.
On the defensive side of things returning Invader lineman Rob McCormick stepped up with game changing hit, as well as being instrumental in sparking the Invaders from the sidelines as a vocal leader.
The contest would’ve also looked a lot different had Ottawa’s offensive line not been able to hold off arguably one of the best pass rushing teams in the NFC. However the Titans managed to break through the wall in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter, pressuring Jeff Hildreth to throw a pass that was picked-off, after the Invaders had narrowed it to a one score game. This gave Toronto enough time and momentum to slip in one more touchdown against the Invaders before the game ended creating a final score of 38-24.
As the 2012 season is motion President James McAllister reflected on his squad with little stress and a lot of excitement heading towards their home opener.
“We had some cobwebs and [the] mental mistakes late in the game proved costly for us, but that’s to be expected from the first game. With no exhibition before this season and going up against such a tough opponent I think this was a true test to where the team is now and I’m really happy with what I saw.”
The Ottawa Invaders will take on the Sudbury Spartans in their home opener Saturday June 2, at Keith Harris Stadium at 7 p.m.
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