McGill star looks solid as East tops West 23-13 in 89th East-West Shrine Game

Source: Earl Zukerman, McGill Sports Info

BOXSCORE
EAST ROSTER
WEST ROSTER

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA -- In a game that started out as a battle of kickers, it was the defences that ultimately decided the day as the East prevailed 23-13 in the 89th annual East-West Shrine Bowl, in front of nearly 20,000 fans at Tropicana Field, Saturday.

The East roster featured Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a highly-decorated offensive lineman from McGill University, who is currently pegged to be the No.1 selection in the Canadian Football League Draft. The West side included Evan Gill, a defensive tackle from the University of Manitoba.

Duvernay-Tardif, a fourth-year medical student, did not start the contest but rotated in every two series with the other right tackle. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound all-Canadian lineman started the second half and played most of the fourth quarter.

"He did well especially In the final quarter when going against the defensive end from Stanford (Josh Mauro, 6'6", 275)," said McGill head coach Clint Uttley, who was in attendance at the game. "He will definitely get an opportunity to attend an NFL camp. The question is did he do enough to get himself drafted? He had a great week of practice and really turned some heads. The scouts loved his intensity. One NFL draft website had him ranked in the top 10 prospects at the game by the end of the week."

The offences struggled early, with a fumble by the West on the second play from scrimmage (recovered by East Linebacker Johnny Millard of Cal Poly) resulting in a 31-yard field goal by East kicker Zach Hocker (Arkansas) less than two minutes into the game.

The West responded with a 12-play, 61-yard drive led by QB Keith Wenning (Ball State) that included three completions totaling 26 yards to Bernard Reedy (Toledo) and a15-yard rush by Timothy Flanders (Sam Houston State). The drive also included a converted fourth-and-5 where Wenning hooked up with Chandler Jones (San Jose State) for a 10-yard completion. The drive stalled at the inside the East's 20, where kicker Anthony Fera (Texas) tied the game at 3-3 with a 34-yard field goal.

The East sputtered when West safety Alden Darby (Arizona State) intercepted QB Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois) on the third play of the drive.

The West failed to capitalize, driving 30 yards to the East 21 before turning it back over on a failed fourth down conversion.

Two plays later West CB Shaquille Richardson (Arizona) collected another interception at the East's 27-yard line.

The West took advantage of the field position, despite actually losing four yards on the ensuing drive when DL Ethan Westbrooks (West Texas A&M) sacked QB Tommy Rees (Notre Dame) for a nine-yard loss on third-and-5. Fera made a 37-yard field goal to give the West their only lead of the game.

QB Jimmy Garoppolo (Eastern Illinois) led the East on a nine-play drive, including a 25-yard completion to WR Jeremy Gallon (Michigan) that resulted in another Hocker field goal -- from 34 yards -- that tied the game at 6-6.

After forcing a West punt, the East took possession with just 59 seconds remaining before halftime. Garoppolo drove the team to the West 11-yard line with two completions each to RB LaDarius Perkins (Mississippi State) and WR Erik Lora (Eastern Illinois). Perkins carried the ball to the 1 before Garappolo completed the drive with a touchdown toss to WR Matt Hazel (Coastal Carolina). Hocker's conversion was good to give the East a 13-6 lead at the half.

The West started the second half scoring on the second drive of the third quarter with a 20-yard Keith Price (Washington) pass to Reedy. The score elicited one of the more spirited reactions of the day because Reedy is a product of nearby Lakewood High School. Fera's PAT was good, tying the game at 13.

The teams traded punts before the East began to pull away. With Jeff Matthews (Cornell) in at quarterback, Gallon collected three straight completions totaling 30 yards before the East settled for a 56-yard Hocker field goal.

Penalties on the ensuing kickoff return and first play from scrimmage pinned the West inside their own 5, before three straight incompletions forced a punt.

The East threatened after a Ricardo Allen (Perdue) returned the punt to the West 20. On the next play, Reedy collected his second interception of the game in the endzone, but turned up field to return the pick before stepping out at the 3.

Pinned deep again, the West turned to the run. On first down, RB Anthony LaCoste (Air Force) was stripped of the ball by LB Andrew Jackson (Western Kentucky) and CB Nevin Lawson (Utah State) scooped and scored a converted TD to close out the scoring.

The East's defence turned away two more late threats by the West with interceptions by A.J. Marshall (Wake Forest) and Ross Cockrell (Duke).

About the East-West Shrine Game:

The East-West Shrine Game is the longest-running college all-star football game in the country and features some of the highest-rated players in the projected NFL draft ranking. While the teams are divided by East and West, the players come together for the beneficiary of the event, Shriners Hospitals for Children. Learn more at http://www.shrinegame.com.

About Shriners Hospitals for Children:

Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. The 22 hospitals in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. To learn more about Shriners Hospitals for Children, please visit http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.