Another rough homecoming for Marshall

By Jonathon Brodie/London Community News / Twitter: @jonathonbrodie Call it a homecoming curse or just plain bad luck, but the most talked about topic from the Western Mustangs game against the McMaster Marauders on Saturday (Sept. 29) will be quarterback Donnie Marshall’s right ankle injury. “It was the same ankle. That ankle has a wire in it, so I’m not sure whether the wire stayed intact or what happened,” said Mustangs’ head coach Greg Marshall, about his fifth-year quarterback, and son, going down in the last three minutes of the 33-27 loss to the top ranked Canadian Interuniversity Sports football team. Last year Donnie was carted off the field with a high ankle sprain during the alumni celebration matchup against the York Lions, causing him to have surgery and miss five games, only to return in time for the Yates Cup against the Marauders. This injury doesn’t look much better. “When it happens once it usually doesn’t happen again, so having a second traumatic injury on that ankle is pretty serious,” Greg said, his son’s several screams of pain easily heard from the sidelines. Donnie was injured while trying to escape a relentless eight-man pressure put on by the Mauraders and not from one of the eight sacks he took in the game. If there’s a positive that came out of the injury—and there isn’t much when you lose your team captain—it’s the fact rookie QB Will Finch showed poise in his short time on the field, connecting with receivers to drive down the field for a touchdown. “In practice, we play against a good defence, so that really gets my confidence up there and I just want to get better each week,” Finch said. “I just want to play football, so I just want to do the best I can and help the team out and I think I’m ready.” Donnie wasn’t the only Mustang hurt in the game. Western was able to put a stop to McMaster’s Kyle Quinlan, who leads the OUA in passing yards, for most of the first quarter, but after fifth-year defensive back Aaron Handsor went down with a knee injury the quarterback was hitting every target. Before Handsor’s injury less than two minutes left in the opening quarter, Quinlan went 2-for-5 with 33 yards. After the Mustang defensive back came out of the game, the Vanier Cup MVP went 6-for-11 for 103 yards by halftime. By game’s end he would complete 18 passes for 247 yards and lead his team with 145 rushing yards—more than the entire Mustangs squad combined on the ground. The big second quarter was the difference maker against Western with McMaster posting 21 points. In the second half the Marauders only put up five more on the scoreboard. Kalvin Johnson, who came into the game for the injured Handsor, hurt his shoulder in the matchup with five minutes left in the third quarter. The loss is the Mustangs second of the season and Saturday’s (Oct. 6) road game against the Guelph Gryphons (4-1) could be a big game for Western if they want to stick with the top teams in the standings. “Every week we get better and put new things in and we work to get better,” said Mustang defensive back Clarence Buchanan. “Guelph is going to get some of the carryover from this week.” [gallery link="file"] Find us on Facebook: London Community News