“We have worked so hard over the last few weeks and I am not surprised by the result,” said Pierre-Alexandre Cordero, the Lynx coach after the match. We were very resilient and we knew how to face adversity to win the championship.”
The Lynx finished the season in 5th position in their division, with three wins, three losses and one draw. In the series, they remained undefeated, beating three teams who had better results, including the regular season champions.
For the final, they faced the Collège Saint-Alexandre Titans, the champions of the Outaouais league, undefeated during their season with 300 points scored and only 45 points allowed.
A tough match
The Lynx started the game well by scoring a rushing touchdown in the first quarter. The defense was intractable, as the CSA offense had difficulty completing its plays with the pressure exerted by the defense.
With a few minutes left in the first half, the Lynx led 7-0, when a CSA linebacker made an interception before returning the ball to the end zone for a touchdown.
Back on offense, the Lynx quarterback was intercepted again three plays later while attempting a screen pass. The ball was then deflected by a defensive player, before landing in the hands of his teammate who crossed fifteen yards for another touchdown. The post-touchdown kick was blocked, however, making the score 13-7 for the visitors.
The Lynx quickly took things in hand with a nice push at the end of the second quarter. It took a bit of temerity, because the coaches opted for a pass on a 4th play, instead of attempting a field goal. Interference occurred on the play and the Lynx managed to score a touchdown on a run on the ensuing play.
The home team came back strong after halftime with a series that lasted nearly eight minutes, ending with a stunning touchdown pass.
The kickoff after the touchdown was hit wonderfully by (the kicker). The returner had difficulty grabbing the ball and dropped it as soon as he was hit. The ball ended up in the end zone before being recovered by the Lynx for the touchdown.
The score was then 28-13 for the Lynx. CSA’s next sequence on offense did not work, forcing the opposing team to concede two points with a safety touchdown.
With 6:45 left in the 4th quarter, the Lynx in turn allowed a safety touchdown, to push the opposing team deep into their territory.
The home team then scored another touchdown on a deep pass with 3:05 remaining.
CSA responded with a touchdown a minute later, but too little too late, as the Lynx won the game 37-21.
This is the first time that the PWD Lynx have won the Bol d’Or in the D3 cadet category.
