The Gaels are looking to spoil the party this weekend in Waterloo.
On Sept. 20, Queen’s football team will travel down to Southern Ontario to face the Waterloo Warriors at 1 p.m. EST. The Gaels are coming off a big 44-6 win over the University of Toronto last week, and are looking to build off the momentum gained Saturday.
Going into this matchup, Head Coach Steve Snyder told the press that he’s impressed with his team’s performance at Varsity Stadium. “Overall, four quarters of solid execution by our guys, that ultimately was the difference,” Snyder said during a press availability.
Snyder also discussed the hostile environment his team will face in the homecoming game for Waterloo. “They’ll have a great turnout,” Snyder said, but he also emphasized how aggressive a team the Warriors are. “[They’re] not afraid to use trick plays and creative schemes, we have to be ready for all that stuff.”
The Warriors are 1-3 on the season, having won against Toronto, but dropping losses to Ottawa, Carleton, and, most recently, Laurier. The team is currently ranked 26th out of 27 teams in U Sports. Snyder, however, insisted that his team pay this no mind. “Records mean nothing to us—neither do rankings,” he said. “All that matters is what we see on film, and what we see is a very capable football team with a lot of good players.”
The Gaels are preparing for a double-headed snake at quarterback in Nick Orr and Nolan Kaban, who have split time at the helm in Waterloo but have fared well through four games of OUA play. Orr, whose 63 per cent completion rate is good for sixth in the OUA, has plenty of experience and understands the importance of his role on the Warriors.
Last week, Orr led Waterloo in both rushing and passing. When asked about how to address such a dual threat, Snyder was clear with his message, saying, “We’ve to be physical with him when we’ve our opportunities.” The Queen’s defence is coming off a 5-turnover game over the top statistical quarterback in the OUA—Toronto’s Scott Barnett.
John Corscadden, BASc ’26—whose three interceptions caught against Toronto are the most recorded by a Gael since at least 2010—told media that the Gaels defence is prepared for another strong performance. “[Waterloo has] a great scheme and they’ll target us in some areas. We’ll plan to minimize those, but I think we’ll be put in another good spot again this week from the coaches,” Corscadden said. “We’ll step into the game plan and adjust on the fly if we need to.”
Alex Vreeken, Kin ’26, was asked about Queen’s success on the road, which he explained comes from their ability to keep momentum. “When you score early and often, it really helps, we’ve a solid defence that keeps the momentum on our side.” Vreeken leads an offense that’s tied for third in touchdowns in the OUA, and he’s looking to lead his offense to another strong performance.
Queen’s football is coming off a high in Toronto and is looking to build off a strong win to start their first winning streak of the season. A win would take them to a 3-2 record, as they quest to roll in the wins ahead of OUA playoffs in late October.
Tags
Football, Gaels, Preview, Waterloo Warriors
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