Preparation, preparation, preparation.
This is the primary focus of Head Coach Steve Snyder as his team plans for the Gaels matchup against the University of Ottawa GeeGees.
The Queen’s Football team will be hosting the GeeGees at Richardson Stadium on Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. The Gaels will be hosting an Alumni, Family, and Friends game, which features a pregame and post-game event at Lang Pavillion, as well as a halftime celebration.
Despite the extracurriculars before, after, and during the game, the Gaels will be focused on the task at hand: a strong, experienced GeeGees team coming to Kingston. The GeeGees come into the game 3-1 after falling to the Guelph Gryphons last week by a score of 31-28.
Regardless of the loss, the GeeGees offence is one of the most potent in the OUA. Their offence is fuelled by fourth-year quarterback Josh Janssen, who is third in passing yards per game in the OUA and second in completion percentage. Additionally, their fifth-year running back, Souleymane Camara, leads the OUA in rush yards per game and total rushing yards.
The Gaels are coming off a strong performance against the Carleton Ravens that saw them win by a score of 55-17. With the win, the Gaels have moved to fourth on the U Sports rankings as of Sept. 21.
In a media availability on Thursday, Snyder talked about preparing for a team like the GeeGees.
“They are very good team, got off to a good start as well and they have good technical football players,” Snyder said. “There’s not a lot of weaknesses, and they have a lot of chemistry, so we have a lot of mutual respect.”
Looking back to last game versus Carleton, Snyder acknowledged a lot of penalties, specifically on the defensive side. However, he still stressed to his team that they need to play physical.
“We have to continue to play aggressive, but eliminate the beat yourself football, the stuff that we can truly control.”
During the same media availability, Alex Vreeken, Kin ’27, talked about how the offence on the Gaels side has come together as a whole. “The offensive line is coming together really well, the receiving core is really special, making plays and then the running backs have stepped up a ton,” Vreeken said.
On the defensive side, Wilson Heslop, Kin ’29, reiterated the importance of the preparation, especially with a young defensive group.
“The focus is on us right now and making sure we’re understanding the game plan and going in on Saturday being confident,” Heslop said during the media availability.
Heslop is cognizant of his importance on the field, being the free safety (one further in the backfield), to maintain communication and adjusting when needed. “Making sure everyone’s on the same page, playing in unison, the biggest thing is being loud and communicating,” Heslop said.
He admitted the young, inexperienced group had a little bit of a slow start, but added they are getting better every week.
“We have to be confident and consistent right off the get-go and trust in each other out there.”
The Gaels will look to make it a 4-0 start for the first time since
Tags
Queen's football, richardson stadium
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