Western Mustangs quarterback Stevenson Bone had no trouble filling in for an injured Will Finch on Thursday night.
The Mustangs rolled over the Laurier Golden Hawks, winning 61-20.
“It was just an awesome team effort,” says Bone. “I was nervous at the start, but Darryl Wheeler — we had a class together — he just said, ‘you know what, just relax, one play at a time.’ I looked up to the leaders on our team, and they really carried us through today.”
Western set the tone early in the game, picking off Hawks quarterback James Fracas on Laurier’s first offensive play. From there, the result was largely one-sided.
Mustangs running back Yannick Harou scored first, breaking through for a touchdown midway through the first quarter. Minutes later, Bone connected with George Johnson for a touchdown. By the end of the first quarter, Western led 16-3.
The Hawks nearly scored on a deep touchdown pass early in the second quarter, but Western defensive back Kalvin Johnson managed to strip the ball away to maintain the two-score lead.
Later in the second quarter, Mustangs slot back Brian Marshall had two of the game’s highlight moments: the first on a tipped pass to fellow receiver George Johnson, and the second on a deep bomb in which he fell to the ground after pass interference, and somehow managed to catch the ball while lying on his back.
Still, it was Bone who ended up stealing the spotlight, connecting for three passing touchdowns and rushing for another.
“I can’t say I’m surprised, because I’ve known Stevenson since he was a little kid,” head coach Greg Marshall says. “He’s got a lot of poise.”
The Mustangs are now 5-1 on the season.