The moment seemed to capsulize the whole season for the University of B.C. Thunderbirds. It certainly would be the most-everlasting one.
As kicker Quinn van Gylswyk’s 20-yard field goal attempt hung in the air with time expiring on Saturday, Burnaby’s Warren Reece took a knee on the sideline and touched the ground with his right hand.
That superstitious gesture was met by the kick splitting the uprights and lifting UBC past the Montreal Carabins 26-23 to capture the 2015 ArcelorMittal Vanier Cup in Quebec City.
“I knew we’d be really good, that we had some really good athletes on this team,” remarked the fourth-year defensive back. “We came into camp, a new coach, a new feeling. A national championship was always the goal, but we couldn’t have imagined…”
Hollywood likely couldn’t carve out a more gripping gridiron turnaround.
UBC, which finished 2-6 a year ago and had not had a winning season since 2011, turned a page with the hiring of Blake Nill, who had piloted both the University of St. Mary’s and Calgary into the Vanier Cup final a total of seven times – winning twice.
The eighth time was just surreal, said Reece, a New Westminster Hyack product.
“Man, I’m still feeling great,” the 22-year-old told the NOW on Monday. “We didn’t have as many guys (as most competitors) all season, so we really needed to work together. The ending was unbelievable.”
The T-birds led 16-7 at halftime, but the Carbins, the defending champions, stepped it up in the second half. While UBC answered back after an early Montreal score, restoring a 13-point margin on a 44-yard dash by Brandon Deschamps, the Quebec team chipped away at the lead and eventually tied it 23-23 with 7:45 remaining.
Neither team could mount much of a march in the next two possessions, but UBC muscled to the 20-yard line where a potential game-winning field goal was attempted. Only this time, a bad snap and the ensuing turnover gave Montreal possession with 1:32 left on the clock.
That’s when the drama was kicked up a notch. Two plays later, Carbins quarterback Gabriel Cousineau was intercepted by A.J. Blackwell, who returned the ball into UBC’s hands at midfield with 1:19 to play.
They would methodically drive the ball to the Montreal 13-yard line, setting up van Gylswyk’s kick with no time remaining.
“I was on the sideline, doing what I usually do,” recalled Reece, a Marlborough Elementary alum. “I’m pretty superstitious, so I did what I usually do, my right hand down on the ground and my right knee on the ground, just knowing we’d get it done.”
The elation of the win hasn’t subsided yet.
Reece contributed a tackle in the second half, and finished the year with eight solo tackles and 13 assists.
The T-birds roster also includes Burnaby’s Nico Repole, a first-year defensive lineman who came up through St. Thomas More and contributed 10 tackles and 15 assists over 11 games. Other STM grads in the lineup are linebacker Spencer Moore and lineman Dante Vigini.
