Box Score Sophomore quarterback Simon Nassar threw for 291 yards and two majors in leading the Varsity Blues football team to a big 40-26 win over the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday, September 29 at University Stadium.
The win improves the Blues to 2-3, while the Warriors drop to 1-4 on the season.
It was a game of career-highs for the Varsity Blues, with Nassar leading the way. The Toronto native was 22-of-29 for 298 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing three times for 35 yards and one major in his first start in the Blue and White.
Rookie running back Ashton Nelson (Brampton, Ont.) ran for a season-best 122 yards on 20 carries and also scored his first career touchdown. London, Ont., native Alex Pierzchalski made 11 catches for a career-high 147 yards and notched his first TD of 2012, while fellow third-year receiver Paul de Pass (Ajax, Ont.) racked up 97 yards on seven receptions.
Linebacker Dylan Gordon (Cambridge, Ont.) and lineman Everton Williams (Toronto) led the Blues with five and six tackles, respectively, in the win.
After the Warriors opened the scoring on a Michael Robson 48-yard touchdown reception, the Blues battled back to regain a lead that wouldn't diminish. Nelson capped off a seven-play, 73-yard drive with a four-yard run into the end zone, before Nassar connected a 21-yard strike with Pierzchalski. U of T held a 14-7 lead after the first quarter.
Toronto continued their offensive push as rookie running back Lukas Gavac (Mississauga, Ont.) scored his first career major on a 10-yard reception from Nassar just two minutes into the second quarter.
On third and long, the Blues pulled out a trick play midway through the quarter as Marcus Hobbs faked a punt and connected with Trevor Harvey for the first down. That set up a one-yard rushing touchdown from veteran running back Stephan Boroniec (Mississauga, Ont.).
The Warriors added a major with five seconds remaining and Toronto carried a 30-14 lead into halftime.
Nassar tallied the only points of the third quarter on a 15-yard run into the end zone. Toronto and Waterloo exchanged field goals to open the fourth. The Warriors then began to rally with a major from Marco Visentin, his second of the day, but it wasn't enough as the Blues notched their second win of the season.
The Varsity Blues return home for Minor Football Day on Thanksgiving Saturday, Oct. 6, when they host the Ottawa Gee-Gees (0-5) at Varsity Centre. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
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