REDS Advance To AFL Title Game

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS are headed to the Atlantic Football League Championship after defeating the UNB Saint John Seawolves 48-18, Saturday at the BMO Centre.

The top-ranked REDS didn’t take long to get on the scoreboard. Quarterback Hunter Sturgeon opened the scoring with a rushing touchdown on their first drive of the day.

Sturgeon picked apart the Seawolves' defense with a series of short passes to set up the rushing touchdown on the UNB SJ goal line.

UNB would find the endzone again using some trickery as wide receiver Matt Lafleur took a lateral pass from Sturgeon and burst out wide to find an open Dom Hall in the endzone for the REDS.

Sturgeon would again find LaFleur, this time on a screen pass that allowed the wide receiver to rush into the endzone and increase the UNB lead to 21-0.

The REDS added another touchdown at the start of the second on another Hunter Sturgeon pass, this time to Justin Remillard, before UNBSJ quarterback Riley Ring-Dineen was able to get the Seawolves on the board with a rushing touchdown to close the gap to 28-6.

UNB would add two field goals from Ryan Lee to head into halftime with a 34-6 lead.

The REDS offense continued to cruise in the second half as Thomas Hoyt would add another UNB touchdown just minutes into the 3rd quarter. Hoyt would score two touchdowns on the day in a strong second half for the veteran wide receiver.

Ring-Dineen would respond with his second rushing touchdown of the day for the UNBSJ and did his best to help lead a Seawolves comeback, but the Seawolves defense was unable to slow down the strong REDS attack as UNB would cruise to the 48-18 win.

The REDS will now get set for a showdown, next weekend at the BMO Centre, when they face the Dalhousie Tigers in the AFL Championship Game, on Saturday (Nov. 5) at 1:00pm.

RECAP BY: Evan Richtsfeld/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Patrick Muise/for UNB Athletics