Nova Scotia court hears arguments on why the Loney Bowl should proceed

Arguments are set to resume in Nova Scotia court on Sunday in a Halifax university’s bid to get its team back into the Loney Bowl.

Saint Mary’s University is fighting to be reinstated in the championship game after a player eligibility issue derailed its title hopes.

Saint Mary’s was supposed to face off against Acadia in Wolfville, N.S. on Saturday. Instead, several players sat in the benches of a Halifax courtroom as lawyers clashed over the fate of the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championship game.

On Thursday, AUS – the governing body for university athletics in Atlantic Canada – cancelled the matchup over the eligibility issue and awarded the title to Acadia.

The decision has led to a complex legal battle spanning two provinces and calling several of the season’s games into question.

The player at the centre of the controversy is Archelaus Jack, a wide receiver with the Huskies.

The receiver hauled in a 22-yard pass from quarterback Kaleb Scott in the final game that qualified Saint Mary’s for the match against Acadia.

As the hearing dragged into Saturday night, Justice Deborah Smith decided to adjourn the case until Sunday morning. Smith said she hopes to render a decision that evening, but couldn’t make any guarantees.

In other regional finals on Saturday, the defending Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or got past the Montreal Carabins 25-22 for the RSEQ’s Dunsmore Cup; the Western Mustangs routed the Laurier Golden Hawks 75-32 in the OUA’s Yates Cup; and the Calgary Dinos used a 59-yard record field goal with no time left in the fourth quarter to edge the UBC Thunderbirds 44-43 in the Canada West’s Hardy Cup.

Acadia is scheduled to host Western in next weekend’s Uteck Bowl. Calgary welcomes Laval in the Mitchell Bowl for a rematch of last year’s Vanier Cup.

-CP