Football Gryphons fall to late comeback by Waterloo
WATERLOO – Just when it looked like the Guelph Gryphons were about to insure themselves of finishing the OUA football league’s regular season with at least a .500 winning percentage, the Waterloo Warriors came back.
Waterloo recovered from a nine-point deficit with 2:18 to go in the fourth quarter to record a 30-23 victory over the Gryphs at Warriors Field Saturday.
Waterloo Warriors 30 Guelph Gryphons 23
The result left the Gryphs at 3-3 with two games to play and Waterloo at 2-3 with three games to play.
The game was a low-scoring affair through the first three quarters as Waterloo led 8-0 at the end of the first quarter, 11-7 at halftime and 11-8 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter became a shootout as the teams combined for 34 points in that quarter alone.
Cole Crossett kicked a 17-yard field goal at 4:20 of the fourth to extend Waterloo’s lead to 14-8.
However, the Gryphs grabbed the lead for the first time when quarterback Marshall McCray, who took over the quarterback duties from Tristan Aboud in the final quarter when the starter was injured, connected with Willem Arseneau with a 32-yard TD toss. Gabe Canabrava’s convert put the Gryphs a point ahead.
They stretched that lead to eight points when McCray kept his TD streak going as he ran 16 yards to the Waterloo endzone for his league-high seventh TD of the season. He’s scored at least one TD in each game he’s played in the OUA. Canabrava added the convert.
Punter Nick Guardiero added to the lead with a rouge with 2:18 to go. That left Guelph’s lead at nine points (23-14).
But Waterloo didn’t fold. Anthony Miller capped a two-play, 75-yard drive with a seven-yard TD run. Crossett added the convert to cut the gap to two points with 2:01 to play.
Crossett put the Warriors ahead with one second to go when he kicked a 23-yard field goal. Five consecutive runs by Miller accounted for a gain of 39 yards to set up the field goal.
The Gryphs had no choice but to try to score a TD on the ensuing kickoff, but the usual razzle-dazzle play in that situation backfired.
Laurent Paquin took the kickoff from Crossett at the Guelph 35-yard line. He gained three yards before sending the ball to Jakob Tomas who lost eight yards before relaying the ball to Anakin Guthrie who lost another five yards and the football.
Guelph native Caelen Fraser of the Warriors scooped up the loose ball and ran it into the Guelph endzone for a TD for the hosts.
Donavin Milloy had scored a TD on a 76-yard run in the opening minute of the second quarter while Canabrava kicked a pair of rouges to account for the other points for the Gryphs.
Justin Succar caught a 16-yard TD toss from Nick Orr for a TD in the final minute of the first quarter for Waterloo. Crossett booted the convert and also had a rouge and a 27-yard field goal in the first half.
The Gryphs had 363 yard of total offence in the game including 249 yards on 29 rushing attempts. Waterloo had 450 total yards of offence including 361 yards rushing.
Aboud completed nine of 17 pass attempts for 88 yards. He was intercepted once and sacked four times.
McCray hit two of three pass attempts for 42 yards and a TD. He also had nine carries for 72 yards.
Milloy had 16 carries for 161 yards.
Arseneau caught five passes for 79 yards while Ryan Ogilvie caught four for 30 yards.
Jack Cobb had 8.5 tackles for the Gryphs while Guthrie and Braeden MacDougall each had 5.5.
Orr completed five of 15 pass attempts for 103 yards for Waterloo while Miller carried the ball 28 times for 232 yards and Quinten Springer had 12 carries for 85 yards.
Western Mustangs lead the league at 6-0 while the Laurier Golden Hawks are 5-0 and the Windsor Lancers are 5-1. The Gryphs are 3-3 while the Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee-Gees are both 2-2 and are to play one another Sunday. Waterloo and the Queen’s Gaels are both 2-3 while the Toronto Varsity Blues are 1-4, McMaster Marauders are 1-5 and York Lions are -6.
Top seven qualify for the playoffs.
The Gryphs get a bye on the Thanksgiving weekend and are to host Queen’s Oct. 14 at Alumni Stadium at 1 p.m.
They’re to complete their regular season with a game against the Ravens at Carleton’s TAAG Park Oct. 21 at 1 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal
Football Gryphons fall to late comeback by Waterloo
WATERLOO – Just when it looked like the Guelph Gryphons were about to insure themselves of finishing the OUA football league’s regular season with at least a .500 winning percentage, the Waterloo Warriors came back.
Waterloo recovered from a nine-point deficit with 2:18 to go in the fourth quarter to record a 30-23 victory over the Gryphs at Warriors Field Saturday.
Waterloo Warriors 30
Guelph Gryphons 23
The result left the Gryphs at 3-3 with two games to play and Waterloo at 2-3 with three games to play.
The game was a low-scoring affair through the first three quarters as Waterloo led 8-0 at the end of the first quarter, 11-7 at halftime and 11-8 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter became a shootout as the teams combined for 34 points in that quarter alone.
Cole Crossett kicked a 17-yard field goal at 4:20 of the fourth to extend Waterloo’s lead to 14-8.
However, the Gryphs grabbed the lead for the first time when quarterback Marshall McCray, who took over the quarterback duties from Tristan Aboud in the final quarter when the starter was injured, connected with Willem Arseneau with a 32-yard TD toss. Gabe Canabrava’s convert put the Gryphs a point ahead.
They stretched that lead to eight points when McCray kept his TD streak going as he ran 16 yards to the Waterloo endzone for his league-high seventh TD of the season. He’s scored at least one TD in each game he’s played in the OUA. Canabrava added the convert.
Punter Nick Guardiero added to the lead with a rouge with 2:18 to go. That left Guelph’s lead at nine points (23-14).
But Waterloo didn’t fold. Anthony Miller capped a two-play, 75-yard drive with a seven-yard TD run. Crossett added the convert to cut the gap to two points with 2:01 to play.
Crossett put the Warriors ahead with one second to go when he kicked a 23-yard field goal. Five consecutive runs by Miller accounted for a gain of 39 yards to set up the field goal.
The Gryphs had no choice but to try to score a TD on the ensuing kickoff, but the usual razzle-dazzle play in that situation backfired.
Laurent Paquin took the kickoff from Crossett at the Guelph 35-yard line. He gained three yards before sending the ball to Jakob Tomas who lost eight yards before relaying the ball to Anakin Guthrie who lost another five yards and the football.
Guelph native Caelen Fraser of the Warriors scooped up the loose ball and ran it into the Guelph endzone for a TD for the hosts.
Donavin Milloy had scored a TD on a 76-yard run in the opening minute of the second quarter while Canabrava kicked a pair of rouges to account for the other points for the Gryphs.
Justin Succar caught a 16-yard TD toss from Nick Orr for a TD in the final minute of the first quarter for Waterloo. Crossett booted the convert and also had a rouge and a 27-yard field goal in the first half.
The Gryphs had 363 yard of total offence in the game including 249 yards on 29 rushing attempts. Waterloo had 450 total yards of offence including 361 yards rushing.
Aboud completed nine of 17 pass attempts for 88 yards. He was intercepted once and sacked four times.
McCray hit two of three pass attempts for 42 yards and a TD. He also had nine carries for 72 yards.
Milloy had 16 carries for 161 yards.
Arseneau caught five passes for 79 yards while Ryan Ogilvie caught four for 30 yards.
Jack Cobb had 8.5 tackles for the Gryphs while Guthrie and Braeden MacDougall each had 5.5.
Orr completed five of 15 pass attempts for 103 yards for Waterloo while Miller carried the ball 28 times for 232 yards and Quinten Springer had 12 carries for 85 yards.
Western Mustangs lead the league at 6-0 while the Laurier Golden Hawks are 5-0 and the Windsor Lancers are 5-1. The Gryphs are 3-3 while the Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee-Gees are both 2-2 and are to play one another Sunday. Waterloo and the Queen’s Gaels are both 2-3 while the Toronto Varsity Blues are 1-4, McMaster Marauders are 1-5 and York Lions are -6.
Top seven qualify for the playoffs.
The Gryphs get a bye on the Thanksgiving weekend and are to host Queen’s Oct. 14 at Alumni Stadium at 1 p.m.
They’re to complete their regular season with a game against the Ravens at Carleton’s TAAG Park Oct. 21 at 1 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal