OUA Football Roundup (Oct. 16)
Laurier 14 Guelph 23
GUELPH – Victories for the Guelph Gryphons during the 2017 OUA football season have come in all sorts of different styles. There was a record-setting 81-point explosion versus Windsor back in Week 3. Following that was a dominating road win at U of T just seven days later. On September 30, the Gryphs needed a thrilling fourth quarter comeback to escape Waterloo with a win. And on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium, the Gryphons recorded their most recent victory of the season. And this one was their biggest statement yet. The Gryphons won 24-14 over the defending Yates Cup champion and No. 5-nationally ranked Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. With the result, the Gryphons improve to 4-3 on the season while Laurier falls to 5-2.
"The guys rallied together today and were able to find a way to overcome some tough situations," said Gryphons head coach Kevin MacNeill. "We controlled the pace of the game from the start and received an incredible effort by our defence today. They applied some great pressure in the pass game and really shut down the run game. Hats off to everyone on that side of the ball."
The Golden Hawks came into the game ranked 2nd in the country in offensive yards per game (560.33) and 3rd in the country in scoring (averaging 40.2 points per game). On Saturday, the Gryphon defence combined to limit the potent Laurier offensive attack to just 186 total yards off offence (66 yards rushing, 120 yards passing), all of which were season-lows for the Hawks. The Gryphons shutout Laurier in the opening half, limiting the Hawks to just 75 yards of offence through the first 30 minutes of play.
"Coming off that bye week, all the guys were dialed in," said Gryphons fourth year safety Royce Metchie. "Our coaches put us in a great position to succeed today and everyone was dialed in for all four quarters." The Gryphons recorded a pair of interceptions on the day, including a 2nd quarter pick from NickParisotto which led to a field goal to help the Gryphons take a 10-0 lead into the locker room at the half.
The game featured several big momentum shifts, none bigger than the one that occurred early in the 3rd quarter. Golden Hawks' kicker Nathan Mesher lined up for a 39-yard field goal attempt, but saw his kick sail wide right and into the arms of Gryphons fifth year standout Jacob Scarfone. The 2017 draft pick of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats would proceed to take the kick back 120-yards the other way for the Gryphons' lone touchdown of the day, pushing the U of G lead to 17-0.
A 3rd quarter fumble by the Gryphon offence and a botched punt return by the Gryphon special teams would lead to a pair of Laurier touchdowns in the 2nd half to make it a 20-14 game with 8:42 remaining in the final quarter. But a 40-yard field goal from Gabe Ferraro with just over six minutes to go would once again make it a two-possession game and would ultimately seal the deal for the Gryphons. Ferraro matched a career-high with five made field goals on the day and also made some history along the way. Ferraro's 26 made field goals this season matches the U SPORTS all-time record for made field goals in a single-season. Gabe, who will have the chance to set a new record with a made field goal in next week's game at Carleton, currently shares the national record with another former Gryphon – his older brother and current kicking coach, Daniel, who also split the uprights 26 times during the 2014 season.
Offensively for the Gryphons, fifth year running back Johnny Augustine had a big day, carrying the ball 31 times for 176 yards rushing (5.7 avg). Augustine now sits just seven yards shy of moving into the No. 2 spot on the Gryphons all-time career rushing list. "This was a character win for us," said Augustine after the game. "In the locker room at half, we just talked about continuing to fight for the guy beside you. We've overcome some tough situations this season and there's a real sense of brotherhood with this team."
Gryphons third year quarterback Theo Landers, making his second consecutive start in place of the injured James Roberts, was an efficient 13-20 for 111 yards while also rushing for 86 yards on 14 carries (6.1 avg).
The win pushes the Gryphons' record to 4-3 on the season, but the OUA playoff picture is still unclear at this point. With just one game left on the regular season schedule, only the 1st-place Western Mustangs (7-0) know where they will finish in the standings. With the top six teams qualifying for the playoffs, seeds No. 2-through-No. 6 remain up in the air. The Gryphons will travel to Ottawa next week (Oct. 21) for a crucial matchup with the Carleton Ravens (3-4). Whether the Gryphons finish the season 5-3 or 4-4, there will most likely be some tie-breaking procedures coming into place to determine where exactly they end up in the 2017 OUA playoff picture.
Saturday's game also marked the Gryphons' annual "Breast Cancer Awareness" game as well as the team's "Senior Day" with a total of 11 fourth year players being recognized before the game.
Source: gryphons.ca
Windsor 13 McMaster 29
HAMILTON (October 14, 2017) - The No. 6 McMaster Marauders (6-1) secured a 29-13 win over the winless Windsor Lancers (0-7) on Saturday afternoon at Ron Joyce Stadium.
Jackson White of Cambridge, Ont. tossed two touchdowns and threw for 200 yards, finishing 16-26 through the air. He connected twice with Tyson Middlemost of Dundas, Ont., on the two passing touchdowns.
Middlemost was White's favourite target, making 11 receptions for a game-high 109 yards, both career highs for the second-year receiver. On the ground, Jordan Lyons of Burlington, Ont., registered 21 carries for 130 yards.
Marauders linebacker Jake Heathcote of Abbotsford, B.C., tallied nine tackles, including a sack, on the defensive side of the ball, while Nolan Putt of Caledonia, Ont., and Riley Pilkey of Cambridge, Ont., each had interceptions.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: McMaster's win, combined with the Wilfrid Laurier (5-2) loss against Guelph (4-3) on Saturday, gave the Marauders sole possession of second place in the OUA standings with just a week to play. McMaster will play Laurier on October 21 with second place and a bye through the opening round of the playoffs on the line. A McMaster win, regardless of any other scenario, would see the Marauders take second spot in the OUA standings.
Confusing the situation could be a potential Ottawa win over Western when the two meet in London next week. If that were to happen, there becomes the possibility of a three-way tie for second place in the OUA, were McMaster, Laurier and Ottawa all to finish the regular season 6-2.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED: McMaster put up 20 points in the opening half, tallying 10 points in each of the first two quarters. Both quarters featured a field goal and a passing touchdown from a trio of Marauders. In the first quarter, Adam Preocanin of Burlington, Ont., knocked in a 42-yard field goal to set the score at 3-3, responding to the Lancers field goal by Clark Green of Chatham, Ont., minutes earlier. On the Marauders next drive, White connected with Middlemost on a 29-yard touchdown strike for a 10-3 McMaster advantage.
The second quarter saw a repeat of the first, with Preocanin hitting a 26-yard field goal, followed on the next McMaster drive by a seven-yard touchdown pass from White to Middlemost which made the score 20-3 at the half.
LOOK SMART WITH FRIENDS: Preocanin recorded 17 of the Marauders' 29 points, kicking five field goals and adding two converts in the win. He was perfect in field goal attempts, hitting from 42, 26, 23, 31 and 36 yards. Preocanin also equalled his season-high point total of 17, which he duplicated against York on Sept. 30.
LET'S GO STREAKING: McMaster is now riding a 17-game win streak over the Windsor Lancers dating back to 1996. Since the OUA's founding in 1971, the Marauders hold a head-to-head record of 29-11 including Saturday's result.
UP NEXT: McMaster will travel to Wilfrid Laurier to battle the Golden Hawks at University Stadium in Waterloo, Ont., for their final regular season game. The matchup is one both teams have had circled on their calendar all season, and will most likely determine second place in the OUA. The team that secures second place will also earn a bye through the quarter-final stage of the playoffs. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 21.
The Lancers will host the York Lions and aim for their first win of the season. York (1-6) is coming off a 55-34 loss against the Queen's Gaels.
Source: marauders.ca
Toronto 0 Carleton 43
OTTAWA, ON – The Carleton Ravens kept their playoff hopes alive for another week after crushing the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, 43-0, on a damp afternoon at MNP Park.
The win gives the Ravens a 3-4 record, as they battle for one of two remaining playoff spots in the OUA conference with one week to go in the regular season.
GAME FLOW:
Nathan Carter (Ottawa, ON) opened the scoring for the Ravens in their first drive of the game on a 14-yard run to the end zone. Veteran Michael Domagala (St. Catherines, ON) was able to snag the Ravens an extra point to give them an early 7-0 advantage.
Towards the end of the first quarter, Domagala was able to kick another one through the uprights from the 21-yard line to pad their lead by three points. Then, with just eight seconds left in the opening quarter, fourth-year defensive end Kene Onyeka(Brampton, ON) took down Toronto’s Clay Sequeira in U of T’s end zone, forcing them to concede a safety for two points. Going into the second quarter, the Ravens held a 12-0 lead.
Carter came out strong in the second quarter again, making an incredible 81-yard rush to pay dirt to up the Ravens lead. With another clutch kick from Domagala, the Ravens made the game 19-0.
Nearing the midway point of the second quarter, rookie quarterback sensation Michael Arruda (Gatineau, QC) was able to find third-year wideout Phil Iloki (Montreal, QC) in the end zone with a 10-yard touchdown pass. Domagala connected on the conversion as the Ravens went up 26-0.
Carter grabbed himself another touchdown before halftime, with the help of Jay Dearborn (Yarker, ON) who intercepted a pass from Toronto’s Sequeira at the Blues’ 48-yard line. From there, Arruda combined with Wilson Birch (Niagara Falls, ON) on a 41-yard pass to setup first-and-goal. Once again, Nathan Carter was able to rush the ball into the end zone for his third score of the day. Domagala’s kick attempt proved to be good, as the Ravens held a 33-point lead.
With 40 seconds left in the second, Arruda connected with Kyle VanWynsberghe(Delhi, ON) on a 36-yard touchdown pass. Another solid kick from Domagala put the Ravens up 40-0 before the first half of the game came to an end.
The Ravens continued their offensive streak, while shutting out Toronto’s offence throughout the third quarter. Domagala was able to put up a rouge point to up the Ravens’ lead to 41-0 with a 46-yard punt. With a few minutes left in the third, the Ravens forced the Blues to concede another safety to make the game 43-0.
The fourth quarter was scoreless from both the Ravens and the Blues.
This is the first shutout the Ravens have posted so far this season. Their last shutout came in 2015 against York in a 52-0 win. That same season, they also shutout Waterloo in a 57-0 final.
Next weekend, the Ravens will play their biggest game of the season against the Guelph Gryphons at MNP Park. This game will determine whether or not the Ravens will claim a spot in the 2017 OUA playoffs.
Head coach Steve Sumarah says they’re hoping to build off this win, but recognized that they need to tighten up certain aspects of their game.
“We took too many penalties – we have to address that,” Sumarah said. “Overall, I think our biggest challenge will be staying mentally in the game and making sure we don’t make silly mistakes that are going to hurt us. We just need to be perfect – we need to play perfect football.”
He added that mentality will also be a major key.
“We need to make sure we believe in ourselves – a lot of the game is about belief. You really have to believe that you’re going to go out there and be able to compete with those guys because if you don’t, then you won’t.”
BY THE NUMBERS:
Running-back Nathan Carter had an incredible game, rushing 183 yards. This 183 yards brought his season total to 1028 yards. This high yardage made him the fourth Raven in their football history to rush 1000 yards in a single season. The only other rushers to do so are Jayde Rowe (2016), Jahvari Bennett (2015) and Mark Brown (1985).
On defence, Kene Onyeka led the team in sacks with a pair, while Frederik Robitaille (Terrebonne, QC) followed close behind him with one. Onyeka now sits in second place on the OUA leaderboard with a total of seven sacks this season, while Robitaille is ranked third with 6.5. Jay Dearborn finished with two interceptions against the Varsity Blues, bring his career total to five, all of which have come against Toronto.
Source: goravens.ca
York 34 Queen’s 52
KINGSTON, Ont. (October 14, 2017) – The Queen's Gaels (3-4) defeated the York Lions (1-6) at Richardson Stadium in front of a Homecoming crowd of 7,542 Tricolour faithful on Saturday afternoon. The third consecutive win moves the Gaels to 3-4 on the season.
GAME FLOW
The York Lions kicker Dante Mastrogiuseppe picked up the games first two points as he punched a pair of early punts through the side of the end zone to give the Lions a 2-0 lead.
With a charged Homecoming crowd, it wasn't long before Queen's responded. Nate Hobbs (Mississauga, Ont.) connected with Matteo Del Brocco (Leamington, Ont.) who took the ball for 46 yards to clinch his third touchdown of the season.
Minutes later, the Gaels were on the scoreboard again with a 21-yard field goal from second-year kicker Nick Liberatore (Dartmouth, N.S.).
Feeding off the Tricolour crowd, the Gaels kept rolling as Wesley Mann (Almonte, Ont.) snared an interception – his second in as many games - halting York's drive and running for 20 yards into Lions territory. The offence couldn't capitalize however as a field goal attempt missed wide left.
Queen's captain and defensive linebacker Nelkas Kwemo (Montreal) came up big for the Gaels with a pick that he carried for 22 yards. On the three-yard line, Hobbs found Del Brocco again to notch his second touchdown of the game and give the Gaels a 17-2 lead.
With the Queen's defence standing strong, the Lions weren't able to get an offensive flow going. Gaels lineman Zac Sauer (Ayr, Ont.) bulldozed his way through the Lions line for his third sack of the season.
Going into the second frame, York was able to hit a 25-yard field goal to climb within a pair of touchdowns at a 19-5 score. The relentless Gaels drove up the field and answered back with a 23-yard touchdown for homegrown receiver Jeremy Pendergast (Kingston, Ont.).
The Gaels defence continued to put on a show at Richardson Stadium. Defensive back Nick Fraser-Greene (Mississauga, Ont.) returned a Lion's fumble 47 yards. From there, Jake Puskas (Thunder Bay, Ont.) took care of business, finishing the play with a Gaels touchdown.
With the clock counting down, Hobbs found Rudy Uhl (North Vancouver, B.C.) for another Queen's touchdown to boost the score 40-5.
The Lions were able to get a touchdown after Lions quarterback Brett Hunchak found Alex Daley for a 7-yard touchdown followed by a two-point conversion to make it 40-13 going into halftime.
The halftime break saw the members of the Tricolour Guard take to the field to march in a special Homecoming parade. The Tricolour Guard is made up of Gaels alumni who graduated from Queen's 50 or more years ago. Alumni celebrating their 50th reunion received a special medal, while Tricolour Guard inductees were given a commemorative pin.
As both teams made their way back onto the field for the third quarter, the Queen's defence continued to shine. Kwemo picked up his third sack of the season, taking down Lions quarterback Hunchak for a loss of five yards.
On their next drive, Hobbs found Puskas who ran for 68 yards before being tackled on the two-yard line. In scoring territory, powerful Puskas punched it in for his second touchdown of the game.
On their next drive, the Lions conceded their second safety of the game. After a few exchanges of possession, Liberatore hit his third and longest field goal of the game from 42-yards out.
The fourth frame saw a series of flags from both sides and the Lions were able to notch three touchdowns. With a final score of 52-34, the Gaels secured their third straight win of the season.
BY THE NUMBERS
3 – Touchdowns came from three different Gaels on the day
18 – 18th consecutive win over York in the all-time series since 1971
2/2 – A pair of touchdowns each for Del Brocco and Puskas
6 – Kurtis Schaefer led the Gaels with six total tackles
1 – Just one more regular season game left before playoffs
FINAL SAY
"The first half was great for the offence, but I think the key to it was the great field position provided by the defence. I think the key for us the past couple of weeks has been to focus on us. We have to keep getting better as a team so that if the playoffs come, we are the best that we can be." - QB Nate Hobbs.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
Waterloo 30 Ottawa 40
The Gee-Gees football team moved to 5-2 and will finish no lower than fourth in the OUA standings, clinching a home playoff game thanks to a 40-30 victory over the Waterloo Warriors (4-4) on Saturday afternoon. Playing at Gee-Gees Field, Ottawa got another game-changing play late in the fourth quarter from Jackson Bennett, while fifth-year kicker Lewis Ward added an OUA record to his historic career points and field goals made totals.
Ward began the game for Ottawa with three field goals in the opening eleven minutes of play from distances of 15, 37, and 32 yards. The first set Ward atop the OUA All-Time record books for most field goals in a career, and he finished the day four-for four with a career total of 88.
“It was different, and it made me excited about how the day was going to go,” said Ward of the busy start to the day. “We’ve had a good strong tradition of kicking and I hope that it continues. We’re here to win football games and kicking is a big part of it if we do our jobs,” continued Ward. “Matt [Falvo] was a big influence for me when I first started here in terms of how he went about things.”
Ward now ranks second in U SPORTS history for field goals made in a career and sits three back of record-holder Johnny Mark from the Calgary Dinos, 2011-15. He also inched up the U SPORTS all-time rankings in points and now sits fourth, two points behind Gee-Gees record holder Neil Lumsden.
With the game tied 30-30, Jackson Bennett turned the tide for Ottawa. He nabbed the second Gee-Gee interception of the day and returned it 36 yards for the game-winning touchdown. “Everybody was in the right position on that play,” said Bennett. “The eleven other guys carried me to the end zone for sure.”
Bennett was all over the field, leading the team in tackles with 8.5, picking up his first sack of the season, ranging deep in coverage to assist a pass breakup, returning three kickoffs for 69 yards, and even gaining 15 yards on a carry early in the first quarter. Defensively, Ricardo Lubin was also a standout making six solo tackles including one for a six-yard Warrior loss.
Waterloo’s day was highlighted by a 20-yard touchdown strike and athletic catch by Lam Diing to begin the second quarter with a 10-9 lead, and a 27-yard pass to Tyler Ternowski to tie the score at 30-30 to start the fourth. Waterloo out-gained the Gee-Gees offensively, and used 271 yards of rushing to do so. Quarterback Tre Ford led the way with 164 yards on the ground – a season high.
Long catches were key to the Gee-Gees attack, combined with Bryce Vieira’s work on the ground. Alex Lavric set a new career high with 337 yards passing, with a notable long completion of 69 yards to Tyler McLaren to set up Ottawa’s second touchdown of the game.
Vieira, who finished with 111 yards rushing and 88 yards receiving, hobbled off field with 5:41 to play in third quarter. On his return he powered straight down the field 21 yards to set up a corner touchdown catch as Lavric went right back to him.
“When I go on the field I just block everything else and no matter what I play as hard as I can. For some reason it works out that when I’m hurt I’m still able to make a play,” said Vieira. "I think we’re a very composed team – when push comes to shove we just play.”
Ottawa will finish its regular season slate of games at Western (7-0) next Saturday.
Source: geegees.ca