The Guelph Gryphons found out what it takes to be OUA football champions Saturday as they were dropped 63-14 by the defending champion Western Mustangs in the Yates Cup final.
“We didn’t get the result we wanted today, but these guys fought so hard all year just to get here,” Gryphon coach Todd Galloway said. “I hope they realize that at some point, given a little bit of time, it was an amazing accomplishment that they had this year to go from a 2-3 football team to a team that’s competing for a Yates Cup. At some moment that will sink in and I hope it does.”
The loss brought an end to Guelph’s season and halted its winning streak at five games.
“For the guys returning, I hope they realize this is a measuring stick,” Galloway said. “We got here. We want to be here every year and we want to be winning this kind of game.”
The Guelph side could have a turnover as low as four players – fifth-year Gryphons kicker Gabe Ferraro, linebacker Lukas Korol and offensive lineman Eric Starczala and receiver Thomas Bresciani who’ll be out due to his age. However, some of the 11 fourth-year players may not be back due to graduation.
“We are a young football team,” Galloway said. “We graduate some very important people, but we also dress a lot of guys young this year. I hope this is a learning experience for them and they realize what it takes to not only get to this game, but to be able to compete in it and win it.”
For Western, the victory completed an unbeaten march through the OUA season.
“(Western coach and Guelph native) Greg Marshall does a great job every year and I have a lot of respect for him,” Galloway said. “This was another good Western football team. We made too many mistakes early and we kind of dug a hole that we couldn’t get out of.”
The hosts scored five touchdowns in the first half on their way to the win. The Mustangs led 39-7 at halftime, Guelph getting a touchdown from Kian Schaffer-Baker on a four-yard toss from quarterback Theo Landers on the final play of the half.
The other touchdown for the Gryphons came early in the second half as rookie running back Jean-Paul Cimankinda scored on a 57-yard run.
Ferraro kicked two converts in the game that completed his Gryphon career.
Quarterback Chris Merchant and running back Cedric Joseph each scored three touchdowns for Western while Mackenzie Ferguson on an interception return and Griffin Campbell on a pass from Merchant accounted for one touchdown apiece.
The Mustangs were dominant in the game, getting 657 yards of total offence and 35 first downs to 259 yards of offence and 15 first downs for the Gryphons.
Guelph also took 60 yards of penalties on seven calls while Western wasn’t penalized at all.
The Mustangs advance to host next weekend’s Mitchell Bowl national semifinal against the Canada West-champion Saskatchewan Huskies.
