The stars aligned for the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday.
The Gryphons needed a win over the York Lions at Alumni Stadium and losses by the Windsor Lancers and Queen’s Gaels if they were going to grab the final OUA playoff spot.
All three things came to pass, as Guelph hammered the York Lions 52-8, Windsor lost to Wilfrid Laurier and Queen’s, on the last play in overtime, were beaten by the Ottawa Gee Gees.
Guelph will now meet at McMaster on Saturday in the OUA quarter-finals.
Gryphon head coach Kevin MacNeill said he kept the score of the other games hidden from the players during the game and the stadium P.A. announcer didn’t announce them until after the game was over.
He also didn’t know what was happening elsewhere.
“We didn’t want them to focus on anything other than this game,” MacNeill said.
“People were trying to tell me (the score of the other games) but I said ‘no, I don’t want to know,’” MacNeill said.
“I’m happy for our fifth-year guys. This could have been their last game and now they have a chance to live on,” the Gryphon coach said.
Guelph and Queen’s both finished the season 3-5, with Guelph winning the tie breaker by virtue of a win over Queen’s earlier in the season.
“We were too busy and too focused on our task. That was the biggest thing,” said Gryphon running back Johnny Augustine, who ran for a pair of touchdowns against York.
“Things clearly haven’t been our way this year, but this is what we needed. We thought this was a playoff game and that’s what we were focusing on.”
Saturday’s game with York was a dreary affair, made even bleaker by what appeared to be a serious injury to the Lions Rossini Sandjong-Djabome.
The big defensive lineman was placed on a backboard and taken away by ambulance after being injured early in the third quarter. There was no immediate update on his condition.
Played in frigid, windy conditions, it was a game of run, run and more run, with Guelph running the ball 61 times.
Augustine said he knew it was going to be a running game on Saturday, given the conditions.
“When it’s raining and really cold, it comes down to who can run the ball better. That’s why I play this sport and why I play the position I do, because I know there are going to be times that the team relies on me or whoever is in the backfield,” Augustine said.
It was also a penalty-filled game: 36 in all for a combined 310 yards. There were also three players ejected.
The Gryphons dominated on the ground, rushing for 422 yards. Mac Jones led the way with 141 yards and Augustine had 133 yards.
Guelph quarterback James Roberts threw the ball just 16 times, completing 10 of them, for 177 yards and touchdowns to Kade Belyk and Geoff Bezrunchko.
Fifth-year defensive back Tristan Doughlin had a pair of interceptions for the Gryphon defence, which held York to just 214 yards in total offence.
