Queen’s snared a 27-17 victory with less than a minute on the clock
With only a minute left in the nail-biting fourth quarter, the Queen’s Gaels squandered any hope of a Gryphon comeback in the homecoming football game on Oct. 4 when the Gaels put the score up 27-17.
The home game started out electric as over 9,000 fans flooded Alumni Stadium and the hillside to cheer on the Gryphons. Not unlike the bright and sunny weather that afternoon, the Gryphons were prepared to bring the heat against the Gaels.
“Both teams are pretty veteran laden, which always means you’re going to get a great football game,” said Gryphons head coach Mark Surya, in anticipation of the homecoming game.
A similar sentiment came from receiver Jakob Tomas, who said of his teammates, “We got dogs everywhere.”
Gryphons entered the first quarter confident following a 55-28 win against the Carleton Ravens on Sept. 27. Their win in Ottawa was even more impressive for the performance of fourth-year defensive back Gianni Green, who claimed four interceptions, tying the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and U SPORTS record for the most interceptions in a single game.
In an interview with The Ontarion ahead of homecoming, Green said, “I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere and a chance, you know, to get back from last time they [Queen’s] were here for HOCO.”
Although the Gryphons were flying high, it wouldn’t be an easy win against the Gaels, who arrived in Guelph riding a three-game winning streak.
Ranked as the number seven team in the country, the Gaels were sure to present an all-star offense with running back Jared Chisari, quarterback Alex Vreeken and receiver Nathan Falconi; all seniors on the team.
The Gryphons were sharp on defence during the homecoming match. In the first quarter, an early turnover was made by linebacker Yunus Larry through a forced fumble against Gaels’ offensive leader Chisari.
Things got tense in the second quarter, as running back Caleb Sargeant ran a 22-yard drive and earned the Gryphons a first down at the 5-yard line. From there, quarterback Marshall McCray rushed for a touchdown, putting the Gryphons in the lead 7-0.
Shortly after, the Gaels came back after scoring a touchdown followed by an impressive field goal from the 44-yard line, giving them a 10-7 lead against the Gryphons.
With only two minutes left in the quarter, quarterback Tristan Aboud rushed 13 yards for a first down Gryphons, followed by a stunning run for a first and goal by running back Kanye Nethersole.
The Gaels held a tight defence at the line of scrimmage, and the Gryphons made the decision to kick for a field goal with 14 seconds left in the quarter. After a successful kick by Trey Thompson, the Gryphons headed into halftime with a tied score of 10-10.
At this point, fans in Alumni Stadium were roaring. Their energy carried throughout halftime as The Reklaws, a country music duo—and proud Gryphon Alumni—kickstarted their performance. The small-town pair led the crowd in chanting “Go Gryphons Go,” leaving the stadium rearing for a Gryphon comeback in the final half of the game.
In the third quarter, Deemetrius Masuka made a major interception, forcing the second turnover of the game. But, with only a minute left in the third, the Gaels scored a field goal and took a 13-10 lead heading into the fourth.
By the final quarter, fans were on the edge of their stadium seats. With eight minutes left in the fourth, Aboud made a skilled rush for a first down at the 3.5-yard line.
After being met with a timeout by the Gaels, the Gryphons returned for a third down and goal at the 2-yard line. McCray soared through the Gaels line of defence to score his second touchdown of the game. Alumni Stadium shook as fans rose to their feet, seeing a win against Queen’s finally within reach.
Surya recalled this touchdown in a post-game interview with The Ontarion.
“I think Marshall’s jump in the end zone on the dive, that was a highlight of the day,” Surya said.
From there, the Gryphons headed into the home stretch of the match with a 17-13 lead, but the Gaels responded with a long touchdown drive of their own, pulling ahead 20-17.
The final minute countdown clouded hopes for a Gryphon victory as Queen’s Vreeken passed to Falconi, who went 67-yards to the end zone to steal the win. The final score, 27-17, was a hard fought loss for the Gryphons.
Despite the gloomy outcome of the game, the Gryphons kept their spirits high as they looked forward to a bye week and the OUA quarter finals.
“No, we didn’t get what we want at the end of it, but we appreciate all the support,” said McCray, after a star performance in the game. He also shared appreciation for the team as they prepared to face York on Oct. 18, which would determine if the Gryphons would progress to the playoffs.
“We’re a good group together, you know, a lot of love in the locker room, so all we got to do is stay together,” McCray said.