GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons football team has faced its share of adversity this season. But one thing that hasn't changed is the togetherness of the group. Through heartbreaking losses and comeback wins, Guelph's locker room has remained tight and the team is starting to see what a close squad can accomplish. The Gryphons kept their momentum going with a decisive 46-8 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues in the annual Think Pink game at Alumni Stadium Saturday afternoon.
With the players and fans decked out in pink to show their support for those battling cancer, the Gryphons put on a show that gave the team a winning record for the first time this season at 4-3. Fourth-year quarterback
Theo Landers was efficient, completing 15 of 21 passes for 182 passing yards and two first-half touchdowns, while also adding 48 yards on the ground. Running backs
Juwan Jeffrey and
Jean-Paul Cimankinda provided an incredible one-two punch, rushing for 125 and 119 yards respectively.
Theo Landers rolls out
Guelph came out flying, starting the day with a 2-yard touchdown run by Cimankinda just 2:58 in and then stretching that lead to 14-0 later in the opening quarter when Landers found
Kian Schaffer-Baker on the left side of the end zone for a 16-yard strike.
"I was really happy with the way the offence came out today," said head coach
Todd Galloway. "It was one of the things we've challenged them with is a faster start. We've adjusted well and we've had good second halves but we've been a little slow out of the gate. It was good to see them come out and score 14 points right away."
"We wanted to come out and put up points," said Schaffer-Baker, who finished with team-highs of six catches and 76 receiving yards. "That was our main objective. We put up quite a few but we got a few penalties, which we'll have to clean up."
Guelph would add on to the lead from there, beginning with a
Gabe Ferraro field goal from 25 yards out late in the first quarter. It was the first of six field goals in as many attempts for the fifth-year All-Canadian, who was celebrating his 23
rd birthday.
Up 17-0 heading into the second, the Gryphons scored two more touchdowns in quick succession, including a dazzling 52-yard punt return score by rookie
Kiondre Smith and another 16-yard pass from Landers, this time to veteran
Kade Belyk. Ferraro would carry the offensive load from there. He nailed five more field goals, with Toronto's lone touchdown, a 30-yard hookup between quarterback Vince Luccisano and receiver Will Corby, sandwiched in between them.
Galloway was pleased with another inspirational defensive effort from the team. OUA tackles leader
Lukas Korol (9.9 per game entering Saturday) led the unit again and topped all Gryphons with 8.5 tackles. The big plays on that side of the ball continued, like
Dotun Aketepe's second-quarter interception of Luccisano with Toronto threatening in the Guelph end of the field down 24-0.
"They had another good day," Galloway said of the defence. "Toronto had trouble running the ball on us, which is something we've been pretty good at with most teams. And our back end is just continuing to jell. It's a fairly new group working with each other. As they keep getting better each week, we're seeing good results."
The win sets up a critical matchup with the Waterloo Warriors next week at Alumni Stadium as Guelph tries to secure a playoff spot. Galloway said the team already discussed the importance of that matchup immediately after today's win.
"This one is done and it feels good to put a good football game together but all focus is on this next Saturday," he said. "It's good to go in with a couple of wins and some confidence. We're a much better team than we were at the start of the season."
Guelph has been able to turn around what was potentially shaping up to be a disappointing season. The team's three losses have come by an astounding four total points but after a huge comeback win at Laurier two weeks and a bye that gave the team some well-deserved rest, they are ready to finish strong.
Galloway said that it's a credit to the players, who have never wavered in their support of each other.
"I have to credit a lot of it to the leadership," the coach said. "They're a great group of guys and they're here for the right reasons.
"The ultimate goal is to win football games – and be a family while doing it."
