GUELPH, Ont. – Instant classic. That's the most appropriate description of what the fans at Alumni Stadium witnessed on a memorable final day of the OUA football season. With a series of heartbreaking losses in their recent past, not to mention their playoff lives on the line, the Guelph Gryphons flipped the script and defeated the Waterloo Warriors 47-44 in a double overtime thriller Saturday afternoon.
Fifth-year kicker
Gabe Ferraro connected on a 42-yard field goal, the 91st of his distinguished career to tie the U SPORTS record for most makes ever, and rookie defensive lineman
Tavius Robinson stripped the ball on Waterloo's subsequent passion in the second overtime to ensure that Guelph (5-3) plays at least one more week. And the opponent in that upcoming home OUA playoff matchup? The very same Warriors.
Head coach
Todd Galloway called the dramatic win "fitting."
"We've had a lot of close ones this year," said Galloway, referencing the Gryphons' three losses by a total of four points. "Through the guys' perseverance and how much heart they've shown, we're starting to come out on the other side of these close ones, which is nice to see."
"It definitely feels a lot better," added relieved fifth-year linebacker and OUA tackles leader
Luke Korol. "Losing those games was a punch in the mouth. But those games happen – and they make you better."
Guelph's fourth-year quarterback
Theo Landers completed 11 of 22 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns, while rookie running back
Jean-Paul Cimankinda reeled off 167 yards and touchdown on 16 rushes. Landers once again relied on his two favourite targets,
Kian Schaffer-Baker and
Kade Belyk, who each had four grabs and a score, while registering 94 and 48 yards respectively.
The two receivers were also responsible for another big play when Belyk flipped a ball to Schaffer-Baker on a reverse that went for 53 yards to the house, giving Guelph an 18-9 lead late in the second quarter.
The two teams met in Waterloo last year and produced an offensive slugfest, with Guelph eking out a 53-49 win. But Saturday's game was even better, especially considering what the two teams were battling for. Like they did in the 2017 matchup, the rivals separated by less than 30 minutes traded knockout punches. The Gryphons took a 34-30 lead at 4:32 of the fourth quarter when Landers hooked up with Schaffer-Baker on a 17-yard touchdown.
Waterloo's star quarterback Tre Ford had an answer. Ford rushed in from a yard out to regain the lead for his team but Ferraro sent the game to overtime on a 32-yard field goal with no time left on the clock, leaving him one short of the U SPORTS record held by University of Calgary kicker Johnny Mark, who made 91 field goals from 2011 through 2015.
In overtime, Ford found Gordon Lam for a four-yard touchdown catch. Advantage Waterloo. But Cimankinda used his 225-pound frame to bust one in from the six-yard line, forcing a second extra session. That's when Ferraro tied Mark and the towering 6-8 Robinson, who is making a name for himself in the trenches, got the strip of the season to secure the biggest win for the team this year.
"They continue to make unbelievable football plays," Galloway said of the defensive unit. "That's a great offence over there that we played today, with a lot of weapons to contain. We knew that we were just going to try and limit what they do. You can't stop everything. And I was proud of those guys.
"Once again, they came up big when it mattered."
Guelph did what they could to mimic Ford in practice all week but the dynamic second-year man was destined to have his way. He finished the day with an eye-popping 30 completions on 38 attempts, 396 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, with 73 rushing yards and another score on the ground.
"That kid's an incredible athlete but he's also a great quarterback," Galloway said. "You have to pick and choose what you think you want to take away that day, whether it's his legs or his arm. We just tried to play disciplined football and limit him as much as we could."
Ford got Waterloo on the board first with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Mitch Kernick at 5:06 of the first quarter. After Schaffer-Baker's great running touchdown, Ford connected with receiver Richmond Nketiah just seven seconds before the half. In the third quarter, he threw two touchdown strikes to Tyler Ternowski, the second giving Waterloo a 30-24 edge, with more fireworks to come.
Guelph's own offence wasn't too bad either. Korol said the O played "incredible."
But what resonated most was the resolve of the whole team. Korol said that it's ingrained in the Gryphon culture to play for veterans and he was touched by how the younger players committed to stepping up to see the game through.
It was the same for him in his first few years with the program.
"Our team has shown so much coming back in games, showing that drive and heart," Korol said, noting how exciting it was to secure a playoff berth. "Our team has had so much respect for the vets. Knowing that if we did lose that game we could potentially be out, they dug deep. Our whole team did. They said, 'We want to win this for you,' and that means so much.
"I feel like that's a really important part of the program."
The two teams get to do it all over again next Saturday at Alumni Stadium. And while it may have been fun for the spectators, Guelph's coaching staff knows the week of preparation will be long and busy.
"We definitely have to watch the film and learn from the mistakes we made," said Galloway. "We have to finish better when we get the opportunity. We've got to try and turn them into a one-dimensional offence and not let the run game going.
"When they can get both phases of that offence going, they become pretty tough to stop."
