OTTAWA, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons football team didn't quit after a few heartbreaking losses early this season. And they certainly didn't quit Saturday afternoon in the nation's capital when they were on the brink of being eliminated from the OUA playoffs. Guelph rallied to score 17 points in the final 8:45 of the fourth quarter to defeat the Ottawa Gee-Gees 27-22 and earn a berth in next Saturday's Yates Cup.
The Gryphons will travel to London to take on the No. 1 Western Mustangs in the 111th edition of the OUA championship game.
Fourth-year quarterback
Theo Landers found wide receiver
Thomas Bresciani for a 59-yard touchdown with 48 seconds left on the clock to put the upstart Gryphons through to the final. The score capped a furious rally by Guelph, which found itself down 22-10 with time running out.
But the team has showed an incredible ability to bounce back from adversity and has played its best with the proverbial backs to the wall.
When the team was down 18-0 at the half, head coach
Todd Galloway went into to talk to his players. And he liked what he saw.
"You could tell they fully believed they were going to win this football game," said the first-year head coach. "It's indicative of our season. We don't necessarily do things they easy way but they didn't quit. I'm so proud of them.
"They don't even know how to quit."
"It was a little quiet but it wasn't a defeated quiet," added fifth-year linebacker and OUA tackles leader
Luke Korol of the mood at halftime. "Everyone just got focused. The look in our eyes was that we would come back and win. Just focus on your assignment. Buckle down and do our jobs."
Raphael Cote's 39-yard field goal would put the hosts up 21-10 at 6:41 of the third quarter and after adding a rouge, the Gee-Gees seemed well on their way to earning the right to face Western, winners of the other semi-final over Carleton. But Guelph, despite a tough day on offence, had different ideas.
It started with a one-yard touchdown run from Ottawa native
Jean-Paul Cimankinda, who starred last week in the quarter-final against Waterloo when he rushed for 258 yards and three scores.
Gabe Ferraro's convert made it 22-17. The record-breaking kicker would be called on again with 4:47 left and Ferraro, who has always been open about embracing the big moments, nailed a 35-yard field goal to get his team within two.
That would set the stage for Landers and Bresciani. The initial play broke down, forcing the quarterback to roll out and he heaved one down field to Bresciani, who did well to hold off the defender and score one of the biggest touchdowns of his life.
"We managed to drive the field and JP finished it off to get us within a score," said Galloway. "After that, our defence played amazing. They didn't give up anything and got the ball back to offence so they could go win this game.
"Credit to Thomas," Galloway added of the game-winning score. "He came back, shielded the ball, kept it and ran it in."
It was the only catch for Bresciani, a third-year man from Weyburn, SK. On a day when the wind howled and the rain came down, his 59 receiving yards led the team. Landers managed to overcome four sacks to throw for 128 yards, while leading the team in rushing with 134 yards on 10 attempts. Cimankinda produced his third straight 100-yard rushing day with 128. Korol manned a defence that came up huge when needed, especially in the fourth quarter. The Gryphons made key stops down the stretch and helped the offence work magic down the stretch.
"It' been pretty crazy," said a relieved Korol, who made three solo tackles, eight assisted tackles and recovered a fumble.
"There have been a couple games where we had to come back in second half and the team has shown so much heart. That's the culture we have. Everyone is so close and we all play for each other, which is the biggest thing.
"The guys are so passionate and that's why we came back."
Ottawa was intent on defending its home field and started well when Dawson Odei ran one in from five yards out at 4:46 of the first quarter. Cote hit a 39-yarder to extend the lead to 10 before Odei scored on an eight-yard touchdown rush less than a minute before half time. A two-point conversion gave the Gee-Gees what seemed like a comfortable lead on a day where yards were hard to come by.
"We got off to a slow start," said Galloway. "The weather was a bit of a factor but we dug ourselves a bit of hole against the wind. We were better in the second quarter but it didn't result in points.
"The wind was so strong and we wanted it in the fourth."
Guelph has been up against it for a while now. The team needed to win to make the playoffs two weeks ago at home against Waterloo and they pulled that out in amazing fashion with a 47-44 double overtime victory. Then last Saturday, the Gryphons topped Waterloo again in the OUA quarter-final to earn the right to go to Ottawa.
Every time the end seemed near, Guelph responded.
The latest rally will give them a shot at another Yates Cup on the same TD Stadium field where they won it all in 2015. And for players in their last year like Korol, the opportunity means so much.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said. "We're going against a top-ranked, undefeated team and we have a chance to upset them.
"The fact I can go to my third Yates Cup in five years is amazing, especially to do with this group. We're all fighting for each other."
Galloway has done a masterful job taking the team over in 2018 but he puts all of the success on his players.
"All I really asked them was to buy in to the family and team atmosphere," said Galloway. "They did. It's so cool to see.
"They don't care who gets the credit – they just want to win."
