GUELPH, Ont. – It took until the final play of the game, not only in their own game but also with an out-of-town game taking place in Hamilton which they needed to go their way, but the Guelph Gryphons are officially playoff-bound. On Saturday afternoon (Oct. 18, 2025) in front of 1,200 fans at the University of Guelph's Alumni Stadium, the Gryphons defeated the York Lions, 34-27, in a thrilling game that marked the final game of the 2025 OUA regular season schedule. With the result, the Gryphons end the regular season with a record of 3-5, while the York Lions fall to 2-6. In order to grab the seventh and final playoff spot in the conference, the Gryphons not only needed to defeat the York Lions, they also needed some help on the out-of-town scoreboard, with Guelph needing the McMaster Marauders to defeat the Carleton Ravens in their matchup at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton. Fortunately for the Gryphons, McMaster was able to get it done in dramatic fashion, with the Marauders kicking a last-second field goal to clinch a 41-39 victory over the Ravens. The Gryphons are now playoff-bound, and will head to London next Saturday (Oct. 25) for an OUA quarterfinal matchup against the Western Mustangs.

With the game tied at 27-27 late in the 4th quarter, the Gryphons would score the game-winning touchdown after dipping into their bag of tricks. With :60 seconds left in the game and the ball on the York 10-yard line, Gryphon running back Kanye Nethersole would take a handoff, and then throw it back to his quarterback, Marshall McCray, who hauled in the short pass and leaped into the endzone for his third touchdown of the afternoon to give Guelph a 34-27 lead. The Gryphons special teams unit helped set up the game-winning touchdown moments earlier, when a missed field goal from Guelph was returned out of the endzone by York, but a forced fumble on the return was recovered by the Gryphons setting the offence up for the McCray touchdown.
 
Marshall McCray, a third-year dual-threat quarterback from Niagara Falls, had a memorable day, with three touchdowns, including an explosive 52-yard TD run early in the 4th quarter which put Guelph up 27-10. The visiting York Lions, who also entered Saturday afternoon's game mathematically alive for a playoff spot, showed tremendous fight throughout the afternoon, but their hopes of a comeback attempt would officially fall short when Lions receiver Cairo Berry would be tackled out of bounds at the Guelph 1-yard line on the final play of the game.
 
Gryphons fifth-year defensive back, Anakin Guthrie (Guelph, ON) had a huge game, highlighted by a 129-yard missed field goal returned for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter to spark the Gryphons, who were trailing 8-0 at that point. Guthrie's long return for a touchdown marked Guelph's first touchdown of the afternoon and helped the Gryphons take a 13-9 lead into the locker room at halftime, with the other U of G touchdown coming on a 6-yard from quarterback Tristan Aboud. In the second half, the Gryphons built up leads of 20-9 and 27-17, only to see the York Lions storm back to eventually tie the game at 27-27. But McCray's late touchdown would prove to be just enough, with Guelph earning the 34-27 home victory.
 
In the OUA, seven of the 11 teams in the conference make the playoffs, with the unofficial playoff picture looking like this after Saturday's action:
 
OUA Quarterfinals (Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025):
No. 7-seed Guelph Gryphons (3-5) @ No. 2-seed Western Mustangs (7-1)
No. 6-seed Ottawa Gee-Gees (4-4) @ No. 3-seed Windsor Lancers (5-3)
No. 5-seed McMaster Marauders (4-4) @ No. 4-seed Queen's Gaels (5-3)

No. 1-seed (first-round bye): Wilfird Laurier Golden Hawks (8-0)