KINGSTON, Ont. – In what was perhaps the game of the year to this point in the 2026 OUA football schedule, the No. 9-ranked Guelph Gryphons ultimately fell just short, losing 42-41, to the No. 5-ranked Queen's Gaels on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 17) in Kingston. With the loss, the Gryphons fall to 4-3 on the season, while Queen's improves to 6-1.
A back-and-forth, entertaining matchup at Richardson Stadium saw the Gryphons and Gaels combine for 83 points, with quarterbacks on both sides helping lead explosive plays throughout the day. Gryphons fourth-year quarterback
Tristan Aboud (Montreal, QC) finished the day 24-32, 490 yards, 2 TD and 0 INT, with receivers
Monroe Corniffe (5 catches, 168 yards, 2 TD) and
Willem Arseneau (7 catches, 141 yards) leading the way for the Gryphon passing attack. On the other side, Queen's quarterback Alex Vreeken finished 21-28, 348 yards, 3 TD and 0 INT.
The Gryphons arrived in Kingston fresh of a bye week, with their last game coming back on Oct. 3, a 46-0 win at the University of Toronto. It did not take long for the fireworks to begin on Saturday afternoon in Kingston, with
Tristan Aboud and
Monroe Corniffe for a 31-yard touchdown to open the scoring less than two minutes into the game. A pair of first half rushing touchdowns from Gryphon quarterback
Marshall McCray helped the Gryphons put up 24 points in the opening half, but the Gaels were able to match Guelph score for score, with the game tied at 24-24 heading to the locker room at the half.
In the second half, Aboud and Corniffe would connect again, this time on a 45-yard touchdown, giving Guelph a 32-27 lead. But the Gaels would score the next 15 points to take a 42-32 lead with under five minutes to go in regulation.
With 2:38 remaining,
Tristan Aboud would cap off a memorable performance, this time getting it done on the ground, with the fourth-year standout getting flushed out of the pocket before rushing for a 54-yard touchdown to make it a 42-39 game. After a conceded safety from Queen's made it a 42-41 game, the Gryphons would get the ball late with a chance to win it with a field goal. Aboud and the offence would get the ball back starting on their own 35-yard line with 1:48 to go, with
Matthew Stam,
Jarod Tessier and
Kanye Nethersole all picking up first downs to move the Gryphons into potential game-winning field goal range. But with just :32 seconds left on the clock, Gryphons running back
Kanye Nethersole would fumble at the Queen's 27-yard line, with the Gaels recovering to end the Gryphons comeback hopes.
The Gryphons (4-3) will now turn their attention to a crucial home matchup with the Windsor Lancers (5-2) on Saturday, October 24 in Guelph. The regular season finale between the Gryphons and Lancers on Oct. 24 will carry plenty of postseason implications with it. With a win over Windsor next week, the Gryphons would earn homefield advantage for the OUA quarterfinals on Oct. 31. Tickets for the Gryphons and Lancers game are available online at
www.gryphons.ca/tickets, with kickoff at Alumni Stadium in Guelph set for 1pm.
