Pink Gryphons defeat Mustangs in game for the ages
October, alongside the pressure that comes with the halfway point of the NFL season, the excitement of the new NHL season, and the MLB playoffs, has slowly morphed into something much bigger: Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many major league sports have taken October as an opportunity to give their men a reason to wear pink, whether through equipment, referees donning pink and black stripes, or painting the ice pink – an effort seen by the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads.
However, Breast Cancer Awareness month has faced its fair share of critics, despite good intentions. Female sports fans have expressed displeasure – and loudly – at pink merchandise, often wondering why every regular jersey sold in October can’t have money donated to the cause, instead of pink jerseys specifically.
The NFL has also faced it’s fair share of nay-sayers, with many fans questioning where the money raised actually goes – a disappointing grey area for one of the biggest sports leagues in the world. Others look at the recent happenings involving the NFL and question the legitimacy of a league requiring it’s players to wear pink, while struggling to discipline acts of violence against women, especially as of late. These acts of violence have cost the NFL a major sponsor: Proctor & Gamble – a company that previously supplied teams with pink mouth guards – withdrew from this season’s Breast Cancer Awareness campaign.
Nevertheless, campaigns for breast cancer awareness are prominent in sports and can be quite effective. The NHL, for example, has done away with the specifics of “pink” and “breast cancer” and launched #HockeyFightsCancer, a campaign that undoubtedly opens the floor to push back against the disease that affects so many.
The Guelph Gryphons, however, proved that a Breast Cancer Awareness game can be one for the ages with pink outlining the black, red, and gold. The Gryphons took to the field on Oct. 18 with pink socks, gloves, cleats, and mouth guards, and some even had a pink stripe on their cheek specifically dedicated to someone in their lives. This personal dedication should stand as a strong reminder as to what October truly means: it isn’t about the colour pink, and it isn’t about glamorizing tragedy; it is instead about bringing awareness to a disease that has taken so many before us and will continue to do so unless we, collectively, push back.
The Gryphons provided this reminder while emphasizing the collective resilience needed in their historic 49-46 win over their bitter rivals, the Western Mustangs, at Alumni Stadium.
This top ten match-up was a game one won’t soon forget, as Gryphons kicker Daniel Ferraro solidified the win with a 41-yard field goal and just 1.7 seconds remaining. The Gryphons improved to 6-1 with the win and also secured a first round bye and a spot in the OUA semifinals.
The rivals would exchange leads with strong play on both sides. The Gryphons came out atop 10-6 after the opening quarter that saw Mason Swift successful on a two-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Jazz Lindsey.
Western would jump ahead 20-10, credited to Mustangs quarterback Will Finch throwing a successful 37-yard touchdown pass to Shaquille Johnson. Finch was 17 for 22 throws in the first half, throwing 189 yards and two touchdowns. These stats seem almost minuscule in comparison to those of Gryphon receivers A’dre Fraser and Alex Charette, however, who caught over 100 yards each in the first half of the game. Lindsey would connect with Charette for a 35-yard touchdown, cutting the Western lead to 23-20.
Ferraro was successful on a 41-yard field goal as time expired at the half to tie the game at 23-23, a pressure filled play that undoubtedly proved good experience for what would decide the game.
To start the third quarter, the Gryphons carried the momentum to capitalize with two touchdowns in less than two minutes, taking a 37-23 lead over the purple ponies.
Western, however, would live up to their national No. 4 ranking to come back with two successful drives to tie the game up at 37 a-piece.
The fourth quarter saw a mistake with a Gryphons snap, leaving Ferraro to fall on the ball and take a major loss. The Mustangs took advantage as Finch connected with Adam Sinclair to put the visiting team ahead 46-38.
Enter Lindsey, Charette, and Fraser: the big three that would push the Gryphons down field with just under three minutes remaining in the game.
At third and goal, Gryphons’ Matthew Toppan would unexpectedly catch a touchdown pass from Lindsey to pull the home team within two and score the first touchdown of his football career. An over-the-top celebration saw a flag thrown on the play, pushing the Gryphons back to the 15-yard line for the potential game-tying two-point conversion.
Charette would come to the rescue, successfully catching the two-point conversion, in spite of pressure from the defender, to tie the game up at 46-46.
Gryphons’ Ryan Nieuwesteeg would return a Western punt to the 54-yard line with 39.9 seconds remaining, leaving Lindsey and the rest of the offence to push for the win in the final minute. With 1.7 seconds remaining, Ferraro made no mistake from 41-yards out, giving the Gryphons the 49-46 win over the Mustangs.
In the win, Lindsey set a Guelph Gryphons record for passing yards in a single game, recording 514 yards. The previous record was held by Justin Dunk set at 487 yards.
Charette had 13 receptions on the game – just one short of tying the single game record – for 188 yards and a touchdown, while Fraser had 11 catches for a career-high 210 yards and a touchdown.
Ferraro continued the Gryphons’ parade of incredible statistics with four successful field goals, for a total of 23 on the season, tying McMaster’s Tyler Crapigna for the OUA’s single season record.
The Gryphons will close out the regular season on Oct. 25 when they visit the Laurier Golden Hawks.