As the CIS football season draws to a close after the Vanier Cup Championship, it is only fitting to end the season by acknowledging the accomplishments of the Gryphons’ top football players.
Second-year kicker Gabriel Ferraro was named Second Team All-Canadian after an outstanding season with the Gryphons. Ferraro, a business major from Mississauga, chose Guelph due to its friendly and home-like atmosphere. Additionally, Ferraro’s brother was already attending the university, further influencing his decision. Apart from the Yates Cup win, Ferraro’s favorite memory of the season was the second game of the year, in which he went four for four in kicks—a nice change from a rocky season opener.
Another highlight was fellow All-Canadian Jacob Scarfone’s touchdown catch in the match-up against the Western Mustangs, which sparked the Gryphons’ drive to win. Ferraro never thought that in only his second year would he see such success, saying that it felt surreal to be named to Second Team, however he never doubted that the team would accomplish their goal of winning the Yates Cup.
Ferraro will be returning to the Gryphons for the 2016-17 season, and plans to work harder and keep improving. He says, “Now that we know what it takes to win, we can focus and work in the off-season to do it again.” He is also looking to the more distant future with hopes for the CFL.
London native and third-year Marketing Management major Jacob Scarfone was named First Team All-Canadian. Playing the position of receiver, he says that the food, as well as the facilities and the atmosphere that Guelph offered made the choice to become a Gryphon a little easier. One of Scarfone’s favorite memories from the season, besides defeating Western in the Yates, is the Gryphons’ win over the Carleton Ravens in the semi-finals. Beating the Ravens both away and at home was not only impressive, but sent the Gryphons to the finals.
The touchdown scored by Scarfone in the finals against Western was a huge moment for him, as it was against his hometown’s team, making the win just that much better.
When asked how it felt to be named All-Canadian, Scarfone said it was amazing to get the recognition for the hard work that was put into the season, and called the reward “something in stone” that confirmed the efforts of the team as a whole. Scarfone was just happy to be in the starting lineup, and never anticipated this level of success in the season.
Scarfone’s future will see him back on the field for the Gryphons, where he hopes to have an even better season and raise the Vanier over his head at the end of 2016. Another of the First Team All-Canadians, Nicholas Parisotto is a home-grown Gryphon who said that the choice of coming to Guelph was based around the developing football team and the change that he could see in the program. The Leadership and Organizational Management major named the defeat of the McMaster Marauders as his favorite season memory outside of the Yates Cup. After a defeat in the 2014 Yates Cup against McMaster, this year’s win was nice revenge to serve the Hamilton team. Parisotto, like many Gryphons, enjoyed the lengthier training camp thanks to the later start of the school year, and singled out a major sack of the Windsor Lancer’s quarterback by John Rush in their season game.
Being named to the First Team was a way in which the defensive back was able to verify that his hard work had paid off, though he was shocked to learn that he was receiving this distinction. Again, Parisotto had no doubts about the success of the team this season and, when asked what he would be taking away from this season, he said that the lessons from the leaders and the veterans on the team would be invaluable in the future. Parisotto will also be returning to the Gryphons next season, and hopes to be even more successful with the Gryphons. Whether the future holds a professional football career or being a successful family man, only time will tell.
Linebacker John Rush is the fourth member of the Gryphons football roster to be named All-Canadian this season. As the fifth-year senior and recipient of the President’s trophy finishes off his Marketing Management degree, he recalls choosing Guelph based on the coaches, and the promise that they would work with him to realize his potential as a player. Rush has fond memories of training camp this year, which offered many opportunities for the team to grow both on and off the field. However, when asked for a favorite play from the season, Rush easily named a defensive play, involving fellow linebacker Curtis Newton, and a successful sack.
Rush also mentioned his teammates and coaches when describing the feeling of being named to the First Team, saying that the people around him “made it easy, and if it wasn’t [him], it could have been any of them,” and described his shock. After an injury sustained to his knee in his third year, the success of this season was a surprise to Rush, though he thought that the Yates win was a realistic goal for the team.
From this season and his overall experience as a Gryphon, Rush will take away the feeling of finally being able to win, and not only for the team this year, but for all of the players in past years that have helped get the team to this point. With hopes of the CFL, or a career in the business world, there is no doubt that Rush will succeed in his future plans.
A major congratulations and thank you goes out to the players, the team, and the coaches, who made this season a great one for their fans to witness and participate in. Coach Lang put it best when he said that the best memory of the season was watching the captains lift the Yates over their heads on the stage at Western, and players and fans alike will carry this memory forward. The challenge of the Yates Cup was the goal set at the beginning of the season, and with the individual and team success this season, Lang believes that the team can set its sights a little higher. He hopes that the players that received positions on the All-Canadian teams continue to strive for more. Whether the players who are returning to the field, or the seniors who are leaving the team, Lang says that this year saw a team that was a great mix, and it can be seen in the fact that there was a player from all sides who went All-Canadian.