September 27, 2009
NO. 2 MUSTANGS SQUEAK OUT 41-39 WIN OVER NO. 10 GRYPHONS IN FOOTBALL
GUELPH, Ont. - Darryl Wheeler (Hamilton, Ont.) booted a 16-yard field goal in the dying seconds of the game to lift the No. 2 Western Mustangs past the No. 10 Guelph Gryphons 41-39 in front of a sold-out homecoming crowd of 8,750 wild fans at Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Western's Nathan Riva (LaSalle, Ont.) caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Michael Faulds (Eden Mills, Ont.) to lead the Mustangs. Riva finished with 86 yards receiving and 21 carries for 122 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, Faulds completed 34-of-55 passes for 415 yards and four touchdowns. His 650 career receptions establishes a new OUA record, surpassing Josh Sacobie's mark of 637 set last season.
Western wideout Josh Svec (Blenheim, Ont.) led all pass-catchers with 121 yards on seven receptions. The Mustangs totalled a gigantic 565 total offensive yards in the shootout.
The Gryphons were equally as impressive on the day in offensive yards tallying 500, led by quarterback Justin Dunk (Guelph, Ont.). The fifth-year pivot completed 22-of-39 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown, and even more impressive ran the ball 16 times for 128 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Defensively the Gryphons were led by the outstanding play of Adam Dunk (Guelph, Ont.), who notched 10 solo tackles, as well as defensive back Jerryd Baines (Ottawa, Ont.) who registered nine.
Things got started right away on the opening kick-off when the Gryphons recovered a forced fumble on the return, setting up Justin Dunk with great field position. When Dunk took the snap at the 10-yard line a few plays later, he did what he does best and scrambled to the left corner of the end zone to put the Gryphons up 7-0.
Five minutes later Western would respond as Faulds hit his second-year running back Riva on a short out pattern in which Riva muscled his way into the corner for a 14-yard score. After Wheeler kicked a 25-yard field goal to make the score 10-9, Dunk took the ball down the length of the field with efficiency. Dave Harrison (Waterdown, Ont.) ran a seam route and caught a nice pass for about 20 yards which then set up Dunk for his second rushing touchdown of the day in which the gunslinger sprinted right to the end zone from 21 yards out.
The second quarter saw heavy rain fall which made for a rather uneventful first 10 minutes. Things started to turn around at the 11:00 minute mark. With the ball on Guelph's five-yard line Riva was stuffed two straight times which led to Faulds lobbing up a three-yard pass into the end zone to Jerod McCrory (Burlington, Ont.) to make the score 19-17 in favour of the Mustangs. Less then two minutes later, Riva would feed off of this momentum when he took a short pass from Faulds seven yards to pay dirt.
Now trailing 24-19, Guelph managed to respond with very little time left, working their way into Mustangs territory and letting kicker Rob Maver (Brampton, Ont.) take over with a 15-yard field goal. Both teams headed to the locker rooms in anticipation of the second half with the score set at 24-22 Western.
With Western fielding the kick-off to open the second half it looked as though the Mustangs were ready to put another six points up on the Gryphon defence. Riva started things off when he ripped a nice 31-yard run into Guelph territory. Faulds then finished the deal off when he hit Guelph native Jesse Bellamy (Guelph, Ont.) on a nice out route for eight yards to make the score 31-22.
At this point in the game the Mustangs were rolling and on their ensuing possession they would again drive the ball into Gryphons territory. Safety Jordan Duncan (Grimsby, Ont.) had other plans, however, as he stepped up and made a beautiful interception on a Faulds pass intended for the right side of the field just in front of the goal line, bringing it the other way 12 yards. Dunk fed off of this great play on the Gryphons ensuing possession when he took a snap and rolled out right before hitting wideout Jamie Shaw (Mississauga, Ont.) for 30 yards. Now in Western territory with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Dunk hit an open Harrison in the middle of the end zone for an 18-yard TD strike.
The Gryphons again got the ball back with just 21 seconds left before the commencement of the final quarter. Dunk relied on his athleticism once again and charged down the middle of the field 22 yards to pay dirt.
The fourth quarter started with excitement as well as Riva took a handoff from Faulds at the Gryphons one-yard line but was met with ample punishment from linebacker Adam Dunk. Faulds then snuck the ball in on the very next play to re-take the lead, 38-36.
The Gryphons got the ball back with decent field position due to the consistent return work of defensive back Brad Lively (Calgary, Alta.), who racked up 212 yards on 11 kickoff and punt returns throughout the afternoon. Running back Nick Fitzgibbon (Puslinch, Ont.) took a short dump-pass from Dunk and took it 63 yards into Mustangs territory, dragging at least three defenders on the final five yards. Forced to a field goal attempt Maver made good from 10 yards out to put the Gryphons up 39-38.
However it was the Mustangs who got the last word as Faulds methodically drove his offence into Guelph territory with under a minute left, which culminated with Wheeler's game winning field goal.
The Gryphons (2-2) host the Waterloo Warriors (1-3) at Alumni Stadium on Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.. Western returns home to host the McMaster Marauders at 2 p.m.
Source: Guelph Gryphons
Western's Nathan Riva (LaSalle, Ont.) caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Michael Faulds (Eden Mills, Ont.) to lead the Mustangs. Riva finished with 86 yards receiving and 21 carries for 122 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, Faulds completed 34-of-55 passes for 415 yards and four touchdowns. His 650 career receptions establishes a new OUA record, surpassing Josh Sacobie's mark of 637 set last season.
Western wideout Josh Svec (Blenheim, Ont.) led all pass-catchers with 121 yards on seven receptions. The Mustangs totalled a gigantic 565 total offensive yards in the shootout.
The Gryphons were equally as impressive on the day in offensive yards tallying 500, led by quarterback Justin Dunk (Guelph, Ont.). The fifth-year pivot completed 22-of-39 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown, and even more impressive ran the ball 16 times for 128 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Defensively the Gryphons were led by the outstanding play of Adam Dunk (Guelph, Ont.), who notched 10 solo tackles, as well as defensive back Jerryd Baines (Ottawa, Ont.) who registered nine.
Things got started right away on the opening kick-off when the Gryphons recovered a forced fumble on the return, setting up Justin Dunk with great field position. When Dunk took the snap at the 10-yard line a few plays later, he did what he does best and scrambled to the left corner of the end zone to put the Gryphons up 7-0.
Five minutes later Western would respond as Faulds hit his second-year running back Riva on a short out pattern in which Riva muscled his way into the corner for a 14-yard score. After Wheeler kicked a 25-yard field goal to make the score 10-9, Dunk took the ball down the length of the field with efficiency. Dave Harrison (Waterdown, Ont.) ran a seam route and caught a nice pass for about 20 yards which then set up Dunk for his second rushing touchdown of the day in which the gunslinger sprinted right to the end zone from 21 yards out.
The second quarter saw heavy rain fall which made for a rather uneventful first 10 minutes. Things started to turn around at the 11:00 minute mark. With the ball on Guelph's five-yard line Riva was stuffed two straight times which led to Faulds lobbing up a three-yard pass into the end zone to Jerod McCrory (Burlington, Ont.) to make the score 19-17 in favour of the Mustangs. Less then two minutes later, Riva would feed off of this momentum when he took a short pass from Faulds seven yards to pay dirt.
Now trailing 24-19, Guelph managed to respond with very little time left, working their way into Mustangs territory and letting kicker Rob Maver (Brampton, Ont.) take over with a 15-yard field goal. Both teams headed to the locker rooms in anticipation of the second half with the score set at 24-22 Western.
With Western fielding the kick-off to open the second half it looked as though the Mustangs were ready to put another six points up on the Gryphon defence. Riva started things off when he ripped a nice 31-yard run into Guelph territory. Faulds then finished the deal off when he hit Guelph native Jesse Bellamy (Guelph, Ont.) on a nice out route for eight yards to make the score 31-22.
At this point in the game the Mustangs were rolling and on their ensuing possession they would again drive the ball into Gryphons territory. Safety Jordan Duncan (Grimsby, Ont.) had other plans, however, as he stepped up and made a beautiful interception on a Faulds pass intended for the right side of the field just in front of the goal line, bringing it the other way 12 yards. Dunk fed off of this great play on the Gryphons ensuing possession when he took a snap and rolled out right before hitting wideout Jamie Shaw (Mississauga, Ont.) for 30 yards. Now in Western territory with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Dunk hit an open Harrison in the middle of the end zone for an 18-yard TD strike.
The Gryphons again got the ball back with just 21 seconds left before the commencement of the final quarter. Dunk relied on his athleticism once again and charged down the middle of the field 22 yards to pay dirt.
The fourth quarter started with excitement as well as Riva took a handoff from Faulds at the Gryphons one-yard line but was met with ample punishment from linebacker Adam Dunk. Faulds then snuck the ball in on the very next play to re-take the lead, 38-36.
The Gryphons got the ball back with decent field position due to the consistent return work of defensive back Brad Lively (Calgary, Alta.), who racked up 212 yards on 11 kickoff and punt returns throughout the afternoon. Running back Nick Fitzgibbon (Puslinch, Ont.) took a short dump-pass from Dunk and took it 63 yards into Mustangs territory, dragging at least three defenders on the final five yards. Forced to a field goal attempt Maver made good from 10 yards out to put the Gryphons up 39-38.
However it was the Mustangs who got the last word as Faulds methodically drove his offence into Guelph territory with under a minute left, which culminated with Wheeler's game winning field goal.
The Gryphons (2-2) host the Waterloo Warriors (1-3) at Alumni Stadium on Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.. Western returns home to host the McMaster Marauders at 2 p.m.
Source: Guelph Gryphons
