Men’s Football History 2018-2019 Regular Season Record: 5-3 (3rd in OUA) Playoff Record: 2-1 (lost to Western in Yates Cup) There was a changing of the guard for Gryphon Football with Todd Galloway taking over as interim head coach in what proved to be a memorable 2018 season. Guelph had to overcome plenty of adversity in the early going after losing three of the first five games by an agonizing combined total of just four points. But the Gryphons manufactured a great turnaround that began in week 6 with a big 27-24 road win over the Laurier Golden Hawks. After a much-needed bye, fourth-year quarterback Theo Landers and breakout running back Jean-Paul Cimankinda helped Guelph orchestrate defeats of the Toronto Varsity Blues and the Waterloo Warriors to finish the season with a three-game win streak. The Gryphons pulled off an incredible 47-44 double overtime victory against Waterloo in the season finale and they repeated the feat in the OUA quarter-final, knocking off the high-octane Warriors 45-34. Guelph was on the brink of elimination on the road down 11 points late to the Ottawa Gee-Gees. But 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points, capped by an incredible 59-yard touchdown catch from Thomas Bresciani in the final minute, propelled the Gryphons to a 27-22 win and a berth in the 111th Yates Cup. The upstart Guelph team didn’t have enough against the powerhouse Western Mustangs, losing the title game 63-14. The Gryphons produced seven OUA All-Stars, including fifth-year linebacker Luke Korol, who was also named an All-Canadian after leading the country with 9.3 tackles per game. U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian: Luke Korol OUA First Team All-Stars: Luke Korol (LB) Gabe Ferraro (K) Colin Jerome (OL) OUA Second Team All-Stars Brendan Murphy (DB) Eric Starczala (OL) Kiondre Smith (Returner) A.J. Allen (Rush/Cover) OUA All-Rookie Team Brendan Murphy (DB) Jean-Paul Cimankinda (RB) Juwan Jeffrey (RB) Uriel Kalenga (LB) Tavius Robinson (DE) Kiondre Smith (RET) Team Awards Donald Forster Trophy (MVP): Luke Korol Rookie of the Year: Brendan Murphy 2018-19 Coaching Staff: Head Coach: Todd Galloway (1st season) Offensive Coordinator: Jean-Francois Joncas Defensive Coordinator: Adam Grandy Special Teams Coordinator: Alex Derma Defensive Line: Brian Cluff Offensive Line: Mike MacDonald Running Backs: Steve Viveiros Receivers: Steve Frake Linebackers: Joe Sardo Defensive Backs: Mark Forsyth Kicking Coach: Daniel Ferraro 2018-19 Roster: Dotun Aketepe Connor Burke Daniel Fascione Stuart Allan Benjamin Cadman Brandon Ferigo Jared Beeksma Joshua Cassista Jared Fernandez-Brown Kade Belyk Allister Chase Gabriel Ferraro Joseph Benjamin-Diorio Simon Chaves Cody Fisher Jake Bennett Alain Cimankinda Aidan Fraser Samuel Bergeron-Torres Jean-Paul Cimankinda Zeph Fraser-Blackett Walker Breen Gregory Corfield Kyle Funk Lukas Brennan Gordon Dejong Anthony Hall Thomas Bresciani Dawson Elliott Jamal Hooker Graham Brodie Aidan England Andrew Horscroft Ryan Isenor Andrew McFalls Nicholas Sarre Abdul-Karim Ismail Aiden Mielczarek Michael Scarfone Emmanuel Ituara Daniel Miller Kian Schaffer-Baker Alexander Jafs Nicholas Mirijello Brandon Schofield Juwan Jeffrey Nathaniel Monk Tyler Scholz Justin Jelacic Richard Morris Daniel Serravalle Colin Jerome Brendan Murphy Benjamin Slinger Noah Johns Malcolm Ofori Kiondre Smith Scott Johnston Kwame Osei Dewan Soyer Afram Jolak Michael O’Shea Eric Starczala Archibald Junior Daniel Palmer-Salmon Joel Stenning Uriel-Emmanu Kalenga Scott Pedersen Eric Stranz Jeremy Kapelanski Lamoureux Benjamin Petrie William Swan Jayden Kelly Jean Pierre Charlie Taggart Akeem Knowles Robert Proner Jordan Terrio Lukas Korol Collin Reece Tyler Thompson Benjamin Lack Job Reinhart John Tocher Theodore Landers Matt Reuter Elijah Walker Liam Lapointe Jason Richards Cole Wilkinson Brayden Lassenba Harry Robinson Thomas Williams Samuel Lewis Tavius Robinson Carter Wilson Matthew MacGillivray Etienne Roy Coulter Woodmansey Spencer Masterson Darius Samuels Jacob McDonald 2017-2018 Season Record: 5-3 (5th in the OUA) Playoff Record: 1-1 (lost to Western in OUA semi-final) Expectations were high for the Gryphons football program heading into the 2017 OUA season. Two narrow overtime losses, including a heartbreaker in London against the eventual Vanier Cup Champion Western Mustangs, was a difficult way to start off the year. But Guelph would show the resolve of a great team, winning five of the six remaining games on the regular season schedule, a run that started with a record-setting 81-10 home win over Windsor on Saturday, Sept. 9. That point total marked the most ever scored by a Gryphons team in school history. Guelph had to deal with the loss of their veteran quarterback James Roberts, who was hurt in the Homecoming game against McMaster, but backup Theo Landers took the reins and helped the team to three straight wins for a 5-3 record. The Gryphons entered the OUA playoffs with momentum and produced a big 30-8 road win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the quarter-final. Guelph’s solid season would come to an end in London when they fell to the powerful Mustangs in the semi-final. The Gryphons had several incredible individual achievements in 2017. Fifth-year running back Johnny Augustine climbed to second all- time on the U of G rushing list, while also establishing the school record for rushing touchdowns at 19. First Team All-Canadian kicker Gabe Ferraro had a year to remember, establishing the U SPORTS single-season record with 33 field goals, eclipsing his brother Daniel’s record of 26. The Mississauga, ON native also set the school record for points in a season (126) and career field goals (69). Oludotun Aketepe 2L Derek Drouillard 5L Lukas Korol 4H Job Reinhart 3L Johnny Augustine 5L Orion Edwards 5L Theodore Landers 3L Matthew Reuter 2L Riley Baines 5L Aidan England 3L Brayden Lassenba 1L Jason Richards 2L Jared Beeksma 1L Daniel Fascione 3L Sam Lewis 3L James Roberts 4H Kade Belyk 3L Gabriel Ferraro 4H Zeke Margaritis 1L Harry Robinson 2L J. Benjamin-Diorio 1L Aidan Fraser 3L Andrew McFalls 1L Noah Ross 1L Lukas Brennan 3L Zeph Fraser 1L Royce Metchie 4H Jacob Scarfone 5L Thomas Bresciani 2L Brandon Gordon 5L Nicholas Mirijello 2L Kian Schaffer-Baker 2L Graham Brodie 2L Tyler Grisolia 1L Sandor Mod 1L Eric Starczala 4H Erik Campbell-Anton1L Jaylan Guthrie 3L Nathaniel Monk 1L Charlie Taggart 4H Michael Carney 6L Jamal Hooker 3L Maksym Nazartchyk 1L Jordan Terrio 2L Josh Cassista 3L Ryan Isenor 1L Kosi Onyeka 1L Mitchell Thiele 1L Allister Chase 1L Alexander Jafs 2L Nicholas Parisotto 4H Elijah Walker 3L Alain Cimankinda 1L Colin Jerome 4H Benjamin Petrie 2L Coulter Woodmansey 2L Gregory Corfield 3L Archibald Junior 2L Andrew Pickett 4H Dean Yaromich 3L Justis Croasdale 5L Akeem Knowles 3L Jean-Patrick Pierre 2L Coaching Staff Head Coach: Kevin MacNeill Coordinators: Todd Galloway (Asst. HC), Jean-Francois Joncas (OC), Adam Grandy (DC), Bill Brown (SFC) Positional Coaches: John Casasanta, Brian Cluff, Alex Derma, Mike Durigon, John Engel, Daniel Ferraro, Mark Forsyth, Steve Frake, Nate Galoni, Gary Jeffries, Mike MacDonald, Joe Sardo, Mark Forsyth, Steve Viveiros Administrative Assistant: Lorianne Fraser Team Manager: Alex Ross Equipment Manager: Frank Tersigni Assistant Equipment Manager: Alf Conley Video/Operations Coordinator: Matt Nesbitt Video Assistant: Kyle Wood Director of Advancement: Stu Lang Executive Assistant: Sarah Garrett Athletic Therapist: Dave Wright Trainers: Jess Buttrum, Keegan Moore, Nikita Rees, Teddi Taran Strength & Conditioning Coach: Andrew Graham Nutritionists: Lindzie O’Reilly, Heidi Smith Physician: Dr. Patti Galvin Team Chaplain: Orion Edwards Recruiters: John Casasanta, David Martin, Steve O’Brien Awards Summary OUA First Team All-Stars: Gabe Ferraro, Nick Parisotto, Andrew Pickett, Jacob Scarfone OUA Second Team All-Stars: Eric Starczala OUA All-Rookie Team: Jared Beeksma, Ryan Isenor, Sandor Mod, Kosi Onyeka U Sports First Team All-Canadian: Gabe Ferraro, Andrew Pickett U Sports Second Team All-Canadian: Jacob Scarfone Team Awards Rookie of the Year – Sandor Mod President Forster MVP of the Year – Gabe Ferraro Ted Wildman Trophy Winner – Orion Edwards 2016-2017 Season Record: 3-5 (6th in OUA standings) Playoff Record: 0-1 (lost at McMaster in OUA Quarterfinal) For the first time in five years, the Gryphons posted a sub-.500 record during the regular season, finishing 3-5 and sneaking into the OUA playoffs as the No. 6-seed. The Gryphons, who entered the 2016 season as defending Yates Cup champions, officially saw their hopes of repeating as conference champs come to an end following a hard-fought 17-11 loss in Hamilton to the No. 3-seeded McMaster Marauders. After a season opening win over U of T, the Gryphons were upset on the road in Windsor in Week 2, losing 33-29 to the Lancers. The Gryphons would bounce back the following week with a win over Queen’s. Despite the fact that the Gryphons were victorious in Week 3, the team fell out of the CIS Top 10 rankings. It marked the first time since Week 6 of the 2012 season that the Gryphons were not ranked nationally, snapping an impressive streak of 37 consecutive polls in which Guelph was ranked in the Top 10. The Gryphons would go on to lose each of their next four games, all of which came against opponents who were themselves ranked in the national Top 10 (Ottawa, Western, McMaster & Laurier). Despite the four-game skid, the Gryphons were able to finish strong with a win over York in the regular season finale to earn a playoff berth, marking the fifth straight season the Gryphs reached the postseason. The playoff game at McMaster came down to the final play, with James Roberts being intercepted near the Marauders endzone in the dying seconds.