Path to football semi-finals blocked in Guelph

Carleton football crashed out of the playoffs in bizarre fashion, as the Guelph University Gryphons returned a blocked punt in the dying seconds to win the game, in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs on Oct. 26.

With 57 seconds left in the game, Carleton kicker Vincent Plouffe stepped up for a punt attempt but Guelph’s Siriman Harrison Bagayogo blocked it, recovered the ball and ran into the end-zone giving the hosts a 22-17 lead, sealing the game for the Gryphons.

After just squeezing into the OUA playoffs, the Ravens were eliminated at the quarter-final stage. But despite being the underdogs, Carleton held their own and the game developed into a battle between two strong defensive sides, even with the Ravens missing star Linebacker Jack Cassar. Both teams were playing conservatively, having difficulty throwing the ball in the windy conditions.

“We were battling field position all day. The wind definitely played a factor in field position all day and we just gotta make the plays when it matters and at the end it just didn’t go our way,” said defensive back Shawn Arabsky. 

In the first-half, the visiting side was able to get on the scoreboard first, as Plouffe converted a field goal to give the Ravens an early 3-0 lead. 

Carleton had another attempt to extend their lead, but a wall of Gryphons defenders held the Ravens back and they had to settle for only one additional point. 

However, the Gryphons were limited to little yardage themselves as the Ravens defence pulled up some big hits.

While warming up his arm, quarter-back Tanner De Jong found it difficult to find any of his teammates on the field, often overthrowing passes. The team had a few chances to score the first touchdown of the game, but couldn’t make the most of their opportunities. 

When the ball managed to get into the hands of the hosts, Guelph was looking to make up for their slow offensive start and gained a rouge to make it 4-1.

In the second-quarter, a big play from Cedric Lavigne forced a fumble and allowed his team to regain possession, and this time,  the Ravens were able to make the most of it. 

De Jong was eventually able to find his rhythm and threw direct passes to wide receivers Phil Iloki and Quinton Soares to gain yardage. 

Eventually, the team was able to set up Plouffe for another rouge which extended their lead to 5-1 by halftime. 

Coming into the second-half, Carleton was looking to step up their game and use their defence to continue to maintain their four point lead. 

However, the Gryphons were focused on closing the gap in the scoreline and they ended up doing so successfully. 

Quarterback Theo Landers was able to push the ball over the line and give the Gryphons the first touchdown of the match. They converted their field goal and took a 10-5 lead over the Ravens early in the third.

By the end of the third, another successful field goal increased Guelph’s lead to 13-5, and the Ravens were left empty handed after being out-scored 12-0 in the quarter. 

In the fourth, however, head coach Steve Sumarah’s side wasn’t ready to back down. De Jong was looking to help his team make up eight points, but had to settle for four with 9:30 left in the game. 

After that, the game went back and forth between either side. 

Guelph kicker Eric Stranz was able to increase their lead to seven points with another converted field goal, but the Ravens brought it back down to five as a safety made the scoreline read 16-11. 

With under five minutes left in the game, Carleton continued to work towards their underdog victory and almost saw it come true. 

De Jong threw a 40-yard pass that put the Ravens within one-yard of the end zone. 

The team went on to take a 17-16 lead with less than two-minutes left in the game, and the momentum continued to flow as Guelph looked to be out of options on the field. 

Yet, an obscure play in the dying moments of the game secured the Gryphons’ victory and Carleton’s elimination. 

The remaining plays from Sumarah’s offensive line wouldn’t prove to be enough and the team was handed a heartbreaking defeat even when they had so much hope. 

“We talk about believe on the sidelines all the time,” said Arabsky. 

“I think most of the boys still believed we could win that game we just didn’t pull through at the end.”

Center Nolan McGreer emphasized the Ravens were up against tough competition and shouldn’t be ashamed of the result. 

“It was a tough game, I mean Guelph has an amazing defensive line, they’re one of the best, probably the best, in our conference,” said McGreer.

“It was a battle today, we had our moments, they had their moments, [but] at the end of the day that was a playoff game, that was a battle right there.”

When the reality of the elimination sunk in, a lot of the team focused around important members of the Ravens football family–the graduating senior players. 

“Everyone’s just thinking about the fifth-years, it’s the last game of their careers in university. Some are going on to play pro, some are moving on from football, but most of everyone’s minds are on the fifth-years,” said Arabsky. “It was a pleasure playing with them.”

“We had so much confidence, so much energy going in. Like, as a team we were a lot different than any other team I’ve been on, this is a tight knit group,” said McGreer. 

“We played until the very end, it just went down to one bad play on our side.”

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Feature Image by Tim Austen. With files from Tim Austen.