Gees shut out Waterloo 61-0
Maclaine Chadwick | Fulcrum Staff
IN ARGUABLY THEIR most crucial home game of the regular season, the Gee-Gees football team kept playoff hopes alive by shutting out the University of Waterloo Warriors 61-0. The win brings the Gees’ season record to 2-5, after winning against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues over Thanksgiving weekend.
Rookie running back Vincent Campbell got the game off to an exciting start when he made a 107-yard return touchdown after the kickoff within the first 15 seconds of play. The touchdown was reminiscent of the last home game against the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, when Campbell ran a 106-yard touchdown within the first 30 seconds.
“Something like that gets everybody rolling, it gets everybody in the right mindset that we are going to put up a lot of points,” explained Brendan Gillanders, a fourth-year running back. “It’s great that Vince, a first-year guy, can come in and contribute like that right away. It’s huge.”
Gillanders contributed a huge amount of points to the scoreboard after playing the best game of his career statistically, scoring four touchdowns and running 250 yards.
“There are some games where I probably contributed a little bit more in key times, but statistics-wise, [this was my best game],” said Gillanders. “I’m just going to play my role. If the hole is there, I’m going to hit it, I’m going to score touchdowns. If it’s not [there], I’m going to try to make people miss … I’m just going to play my role in a versatile offence.”
Kicker Matt Falvo also had a memorable game, tying the Ontario University Athletics all-time career field goal record after kicking his 70th field goal. The record, previously held by Western University kicker Frank Jagas, would have been broken had Falvo’s next kick not been blocked by a Waterloo player.
The Gees’ back-to-back wins are coming late in the season, but there is still a chance they can make the playoffs if they win against Western University next weekend.
“I think just efficiency really, capitalizing on our scoring chances especially,” said fifth-year quarterback Aaron Colbon when asked what the team needs to work on to win against Western. “We have to capitalize and score on every drive. That’s really important. We know what we have to do; we have one goal, and that’s to make the playoffs. We are really just focusing on that and moving forward every week.”
The Gee-Gees will fight for the last playoff spot as they take on the Western University Mustangs next Saturday, Oct. 20 at Beckwith Park.
