LONDON, ON – The Mustangs played a defensive game and picked up a 33-12 over Guelph in the OUA West Final on Saturday afternoon.
The Mustang defence held the Gryphons to only 12 points, all via field goals, throughout the game. Key defensive turnovers led to sustained offensive pressure that kept the Guelph team on their heels.
Deionte Knight led the charge defensively for the Mustangs and was a constant problem for the Gryphon O-Line and Quarterback. Preventing the Guelph team into the endzone is a surefire way to win a lot of football games.
"One of our best team effort wins, it was a lot of fun out there" Said knight "We always knew the offense was going to get cooking it was just a matter of when, we knew we were going to get the ball back off turnovers and we capitalized on those opportunities."
Offensively the Mustangs had to put up with a stout Gryphon defense that held the Mustangs to only 1 touchdown within the first half.
Brian Garrity performed another perfect game on both PAT kicks and on field goals from outside the red zone. He went 4/4 on the day. Ensuring your kicker is putting up additional points helped separate the gap between the two teams.
Receiver Justin Nickson played a fantastic game and put the third Mustang touchdown on the board after breaking through a tackle. This score ended up being the difference maker that solidified the Mustang victory.
"Yesterday Evan Hillock and Savaughn and myself were watching a lot of film, and I just knew when that play was called the ball would be there" Said Nickson post game.
As the old adage goes, defence wins championships, that remains true in the Saturday afternoon matchup for the divisional final. The mustangs limited the ever-painful game breaking play
"We didn't give up as many big plays defensively. Little more consistent in red zone scoring, offensive and defensive coaches, I thought, were really good at play calling." Coach Greg Marshall said post game.
Another strong Mustang win which was heavily influenced by defense, holding the Gryphons to 4 field goals, and the run game, Koen Edwards scored two touchdowns from within the 5 yard-line. This team is playing as an entire unit.
"Sometimes inconsistent starts and inconsistent games are because you're playing against a good football team, they're not just going to rollover on us." Said Marshall.
The Gryphons were the only team that managed to beat the Mustangs in the regular season this year and this game showcased the impressive weekly improvements made by both the players and coaching staff.
With the win the Mustangs book their ticket into the 113th edition of the Yates Cup. The game will be hosted by the Queens Gaels next Saturday, November 20. Kickoff is set for 1pm and Mustangs fans can watch the action on OUA.tv.
KEY STATS:
TEAM:
355 total yards (173 passing & 183 rushing)
INDIVIDUAL:
QB Evan Hillock - 13-21 for 173 yards and 1TD
RB Keon Edwards - 17 carries for 72 yds and 2 TDs
DB Deionte Knight - 7.5 tackles, 2 sacks
DB Brendan Murphy - 9 tackles
K Brian Garrity - 4/4 FG with the longest at 40 yards
REC - 4 receptions for 69 yards
