Local kicking duo help Gryphons improve to 3-1

Kicker Ben Lane of Puslinch was so disillusioned with his time with the Guelph Gryphons in OUA football that he decided to walk away from the team following the 2023 season.

He’d just finished his fourth year with the team, but used only one year of eligibility meaning he’d only suited up to play in games in a single season, which was last year. He’d managed to get into three games and kicked two field goals and six converts.

But after a short time away from the team and the sport, he realized how much he missed it and was soon back working out with them. Now he’s kicked four field goals and eight converts in the three games he’s played in this season.

“Being away from a great program like this, it was tough because there’s so many great guys in that locker room,” Lane said standing outside that locker room a little while after he’d helped the Gryphons defeat the McMaster Marauders 29-24 Saturday at Alumni Stadium. “The coaching staff is fantastic. The facilities, I don’t even need to get into that. It’s been a long been coming, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Everything happens for a reason and when you get your chance you’ve just got to go out there and take it.”

While it wasn’t the winning play, Lane’s 52-yard field goal midway through the second quarter started a series of scores that put the Gryphons ahead for good.

“That field goal, I remember just before going out there I took a deep breath,” Lane said. “I trust my teammates. I trust my holder. I trust my snapper. I trust my line, I know they’re going to protect me and give me the best shot to get that ball through the uprights. I went out there and I didn’t overthink it. I just went out there and kind of swung, kept the head down and it worked out.”

When the referees signalled that the field goal was good, Lane looked a little surprised.

“I remember looking and I thought ‘Oh, it might brush a little left,’” he said. “But then it kind of kept straight and then it went back in and I was like ‘Oh.’ It just kind of threw me off guard but it was definitely a sweet surprise and I’m just like super thankful I got the opportunity to go after it.”

Now Gryphon head coach Mark Surya had no second thoughts of giving Lane the chance to kick that field goal, one that ended up being a yard shy of the all-time team record.

“I come from a place of trust, so, you know, let’s make sure that he knows I have the confidence in him and give him the chance to go and boot it.,” Surya said. “I think that kid’s got so much talent -- all of the kickers and specialists do -- so they just need the confidence from the head coach to say ‘Go ahead, go for it.’”

“I’m more appreciative for all my teammates and my coaches’ believing in me and giving me a chance like that,” Lane said. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”

And that fellow kicker Nick Guardiero of Guelph is the holder for Lane’s field goals and converts is extra special for Lane. The two had been opponents in District 10 high school football six or seven years ago when Lane kicked for the Centennial Spartans and Guardiero was a kicker and receiver for the Bishop Macdonell Celtics.

“It’s pretty surreal,” Lane said. “I’ve known Nick actually since we were younger as kids because he played on the year-older soccer team for Guelph Royals and I was on the younger team. Now we weren’t personal friends back then, but we knew of each other.

“Once we got to high school Nick was like the best receiver in the league. He was doing his thing. For me I think it’s great because I find iron sharpens iron. I learned a lot from him and I’ve tried to put it into my own game. Nick is, aside from being a great football punter, he’s an even better teammate. He knows how to lift me up if I’m ever down. He knows how to keep positive energy. I think he’s one of our best vets here and I think if anybody gets the chance to get to know him, especially the younger guys on the team, they should 100 per cent have a chat with him because you can learn so much from that guy.”

Saturday’s victory was a huge one for the Gryphons as it was their third of the season and put them in a good spot to get into the playoffs this season. They’re halfway through their regular season and have equalled the number of wins they attained all of last season.

“Big win, big win,” Surya said. “I think it’s one of those things, you know, it’s not lost on me how hard it is to win in this league. And credit to the guys, they battle. We’ve got a lot of injuries today, new guys in new spots and I think there’s a couple of freshmen starting on offence and defence, so credit to the players for their resilience.”

“Very big (win),” Lane said. “I think anybody who knows OUA football you know McMaster is a great team. They are always coming to play. They don’t mess around. We saw earlier in the game, it was a dog fight out there. They were really bringing the fight to us, but you know what, it was a good challenge and it made us better because we went out there and matched their intensity. That’s what Gryphon football is. We’re here to fight. McMaster is a good team, no doubt about it, but we’re here to play.”

McMaster led 7-3 at the end of the first quarter and extended that lead with a 28-yard field goal by Michael Horvat in the opening minute of the second quarter.

Lane offset that with his long field goal and then Willem Arseneau caught a 19-yard touchdown toss from quarterback Tristan Aboud that put the Gryphons ahead for good with a minute and a half before halftime. However, the Gryphons would extend that lead to 21-10 before the intermission as Lane booted a rouge on the kickoff following the Arseneau touchdown and Donavin Milloy found the McMaster end zone on an eight-yard scoring run with 17 seconds to go in the half.

McMaster cut the gap to four points (21-17) with the only score of the third quarter, a one-yard touchdown plunge by Lucas Barresi late in the quarter.

The visitors conceded a safety early in the fourth quarter and Gryphon quarterback Marshall McCoy did his usual as he scored a touchdown on a one-yard run with just under four minutes to play. A two-point convert attempt went for naught.

McMaster completed the scoring with 10 seconds to play on another one-yard touchdown plunge by Barresi. An attempted onside kick by McMaster almost worked, but it was ruled the Marauders were out of bounds when they batted the ball down.

Next up for the Gryphons is a match against the Queen’s Gaels, also 3-1, in Kingston Saturday at 3 p.m.

After that, the Gryphons are to play back-to-back home games as they’re to face the Waterloo Warriors (0-3) Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. in their Homecoming Game and the Windsor Lancers (3-0) Oct. 5 at 1 p.m.

The Gryphons are to wrap up their regular season against the York Lions (0-3) at York Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. before getting a bye in the final week of the regular season.