Looking to string together their second straight home win, the Gaels took to Richardson Stadium and never took their feet off the gas pedal, crushing the York Lions 52-19 on Sept. 7.
The first quarter was characterized by offensive and defensive dominance by the Gaels, with homegrown quarterback Alex Vreeken, Kin ’25, connecting with Andy Quinn, ArtSci ’26, for a 13-yard receiving touchdown.
Silas Hubert, ArtSci ’25, came through with a huge defensive play for the Gaels, recovering and converting a Lions fumble into a Gaels touchdown, further growing their lead.
Hubert also recorded 4.5 tackles, and three sacks, with four of his tackles being for a loss of yards, that is, coming behind the line of scrimmage.
Before the first quarter expired, defensive back Iain St Arnault, ArtSci ’27, received a missed Lions field goal and absolutely burned the Lions players, rushing for 119 yards for the touchdown.
The second quarter showed a bit of a different look for the Gaels, being outscored 3-12 in the quarter their only points coming off of a 27-yard field goal from Gaels kicker Tyler Mullan, ArtSci ’26.
The Gaels didn’t let this phase them, returning in the third with a vengeance.
All-star running back Jared Chisari, MA ’25, scored a three-yard rushing touchdown, which seems to be a guarantee for the Gaels. Shortly following, Nathan Falconi, HealthSci ’25, contributed to the Gaels’ lead by receiving a 15-yard touchdown from Vreeken, bringing the Gaels lead to 38-12.
Before the end of the third, St Arnault returned another 119-yard missed field goal in perhaps the craziest single-game stat line in recent Gaels’ history.
The fourth quarter saw the Gaels retain their lead, trading touchdowns with the Lions, as first-year running back Jayden Gurzi-MacDonald, ArtSci ’28, scored off a 52-yard run.
Gurzi-MacDonald, a running back from Grimsby, ON. has found a way to make an immediate offensive impact as a rookie for the Gaels, and while this may come as a surprise, he’s played for the Ontario Provincial team and been on the Gaels’ radar for a while.
Mullan, who has been a consistent contributor to the Gaels’ offence, kicked 100 percent from the field, helping put the Gaels far out of the Lion’s reach.
Next up, the Gaels will travel to Ottawa to face the Gee-Gees on Sept. 14.
Tags
Football, richardson stadium, York Lions
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