Greg Marshall's Western Mustangs once again proved they have an elite offence on Sunday night at Alumni Stadium, rolling past the Guelph Gryphons 53-33.
Both teams started the game struggling to produce. The first frame would finish 3-3, with each team converting a field goal. it wasn’t until the second quarter that Western would flex their muscles.
Running back Ethan Dolby put on a show, running in for his first touchdown of the night to start the quarter. Wide receivers Seth Robertson and Raeshawn Blake would add another score each.
The quarter ended with the Mustangs offence pulling off a clever decoy play, resulting in a Jérôme Rancourt touchdown, sending them into halftime with a massive 31–10 lead.
The third saw both teams score another touchdown each, keeping the Mustangs up 21 points.
The final frame started with a quick Guelph touchdown, cutting the deficit to 14. But Western answered immediately. RB Ethan Dolby tore through the defence and ran 84 yards for a score, his second of the night.
Guelph added another touchdown and a field goal after switching from Tristan Aboud to Marshall McCray to end their day with 33 points.
Rancourt topped off the night for Western with a late touchdown, marking his second on the night. The final score, 53-33 for Western.
Although Guelph put up 33 on Western, the game always seemed out of reach. A struggling special teams unit and penalties gave the Mustangs the extra separation they needed to secure the win.
Defensively, Western’s DB Elliot Blake anchored the unit with 12 total tackles, including nine solo.
Kicker Brian Garrity stayed perfect on the year going 7/7. QB Evan Hillock was also sharp, finishing 13 of 20 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
Western improves to 2-0 on the year. They will welcome the 2-0 Ottawa Gee-Gees to London next Saturday in a battle to stay undefeated.
Week 3 for Guelph forecasts a road trip to play Windsor, who dropped their opener to Laurier. Both teams will be searching for their first win of 2025.