LONDON – The Guelph Junior Gryphons won the Ontario Provincial Football League regional junior varsity final on Aug. 4 at Western University, defeating the York Region Lions by a score of 30-21.
Gryphons quarterback Niko Jean-Gaston was named MVP.
Benjamin Cottrell, who returned a kick-off for a 104-yard touchdown, was the offensive player of the game.
Two Guelph touchdowns were scored by Karzaih Mali, with another by Keyon Robinson.
This was the 10th consecutive victory this season for the Junior Gryphons.
In the regional bantam final, held on the same day at Western, Guelph also faced a York Region Lions team, but they came up short by one point.
York won the game 28-27 after they tipped away a pass to a Guelph receiver on a two-point conversion attempt in the final two minutes.
Owen Ellis, who opened the scoring for the Gryphons in the first quarter, was named offensive player of the game.
Guelph kept pace in a back-and forth game, with touchdowns by Owen Pavia, Kaden Butt and Owen Taylor.
Myles Grosse of York, who scored the final winning touchdown, was named offensive player of the game.
