RECAP: Gee-Gees football falls to Guelph in OUA quarterfinal

The Ottawa Gee-Gees football team's 2024 season came to a close in a tightly contested 26-15 loss to the Guelph Gryphons in the OUA quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium in Guelph.

Despite controlling the pace of the game early, Guelph capitalized on Ottawa turnovers to secure an early lead 15-0 lead. The Gee-Gees got on the board with a rouge and a 29-yard field goal from Zachary Copeland just before halftime.

In the third quarter, Ottawa's offense began to find its stride, with Copeland adding another field goal to bring the score to 18-7. The Gee-Gees kept pushing with quarterback Josh Janssen finding Noah Avery and Romeo Lussier for key connections, Matt Mahler capped off the drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown.

A rouge from Copeland on the ensuing kickoff capped off a strong quarter, leaving Ottawa down by just three going into the fourth.

Guelph capped the game off with a touchdown with 55 seconds left to put the game out of reach for Ottawa.

Josh Janssen completed 19 of 31 passes for 224 yards, while Noah Avery led way receiving with eight catches for 93 yards. On the ground, Charles Asselin rushed for 65 yards on 15 carries. On defence, Jaxxon Brashear had an outstanding day, recording nine total tackles and a sack.

The loss officially brings an end to the Gee-Gees season, while Guelph will advance to take on Western in the OUA semifinals, with Queen's visiting Laurier.