Bears cruise to another victory

Week 4 is in the books and once again the Varsity Guelph Bears team walked away victorious. So far this season, the Bears are 3-1, showing all of the OFC that they are a team that should not be overlooked. With a strong, dynamic squad, the Bears have been able to keep the opposition off the board while producing points offensively each week.

Week 4 was no exception to the Bears dominance in the OFC this season. Up against the Brantford Bisons, the Bears cruised to an electrifying 38-2 victory. For the second game in a row, the Bears defense was able to keep the opposition out of the end zone. Their continual strength on defense has made winning games second nature for the Bears. They have won their last 3 games and look to make it a fourth next week when they face Twin Cities on Friday night at home.

This week the Bears were able to rest up some of their starters and let their backups take to the gridiron. Head Coach Jeremy MacLeod tells CFC, “Everyone on this team knows where they stand and are willing to do want ever is best for the team.  There is not one person on this squad that puts himself before the team.”

With a few starters sitting this game out, the Bears needed their second string players to step up and ensure the team would walk away with a win.

Each week the Bears have an incredible running game, this week was no exception. Once again Guelph used 6 different backs, spreading the ball around and keeping fresh legs on the field at all times. This week’s leading rusher was #17, Michael Webber. He rushed for well over 150 yards this Saturday and an amazing 5 touchdowns!

Michael can owe some of those yards to the impressive game play of his offensive line. This week, Caleb Monk, #78, played centre for the first time in his career. Considering it was his first time ever snapping the ball, Monk did an incredible job and was a great leader on the line.

Receiver Even Geddis #18 found the ball multiple times this weekend. Geddis is a smart receiver who always fights hard for the extra yards. The great combination of run and pass makes the Bears offense hard to stop.

Once again this week, the Bears defense was the best on the field. Defensive coordinator Josh Prior continually puts his players in the right position and is able to keep the opposition off the scoreboard. The Bears are going to need another exceptional defensive performance next week as they take on the number one team, the Twin City Predators.

Prior says, “I am happy with how the defense played, but there are still a lot of things to work on and need to be fixed as we prepare for the Twin City Predator’s.”

This week though, the Bears had a stand out performance that any team would be proud of. The entire defense played well and each player made an impact this weekend.

Each week, #53 Stewart Vandermade makes his appearance known on the defensive side of the ball. He had another huge game this week leading the defense with plenty of sacks and crucial tackles. On top of those tackles, Vandermade had a big safety for the Bears defense. Not to be outdone, #11 Avery Reyner showed off his skills this weekend. This week Reyner had 2 fumble recoveries and multiple sacks for Guelph. On a side note, Reyner is a former Bison and showed his previous team that he is fitting in great with his new squad.

The Bears welcomed back #29 Jacob Ingram this week. Last season, Ingram led the team in interceptions and was back in action this week. With multiple picks, it was easy to see that he has recovered 100% from his injury and is ready to get back to the game.

Next week, the Bears are facing the first place Twin City team and need to make sure they are prepared. Coach MacLeod knows his team needs to cut back on the penalties if they stand any chance in competing with the best teams in the OFC. Next week’s practices will be focused on cutting out the mistakes and ensuring all the players are ready for an intense game of football.

Coach Jeremy tells us that “This is an extremely good group of young men I have. They have proven to me that they are capable of great things. Now it’s our job as coaches to create the opportunities for them to shine.”

Both MacLeod and Prior are extremely focused and plan on putting their best players on the field next Friday. They know what they need to do to be prepared and are not taking practice lightly this week. The Bears were able to give some of their starters a break this weekend and will be well rested for Friday night at home.

Both coaches are very optimistic and know what their players are capable of. MacLeod ends by saying “This will be a good test for us; I believe we match up very well against Twin Cities. If we can play our game, I imagine this will be a very exciting battle.”

The Bears welcome the Predators this Friday at 8pm at the University of Guelph Stadium. This game should be an exciting one.

 

@JakeBellamyPR