Gaels down York to open regular season

KINGSTON, Ont. (Sept. 3, 2012) – Ryan Granberg’s three touchdowns led the No. 6-ranked Queen’s Gaels to a 48-13 win over the York Lions in OUA football action at Richardson Stadium, Monday. The Sherwood Park, Alta. native scored on runs of 25, nine and four yards as he amassed 149 total rushing yards on 20 carries.

BOX SCORE
Granberg scored twice in the first quarter, as the Gaels led 19-0 after 15 minutes. They extended their lead to 35-0 at halftime and led by as many as 42 points before York scored twice in the late stages.

Gaels’ starting quarterback Billy McPhee (Burlington, Ont.) finished with 181 yards on 16-for-29 passing. He had one touchdown pass, a 24-yard strike to Justin Chapdelaine (Abbotsford, B.C.) in the second quarter.

The Gaels’ other touchdown came on a 79-yard punt return by Alex Carroll (Victoria, B.C.) early in the second quarter. Rookie kicker Dillon Wamsley went 3-for-3 on field goals, including a 48-yarder in the first quarter. A pair of safety touches rounded out the scoring for Queen’s.

York’s starting quarterback, Myles Gibbon, had a solid debut in CIS football, completing 20 of 39 passes for 241 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He found William Austin late in the third quarter, and hit Devante Hobbs on a 54-yard strike with 41 seconds to go. The Lions went for two on the last touchdown, but were unsuccessful.

Gibbon was also York’s leading rusher, with 12 carries for 68 yards. Hobbs finished with four catches for 109 yards. The leading receivers for the Gaels were Giovanni Aprile (Toronto, Ont.) and Chapdelaine, who each had 43 yards receiving.

Queen’s returns to action on Saturday, September 8, as they visit the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. Kickoff at University Stadium is set for 8 p.m., and the game will be televised on The Score television network. The Lions are also in action on Saturday, as they host Ottawa at 1 p.m.

York Sports Info:

KINGSTON, Ont., Sept. 3 – The York University Lions football team put up a good fight against the No. 6 nationally-ranked Queen’s Gaels, falling by a score of 48-13 at Richardson Stadium in the season opener for both teams on Monday afternoon (Sept. 3) in Kingston, Ont.
It was the first half that made the difference in the game as the Lions allowed the Gaels to jump out to a 35-0 lead at the half. But the two teams played to a draw in the second half, scoring 13 points each, as the Lions finally started to find their groove on the field.
Quarterback Myles Gibbon of Montreal, was impressive in his debut with the Lions, finishing 20-of-39 for 241 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was also the team’s leading rusher with 68 yards on 12 carries.
One of his touchdowns was to second-year receiver Devontae Hobbs of Mississauga, Ont., who had a game-high 109 yards receiving, including the score that went for 54 yards. He also had a touchdown called back in the first quarter due to offensive pass interference.
The other touchdown was scored by fourth-year wideout William Austin of St. Catharines, Ont., the team’s leading receiver last season. He caught a six-yard pass from Gibbon in the end zone early in the third quarter for York’s first score of the game and finished with five catches for 46 yards.
Rookie cornerbacks Chris States of Brampton, Ont., and Josh Small of Pickering, Ont., each earned an interception in their respective CIS debuts. Small finished with a team-high five tackles and also had one pass break-up, while states recorded two tackles on the night.
Second-year defensive back Jordan Nugent of Brampton, Ont., also had five tackles and led all Lions with 108 return yards, 62 on kick-off runs and another 41 on punt returns.
Gaels’ starting quarterback Billy McPhee of Burlington, Ont., struggled in his first game of the season. In addition to his two interceptions, he went 16-of-29 for 181 yards and one touchdown, a 24-yarder to Justin Chapdelaine of Abbotsford, B.C.
Most of the Gaels offence came on the ground courtesy of Ryan Granberg of Sherwood Park, Alta. He had 149 rushing yards on 20 carries and scored three touchdowns, including two in the first quarter as Queen’s opened up a 19-0 lead after 15 minutes of play.
The Gaels’ top defender on the day was Cory Dyer of Ganonoque, Ont., who had a game-high 7.5 tackles and also added two sacks.
The Lions will make their 2012 debut at home this coming Saturday, Sept. 8 when they welcome the Ottawa Gee-Gees to York Stadium for their annual Frosh Frenzy game. The Gee-Gees are coming off a 63-18 loss to the Windsor Lancers in their season opener on Monday in Windsor. Kick-off on Saturday is set for 1pm.