Queen’s puts 58 points on board in big win over Laurier (video)

Giovanni Aprile of Toronto had four touchdowns (three receiving, one return) on 177 yards receiving and 191 yards on kick returns to lead the Queen’s Gaels (1-2) over the Laurier Golden Hawks (1-2) by a 58-35 score in week three action of OUA football.

Billy McPhee of Burlington, Ont. had a career day with 362 passing yards and four touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown to spark the Gaels offence. McPhee got off to a fast start by hitting Justin Chapdelaine of Abbotsford, B.C. on a 47 yard pass play to give the Gaels first and goal early. Craig Rushon of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. punched in his first career touchdown to give the Gaels a 7-0 lead early.

It was all Gaels after that as the team responded with 26 more points before the end of the half off of a McPhee rushing touchdown, two McPhee to Aprile touchdown passes, a Laurier safety and a field goal by Dan Village of Abbotsford, B.C. which moves him within one of the all-time Gaels lead.

Laurier scored their first touchdown of the game just before the end of the first half on a three yard pass play to Anton Bennett of Toronto.

The Gaels came out strong after the half with an eight minute drive which culminated in a 10 yard McPhee to Aprile passing touchdown.

The Gaels forced a safety on the next Golden Hawks possession and on the ensuing safety kickoff, Aprile returned the the kick for a 90 yard Gaels touchdown to put the Gaels up 49-7.

Kingston, Ontario’s Aaron Gazendam scored his first career touchdown on a 45 yard pass from McPhee to round out the Gaels touchdowns on the afternoon. The defence forced another safety on a bad snap to bring them to their final point total of 58.

Laurier’s four second half touchdowns came on the strength of three passing touchdowns from Shane Kelly of Basking Ridge, N.J. and an interception which Shane Herbert of Ajax, Ont. took the length of the field from the Laurier goal line. Former Gaels receiver Mark Surya of Burlington, Ont. had two touchdowns in a losing effort for the Golden Hawks.

Ryan Granberg of Sherwood Park, Alta. was the Gaels feature back on the afternoon with 145 net yards rushing on 30 carries.

With the win the Gaels move to 1-2 on the season and will return to action on the road next week against the York Lions (1-2). Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm at York Stadium.

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NOTES:
Dan Village moved within one field goal of Jamie Galloway’s all-time record of 47… Giovanni Aprile set a Gaels record for return yards in a game with 191, breaking the previous mark of 180 set by Jimmy Allin on Sept. 7th, 2009 against the Guelph Gryphons… Aprile also moved into a tie for second on the Gaels leaderboard for points in a single game with 24… Granberg’s 30 carries put him in a fourth place tie with former Gaels running back Jimmy Therrien of Montreal for most carries in a game with 30… The win was number 130 for Gaels coach Pat Sheahan in his head coaching career… The 58 point performance now stands as the most the Gaels have ever scored against Laurier dating back to 1968.

Queens Sports Info

Photo: Jeff Chan

In front of a crowd of over 7,000, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks dropped to 1-2 on the season with a 58-35 defeat at the hands of the Queen’s Gaels Saturday afternoon at Richardson Stadium.

The Hawks were unable to contain Queen’s Giovanni Aprile of Toronto, who scored four touchdowns on the afternoon, three receiving and one on special teams, and finished the game with 177 yards receiving. Gaels quarterback Billy McPhee of Burlington, Ont., also had his best game in the OUA, finishing the game 16 of 32 for 362 yards and four touchdowns.

Queen’s got off to a great start when Craig Rushon of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., punched it in from one yard out just two and a half minutes into the game. McPhee and Aprile would add touchdowns of their own before the quarter was out to stretch the lead to 21.

The Gaels would continue to put up points in the second quarter as a conceded safety and a 42 yard field goal from Dan Village of Abbotsford, B.C., pushed the lead to 26. Aprile would then strike again, this time an 85 yard touchdown reception to put Queens up 33-0.

The Hawks would finally find the scoreboard late in the second quarter as Shane Kelly of Basking Ridge, N.J., connected with Anton Bennett of Toronto, for a three yard touchdown to give Laurier some life heading into the second half.

However, any hope of a Hawks comeback would be quickly squashed as Queen’s opened the second half with a seven minute drive culminating in another Aprile touchdown.

One highlight on th e day for Laurier came from defensive back Shane Herbert of Ajax, Ont. Herbert picked up McPhee at the Golden Hawks three yard line and returned it 107 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter. The interception return was the third longest in team history and just five yards shy of the CIS record.

Kelly finished the afternoon 30 of 55 for 345 yards and four touchdowns, connecting with Bennett and Mark Surya of Burlington, Ont., who each had two touchdown receptions in the game.

The Hawks will try to rebound next week when they return home to face the No. 2 Western Mustangs. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at University Stadium.

NOTES: The 58 points allowed is the second most ever allowed by a Golden Hawks team in the schools history…Windsor scored 65 points on Laurier in the 1975 Yates Cup final…Bennett record two touchdowns in a game for the second consecutive week…Kelly now has 10 touchdown passes on the season and with five weeks left in the season, sits 13 behind the all-time record of 23 held by Bill Kubas

Laurier Sports Info