The Waterloo Warriors took another massive step on their way back to the top of the OUA football mountain this season, but their climb for 2018 has reached its base camp before hitting the summit.
 
Making their first playoff appearance in 15 years, The sixth-seed Warriors fell 45-34 to the 3rd -seed Guelph Gryphons in Yates Cup quarterfinal action on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium in Guelph.
    
Electric second-year quarterback Tre Ford (Niagara Falls/) lived up to his reputation as the most dangerous player in Ontario, as he completed 23 of 32 passes for 295 yards and 3 touchdowns, with no interceptions. His rushing ability was also on display, as he carried the ball 11 times for season-highs in yards, with 150, and touchdown runs, with two.  

Tyler Ternowski (Hamilton/) finished his season with a touchdown catch in every game he played, hauling in 7 receptions for 112 yards and a score, while Dion Pellerin (Abbotsford/) added a big day on the ground with 145 yards for the high-octane Waterloo offense.   

But the Gryphons offense answered Ford and Co. with a punishing ground game. Guelph running back J.P. Cimankinda carried the rock 29 times for a whopping 256 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Theo Landers also scored on a 26-yard touchdown scramble. The run game set up an effective play-action option, helping Landers to 240 yards through the air, and two touchdowns.

Penalties haunted the Warriors from the opening drive, when the Gryphons got a fresh set of downs – and eventually, a field goal – after a roughing the kicker penalty erased a Guelph punt. A Waterloo turnover on their first punt attempt of the game led to Landers' rushing score, giving the Gryphons an early 10-0 lead.

But the best passing duo in Canada struck back, as Ford rolled out and threw an on-the-run bullet to Ternowski for a 55-yard touchdown hookup. That set off a frenetic back-and-forth first half that saw both teams assert themselves on the ground, including an outstanding 39-yard Ford touchdown run on a 3^rd-and-6 gamble. Waterloo nipped at the Gryphons' heels after the early deficit, but Guelph kept the challengers at bay, taking a 31-21 lead into halftime.

The Gryphons extended their advantage to 37-21 early in the third, when some defensive miscommunication led to a 29-yard pitch-and-catch from Landers to a wide open Kade Belak. But the Warriors generated a much-needed turnover on Guelph's next possession, as Kurtis Gray (Waterloo/) forced a Cimankinda fumble, and teammate Joshua Brown (Etobicoke/) recovered on the Gryphons' 18-yard line. On the very next play, Ford found Richmond Nketiah (Brampton/) for a major, and the Warriors were back in it, trailing 37-28.

Each team traded turnovers on downs on their respective ensuing possessions, but Guelph once again stretched out their advantage with a 21-yard touchdown reception from Thomas Bresciani to make it 44-28. The Warriors once again cut into the lead with a 17-yard Ford-to-Brandon Metz (Cambridge/) hookup with under five minutes to play, setting up a dramatic finish with Waterloo trailing 45-34. But it was the closest the black and gold would get, as time ticked away on their outstanding 2018 season.

The Warriors will now look forward to another solid offseason, as the program's resurgence has made them a hot destination in recruiting circles. For the graduating veterans, the loss is a disappointing end to their Warriors' careers, but they will graduate from the program knowing they've helped reverse course, and helped Waterloo claim some of its biggest victories in over a decade.