Selwyn Gryphons repeat as football champs

“It was an exciting end to a great season,” said head coach Steve Colwell. “The players are to be congratulated for all their hard work.”

Following a five-win undefeated regular season in which Selwyn was utterly dominant, the Gryphons went into the playoffs as the defending champions and heavy favourites.

They handed Kuper Academy a 14-12 first-round loss before facing off with Jean-Eudes in the title game on Oct. 27.

As the home side in the championship game, Selwyn House seemingly had advantage enough. Take into account they had scored 121 points against just 51 against in the regular season, and you had all the ingredients for a repeat.

But on a rainy day with muddy field conditions, a field goal by Michael Smith on the first offensive drive of the game was all the scoring the Gryphons would get – fortunately it was all they would need.

Field position was a key element of this game and the Selwyn House punting unit routinely pinned Jean-Eudes deep in their end while the Gryphons’ aggressive defence allowed very few first downs and forced five turnovers.

The game, despite the low score, featured a well-balanced attack from the Gryphons.

Selwyn’s strength this season was in its ability to win no matter what the circumstances were.

The Gryphons opened the season with a 7-0 road win over Kuper Academy, before beating LCC 18-8.

Already at 2-0, the Gryphons dismantled their eventual championship opponents from Jean-Eudes by a 36-19 margin in Game 3, before breaking the 30-point barrier once again against Laval in a 39-34 win.

Finally, the Gryphons rounded out the year with a 21-0 shutout win over Loyola, before their playoff run led to a championship.

The victory was number seven of the season, extending the Selwyn House bantam football program’s winning streak to 16 straight regular season and playoff games dating back to September of 2006.