By Dylan Monico – Contributor
After a heartbreaking triple overtime loss to the number five ranked St. Francis Xavier X-Men, the Bishop’s University football team returned to the field filled with anger, seeking redemption. The Huskies of Saint Mary’s found themselves in the way of a high-powered Bishop’s offence. The Gaiters would go on to win, giving the Huskies a devastating 63-7 loss.
Despite the loss of star quarterback Justin Quirion (Saint-Georges, QC), the Bishop’s offense managed to put up an impressive 608 yards of offence. 405 of those yards came from the ground. The Gaiters’ stable of running backs, as well as the offensive line, travelled to play in Halifax. Marco Briones (Monterrey, Mexico) tallied 98 yards on the ground as well as having three majors. Briones’ outstanding performance has earned him the title of “The Mexican Menace” by multiple media outlets.
Senior running back David Chaloux (Joliette, QC) also significantly contributed to the success of the game, having a whopping 218 all-purpose yards. Montreal native Gino Carpineta chipped in with 65 yards on the ground as well as a touchdown, the first of his USports career. Mason McGriskin (North Bay, ON) made his first start of the season, and it is safe to say the Gaiters are safe in his capable hands. McGriskin had 168 passing yards and two touchdowns. The North Bay native also contributed to the ground game, having 24 yards including an eight-yard touchdown run. The Gaiters scored an astounding 63 points, the most in school history since Sept. 13, 2003, when Bishop’s defeated Université de Sherbrooke 71-0.
While the offence shined for the Gaiters, it was the stingy defence that delivered triumph. The Gaiters’ defence allowed a mere eight first downs for Saint Mary’s. The Bishop’s defence has amounted to one of the best defences in all of Canada. They rank first in yards allowed per game, only allowing 263 yards per game. They also rank first in the country in turnovers, forcing nine interceptions and recovering nine fumbles.
Gabriel Royer (Lawrenceville, QC), the 2022 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Defensive Player of the Year, is once again having a phenomenal season and pushing towards the USports Defensive Player of the Year. In six games, Royer has amassed 39.5 tackles – ranking him third in Canada – as well as 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Additionally, Royer has three interceptions – ranking him second in Canada – behind Bishop’s own Yani Gouadfel (Mitry-Mory, France), who has four interceptions.
The Gaiters are now 4-2 for the season and spent two weeks ranked tenth in the USports rankings. Up next, Bishop’s will travel to Wolfville, NS on Oct. 21 for a matchup with the Acadia Axemen. They will close out the season at home on Oct. 27 when they host the Mount Allison Mounties.
In the original version of this article published on Oct. 16, the writer of this article was incorrectly attributed to Owen Kitzan. The author is contributor Dylan Monico. The Campus apologizes and takes responsibility for this error. Please note this byline has been corrected online.
The Campus 