RECAP: Gee-Gees special teams highlight comeback win against Laurier

The Gee-Gees football team overcame a 22-3 deficit early in the fourth quarter to defeat the Laurier Golden Hawks 25-22 on Saturday at Gee-Gees Field.

With their offence struggling to move the ball throughout most of the game, it was the special teams that stepped up and delivered the win. Only a collective eight points were scored between the two teams through the first 30 minutes of play, with Laurier holding a slim 5-3 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Golden Hawks offence began to come alive behind the performance of running back Levondre Gordon. A streak of 17 unanswered points throughout the third and early fourth quarter had the Gee-Gees needing a momentum shift—and they got it.

The Gee-Geed punted into Laurier territory and after a high hop, the ball bounced over the head of the intended returner and into the end zone. Mike Miller laid a hit on the returner and Rashad Spooner fell on the ball for the Gee-Gees first touchdown of the day.

Good fortune struck again for the Gee-Gees as they partially blocked a Laurier punt, the wobbly short kick was fielded cleanly by Kalem Beaver who slipped through a crowd and ran untouched into the end zone for another touchdown.

With 2:13 left on the clock Laurier gambled on a third down and two on their own 49-yard line electing to try to extend their drive rather than punt deep into the Gee-Gees end. The gamble did not pay off as Spooner sped around the edge and alongside Kyle Rodger forced the turnover.

Quarterback Ben Maracle and the Gee-Gees offence came out and made the most of their opportunity to take the lead. Maracle hit Tristin Park on an outstanding one-handed catch for the offence's first and only touchdown.

After the touchdown, it was the defence's turn to seal the win. Réshaan Davis sacked the Laurier quarterback twice over the course of two series to dash their hopes of a comeback. The final sack came in the end zone for a safety, locking in the three-point win.

What They're Saying:

"The special teams obviously made a big difference. We did talk about this type of scenario and talked to the players about being relentless and that something like this might happen. You just have to give it all of your effort all the way through. I can't say enough about the players, they did it." – Jamie Barresi, Head Coach

"We played with heart for 60 minutes today, the guys didn't quit. The coaches had been prepping us for a physical game all week, and we came out an executed." – Réshaan Davis, fourth-year defensive end

"It felt amazing to get the ball, as soon as I got the opportunity I took full advantage of it. I knew we had to win this game, so as soon as I caught it, I punched it in." – Tristin Park, third-year receiver

Up Next:

The Gee-Gees will take to the road for the second time this season as they travel to Toronto to take on the York Lions. The game kicks off at 5 p.m. on Saturday and can be streamed live on OUA.tv