BARRIE, Ont. - There will be a sense of déjà vu all over again as the Georgian Grizzlies play host to the Durham Lords in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association men's rugby gold medal match on Sunday afternoon.
These two teams met in last year's finale in Oshawa, Ont., with Durham prevailing 21-15 for its first provincial title. The match was as close as the score, with the Lords scoring a try and convert in the dying moments to secure the victory.
Since then, these two teams have remained on a collision course, with Georgian winning all six regular season matches to take the West Division title, and Durham winning the East Division with a record of 5-1.
To secure their spot in the title match, Durham handled Seneca 45-12 in the OCAA semifinals. Jordon Henry (Whitby, Ont.) and Hayden Parkins (Oshawa, Ont.) each scored two tries, while second-year wing Eddie Oliveira (Oshawa, Ont.) booted five converts in the victory.
Georgian needed a 22-19 victory over Humber in the semifinals to secure its berth in the title match. Four Grizzlies scored tries, including Duncan Montague (Barrie, Ont.), Jordan Gray (Brampton, Ont.), Donovan Jacko (Brampton, Ont.) and Rodrigo Cuello (Uraguay).
While Durham is aiming to secure its second straight gold medal since its return to the OCAA men's rugby circuit, Georgian is looking for its second provincial championship in four seasons. The Grizzlies have already increased its consecutive OCAA medal streak to five seasons, no matter the outcome on Sunday.
Kick off is 1 p.m. on Sunday at J.C. Massie Field on the campus of Georgian College in Barrie, Ont.
Saturday will feature the two losing teams in the semifinals competing for OCAA bronze. Seneca and Humber are West Division rivals, with the latter prevailing 45-12 in the only regular season meeting between the teams back in early October. Shermar Morris (Mississauga, Ont.) scored a pair of tries for Humber in the victory.
Seneca (4-2) finished higher than Humber (3-3) in the regular season standings and will host Saturday's match at Sheppard's Bush in Aurora, Ont. Kick off is set for 1 p.m.
- OCAA -
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Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
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