Further thoughts on 1992

Thank you for the feedback to the 1992 highlights post. Fifteen comments from five posters plus several emails proves there is plenty of interest in the Gryphon Football program. While this blog is only two years old I am encouraged to know that Gryphon fans with connections to some of the teams of the past are interested and following it. Based on some of the feedback, I have included an expanded copy of the roster at the bottom of this post. I still welcome any more comments or emails to peter.gryphon@live.ca.

I made no mention of the coaching roster other than HC Dan McNally but it was an impressive group in its own right. Gryphons.ca lists nine assistants – Dudley Brown, Brian Cluff, John Lepore, Bob McLay, Marty Parker, John Sutton, Pat Tracey, Reg Valentinuzzi and Dennis McPhee. I recognize that Brown, Cluff, Lepore, Tracey and McLay were all Gryphon players in the 1980s. The first four of those were all members of the 1984 Vanier Cup winning squad.

Former Gryphon & Queen’s DC Pat Tracey
Photo: Mike Koreen/Kingston Whig-Standard

Dudley Brown is still around and supportive of the program. I have talked to him on the sidelines during recent training camps and at the Friends of Gryphon Football Gala Dinners. Brian Cluff of course, is well known to almost all Gryphon fans. He has been a part of the program as a player and coach for almost 30 years. He won the CIS’s Gino Fracas Award in 2011 and answered questions for this blog here. Pat Tracey is best  known these days as the Defensive Coordinator of our rivals, the Queen’s Golden Gaels. Reg Valentinuzzi served as the Gryphon’s O-line coach for decades, coming to Guelph with HC Tom Dimitroff in 1979 and coaching thru until 2003. After a CFL playing career Dennis McPhee joined the staff in 1991 and coached three seasons. McPhee then served as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats D-line coach from 1995-2001 and 2004-2006. McPhee will be coming full circle as he is back with the Ticats for a third stint and that means coaching at Alumni Stadium in 2013. McPhee was the Defensive Coordinator for the Western Mustangs in 2012.

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Several players from the 1992 team also went into the coaching ranks. Both QBs became Gryphon assistants. Rob Kitching had a long serving role coaching Gryphon QBs from 2000 to 2011. Wally Gabler coached with the Gryphons for several seasons then joined the WLU Golden Hawks as Offensive Coordinator. Of course, everyone knows of Kyle Walters’ successes as a Defensive Coordinator, then Head Coach at Guelph, before he joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, first as Special Teams Coordinator and now Assistant GM. Check out this blog’s Q & A with Kyle Walters.

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Speaking of Kyle Walters, you don’t see a lot of him (#27) in the regular season highlights. And obviously there was not video from every game from which to draw highlights. He does score a TD versus Windsor I believe. But Walters plays significant role in the OT playoff win over the UofT. Check out his touchdowns, shown back to back, beginning at the 1:50 mark. The first is a goalline plunge. In the second, the o-line opens a huge hole and Walters takes it 85 yards to the house. Unfortunately, he is on the sidelines in street clothes for the Vanier semifinal vs Queen’s.

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Rob Kitching  QB       #10
Wally Gabler Jr QB/P #11
Dan Walker K #14
Brian Robinson  DB     #20
Rob Di Gravio      #22
Reyhan Agaoglu DB  #23
Chuck Assmann DB  #26
Kyle Walters RB  #27
Alrick Daugherty RB #28
Kip Wigmore  #30
Bill McClay SB #32
Rob Popkey RB #34
Heron Tait DB  #38
Daryl Boyd LB  #40
Harold Kroeker OL  #42
Rob McRae DL  #50
David MacNeil  OL  #53
Rob Wesseling OT  #56
Steve McKee LB  #58
Brett McCallum OC  #60
Jim Stewart OL  #61
John Leaver OL  #62
Hugh Tharby DL  #65
Shawn Hagarty DT  #66
Bill Vastis DL #68
Dave Irwin WR  #70
Peter Barnowski TE #71
Trevor Rosine TE/FB  #73
Hugh Drennen TE   #75
Kevin Reid WR  #80
Shane Dougherty  #88

Frank Panos OL
Kevin Teneycke DB
Dave Pamp OL
Brent Dallimore DL
Mark Beattie DB
Mark Brosseau LB