SHERBROOKE, Que. – Bishop's Gaiters rookie receiver Zach Graveson hauled in 10 passes for 102 yards as Bishop's rolled two quarterbacks against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Halloween Saturday in Sherbrooke in RSEQ University Football action.  It was not enough as the No.  7 ranked Vert et Or won their second consecutive Mayor's Cup and eighth in 10 years by a final score of 42-29.
 
Graveson (Sherbrooke, Que.) helped lead the Gaiters in their best offensive output of the season in their final game of the year. His 10 catches set a new mark for Gaiters freshmen in a single game and ties the second most ever by a Gaiters receiver.
 
Throwing the ball on the cool Saturday afternoon was a pair of pivots.  The Gaiters rotated quarterback Mathieu Demers (Quebec City) and Travis Eman (Brampton, Ont.).  For Eman it was his first action since getting injured in the Gaiters second game of the season. Offensive Coordinator Brent Baily rotated the two in and out throughout the game, often play to play.
 
The unorthodox strategy worked. As a whole The Gaiters amassed 319 yards through the air and added another 92 on the ground. Eman finished the day 12-25 for 179 yards and two touchdowns while Demers was 15-22 for 140 yards and two interceptions.
 
Dashaun Smellie (Mississauga, Ont.) also had his best day in purple.  The second-year receiver hauled in 4 passes for 124 yards including a long of 58.
 
It was an ominous start for Bishop's who fumbled on the opening drive to give Sherbrooke a short field.  The hosts made no mistake capitalizing with a touchdown and 7-0 lead before many fans even found their seats. The Vert et Or tacked on a field goal before Bishop's offense started to click. Eman found Graveson for a three yard touchdown that capped off a six play 75 yard drive. A Sherbrooke single on a missed field goal rounded out the first quarter scoring with the hosts up 11-7.
 
Bishop's rookie kicker Kevin Simard (Chicoutimi, Que.) answered with a field goal of his own early in the second quarter; he ended the day a perfect 2-2.  Sherbrooke seemingly took control of the contest and had one hand on the Mayor's Cup in the second frame when they extended their lead to 26-10. The Gaiters refused to give in and wanted to make a game of their final contest in 2015.  Eman hooked up with Trevon Millings (Laval, Que.) on the final play of the second quarter to keep the Bishop's hopes alive. A successful two-point conversion meant the score at the break was 26-18.
 
Sherbrooke slowly seemed to gain momentum in the third quarter after a field goal. That was until Jean Gayrard (Thetford Mines, Que.) made his biggest impact in a Gaiters uniform in his last game.  The senior defensive back intercepted the CIS' all-time leading passer Jeremi Roch (Lasalle, Que.) and returned it 10 yards to pay dirt for the pick-6.  After another successful two-point conversion, the Gaiters trailed by just three points.  The hosts tacked on another field goal but Bishop's had life entering the final quarter. 
The Gaiters have only won the Mayor's Cup twice in its 10 year existence; one of those victories came at Sherbrooke in a dramatic finish in 2013. Saturday, Bishop's gave themselves a chance to re-claim the cup entering the fourth quarter.  The kickers exchanged field goals leaving Bishop's down by six in the final few minutes.  The Gaiters forced a turnover as Sherbrooke seemed poised to put the nail in the coffin with 1:52 remaining.  Etienne Morin (Saint-Lugar, Que.) recovered a Vert et Or fumble on the Bishop's five yard line.
 
It was not meant to be as Bishop's was unable to drive the 105 yards needed in the last two minutes. After gaining a pair of first downs, the Gaiters turned the ball over on downs.  With the wind out of everyone's sails, Sherbrooke tacked on another score to make the final 42-29 and give the Vert et Or their second straight Mayor's Cup.
 
The loss ends the season for the young Bishop's Gaiters who finish at 1-7 and in the basement of the RSEQ standings.  After a trio of tough contests, the Gaiters fought hard in their final game of the year to give them albeit a small amount of optimism, but optimism none the less heading into the offseason.
 
Sherbrooke, a veteran club led by Roch move onto the RSEQ semifinals where they will travel to Montreal to face the defending CIS Champion Carabins on Saturday, Nov. 7. Laval will host Concordia in the other semifinal.
                                
For all the latest news and information at any time of the year on the Bishop's Gaiters check out www.gaiters.ca or follow @BishopsGaiters on social media.
 
-30-