Two "Locals" on Junior National Team

Football Canada released the roster that will compete against Team USA at the International Bowl in February.  Two of the players on the team have local connections.

The first is Samuel Thomassin, seen at right (photo credit to Charles Daigneault).  He is an offensive linemen for the Cegep de l'Outaouais Griffons and was previously mentioned here for having been named to the all-star team in 2013.  He was on the Team Québec gold-medal winning squad at the 2012 Football Canada Cup.  The Junior National Team roster lists his home town as Gatineau, but I believe he's actually from the Québec City area.

The other is not a local product as such either; his home town is listed as being Dehli, Ontario.  But receiver Kyle Van Wynsberghe was a standout for the Carleton University Ravens in their first year back into the OUA.  He recorded 37 receptions for 501 yards and three scores, including the team's first. He was a nominee for the OUA's rookie of the year award.  Prior to joining the Ravens, Van Wynsberghe was a quarterback for the Dehli Raiders.

We'll track the results of both men when the Team Canada vs Team USA junior game kicks in February.

More on RB and Special Teams Coach Don Yanowsky

The RedBlacks announced their coaching staff yesterday.  The bios included in the release are now copied in the coach-specific page at right.

Most of the coaches are in the early part of their coaching careers, relatively speaking, but Don Yanowsky has clearly been around.

Yanowsky brings a wealth of coaching experience to Ottawa, having served over three decades in the professional, college and high school ranks. He made a CFL debut in 2012 in Calgary as linebackers coach for the Stampeders and held the same position last season. Yanowsky has served in several positions with various NCAA and high school programs, including Memphis, Louisiana State, Boston College, East Carolina, Duke, Arkansas State, Minnesota and Utah; including 10 seasons as a special teams coordinator in the NCAA. He began his coaching career in 1981 as a student assistant with the University of Toledo, where he also played.

So let's flesh that out a bit with his Memphis Tigers bio from just prior to his joining the Stamps.

Don Yanowsky, who served as the Memphis Tigers' offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator from 1989-94, returned to the U of M to guide the special teams unit and tight ends in 2010.

In 2010, Yanowsky guided one of the top punters in the nation as true freshman Tom Hornsey came to the United States from Australia and played in his first-ever U.S.-style football game...

Yanowsky and Larry Porter worked together during the 2009 season at LSU. The two were previously at Memphis together when Yanowsky was an assistant coach and Porter was a Tiger running back (1990-93).

Yanowsky was in his first season with the LSU Tigers in 2009, working with the tight ends and handling duties as recruiting coordinator. LSU's tight ends, led by senior Richard Dickson, combined to catch 27 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns as Dickson capped his career as the school's all-time leader for tight ends in receptions (89), yards (945) and touchdowns (10). Deangelo Peterson converted from wide receiver to tight end and responded with five catches for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Prior to joining the LSU staff, Yanowsky spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Boston College, where he was the special teams coordinator and guided the tight ends.

He has over 25 years of collegiate coaching experience on both sides of the football as well as that of recruiting coordinator.

In two years with Boston College, the Eagles went 20-8 overall and reached a bowl game in both 2007 and 2008. In 2007, Boston College won its first eight games and climbed as high as No. 2 in the nation. The Eagles went on to post an 11-3 overall mark in 2007 as they claimed the ACC Atlantic Division title and played in the league's championship game. In 2008, the Eagles were 9-5 overall.

Yanowsky's tight ends at Boston college combined to catch 73 passes for 719 yards and five scores in 2007, followed by 34 receptions for 269 yards and two touchdowns in 2008. His top tight end, Ryan Purvis, was a two-time All-ACC selection and is rated as one of the top five tight ends going into the 2009 NFL Draft.

Prior to his arrival at Boston College, Yanowsky spent the 2006 season coaching tight ends and special teams under Skip Holtz at East Carolina. He coached at Duke for three years, from 2003-05, directing the offensive line for two years and the outside linebackers and special teams for one season.

Yanowsky was hired by Steve Logan at East Carolina for the first time in 2001, coaching the defensive line and helping the Pirates earn a berth in the GMAC Bowl that year.

Other coaching stops for Yanowsky include a four-year stint from 1997-2000 at Arkansas State; a one-year stay at Minnesota in 1996 to coach the defensive line; six years at Memphis under former head coach Chuck Stobart; and three years at Utah from 1982-84 as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.

Yanowsky got his start in coaching in 1981 when he was hired as a student assistant coach at Toledo. After his three years at Utah, Yanowsky coached at the high school level from 1983-1988, serving as offensive coordinator at Bountiful (Utah) High School and later as the head coach at Viewmont High School in Utah. He returned to the collegiate ranks in 1989 at Memphis.

A 1982 graduate of Toledo with a degree in education, he was a two-year starter at offensive guard for the Rockets.

Head Coach Rick Campbell also has a background in education.  I mentioned it at the time of Campbell's hiring, but I love reading that about a coach since, at the end of the day, his job is to teach.  If the rest of the information above had not been available, I could have at least felt good about that part of it.

The coordinators are very experienced and the position coaches are younger guys who have played the position for which they are responsible.  On paper, this staff makes a lot of sense.

RedBlacks sign WR Simon Le Marquand

This signing came as a bit of a (pleasant) surprise to me.

Because the signing was being announced in Gatineau, and the media there had been beating the Etienne Boulay drum for a while, I thought there was a decent chance that his signing would be made official.  That struck as a bit fast, because Boulay had said just a couple of weeks ago that he wanted to get in shape first, but certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

The signings of Le Marquand and the acquisition of former Ottawa Sooner John Delahunt in the expansion draft underscore why I find following local amateur football so much fun.  I have been folowing their careers for many years already and it's a pleasure to see them get this opportunity.

Most media will refer to his UOttawa career, but Le Marquand had already begun to make his mark (no lame pun attempted there) at the Cegep de l'Outaouais.  In 2008, he recorded 26 receptions for 541 yards and eight scores.  Those numbers placed him on the all-star team.

He was not called upon quite as much in first couple of seasons with UOttawa, but once given the opportunity in 2011, he embraced it to the tune of 57 receptions, 867 yards and six touchdowns, all team-leading receiving numbers and good enough to gather second-team conference all-star recognition.  He was also honoured as team MVP that year, the first time a non-QB had been given the award since 2002.

When Gary Etcheverry took over as head coach the following year and brought the team back to 1942, Le Marquand's numbers suffered accordingly.  Le Marquand recorded 28 catches for 464 yards and two scores.  After his release from Hamilton's training camp this past summer, after being chosen in the 4th round of the collegiate draft by the Ti-Cats, Le Marquand returned to the Gee-Gees and added 25 receptions, 374 yards and another four TD's to his resumé.

On a general note, something else struck me about this signing.  We now have on our roster...

• Three wide receivers
• Two slotbacks
• Two fullbacks capable of playing inside receiver (Delahunt, as well as Patrick Lavoie)

...and not a single one of them is UNDER six feet.

I felt throughout the Renegades years that a lack of size at the position was a major drawback.  They say you can't coach speed, which I think is nonsense.  Of course you can make yourself faster.  But you can't make yourself taller.

Here are the guys currently listed on Calgary's roster for the sake of comparison.

31  Fuller, Jeff          WR     6.04
84  Hawthorne, Tim        WR     6.03
 3  Sinopoli, Brad        WR     6.04
80  Forzani, Johnny       WR     6.01
85  West, Joe             WR     6.01
88  Stafford, Kenny       WR     6.04
17  Price, Maurice        WR     6.01
83  Morin-Plante, Yannick WR     6.00
86  Parker, Anthony       WR     6.02
87  Armstrong, Spencer    WR     6.01

No doubt there are good receivers under six feet.  But if you can get a bunch of capable guys with size, you're giving yourself an edge.  The Renegades never seemed to embrace that, and they never had a passing game to be feared, either.

RedBlacks sign CB Ryan Lacy

And local product Simon Le Marquand.  And eight assistant coaches, who have been added to the appropriate page on the right.  But let's look at Lacy first, since less is known about him by local football fans.

There will be several articles about Le Marquand and I'll wait until I've seen a number of them before choosing one to copy from.  Plus I want to look up some additional detail.

The Citizen did a nice job telling us about Lacy though, so I'll include that portion of their article.

Lacy, a graduate of the University of Utah, played four years with the Utah Utes before attending a rookie camp with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts as a free agent.

He saw no action on the field, though, and was subsequently released.

“I gave it my all and didn’t end up coming out on top,” Lacy said. “It’s still a dream of mine to get back to the NFL, but until then, I’m gonna keep grinding with the Redblacks.”

He also spent some time with the Tiger-Cats, getting seven tackles in his lone game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“It was a fun experience,” Lacy said. “I love being in the CFL.”

Initially a running back in high school, shoulder surgery and positional needs at Utah pushed Lacy to the defensive side of the field, where he was able to put his versatility on display.

“I learned a lot from the receivers and, going over to cornerback, it was an easier game because I kind of knew what the receivers were doing,” he said. “Just knowing the game from both sides of the ball made it pretty easy.”

The 5-9 Lacy, who said he “loves to hit,” had 22 tackles and two interceptions in 11 games during his 2012 senior year at Utah and a 2011 season that saw him rack up 51 tackles, two interceptions and a sack.

One scouting site included the following career stats (though I believe they may have copied it from his New Orleans Saints bio).

Lacy was a two-year starter for the Utes, posting career totals of 80 tackles, one sack, four stops for a loss, five interceptions, 16 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. As a senior, he posted 22 tackles, two picks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. As a junior, he earned honourable mention All-Pac 12 as he made 51 tackles, two picks and 10 passes defensed.

Lastly, the Salt Lake Tribune had a lengthy article about Lacy as his collegiate career was about to come to an end.  It can be found, at least for now, at this link, but the parts specific to his background are copied below.

...That Lacy has developed into such a defensive talent is as much of a surprise as anyone. Highly recruited out of Oakmont High School in Antelope, Calif., Lacy had designs on playing receiver.

He'd excelled on the offensive side of the ball in high school, with 1,922 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns, and finished eighth in the state of California in the 100 meters.

Lacy, who committed to the Utes as a junior, had great visions of using all that speed and experience to trip up would-be defenders. Instead, he joined a long line of players who found success with the Utes on the other side of the ball.

"They took me in and taught me to be great on defense," Lacy said. "I still have some of that receiver mentality, and I take that into games so I know what routes look like and breaks off turns and turn that into a good thing for me."

At 5-foot-9, 186 pounds, Lacy isn't an intimidating figure on the field like other celebrated Ute defenders such as Star Lotulelei. But with his speed and hard-hitting ways, Lacy is gaining a reputation for being an impact player on all levels.

Last week against Cal, he had two critical pass breakups and an interception. He spent most of the night on Allen, who finished with five catches for 61 yards, but had only two for 24 yards in the first three quarters.

One of Lacy's pass breakups would have been for a 29-yard touchdown play.

"I just got my hands in there," Lacy said. "I told myself I wasn't going to let him get one on me, and I didn't."

Lacy's play was one of the highlights in the game for Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.

"It was outstanding," Whittingham said. "Ryan is a very competitive kid, and that receiver is a first-round draft choice, certainly first day, and Ryan did an outstanding job in coverage."

Lacy's emergence is of particular importance because the secondary has had its rough moments this year as the Utes have juggled starters due to injury, inexperience or disciplinary reasons.

Through it all, Lacy has been a constant source of solid play.

"I love practicing with him because he is always competing," safety Brian Blechen said. "He is making plays and he is vocal and he's always getting on people. He is a huge leader who brings a lot of energy on and off the field."

If Lacy can't play Saturday, senior Moe Lee, who started earlier this season, will likely start in his place.

However, the Utes will be hard-pressed to keep Lacy off the field Saturday. The former receiver has a reputation he wants to defend.

"I'm excited because so many teams like to run on us," Lacy said. "We know they pass a lot, and we get to show that we can cover them and our D-line can get to the quarterback." —

Ryan Lacy file
• 5-foot-9, 186 pounds, Sr.
• Oakmont High School
• Antelope, Calif.

Season highlights • Started all eight games. ... Leads Utes in interceptions (2) and pass breakups (4). ... Returned a fumble for a touchdown against UCLA. ... Has five career interceptions.

Career highlights • Led Utah and ranked sixth in the league in pass breakups in 2011 (10). ... Had a career-high eight tackles against Montana State in 2011.

"Kevin Glenn ready to recruit for Redblacks"

The speculation that Kevin Glenn would become the RedBlacks' first quarterback ramped up after Rick Campbell was hired as Head Coach from the Calgary Stampeders.  He demonstrated an open mind and a great attitude prior to the draft, and is continuing to display those traits now that he has, as expected, been selected.  Have a read at this article from Neate Sager for 55 Yard Line.

"I have no qualms about going out and talking about a franchise," the Detroit native said. "Just because I'm new doesn't mean I don't know anything about it. I'm going off the coaches that I'm familiar with and the actual guys that were picked in this draft whom I'm very familiar with. After watching this for three rounds, I feel as though we could be very competitive. Friends of mine — and don't get it twisted — there are guys who are going to be free agents who are going to be calling and asking, 'do you think this is going to work?'"

Expansion draft day!

Morning folks!  What's new?  :-)

Rather than wait for today's expansion draft action to be fully completed, I'm going to keep busy by posting results, reaction, etc, throughout the day.  So visit from time to time or stay on this post and refresh your browser from time to time.

Enjoy!

Round 1: Imports
From British Columbia: QB Thomas DeMarco
From Calgary: QB Kevin Glenn
From Edmonton: WR Carlton Mitchell
From Saskatchewan: OL James Lee
From Winnipeg: WR Wallace Miles
From Toronto: DL Jonathan Williams
From Montreal: DL Moton Hopkins
From Hamilton: RB Chevon Walker

Globe and Mail:  Ottawa GM Marcel Desjardins said he took the top two quarterbacks available.

“It became a function of having two guys that we felt were the best quarterbacks available that were not going to be free agents,” he said. “That’s a key component for us.

“Obviously Kevin is very familiar with what we’re going to want to do offensively, which is a bonus. And we also have a combination of veteran leadership and younger players so we have all the elements in place that we think are going to help us be a strong team, specifically at that position.”

Glenn, a Detroit native, completed 223-of-335 passes (66.6 per cent) for 2,710 yards and 18 touchdowns with seven interceptions.

DeMarco, 24, spent the last two seasons with the B.C. Lions, completing 103-of-191 passes for 1,325 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions while replacing the injured Travis Lulay.

Winnipeg Free Press: The Ottawa RedBlacks have plucked talented young receiver Wallace Miles from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the first round of the expansion draft.

Miles (6-foot-1, 193 pounds, North Carolina AT &T) joined the Bombers in October of 2012 and spent most of his time developing on the practice roster. But in two starts near the end of 2013 the 24-year-old Atlanta native flashed some of his upside, pulling in 10 passes for 142 yards and a TD. Those numbers included a six-catch/100-yard performance against the Toronto Argonauts on Oct. 24th.

Regina Leader-Post:  The Saskatchewan Roughriders have lost offensive lineman James Lee to the Ottawa RedBlacks in the expansion draft for the fledgling CFL club.

The 28-year-old product of Belle Glade, Fla., spent four weeks on the Roughriders’ practice roster before appearing in their final regular-season game. He didn’t dress for any games in the playoffs.

A 6-foot-3, 305-pound product of South Carolina State University, Lee attended training camp with the Cleveland Browns in 2008 before spending the remainder of that season on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad.

He was on the Bucs’ practice squad in 2009, 2010 and 2011 before attending training camp with the Washington Redskins in 2012.

Toronto Sun:  The RedBlacks grabbed defensive end Jon Williams off Toronto’s roster in the first round of the draft. The 28-year-old played 12 games for the Argos this season and was a backup in the CFL East final against the Tiger-Cats. Williams finished the season with 28 tackles and two sacks.


Round 2: Non-Imports
From British Columbia: OL Matt Albright
From Calgary: OL J'Michael Dean
From Edmonton: OL Alexander Krausnick
From Saskatchewan: DE Keith Shologan
From Winnipeg: LB James Green
From Toronto: OL Joe Eppele
From Montreal: FB Patrick Lavoie
From Hamilton:FB John Delahunt

Regina Leader-Post:  REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders have lost non-import defensive tackle Keith Shologan in the second round of the Ottawa RedBlacks expansion draft.

Shologan, a 28-year-old product of Spruce Grove, Alta., was Saskatchewan’s first-round pick (fourth overall) in the 2008 CFL draft out of the University of Central Florida.

He signed as a free agent with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers and spent time in their training camp before being released. He then joined the Roughriders late in the 2008 regular season, appearing in one game.

The 6-foot-2, 290-pounder has been a starter ever since. In 88 regular-season games with Saskatchewan, Shologan had 138 tackles and 15 sacks. He had 31 tackles and four sacks during the 2013 regular season.

He was named the most valuable Canadian in the 2010 Grey Cup game.

Toronto Sun:  The Argos have lost the second overall pick from the 2010 CFL Canadian draft.

The Ottawa RedBlacks selected Argos starting right guard Joe Eppele in the second round (first of two Canadian rounds) of the CFL expansion draft on Monday.

A native of Brackendale, B.C., the 6-foot-8, 301-pound Eppele was a regular for the Argos since coming out of Washington State.


Round 3: Non-Imports
From British Columbia: DE Andrew Marshall
From Calgary: FS Eric Fraser
From Edmonton: DE Justin Capicciotti
From Saskatchewan: DL Zach Evans
From Winnipeg: WR Rory Kohlert
From Toronto: LB Jason Pottinger
From Montreal: LB Jordan Verdone
From Hamilton: OL Marwan Hage
Metro:  John Hufnagel knew he was going to lose a few good men on Monday.

That’s exactly what happened as the Ottawa RedBlacks selected quarterback Kevin Glenn in the first round of the Canadian Football League expansion draft and then followed up by taking offensive lineman J’Micheal Deane and safety Eric Fraser in the second and third rounds respectively.

“I’m not real pleased about the day,” said Hufnagel, who guided the Calgary Stampeders to a CFL-best record of 14-4 as coach and general manager this past season. “I’m also proud that these players did a great job being a Calgary Stampeder. They’re good people, good players and I wish them all the best going out to the nation’s capital. They’ll still be wearing red.”

...

Originally drafted by Calgary in the third round (21st overall) in the 2010 CFL Canadian Draft, Deane played 38 regular-season games over three seasons with the Stamps at both tackle and guard.

“J’Micheal Deane is a very versatile offensive lineman that played everywhere on the offensive line for us except for the centre position and he has a long, bright future in this league,” Hufnagel said. “I’m sure he’s excited about going into a team where he knows most likely he’ll be a full-time starter, which he really wasn’t here game in and game out.”

Fraser was Calgary’s first-round selection (eighth overall) in the 2009 CFL Canadian Draft and he played 69 regular-season games over four seasons as a safety and on special teams.

“He’s played great football,” said Hufnagel of Fraser, who recorded 108 tackles, 37 special-team tackles, three sacks and five interceptions during his time as a Stamp. “He’ll play a long time in the nation’s capital.”

RedBlacks sign RB Eric O'Neal

The second running back (and third among the eight announced signings to this point) added to the roster is Eric O'Neal from the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.

I struggled to find any information about him aside from his contribution in individual games, so I've displayed his career stats at the bottom of the page.  The RedBlacks' announcement only made reference to his senior season.

Year     G     Rush     Yds     TDs   Rec     Yds     TDs
2007     11     72      325      1     11     92       0
2008      9     79      405      3     12     117      0
2009      8     89      377      2     17     101      0
2010     12    179      781      6     30     247      2
Career   40    419     1888     12     70     557      2

RedBlacks sign running back Michael Hayes

The RedBlacks continue to add players even as they prepare to acquire 24 more three days from now.

Two running backs have been signed.  We start with Houston's Michael Hayes and to find out more about him we refer to the abbreviated article below from chron.com.

As Michael Hayes bounced off UCLA defender after UCLA defender, senior running back Bryce Beall's eyes widened.

Beall, one part of the Houston Cougars' three-headed monster at running back, was taking a brief break on the sidelines watching as Hayes, another part of the trio, put together a run that might already be one of the plays of the season in college football.

"It made me think 'OK, we're playing football now,'" Beall said. "I think it did that a lot for the rest of our teammates too."

And while Hayes' 34-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of a 38-34 UH win over UCLA on Saturday - during which he broke five tackles and earned a spot on SportsCenter's top 10 plays that night - might have surprised some outsiders, the 5-9, 200-pound senior running back was simply showing the nation what his teammate already know well.

"I know what he can do," Beall said of Hayes. "He just showed the world what he can do. Those types of plays - I hope people don't get surprised by it. He's an exciting player. He's got the total package - he's strong, he's fast, great vision. It doesn't surprise me at all."

Friends, former coaches and plenty others have reached out to congratulate Hayes since he unleashed the jaw-dropping run. For those who wonder how he stayed on his feet, the answer from Hayes is simple and understated.

"I was just running," he said. "I didn't know that I hit that many people. I just bounced off and kept running."

...

Hayes, who joined the Cougars before last season after transferring from Blinn College and had 956 combined rushing and receiving yards last year, is making sure he's not the forgotten man of the backfield, even if he isn't looking at it that way.

...

Beall said Hayes contributes more than just on the field.

"He brings that contagious type of energy that makes you want to play," Beall said. "We push each other and we all try to see each other have success, and I feel like that's why we're all due to have a great season this year."

His high school coach at East Bernard, Jerry Long, said he wasn't surprised by Hayes' run either, but that it made him immensely proud and embodies what Hayes is all about.

"He's a perfect example and I use his name all the time around here with our younger kids - that hard work pays off," Long said. "They hear coaches say that all the time but he's living proof of it. If you want something bad, you better go work for it and make it happen. "

Want to see that run?  Here she is:

"REDBLACKS have first quarterback under contract"

Signing the first QB in team history, even if the player in question is no lock to be a frequent contributor, is kind of a big deal.  Yet the RedBlacks devoted all of two paragraphs to the signing of former San Jose State Spartan Matt Faulkner.

So let's find out more about this young man from a Spartan Daily article from two years ago, just as Faulkner's college career was coming to an end.  Stats will follow below.

Following the SJSU football team’s first victory in Fresno since 1987, head coach Mike MacIntyre said he sent a text message to senior quarterback Matt Faulkner that read, “Hey Matt, they couldn’t have written a better storybook ending than that.”

Faulkner replied, “Coach, you’re exactly right.”

Faulkner had won the final game of his career on the same field his career began — Bulldog Stadium — and against the school he earned a scholarship to out of high school.

MacIntyre added that the team waited in the locker room for Faulkner to finish with post-game interviews following the victory, and when Faulkner returned the team hoisted him on their shoulders and presented him with the game ball.

Faulkner took a final knee after a 13-play, 6:11 long drive to seal the victory and said only one emotion could describe what was flowing through his body and mind when his knee touched the turf — “pure joy.”

“To play my last college game where I played my first and to end it that way for this program, especially because how much this program needed it, it was a big deal,” he said.

Faulkner, a native of Highland Village, Texas, said despite leaving home for Fresno out of high school he knew he always belonged at SJSU.

“I would not have wanted to play anywhere else,” he said. “I know this is where God wanted me to play college football — I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Faulkner played in 10 games as a reserve quarterback last season, his junior year, and earned the starting job this fall.

His first start came in the opening week against Stanford. However, he lost some playing time over the next two games due to a concussion.

Despite not playing a full season, Faulkner left his mark on the SJSU football program by recording 3,149 passing yards, which places Faulkner third in school history in single-season passing yards.

Faulkner also led an SJSU offense that quintupled the team’s win total from a year ago.

...

MacIntyre said the rest of the team has an immense amount of respect for Faulkner, making the feelings between Faulkner and the team mutual.

“The kids just think the world of him,” MacIntyre said.

He added that Faulkner’s selfless attitude and hard work ethic make him successful on the field.

“Selflessness is a big deal in team sports,” he said. “The more people combined to their role and accept their role, the better the football team. Matt exemplifies that as a team football player.”

...

Robbie Reed, a senior center and Faulkner’s battery mate on every snap, said  the quarterback’s leadership and ability filled a void in the SJSU offense since Adam Tafralis, the school’s all-time leading passer, left the program in 2007.

“He had two years to do what most quarterbacks do in five years to get that leadership role,” he said. “ He made us all believe. He definitely had a major role in us becoming a better offense than we have since I’ve been here.”

Faulkner said he owes most of the success in his football career to his father, Tom Faulkner.

“He’s the reason I am here today,” he said.

Faulkner said his dad reached out to many colleges, and because he only played in five games his senior year of high school due to a concussion, the task of receiving a Division 1 scholarship was very daunting.

“I had maybe 30 plays from high school, but he got me the scholarship to Fresno State,” he said. “I ended up where I ended because of the way he asserted himself and gave the opportunity and put me out there to succeed.”

...

MacIntyre and Reed agreed that they will forever remember Faulkner’s most impressive performance as the 38-31 win at Colorado State on Oct. 1.

The Spartans clinched the win on a game-winning 38-yard touchdown pass from Faulkner to freshman wide receiver Jabari Carr with 54 seconds remaining in the game.

“That play at Colorado State will always stick in my mind,” MacIntyre said. “We’re on the sidelines and we call the play. Before he walks out, he turns to me and says ‘If Jabari is open, I can go for it all.’ He saw him and threw it perfectly. That’s how calm he is.”

Reed said when Faulkner is in the huddle the entire team instantly feels more comfortable.

“He took us down the field and scored — doesn’t get too much better than that,” he said. “(Faulkner) always gave us confidence that our offense was unstoppable and that there was never any doubt we couldn’t score. He instilled that on us because of how he performed.”

And as promised...

Year     Cmp     Att     Pct     Yds     TD     Int     Rate
2010      21      39     53.8    206      1      1     101.5
2011     274     422     64.9   3149     13     13     131.6

Now I've always thought that there's no point in having a website if all it's good for is copying "big" news from other sources.  So here's a tidbit that I doubt will make most other reports about Faulkner's signing.

Here's a finger lickin' good fun fact for your Saturday afternoon: new San Jose State QB Matt Faulkner is the son of barbecue sauce royalty. His father, Tom Faulkner, is the writer, producer and singer of the Chili's baby back ribs song.

There you go. :-)  Welcome aboard, Mr. Faulkner.

Calgary's Mike Gibson reportedly accepts offensive coordinator job.

No official announcement as of yet, but this hiring is already finding its way onto the TSN website and is being reported by Calgary media.  Gibson has been the offensive line coach for the Stampeders the last two seasons.

Here's a portion of his bio from the Stampeders website.

Gibson first joined the Stamps in 2011 as the running backs coach, helping the club finish second in rushing yards. The club was second in rushing yards (2,244) and second in yards per carry (6.2).

Prior to joining the Stampeders, Gibson spent two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as offensive coordinator. In 2009, Gibson also coached the offensive line and, in 2010, he worked with the team’s running backs. The Tiger-Cats offence made steady progress under Gibson and, in 2010, Kevin Glenn set a franchise record for touchdown passes and became only the second Hamilton pivot to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a season.

Before his two-season stint in Hamilton, Gibson spent two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as assistant head coach and offensive line coach and a total of three seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers — coaching the offensive line all three seasons, as well as serving as offensive coordinator during his final two seasons with the Blue Bombers.

Gibson’s first taste of the CFL came in 1995 when he was a guest coach with the B.C. Lions. He was hired as Winnipeg’s offensive line coach in 2001, a season in which the Bombers went 14-4 and played in the Grey Cup game. He earned a Grey Cup ring as part of Saskatchewan’s coaching staff in 2007.

Mike Gibson's Coaching History

2012 – Calgary Stampeders – Offensive Line Coach
2011 – Calgary Stampeders – Running Backs Coach
2009-10 – Hamilton Tiger-Cats – Offensive Coordinator
2007-08 – Saskatchewan Roughriders – Offensive Line/Assistant Head Coach
2005-06 – Winnipeg Blue Bombers – Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
2002-04 – Louisiana (NCAA) – Offensive Line Coach
2001 – Winnipeg Blue Bombers – Offensive Line Coach
1995-99 – Rutgers (NCAA) – Special Teams/Offensive Tackles/Tight Ends Coach
1991-92 – Colgate (NCAA) – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
1987-90 – Temple (NCAA) – Offensive Line Coach
1986 – Rice (NCAA) – Assistant Athletic Director/Recruiting Coordinator
1984-85 – Boston University (NCAA) – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Running Backs
1982-83 – Boston University (NCAA) – Running Backs Coach
1980-81 – Cornell (NCAA) – Offensive Line Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
1979 – Western Maryland (NCAA) – Graduate Assistant

If there was some concern that Head coach Rick Campbell didn't have enough experience, then Gibson certainly brings enough of his own.  At first glance, this seems like a quality hire.

Fred Rouse is feeling it!

If you're on Twitter, do yourself a favour and follow recent (naturally) Redblacks signee Fred Rouse.  Rouse is clearly excited about the opportunity to compete for a spot on the RedBlacks roster and very interactive with fans. It's a lot of fun to see.

New content, toys, features, etc.

The RedBlacks have certainly hit the ground running since the final gun went off at Grey Cup 101.  As a result, I've added some bells and whistles to this blog as well.

The first couple of additions are rather obvious. We now have a pages specific to the coaching staff and roster.  No doubt the RedBlacks themselves will do the same soon and render mine pointless, but in the spirit of being a "one-stop shopping" type of site, I forged ahead.  May as well do it now before it becomes a huge undertaking.

I've added a search function as well, at top right.  It didn't seem necessary when there were only a few posts on here but the more content is added about the various teams around town, the more handy it'll become for visitors, I figure.

Last, but I hope not least, is a "related blog" list, currently displaying my Team Canada Football site.

I'm a big fan of the National program. If you see a guy walking around town with a red Football Canada hoodie, that's probably me.  :-)

Football Canada does a good job of displaying details and results in regards to the more recent teams to participate internationally, but information about some past clubs (prior to 2009) can be difficult to locate. 

For that reason I've begun locating storing it for myself, as well as any details I can find about upcoming events.  As much as I wold love to see the RedBlacks fully embraced by Ottawa, I would also love to see interest in the National teams increase from coast to coast.

It is the only blog listed, but I may eventually create more of them dedicated to specific teams or pehaps level of play (high school, for example, since there's little coverage for it).  This is still being figured out as I go along.

Rick Campbell to be hired as the RedBlacks first head coach today

Yesterday's news that Rick Campbell would be named the team's first head coach spread like an oil fire. 

While I typically prefer to wait until an official announcement for a hiring or signing, the article below (or at least the portion I copied) does a great job of detailing Campbell's background so I thought it would be the best one to share with and for people who may not be familiar with our new boss.  Credit to Vicki Hall at the Calgary Herald.

...The fit appears perfect. Campbell is a level sort and not one to get caught up in the elation of a win or the devastation of a loss. Should the losses pile up in Ottawa — and they might in the beginning — Campbell’s even keel personality will prove invaluable.

Much like his dad, Rick Campbell’s calling card is poise under pressure and dedication to creating a professional working environment that doesn’t resemble an afternoon soap opera (see: Winnipeg and Edmonton).

“A very steady young man,” Stamps head coach/general manager John Hufnagel said back in October when asked to describe his defensive co-ordinator. “Doesn’t get overwhelmed or overly excited or overly upset. He just coaches and does an excellent job.”

Rick grew up underfoot in football locker-rooms as his dad lorded over the Edmonton Eskimos for 26 years — first as head coach, then as general manager and later president — in an era marked by sheer dominance for the green and gold.

For the uninitiated, Hugh Campbell belongs on the CFL version of Mount Rushmore alongside the likes of the late Ron Lancaster and Bobby Ackles, the retired Don Matthews, and the active Wally Buono.

So great was his influence back in his time as president of the Eskimos, executives from other teams begrudgingly referred to the CFL as the Campbell Football League.

...

A school teacher by trade, Rick Campbell broke into the CFL coaching ranks in 1999 as an assistant in charge of the linebackers and special teams for the Eskimos.

Not surprisingly, Campbell dealt with allegations of nepotism — a fact of life for any second-generation coach working in the same office as his father. (Baby Huey, he was called behind his back).

By leaving Edmonton, by striking out on his own, Campbell erased all such talk. Under his tutelage in 2013, the Stamps surrendered 413 points, making them the stingiest defence in the eight-team circuit behind only the Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders (398).

“Rick is all about having fun and getting the job done at the same time,” Stamps middle linebacker Juwan Simpson said back in October when talk of Campbell moving on began to heat up. “I don’t know anyone on defence who has ever said anything bad about him.

“I think he’ll be a great head coach.”

Never mind his bloodlines, I always like to hear about a background in teaching.

Campbell wasn't one of the handful of names being frequently thrown around as possibilities earlier in the year, but the more I read about him, the more I like the appointment. He mixes relative youth with 15 years of experience in the league in various capacities involving all three aspects of the game.  Overall, it sounds like a pretty good blend.

Meanwhile, across the river...

Missed during the RedBlacks recent flurry of activity was Cegep de l'Outaouais Head Coach Denis Piché's resignation from his position with the club.  He was replaced shortly thereafter by defensive coordinator, and former UOttawa Gee-Gee defensive lineman, Sébastien Tétreault.

Piché took over as the team's second Head Coach for the 2011 season, replacing Alexandre Mathieu.  During that time, he recorded 14 wins and 10 losses (including a 4-4 record this past fall).

Tétreault held the defensive coordinator position during the previous two seasons.  Perhaps not coincidentally, since Tétreault also played the position, the Griffons saw defensive lineman Jérémie Rioux honoured as the top player at the position in the RSEQ's seven-team South-West Division.  Rioux has since committed to the Carleton Ravens program.  The following were also named to the league's all-star team.

Samuel Thomassin, offensive line
Julien Choquette-Daigneault, running back (74 for 593, 5 tds)
Sébastien Chénier-Dionne, linebacker (43.5 tcks, 4 sacks)
Wassim Hayder, defensive back (9 tcks, 3 INTs)

Julien Larente was recognised for his academic achievements.       

Ho-Hum! Another Player Signing! ;-)

After waiting so long for it to finally start happening, it'll be a long time before I get tired of hearing about player signings.  The information below was released by the Ottawa RedBlacks earlier this afternoon.

OTTAWA - Running back Jordan Roberts is the latest player to join the Ottawa REDBLACKS of the Canadian Football League.

The 23-year-old native of Madison, West Virginia, participated in training camp of the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL earlier this year.

The 5-foot-10, 222-pound Roberts had a stellar collegiate career with the NCAA Division II University of Charleston Golden Eagles, earning All-American status twice while setting numerous school and NCAA records.

In three seasons with the Golden Eagles as a running back and kick returner, Roberts totaled 4,918 all-purpose yards with 50 touchdowns. In 2012, his senior year, he rushed for 1,572 yards in 11 games (averaging 6.6 yards per carry) with 18 touchdown carries. He also had a 100-yard kickoff return for a major.

In his final game with Charleston, Roberts rushed for 190 yards in one quarter and 273 yards in one half, setting school and NCAA Division II records. He had 301 yards in that game with five touchdowns and earned conference player of the year honours.

Roberts was also a standout in high school, earning the Kennedy Award as the state of West Virginia's top high school football player in 2007.

Roberts is the fifth free agent to sign with the REDBLACKS.

Let's go a little deeper into his career with this write-up from fantasysports.org.

After one year with limited playing time at West Virginia, running back Jordan Roberts opted for a college career at the University of Charleston. Roberts thrived at Charleston, as he did in high school. He earned all-state honors at both quarterback and running back as a junior and senior in high school in Yawkey, West Virginia, and earned a spot on two different All-American lists in college.

He currently holds nine records at the University of Charleston, including two NCAA Division II  – records for most yards in one quarter (190) and in one half (273). In the same game where he broke those two records, he scored five touchdowns, despite playing only one series in the second half. As a running back, receiver out of the backfield, and returner, he totaled 4,918 total yards in his three seasons with Charleston, 4,441 of which came in his junior and senior years. He scored on one out of every 11 carries and averaged 6.36 yards per carry in his career. Oh, and did I mention he also blocked two punts in his senior season?

He measured up to 5’10″ and 222 lbs. pre-draft. He also recorded a 40-yard dash time of 4.49 seconds (same as new Packers running back Johnathan Franklin), a 38 -inch vertical (only two running backs were better at the NFL combine), and a 127-inch broad jump (good for second behind only Michael Ford).

College stats:

Year  Games  Carries  Yards  TDs  Catches  Yards  TDs
2010    10      79      381   11      5      96     1
2011    11     206    1,430   17     20     165     1
2012    11     238    1,572   18     20     204     1

With Roberts being a D-II guy, I can't help but be reminded of Renegades running back Josh Ranek.  Ranek's pro experience extended to training camp with the Dallas Cowboys but he also had accumulated great college numbers at a smaller school (South Dakota State) prior to his acquisition by the Renegades.

There also aren't a lot of guys in Division II who rush for 186.8 yards a game and score 170 points, as Ranek did in 1999. Despite redshirting as a freshman and playing in only two games before breaking his foot in his second year, Ranek holds school career records in rushing (4,097 yards) and scoring (248 points). Ranek also owns North Central Conference season records for rushing (1,675 in 1998), touchdowns (22 in 1999) and points (132 in 1999) in conference games.

Ranek was very productive for the Renegades, gaining over 4000 yards rushing over three-plus seasons, including a rather impressive 6.4 average yards per carry in 2003.  He was also among the team's leading receivers in 2005 with 76 catches, 750 yards and two scores.

So that Roberts' credentials were earned in Division II shouldn't cause them to be dismissed.  It's easy to think highly of every player signed when there are so few on the roster but it wouldn't surprise me at all if Roberts turned out to be a significant contributor for the RedBlacks.

History: "CFL Returns to Ottawa" (Renegades)

Due to a need for a little more basement space, some of my football merchandise and mementos are getting boxed up today.

In recent months, the more real the RedBlacks became, the more I soured on the Renegades.  Watching the RedBlacks organisation present itself professionally just underscored what a clown car the Renegades were far too often.

But going through my merchandise did bring back some pretty pleasant memories of meeting a bunch of great people and being reunited with old friends. And while it's easy to be focused on how the Gliebermans managed to turn a bad thing into something even worse, the first couple of years weren't that bad.

My 2003 programs were among the boxed items.  I took a flip through a couple of them before storing them.  The article below trumpets the return of the league to Ottawa in a brief recap of the previous season. I thought that those who missed it, longer had access to it or simply didn't care at the time might find it interesting.  It'll be easier to read if you right click and open it in a separate window.

RedBlacks' first three official player signings

Yesterday, the RedBlacks announced their first official player signing, and they did not include Jerrell Gavins (yet).

OTTAWA - The Ottawa REDBLACKS of the Canadian Football League have engraved another chapter in Ottawa's rich sporting legacy with the signing of the first players in team history.

As per team policy, terms of contract agreements are not disclosed.

The team signed the following players (lists position, name, height, weight, college and hometown):

    Wide receiver Fred Rouse, 6-4, 200, Concordia Selma (Tallahassee, Florida)
    Defensive back / safety Nick Turnbull, 6-2, 222, Florida International (Miami)
    Defensive end DiMetrio Tyson, 6-2, 275, Jacksonville State (Elba, Alabama)

Rouse began his collegiate career with Florida State in 2005 and started in the 2006 Orange Bowl for the Seminoles against Penn State. He transferred to the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) before completing his collegiate career with Concordia-Selma in Alabama. He has CFL experience on practice rosters with the Calgary Stampeders and has also played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.

Turnbull's final year of college football was in 2005 with Florida International where he led the defence, starting every game at free safety and cornerback. He had 16 career interceptions at Florida International. In 2006, Turnbull played one regular-season game for the Chicago Bears and two games for the Atlanta Falcons.

Nick Turnbull, credit to the FIU website

Tyson started 11 games on the Gamecocks' defensive line in 2012, recording 29 tackles and three sacks. He was named an All-Ohio Valley Conference first-team all-star on defence. His most recent professional experience was with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League.

"We recognize the historic significance of these signings and it's an important first step for our franchise," said REDBLACKS general manager Marcel Desjardins. "Having said that, we're continuing the work of building a competitive football team for Ottawa and REDBLACKS fans.

"These players will have an opportunity to make our roster once we get onto the field for camp in the spring."

Desjardins and the REDBLACKS' football operations staff continue to assemble the pre-season roster, with the CFL Expansion Draft the next major milestone on December 16. The team will select 24 players from the eight other CFL clubs, including eight import players and 16 non-imports.

The team will hold the first training camp in club history during the spring of 2014. Dates and location of camp are to be determined.

Rouse actually announced himself on Twitter on Tuesday.  He has since been very interactive with a number of Ottawa fans and seems positively ecstatic at the opportunity.

The Ottawa Sun article about this signing focused on a 90-day jail term for one of the players.  I won't copy that here.  By all accounts the player in question appears to have learned from his mistakes.  He's done his time and shouldn't have to answer for it for the rest of his life, especially during what should be a happy occasion for him.

Something not mentioned in the above release: Turnbull is 32 years old, Rouse turns 28 next month and Tyson turned 24 in October.

Do we have our first RedBlack?

As of midnight this morning, the Ottawa RedBlacks could begin signing street free agent.  Earlier today, general manager Marcel Desjardins mentioned on TSN1200 radio that a few contracts had gone out already.

It may be that one has already been accepted, based on this Twitter comment:

LewisGavins
@REDBLACKS just picked up a Great cornerback!! Congrats Jerrell Gavins!!

So who is this guy?  The following article from the Idaho Statesman takes us through some of his university experience.  He last played for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League.

Former Boise State cornerback Jerrell Gavins doesn't know what he'll run in the 40-yard dash Thursday in his long-awaited chance to show NFL scouts his skills.

He isn't worried about it, either.

He hasn't run a 40 in nearly two years because of the knee injury that cost him most of the 2011 season and slowed him at times in 2012.

"All I know is I can play football and shut down receivers," Gavins said. "That's all I can say. I've got film on that."

Gavins was overshadowed last season by teammate Jamar Taylor, who has climbed to No. 4 in the cornerback rankings by ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay.

...

Gavins didn't play in an all-star game or draw a combine invite. He and the other Boise State prospects who didn't attend the combine will perform the same athletic tests done there.

...

Gavins is healthy for the first time since he severely damaged a knee in a freak practice accident three games into the 2011 season. He played every game last season, but coaches eased him back into the lineup.

Gavins combined with Taylor and the rest of the Broncos defense to hold opponents to a national-low four touchdown passes against 18 interceptions (four for Taylor, two for Gavins).

"Since high school, I've thought about this day," said Gavins, whose 5-foot-9 frame is a key liability. "Every day I was in the weight room training, I was thinking about having to bench 225 (pounds, the combine strength test). … That's why I don't feel any pressure. I've prepared for this so much and I've been through it so many times in my mind that whatever happens, happens. I just know I can play football."

For what it's worth, Gavins was credited with 20.5 tackles for the Storm in three games.

So no announcement as of yet, and therefore no confirmation, but since the team had a tryout in Florida a couple of months ago, it would seem likely that Gavins showed up and made an impression.

If so...Good on ya, and welcome aboard, Jerrell!

History: The 1973 Grey Cup Game

Today is not only Grey Cup Sunday, it is also the last day before the Ottawa RedBlacks officially enter the league as a participant.  True, they were involved in the college draft earlier this year, but starting tomorrow the RedBlacks are able to sign street free agents.

In the meantime, let's recognise the 40th anniversary of the 1973 championship team.

When building Capital Region Football between 2007 and this past spring, I would occasionally visit the library in order to print off some old newspaper articles and find some information that wasn't easily found (or found at all) online.  Among the dozens of copies of Citizen, Sun or Free Press articles I brought is the main recap of the 1973 Grey Cup game. It is spread over two pages below.

I apologise for the poor quality of the first page, but it should be easier to read if you right click on it to open it in a separate window.

Racine, Lumsden, Okeke named to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame!

I admit that I did not know that the Hall of Fame inductions were last night.  If I had, I would have paid greater attention.

There's a fair amount of Ottawa (or Ottawa-based, at least) content in the 2014 class.  The following is copied from TSN's recap of the event:

(Neil) Lumsden, 60, of London, Ont., enjoyed a stellar college career at Ottawa and in '75 helped the Gee-Gees go 11-0 and capture the Vanier Cup. Lumsden ended his collegiate tenure as the Vanier Cup MVP. He left school first in all-time CIS scoring (410 points) and his 148 points in '75 was second all-time. That season, Lumsden scored 37 points -- including five TDs -- in a single game.

Lumsden played in the CFL from '76 to '85 with Toronto, Hamilton and Edmonton, winning three Grey Cups with the Eskimos (1980-'82) and being named the top Canadian in the '81 contest. Lumsden was also in the Ticats' front office when they won their last league title in '99.

(Moe) Racine, 76, a native of Cornwall, Ont., was an offensive lineman and kicker with Ottawa from 1958-'74, appearing in five Grey Cup games and winning four times. He played 201 career games with the Rough Riders and was an East all-star three times. The franchise retired his No. 62 jersey upon his retirement.

The picture of Racine above was lifted from the cflapedia website and is probably originally from Scott Grant's extensive portfolio.

Can't claim too much "Ottawa-ness" to former offensive lineman Uzooma Okeke, but he did play with the last Rough Riders team in 1996.  He started gathering all-star status fairly regularly the following year (of course...) with Montreal and was with them until 2006.  Played with the Shreveport Pirates prior to joining the Rough Riders so he might be the poster boy for what a quality work environment can do for one's career.

As an aside, I love that the Canadian Hall of Fame is a football Hall of Fame and not a pro football Hall of Fame. If you impact the game significantly at the amateur level, that accomplishment should be recognised.

The OSEG Media Newsroom blog has far more detailed articles on both men.  Give that a look over here.

Jackson Bennett's Big Week

Here's something you don't see every day.  Orleans Online, in their recap of the NCAFA Midget Championship game from November 2nd between the Nepean Redskins and Orleans Bengals, provides the description:

...The Bengals' offence raked up 56 points against a Redskins team that had only allowed 68 points all season long, while the defence managed to hold Nepean's offence to just 39 points.

Jackson Bennett had a monster game for the Bengals, slicing and dicing his way through the Redskins' defence like a hot knife through butter. The fleet-footed running back gained over 500 yards against the top defence in the league and scored seven times to earn MVP honours.

The Bengals only other touchdown was scored by quarterback Thompson Richards, while Alex Gauthier was good on all eight convert attempts.

Think about that for a moment.  500 yards passing would have been pretty damn impressive.  Dude had the equivalent of five good rushing games in one contest.

I've seen the occasional wonky stats report in amateur ball.  But even if this one was fudged by 100 yards it would be insane.

Obviously, the flow of the game has to be cooperative.  Bennett didn't accomplish this by averaging 4.5 yards a carry.  He had to have been in a position to break a bunch of big runs.  And break them he did.

So that done, what did he do the following Saturday?  Orleans Online again:

...With just over three minutes left to go in the game and the Lancers holding on to a three-point lead, Bennett fumbled the ball away on his team's 45-yard line. In his defence, the pigskin was pretty slick thanks to the snowy conditions.

...

Thankfully for Bennett, the St. Peter Knights failed to take advantage of the turn in fortune. After Jarryd Rushford (#33) picked up five yards on first down, the Knights attempted to pass the ball in the less than perfect conditions with predictable results. The pass fell to the ground and Sir Wil took over on downs after the Knights were only able to gain three yards on third and five.

Prior to giving the ball away, Bennett was on pace for an MVP performance. He had run for 150 yards on 14 carries, scored both of the Lancers' touchdowns, and made several key stops on defence including an interception that ended a potential first quarter scoring drive for the Knights.

After Sir Wil got the ball back in the later stages of the fourth quarter, Bennett made sure the Knights never got a second chance to regain the lead. He protected the ball and picked up several key first downs as the clock continued to tick down to under a minute.

The Lancers would cap the 73-yard drive with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Stephan Kukkonen (#5) to Kurleigh Gittens (#28) that would put the game out of reach for the defending champs.

Bennett added an exclamation point to his performance with a fumble recovery and a 30 yard run back on the Knights final drive of the game. The only thing that would have made his day even more perfect would have been to score on the play, but he was pushed out at the one and the game ended with Kukkonen taking a knee.

...

When you combine his two performances, Bennett has rushed for over 700 yards and scored nine touchdowns. For most running backs that represents a decent season. Bennett did it in two title games against decent defences.

...

Bennett's performance in Saturday's high school championship overshadowed an equally impressive game turned in by Jarryd Rushford who carried the ball 45 times for 166 yards and scored the Knights' opening touchdown in the first quarter. The Lancers responded with an impressive 87-yard drive of their own, capped by Jackson's first touchdown.

With the game tied at seven, the Knights didn't take long to regain the lead on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Pascal Roy-Lapensée (#9) to Patrice Rene (#10). Quinton Soares' (#81) second convert of the game would put the Knights up 14-7 at the half.

The Lancers opened the third quarter with a 22-yard kick return by Cedric Ky (#28). Four plays later, Bennett carried the ball in from 17 yards out after picking up 45 yards on an earlier run. Kousha Aminian-Heidari (#12) would add his second convert of the game to narrow the score at 14 points apiece.

Neither team made much headway during the rest of the quarter. The Lancers managed to take advantage of a favourable wind to move the ball deep into Knights territory near the end of the quarter, but time ran out before they had a chance to attempt a 28-yard field goal with the wind at their back., Instead, Aminian-Heidari had to attempt the kick into the wind and it came up short leaving the game tied 14-14.

Aminian-Heidari would get a second chance two series later and this time he would split the uprights from 25 yards out to give his team the lead for good.

The Lancers eventually scored again to make the final score 24-14 after the Knights failed to take advantage of Bennett's fumble.

Splendid.  At the risk of dating myself, I went to the original Sir Wil prior to the school's move to its current Orleans location so yes, I'm a fan.

Could this be something of a changing of the guard?  St. Peter barely got by St. Pius last year in as good a high school game as I've ever seen.  Sir Wilfrid Wilfrid, meanwhile, had won the Tier Two championship in 2011 and 2012 and now have clutched the title in their first year back at the higher level.  Games between these two schools will take on a new intensity in the coming years, I gather.

Going back to the NCAFA game, this was going to be the last game of the Nepean football club as the Redskins.  On that level, I admit I would have liked to see them win to go out on a high note.  I'm not crazy about the decision, for a number of reason that I will not repeat all over again pointlessly, but I look forward to seeing how their rebrand themselves.

About Bennett specifically, I admit that I didn't know him until these past couple of weekends.  Or if I'd seen him, I don't recall when I did.  But for the sake of posterity, I want to note that he was credited with 85 carries, 739 yards and seven scores for the Bengals.  That's a healthy 8.7 yard average...over five games. So no one should think of him as a fluke.

Last but not least, much appreciation towards Fred Sherwin for the coverage he provides for amateur football on Orleans Online. When it was decided three of the four teams in these games were Orleans clubs, I could be confident that there would be detailed recaps to refer to.  I wish other neighborhood papers could be as supportive and thorough.

All-Time High School Football Championship Rankings

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier Lancers' NCSSAA AAA/AAA championship victory earlier today, 24-14 over the St. Peter program which had won five straight such championships, motivated me to restore the High School Championship grid.

I'm still proof-reading, but I think I've got it.  The year in parentheses is a reference to the last season in which that team won a championship and is used as a tie-breaker.

Glebe               17 (1991)
St. Peter           10 (2012)
St. Pius             8 (1994)
Laurentian           8 (1992)
Ottawa Tech          7 (1957)
St. Patrick          7 (1956)
Fisher Park          5 (1977)
St. Mark             3 (2007)
Ashbury College      3 (2002)
Sir Robert Borden    3 (1989)
J.S. Woodsworth      2 (1982)
Ridgemont            2 (1963)
U. of Ottawa         2 (1931)
Sir Wilfrid Laurier  1 (2013)
Gloucester           1 (1996)
St. Matthew          1 (1995)
Cairine Wilson       1 (1988)
Confederation        1 (1986)
Philemon Wright      1 (1984)
Brookfield           1 (1980)
Colonel By           1 (1979)
Rideau               1 (1971)
Nepean               1 (1966)

I continue to find ironic that Glebe holds such a position in local football in light of the neighborhood's opposition to a (primarily) sports stadium in that area (regardless of their claims to the opposite).  Mind you, most of those championships were achieved in the 30's and 40's, but still.  It's still odd to see a Glebe mention to anything remotely football-related.  I plan to restore the chronological list of champions soon.

Hopefully local media will feature detailed recaps of today's two championship games.  In the Tier Two contest, Mother Teresa defeated St. Joseph 14-07.  Both games were played at Carleton.

2013 CIS Conference All-Stars, Ottawa-style

While I watch former Cumberland Panther Alex Skinner quarterback Laval in the Dunsmore Cup, I thought it would be a good time to review the OUA and CIS award winners that were announced earlier this week, all of whom come from the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.

FIRST TEAM

Running Back: Brendan Gillanders - Ottawa
Defensive Tackle: Ettore Lattanzio - Ottawa

SECOND TEAM

Quarterback: Aaron Colbon - Ottawa
Centre:  Shavin Fernando - Ottawa
Guard: Taylor Servais - Ottawa
Safety: Matthew Bond-Lapointe - Ottawa

Let's copy their achievements from the OUA website:

(Brendan) Gillanders’ 1061 all purpose offensive yards was tops among CIS running backs. He scored five touchdowns (3 receiving, 2 rushing)...

Gee-Gee defensive tackle Ettore Lattanzio rounds out the OUA first team defence .The Ottawa native led the OUA and tied for the CIS lead with 10 quarterback sacks.

Lattanzio also earned the J.P. Metras Trophy as the top lineman in the conference.

Ottawa quarterback Aaron Colbon passed for 2490 yards averaging 311.1 yards per game to finish second in OUA. He tossed 20 touchdowns en route to the first all-star recognition of his impressive career in garnet and grey. He is joined on the OUA second team by fifth-year centre Shavin Fernando (Ottawa) and fourth-year guard Taylor Servais (Ottawa).

While Carleton was shut out in their first year back from dormancy, other local players earned OUA honours out of town.

Linebacker Sam Sabourin continued the tradition and earned his third all-star recognition. The Stittsville, Ont., native had 34.5 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions in his fourth-year.

Place kicker Tyler Crapigna (Nepean, Ont.) hit 16 of 19 field goals attempted for an 84% success rate and second team all-star status.

Ottawa has been well-represented in other conferences as well.  Receiver Geoff Conventry made the RSEQ all-star team in gathering 25 receptions for 306 yards and a score for Bishop's.  Out East, two more o-linemen were honoured for their play in Chris Fanning and James Young, both with Acadia, as was the Axemen's kicker, Ryan Begin, an Orleans native.

Last but hardly least, linebacker Ron Omara not only made the AUS all-star team, he was also named the conference's top defensive player.  Omara lists Aylmer, QC, as his hometown.  He was an Ontario Football Conference All-Star for the Ottawa Sooners in 2010.

Flashback, April 30th, 2012: Former QB joins Ottawa CFL team's staff

When gradually preparing the "Flashback" series of RedBlacks posts, my intention was to add them chronologically.

A Twitter comment by Arash Madani (former Renegades media relations man) reminded me of a stepping stone in the team's formation which I'd overlooked.  In my own defense, it was a quiet one and very lightly reported.

Madani mentioned that Rick Worman has "virtually secured" a scouting type of position with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Worman's name was familiar because in April of last year, the Redblacks "announced" the hiring of Rick Worman as a scout.  I quote "announced" because it was more of a mention in a radio interview.  Shortly thereafter, the Ottawa Sun had an article about it.  Here's a portion of that:

...Former CFL QB, coach and scout Rick Worman has been working for the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group since mid-March, scouting the U.S. college football scene.

And while that initially may sound odd, the Ottawa CFL team will be allowed to participate in next year's Canadian college draft -- but will only be able to select fourth-year Canadians who have been redshirted and who have used up only three years of eligibility...

"Who's going to be available with the ninth or 18th pick in the draft? I don't know. But of the 17, four or five have the potential to be starters," said Worman, 48, who quarterbacked in Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton and Saskatchewan and also spent time in a variety of coaching positions.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind adventure for Worman -- lots of time in airports and in rental cars.

"I've been from Virginia to Florida to Alabama to North Dakota to Indiana to Michigan to Utah to Oregon. I was in 10 states in 10 days. It was crazy. It seems like I've been everywhere," said Worman, who spent last season as running backs coach in Hamilton.

With a mutual CFL connection, Worman and OSEG's Jeff Hunt started talking in January.

"We couldn't let this opportunity pass," said Hunt. "We've always believed time is an asset and this is a start."

"I wasn't going back to Hamilton with the coaching change, so this really intrigued me," said Worman. "I know a lot about the league, I was part of it for 15 years. The CFL is ingrained in my blood.

"Jeff's motivation was to hit the ground running. It wasn't like I get my jollies out of travel, but they wanted me to put together a plan of attack. This is really intriguing, starting this thing from ground zero. I was part of an expansion team in Fresno (Arena Football League), and we started with Ricky Ray as our quarterback."

It was important for the Ottawa CFL group to get some eyes watching the U.S. college spring camps, with about a six-week window to do it.

"Some of these guys are good players at big schools in a backup capacity," said Worman. "So it's hard to evaluate a guy if you don't have video. In spring camp, every guy gets time on the field. It's a big deal. There were 40,000 people at the game in Oregon. This gives me a chance to watch them and list them one to 17."

The comment section to that article includes a nice endorsement from former Ottawa Rough Rider Ken  Evraire (not to mention a little bit of prophecy) :

Rick is a football guy through and through. Could not have picked a better guy for the job. If the team is looking for a Canadian scout may I suggest Miles Gorrell.

Worman quietly went about his business, then in March of this year, I found out that he had been "let go" by the RedBlacks.  Again, it was in a Twitter post and not a news article as such.  This time it was by AJ Akubec from what is now TSN1200 radio.

I question the use of the term "let go".  It implies a firing.  Due to the timing between the mention of Worman's involvement with the club and his departure time, I suspect that it's simply a matter of Worman's contract running out and not being renewed.  Marcel Desjardins was hired as General Manager two months earlier and, understandably, would have preferred to name his own staff.

Be that as it may, the foundation-building for this franchise in fact began with Worman.  I doubt that down the road he will get credit for it, so for what incredibly little it's worth, I want to include it here.

Oct 21st, 2013: Redblacks Announce Ticket Prices

And the masses pronounced it good.

This is hardly breaking news, since it is two days old you've likely heard about it by now.  I do want to preserve it for future reference though (it will be interesting to look back at it a few years down the road) and underscore a couple of things.

I wanted to sit with a friend, but he bought his ticket well before I did.  Long story short, the ticket staff is making it possible for us to make our selections at the same time next week.  That's quality service and a far cry from my experience with the Renegades who did not respond to my enquiry about group purchases and who inadvertently double-sold seats during their $100 sale.

The prices are very competitive.  Compared against that of the Alouettes, for example, who price the middle sections of their stadium at between $94 and $97, the Redblacks offer the same location at $87 and change.  And about half the stadium seats sell at less than $40 per game. That's pretty accessible.  Well done.

Oct 19th, 2013: Windsor 15 at UOttawa 45

Keeping this partial recap of the Gee-Gees win over Windsor for posterity.

...Ottawa kept Windsor’s offense at bay for the entirety of the first half letting no man get into the end zone. In the first quarter, linebacker Ettore Lattanzio got his first of three sacks on Lancer quarterback Austin Kennedy. Lattanzio is currently in a three-way tie for the CIS lead, sitting at 9 on the season.

...

On offense, Gee-Gee quarterback Aaron Colbon got a touchdown to kickoff the scoring momentum for his team. Sixth in the CIS with 65 points, kicker Lewis Ward was consistently gaining points after every touchdown and obtained two field goals throughout the game.

By halftime, Ottawa had secured 23 first downs while finishing the game with 31. In comparison, at halftime Windsor had 3. In the second half, the Lancers were much more efficient and propelled their first downs to 24 thanks to aggressive rushing by running back Mitch Dender, who finished with 52 yards on the ground.

To start things off for Ottawa, Aaron Colbon reached Nicolas Dagher to secure a 27-yard pass. Colbon subsequently passed 38 yards to Andrew Mullings for a touchdown play. Domenic Bellardini scored a rouge, while teammate Ward scored a field goal in the following minutes. The score stood at 18-0 at halftime.

Adding to his impressive 2,490 yards passing total on the season, Colbon connected with receiver Simon Le Marquand for an Ottawa touchdown in the third quarter.

In response, the Lancers put up two touchdowns of their own in the second half.  Kennedy’s first strike was to star wide receiver Evan Pszczonak in the third frame.  Pszczonak averages 92.3 receiving yards per game, but Ottawa kept him at under par with 63 on Saturday. Lancer Clark Grace scored the second touchdown of the day for Windsor at the start of the fourth quarter, giving the team some hope of a comeback. However, the Ottawa defence kicked back into gear and continued to hound Kennedy, stifling the Lancers for the remainder of the game.

Quarterback for the Gee-Gees in the fourth, Derek Wendel got his fourth touchdown of the season while running back Mack Tommy broke into a run for the end zone in the final moments of the game getting one of his own.

The Gee-Gees began their season at McMaster (a 51-24 loss) and hopefully they won't close it there.  If the unthinkable should happen, at least we can see that the arrow is pointing up after a dismal 2012 which resulted in only two wins earned after the head coach was let go.

That said, there's clearly still some work to be done.  The Gee-Gees' fifth-place ranking in the OUA couldn't be more appropriate.  They didn't play one of the teams above them in the standings (Guelph) and lost to the other three by a combined score of 170-72.