CIS Countdown #2: Ottawa Gee-Gees

Fast facts: In five years, someone might look back at the 2007 Gee-Gees and wonder how they managed not to be in the Yates Cup. They were unbeaten in the regular season, riding off the Josh Sacobie-led passing game and the No. 1 defence in the land. They ended up on the wrong side of one of the most random seasons in OUA history, giving up two long Michael Faulds-to-David Clayton and losing 23-16 to Western in the OUA semi-fina.

Sacobie has lost two of his best blockers and the Gee-Gees lost their defensive co-ordinator, but there's enough continuity to ride out the transition. Fans of eerie coincidences should be aware of the similarities to the Gee-Gees' last Vanier Cup in 2000. That team also had a fifth-year QB and was looking to ease the sting of a season where they failed to win the conference after running the table in the regular season. Oddly enough, these Gee-Gees also face the same scenario that they did in 2006 -- opening vs. Western, the team who ended their season the previous fall.

Former Hec Crighton Trophy nominee Ivan Birungi has come aboard and the Gee-Gees, who several players take boxing lessons this summer as a motivational technique, look to be locked and loaded.

Coach: Denis Piché (7th season). Piché has restored the Gee-Gees to the same level the program was at in the late '90s, an era that was capped off with a Vanier Cup win over Regina in 2000. The Gee-Gees might struggle for media and fan attention in Hockey Country, but being in a large city with a good grass-roots football community hasn't hurt them when it comes to putting together a good coaching staff and a recruiting base on each side of the provincial border.

Co-ordinators: Chris Coulson, co-offensive; Blaine Scatcherd, co-offensive; Phil Roberts, defensive; Steve Gauvreau, special teams.

Enrolment: 30,882

Alumni in the CFL: Lions WR Adam Nicolson, Eskimos DE Adrian Baird, 'Riders DB Scott Gordon, 'Riders LS Jocelyn Frenette, Blue Bombers DB Richard Holness; DB Delroy Clarke is on the Toronto Argonauts practice roster.

Famous non-football alumni: Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek; The Daily Show correspondent Samantha Bee; celebrity fitness trainer Jeanette Jenkins; the late ABC News anchor Peter Jennings; author Carol Shields; former federal cabinet minister Allan Rock (now uOttawa's president).

Three-year record: 21-3 (one of four teams with 20 regular-season wins since the start of 2005)

2007 unit rankings: 2nd offence, 1st defence

Key losses: C Kevin Kelly, G Naim El-Far, LB Mike Cornell, DBs Alexandre Hoad, Delroy Clarke and Steven Holness; K-P Ara Tchobanian. Tchobanian's booming kickoffs practically served as a 13th defender for the Gee-Gees the past few years.

Returning starters: 10 offence, 10 defence

Players to watch: As noted, Sacobie, Regina QB Teale Orban and McGill's Matt Connell are in a race to see who can become the all-time CIS leader in passing yards; Orban and Sacobie each have a shot at the touchdown-pass record. Sacobie is 2,260 yards and 24 TDs off the marks held, respectively, by ex-McMaster star Ben Chapdelaine and Saint Mary's legend Chris Flynn.

LT Kyle Kirkwood, who lost his 2007 season to a knee injury, is back to protect the QB's blind side. Tailbacks Davie Mason and Justin Hammond combined for more than 1,000 yards last season. Sacobie and his heir apparent, Brad Sinopoli, will have mostly the same receiving group. Birungi can create matchup problems for most teams, or at least he did in his Acadia days.

The Gee-Gees were hurt by graduation in the secondary, but Burnaby, B.C., native Chayce Elliott, who previously played safety of NCAA D-2 Western Washington, could help out at the halfback or safety spots once he becomes eligible to play midway through the regular season. Veteran DLs Tyler Dawe, Sébastien Tetrault and Dan Kennedy should help them get pressure on the passer while only bringing four or five rushers, which would do a retooled secondary a friggin' favour. Former Queen's star Ian Hazlett should finally join Joe Barnes at linebacker after missing last season with a knee injury.

For future reference: The Gee-Gees are one of the toughest team in the OUA for a player straight from high school to get a foothold with. One rookie to root for is running back Sean Lajeunnesse, who was Mr. Everything when he helped the St. Mark Lions dominate Ottawa-area competition over the past three years. Luigi DeLillis, who kicked the winning field goal in the final minute for the Ottawa Jr. Riders of the Québec Junior Football League championship game last season, came into training camp expected to compete for a starting position.  

Schedule (swing games in bold):
Sept. 1 @ Western
Sept. 6 York
Sept. 13 @ McMaster
Sept. 20 Waterloo
Sept. 27 @ Windsor
Oct. 4 Laurier
Oct. 11 @ Queen's
Oct. 18 Toronto

The Gee-Gees miss Guelph in the OUA's schedule rotation. They could see each other in the playoffs, though.

Final analysis: It's almost as if the less you hear out of Ottawa, the better. This is easily the Yates Cup favourite; as a dot-orger put it, "The Gee Gees are the real deal, they're back, and they're pissed off."

Teams that have been for a few seasons and have senior standouts on offence can often be taken for granted, but the difference here is the Gee-Gees are not a soft team, especially on defence. That might explain the boxing lessons -- perhaps there was a feeling they were getting a little too technocratic and clincial last season and needed to get back to playing more off emotion, the way their 2006 team that was a couple minutes from a Vanier Cup trip did.

The OUA playoffs aren't a cakewalk. The possiblity a long layoff caused by closing the regular season vs. Toronto and then having a first-round bye won't do any favours for the Gee-Gees' focus, but great teams find a way not to need alibis. An Ottawa-Laval matchup in the Vanier Cup -- hey, some of us wouldn't mind it if those teams were in the same conference again -- seems like a decent bet.

(Contributors to this preview: Rob Pettapiece, Duane Rollins.)

CIS Countdown #3: Laurier Golden Hawks

Fast facts: Laurier's run of four straight Yates Cup appearances ended somewhat unexpectedly, with Guelph snatching away the OUA semi-final on the Hawks' home turf, 38-31, after being down 24-0 barely 15 minutes into the game. What was that in the lead-up to last season about how, "something bad is going to happen to (Laurier), it has to?"

Laurier is going to be a much younger team this season. The Hawks have lost three starting receivers, three starting offensive linemen and an impact front-seven defender, Anthony Maggiocomo. It also has a second-year starting QB, Ian Noble, whose only proven target, third-year slotback Josh Bishop, was limited to three games last season. The Golden Hawks do have an OUA-best skein of five straight seasons of finishing at least 6-2 in the regular season, and their coaching compares favourably with any OUA team's, so they'll be right in there in the OUA again.

Coach: Gary Jeffries, sixth season. Anyone who wasn't happy to see the career Golden Hawk -- he played defensive back for the school and was defensive co-ordinator for 17 seasons before taking over the head job officially in 2003 -- guide his team to a perfect season in 2005 doesn't have a soul, you know that, right?

Co-ordinators: Ryan Pyear, offence; Ron VanMoerkerke, defence; Josh Alexander, special teams. Former Guelph coach Tom Arnott has joined the program as an offensive line coach.

Enrolment: 11,869 undergraduate

Alumni in the CFL: Roughriders WR Corey Grant, 'Riders LB Yannick Carter, Blue Bombers DB Ian Logan, Blue Bombers LB Anthony Maggiacomo, Argos WR Andre Talbot, Alouettes DB Joel Wright

Famous non-football alumni: McGill University principal Heather Munroe-Blum, 2002 Olympic hockey gold medallist Cheryl Pounder, hip-hop artist Shad, retired pro wrestler Lance Storm.

Three-year record: 21-3

2007 units ranking: Fourth on offence, fifth on defence

Key losses: LB Anthony Maggiocomo, WRs Andy Baechler, and Dante Luciani, C Andrew Dietrich, OL Kyle Sanderson and Tyler Felber, DBs Jahmeeks Beckford and Brent Hickey, KR Steve Turner

Returning starters: 6 offence, 6 defence; fourth-kicker Chris Mamo returns

Players to watch: On defence, Giancarlo. Luke Pinder is the best 'backer on a group that was second-stingiest in the OUA against the run last season, but was unable to keep Guelph halfback Nick Fitzgibbon from running wild in the playoff game. Cornerback Taurean Allen is among the OUA's best.

Offensively, the quarterback at Laurier might be the most scrutinized player in the OUA. Ian Noble had a good first season as the starter, but every Hawks QB inevitably gets compared to Ryan Pyear, which means the bar is set very high. As well, being completely tongue-in-cheek here, understudy Luke Thompson has a much more professional-looking highlight reel of his high school exploits.

Josh Bishop and Jim Martyniuk are the most experienced pass-catchers in Laurier's camp. Judging from the highlight-reel catch he made against U of T two years ago, it looks like Josh Bishop's hands are so big he could play box lacrosse without a stick.

Laurier has slipped from being second and third in the country in yards-per-pass during their Yates Cup years to 10th and 11th the past two seasons; it's quite something to see that they completed only 11 TD passes last season. That's going to have to improve.

For future reference: Linebacker Mitchell Bosch, who drew interest from no less a NCAA powerhouse than the Oklahoma Sooners, was considered one of the big gets of Laurier's incoming class. Cornerback Courtney Stephen also has his own YouTube channel. Suffice to say, it's appointment viewing.

The newbies also include Chris Rossetti, the quarterback on St. Michael's College's Metro Bowl championship team last fall (no word if he's descended from the other Chris Rossetti).

Schedule (swing games in bold):
Sept. 1 Guelph
Sept. 6 Western
Sept. 13 @ Queen's
Sept. 20 Windsor
Sept. 27 @ Waterloo
Oct. 4 @ Ottawa
Oct. 11 McMaster
Oct. 18 @ York

The Golden Hawks miss U of T in the schedule rotation.

Final analysis: The combination of a young team and a challenging early-season schedule could really stretch the positivity that's fairly abounded around the Laurier program since, oh, about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, when it came from 10 points down on the road to upset Queen's in the playoffs.

The Golden Hawks face three good defences right off the hop, two of whom, Guelph and Queen's, combined to hold Lynch to 2.8 yards per carry in the regular-season games last season. Laurier won both those games, but that was when it had Baechler and Luciani. They were outgained badly in the Guelph game before a blocked punt for a touchdown turned the tide; it's almost like they beat the Gryphons in their first meeting last fall out of habit as much as anything else.

That's not a dig. Laurier is entitled to their innings, as they say in cricket. They probably will be a 5-3 team, but no one will want to see them in the playoffs, though. (The worst-case scenario for the Gaels -- Laurier starts 0-2 and will be ticked-off when they come to Kingston on Sept. 13.)

(Contributors to this preview: Rob Pettapiece, Duane Rollins.)

CIS Countdown #13: Guelph Gryphons

Fast facts: The Gryphons lived up to the pre-season Fresno State/Boise State analogy, upsetting the established order in the OUA, going into Laurier's house in the playoffs and rallying from a 24-point deficit to take out the Golden Hawks, 38-31. With that win, they became the first No. 5 seed ever to host a Yates Cup, which they lost 34-21 to Western. They were 4-4 in the regular season, but the the four losses were by an average of eight points. QB Justin Dunk and RB Nick Fitzgibbon give the Gryphons as good a backfield as any team in the OUA. Defensively, they have to make sure that such a young team doesn't wear down late in the season: They gave up an average of 544 yards on defence over their final four games.

A tough early schedule -- at Laurier and home to Queen's in the first week of September -- will give a good picture of how much the Gryphons have built on last season's success.

Coach: Kyle Walters (3rd season). By almost all accounts, the energetic Walters has led the Gryphons out of OUA obscurity. A former standout safety, first with the Gryphons and then in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he became a coach in 2004, serving a two-year apprenticeship as defensive co-ordinator before taking the top job.

Co-ordinators: Kyle Walters, offence; Bill Brown, defence. Walters has now officially done it all as a player and coach. He was a running back in high school, switched to safety in university (where he was a captain in his final season, 1996, the last time the U of G won the Yates Cup) and shone on special teams during his pro career. He's now gone from defensive co-ordinator to head coach, to a head coach who also has the offensive co-ordinator's portfolio.

Greg Layson, the hardest-working university beat reporter in Ontario, wrote a piece earlier this week that described how Walters wants to run a more open attack, perhaps something like the spread option that's all the rage in the NCAA. Employing more motion and more misdirection would better use Dunk and Fitzgibbon's unique skill sets. 

Guelph used to be perceived as the typical OUA team, using a straight-ahead power attack with combine-sized linemen (hey, you can't tee-up Guelph without an agricultural reference). It's probably a good idea to go on YouTube and for highlights of the 2004 Utah Utes, who were a BCS-buster using a spread option attack. At the CIS level, Dunk is a lot like the college incarnation of Alex Smith — a tall quarterback who is fast and experienced enough to run plays that involve some intricate ball-handling  (oh, grow up)

Enrolment: 17,332

Alumni in the CFL: Argos LB Mike O'Shea, Roughriders WRs David McKoy and Michael Palmer

Famous non-football alumni: Two of Canada's most influential sportswomen, Hockey Night in Canada commentator Cassie Campbell and trailblazing jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson; actress Laura Bertram of Ready Or Not fame; Major-Gen. T.J. Grant, former commander of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan; author Jane Urquhart

Three-year record: 9-14-1

2007 unit rankings: 6th on offence, 12th on defence

Key losses: DL Chris Hladich, LB Chris Decker, DB Ricky Gorton, DB Pete Degouw, WR Lorne Foster. Hladich, who could be very disruptive in the interior of the defensive line, is probably the toughest one to replace. Scott Puillandre, who had good potential as a linebacker, has left the team to join the Canadian Forces.

Returning starters: The entire offensive line returns, along with nine starters on defence. Steady-eddie kicker Rob Maver is also back.

Players to watch: Fourth-year starter Dunk, the most profilic passer in school history, improved his pass distribution last season, improving his TD-to-interception ration from 14-to-15 to 17-to-10, even as he was throwing to three rookie receivers, Jedd Gardner, David Harrison and Zach Stacey. Stacey could prove the best of the bunch.

Fitzgibbon (1,370 yards from scrimmage, 13 TDs in 2007) gives the Gryphons a classic halfback who can drop the shoulder on a defender and give the offence an extra receiver in the passing game. Defensively, Sebastian Howard had an OUA-best six interceptions as a freshman last season, while DL Grant McDonald and LB Taggart Russell anchor the front seven; Russell becomes a focal point now that Decker's gone.

For future reference: The Gryphons focused on the back eight in recruiting -- the hometown Mercury reported in July that 17 of the 32 rookies Walters has received commitments from were either linebackers or D-backs. QB Jake Reinhart, a Guelph native, could have impact down the line. CB Jordan Duncan is being reunited with Howard, his junior teammate from the Niagara Spears.

Schedule (swing games in bold):
Sept. 1 @ Laurier
Sept. 6 Queen's
Sept. 13 @ Windsor
Sept. 20 McMaster
Sept. 27 U of T
Oct. 4 @ Waterloo
Oct. 11 vs. York
Oct. 18 @ Western

The Gryphons miss Ottawa in the OUA's schedule rotation.

Final analysis: OUA observers will find out about Guelph very quickly. They return to the scene of the crime for the opener at Laurier, where they pulled off a comeback win in the playoffs. Then there's a short turnaround (well, it's short for everyone) for a home game vs. Queen's, who shut down the Gryphons in a Week 2 matchup last season, keeping Fitzgibbon to 27 yards on the ground and outplaying the Gryphons offensive line.

It's not out of the realm of possibility that the Gryphons could get out of the gate 0-2 and still rally for a 5-3 finish. Guelph is past the days of moral victories, but it's not yet at Ottawa's level.

The Gryphons are one of five teams who have an argument that they should be in the Yates Cup on Nov. 9. Red and gold are the colours of fall, but Guelph's season will come down to how well their defence holds up after the leaves turn.

(Contributors to this preview: Rob Pettapiece, Duane Rollins.)

CIS Countdown #15: Windsor Lancers

Fast facts: Fifth-year tailback Daryl Stephenson needs 337 yards to become the all-time leading rusher in CIS history, but who's going to be handing off to him remains to be seen, as the Lancers brought seven quarterbacks to camp, none of whom has taken an OUA game, in a real game with refs and a scoreboard and everything. Bill McConkey Jr., who played with the B.C. junior powerhouse, the Okanagan Sun, would seem to be the de facto betting favourite to be under centre on Labour Day in the opener vs. York.

Field turf has been installed at the U of W stadium, but Windsor's problem wasn't on the ground last year -- it was in the air. Windsor was outgained by almost a factor of three in the passing game (2,310 to 787), which is impossible to get away with. Along with a consistent track, Stephenson and the QB will also have some new blockers. Brandon Yohnicki, a 315-lb. guard from London, has transferred in from Wayne State and Kyle Sleightholm has come over from the dark side, the defence, to play offensive line. Tackle Matt Morencie is already decent earth-mover.

Coach: Mike Morencie (11th season).

Co-ordinators: unavailable at press time. Morencie has typically served as his own defensive co-ordinator.

Enrolment: 12,291

Alumni in the CFL: Eskimos G Dan Comiskey, Blue Bombers SB Arjei Franklin, Tiger-Cats DB Sasha Glavic

Famous non-football alumni: Anna Maria Tremonti, journalist and CBC radio host; long-time Leafs play-by-play man and satisfied Harvey's customer Joe Bowen.

Three-year record: 12-12

2007 units ranking: 20th on offence, 20th on defence

Key losses: G Anthony Rimac, K Kevin Reider, QB-P Dan Lumley, QB Bryce LeBlanc and -- potentially -- DB Kyle Boutette, the 2007 Lancers MVP. Talk among dot-orgers was that he might be an academic casualty.

Returning starters: 18 in total

Players to watch: The aforementioned Stephenson, who came back after attending the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' training camp, and WR Glenn (Big Play) MacKay were each hit by a vicious cycle in '07. Injuries, their own and others', and inexperience around them meant paring down the playbook, which in turn made it harder to get skill players into space. Stephenson, despite a nagging injury, still managed to gut out 764 yards. When it's going well, he and MacKay are up there with the OUA best's at their position.

No one else who's back this season had more than 200 yards rushing or 150 receiving last season.

Defensively, mainstays such as LB John Celestino, DBs Matt Bucknor and Colin Doyle, DL Chad Cossette (team-high four sacks) return. Windsor has typically been a read-and-react defensive team -- rush four guys, drop eight, try to get the quarterback to put the ball in a bad spot -- but last season it was read and react too late, as opponents completed 60% of their passes.

Former McGill kicker-punter Robert Eeuwes has committed to the Lancers. It remains to be seen what capacity he'll be called on to perform in more this season -- punting or kicking for points.

For future reference: Quarterback Ryley Wright, a summer-league standout who attended St. Thomas Aquinas in Oakville, is considered one of the Lancers' key recruits. Windsor did do a lot of recruiting in Thunder Bay, a wise move since not every team in the OUA and Can West spends a lot time recruiting in northwestern Ontario. Layson also has a note that running back Daryl Townsend, who set rushing and scoring records with the Essex Ravens junior team, has joined the Lancers.

Schedule (swing games in bold):
Sept. 1 @ York
Sept. 6 Toronto
Sept 13 Guelph
Sept. 20 @ Laurier
Sept. 27 Ottawa
Oct. 4 @ Western (The Score University Rush)
Oct. 10 Waterloo
Oct. 18 @ McMaster

Sorry, no Golden Bucket bowl -- the Lancers miss Queen's, the only other team in the OUA which wears yellow gold helmets.

Final analysis: Some dim bulb said at the outset of last season that the Lancers' 6-2 record in 2006, "was not an anomaly," and they promptly suffered a complete reversal to 2-6. Injuries to the Triplets -- Stephenson, who manfully played hurt for a few games, MacKay and the since-departed Lumley, were a major downer.

Windsor -- maybe it's the proximity to Big Ten country -- has typically been a conservative, vanilla team on offence, which is hard to change when there's a lack of continuity in the coaching and the offensive personnel. This edition of the Lancers probably aren't going to fool many teams and they might have trouble outmuscling them.

In the long run,Windsor, which is marking 40 years of football this football, is trying to drum up support among the alumni and beef up its corporate sponsorship. That would help contribute to a more stable program where success wouldn't be a once-a-blue-moon thing. That safety net has helped the Lancers basketball teams rise up in the OUA West.

(Contributors to this preview: Rob Pettapiece.)

CIS Countdown: #22 Waterloo Warriors

Fast facts: Can be counted on to beat York, Toronto, and maybe someone else: have finished 3-5 or 2-6 every year since 2004 ... Last year, were 3-0 for the first time since 1998, but lost the next five to miss the playoffs ... New football stadium this year -- on their own campus! (see below) ... Lots of recruits this year; coach is excited ... Third-year and part-time QB Luke Balch was 22nd out of 26 qualifying quarterbacks in adjusted net yards per pass attempt last year ... Three participants in the 2008 East-West Game: receivers Sean Cowie and Joshua Svec; defensive back Patrick McGarry ... On the web: www.athletics.uwaterloo.ca, waterloowarriorfootball.com ...



Coach: Dennis McPhee (2nd season, 4th in CIS). McPhee's a longtime Hamilton Tiger-Cats assistant (linebacker coach during the 1999 Grey Cup win). In his two years at St. FX, he was named AUS Coach of the Year once and made the playoffs twice.

Co-ordinators: Joe Paopao (offence), Rob McMurren (defence), Hank Ilesic (special teams). Yes, that Hank Ilesic.

Enrolment: 22,368

Alumni in the CFL: OL Chris Best (Saskatchewan), who also played three years with Duke.

Famous non-football alumni: Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, co-CEOs of BlackBerry-producing Research In Motion; comedians Rick Green and Steve Smith of The Red Green Show and other projects. Ten points if you can pronounce "Balsillie" correctly.

Three-year record: 8-16, 8th out of 10 in Ontario

2007 units ranking: 24th on offence, 19th on defence

Key losses: LB Stephen Campbell, LB Shane Everest, DE Darren Kisinger. All have used up their five years of eligibility. Campbell, Everest, and Kisinger recorded the first-, fifth-, and seventh-most tackles on the team last year, and combined for five sacks and three turnovers. That may not sound like much, but when you lose 45-0, every bit helps.

Returning starters: QB Luke Balch, QB Evan Martin, RB Tanner Forsyth, RB Will Oud, WR Sean Cowie, WR Joshua Svec, WR Ray Nattress, LB Mitch Nicholson, DE Andrew Heeley, DB Patrick McGarry, DB John Boonstra

Players to watch: WR Sean Cowie, DB Patrick McGarry, RB Tanner Forsyth, WR Joshua Svec, QB Evan Martin

For future reference: The massive number of recruits (52, apparently) precludes listing even half of them. They include QB Jon Roney, which is good for Waterloo, given that neither of their quarterbacks set the league on fire last year. Roney's from North Vancouver and you can find YouTube highlights set to Wolfmother here. There are also a couple of local incoming defensive linemen in Djordje Gavrilovic out of Sir John A. in the middle of nowhere northwest Waterloo and Dan Wickens from St. David. Seriously, 52 recruits?

Home field advantage?: This year, Waterloo will play at Warrior Field, located on the north part of campus. Thousands of students live in residence just across the street, so you'd figure some of them would be more likely to attend this year. Having not been in Waterloo since April, I haven't seen the changes in person, but this field will likely be the very definition of "temporary." Today in The Record, we learn that the bleachers and press box haven't been installed. In any case, and at the very least, this means the Warriors will be playing at Laurier's field one time instead of five.

Radio coverage: Reports of its death were greatly exaggerated. Home games will be on 100.3 Sound FM, but good luck picking up that radio signal within Waterloo, he said from experience. Listen online at ckmsfm.ca, and if you want to hear road games, try the other team's broadcast.

Schedule (swing games in bold):
Sept. 1 @ U of T
Sept 6 McMaster
Sept. 13 @ Western
Sept. 20 @ Ottawa
Sept. 27 Laurier
Oct. 4 Guelph
Oct. 11 @ Windsor
Oct. 18 Queen's

The Warriors will miss York in the OUA's schedule rotation.

Final analysis: York and Toronto were usually the automatic wins for the Warriors. Without the Lions on the schedule, it will be tough for Waterloo to make a difference in the OUA. Even last year's 3-0 start, schedule-assisted as it was, didn't make them into contenders: they were utterly blown away in four of their five remaining games, and lost the other one by 16.

Their offence was at the bottom of the league and they're a pretty inexperienced bunch. A cynic would say they'll beat the Blues and nobody else, but let's give them the Windsor game. Make it 2-6, out of the playoffs.

(Contributors to this preview: Duane Rollins, and Christine Rivet from The Record.)

CIS Countdown #24: York Lions

Fast facts: First-year York coach Mike McLean, whose one-word résumé would be "winner," is trying to turn around a program that has resumed second-fiddle status. The Lions were 1-7 in 2007, marking the fifth straight season where they failed to improve on their previous season's record, which hastened a change. This will be a transitional year, but they do have an experienced QB, as Bart Zemanek, who's less than 1,000 yards away from becoming the most prolific passer in school history, has come back for a master's degree. York has 13 starters back, which is more than in past seasons.

Coach: Mike McLean. McLean, who's in his mid-40s, earned rave reviews for helping shape Saint Mary's defence into the best in the country this year, and as you probably know, he guided the Edmonton Huskies to back-to-back Canadian junior titles. Edmonton was 0-9 the season before he took over there, so he knows from reclamation projects. 

McLean has inherited some talent in his area his speciality, considering the Lions defence managed to stay mid-pack in the OUA yards-per-rush and yards-per-pass allowed last season despite being on the field way too much.

Co-ordinators: Beau Mirau, offence, McLean, defence. Mirau, who will also have the assistant head coach tag, was also on McLean's staff in Edmonton.

Undergraduate enrolment: 39,100

Alumni in the CFL: Argos RBs Andre Durie and Jeff Johnson, Lions DE Ricky Foley

Famous non-football alumni: Federal finance minister Jim Flaherty; actress Rachel McAdams; Joel Cohen, co-executive producer of The Simpsons; Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies.

Three-year record: 5-19

2007 units ranking: 26th on O, 25th on D

Key losses: WR Steven Hughes (2007 first-team OUA all-star, reportedly transferred to Ottawa); S Robin Legault; DB Jared Corbin, DL Sean Simms, OT David Gauer, QB Mike Crabtree, LB-ST Brian Zuzek

Returning starters: 5 offence — RB Jason Marshall, OLs Boris Radulovic, Patrick Assinck, Bryan Blackmore and Mike Connelly; 8 defence — DB-PR Jerome Walker, DL David Mills, DLs Stephen Rykov, Paul Fenech and Nigel Alleyne-Orange; LB Anthony Tombler, and DBs Chris Russell, DB Adrian Ferenc

Players to watch: Undersized LB Aaron Adusei was the Lions' leading tackler as a true freshman in 2007, while Walker also emerged as a capable punt returner in addition to his defensive duties.

The offence without Hughes will need a playmaker; Marshall did have the team's longest play from scrimmage last season, a 77-yard TD catch. Zemanek, who played in a semi-pro league in Finland in 2007, has 4,379 career passing yards, putting him within range of late-'90s standout Billy Barbosa's school mark

For future reference: QB Nick Coutu, out of Niagara Falls, is York's most ballyhooed recruit. He won a championship last fall with his high school team, Sir Winston Churchill, and Mirau main building block in the reconstruction of the Lions offence.

Schedule (swing games in bold):
Sept. 1 Windsor
Sept. 6 @ Ottawa
Sept. 13 @ Toronto
Sept. 20 Western
Sept. 27 @ McMaster
Oct. 4 Queen's
Oct. 11 @ Guelph
Oct. 18 Laurier

The Lions will miss Waterloo in the OUA's schedule rotation.

Final analysis: Let's be quite honest, York is Team X of the OUA, but the program is a blank slate for McLean to inject a little Alberta attitude into the program. York will probably show more progress on D this year; they could have a group who won't be easy to get anything off of, and might look at winning as a nice if not necessary adjunct to leaving the opposing offence with some bumps and bruises.

(Contributors to this preview: Rob Pettapiece.)

CIS Countdown #27: U of T Varsity Blues

Fast facts: 49 consecutive losses. No wins since 2001. No winning season since 1995. But at least they have a new stadium, and have come close to breaking the streak in the past two seasons, with an end of game missed field goal the difference in a game against York last year, and a narrow loss to Waterloo the year before. The departure of head coach Steve Howlett does not mean the school is prepared to take the program seriously; when probed about it, school administrators will regularly try to change the subject.

Coach: Greg DeLaval (1st season, 1st overall)

Co-ordinators: Bob Howes (Director of Football), Other coaches not yet listed

Enrolment: 73,185

Alumni in the CFL: None

Famous non-football alumni: Paul Martin (Jr. and Sr.), William Lyon Mackenzie King, Adrienne Clarkson, Lester Pearson, Bob Rae, Paul Shaffer, Donald Sutherland, Margaret Atwood, Conn Smythe, and a heck of a lot more.

Three-year record: 0-24

2007 units ranking: 25th offence, 27th defence

Key losses: DL Mike Goncalves (2007 OUA Russ Jackson Award nominee), DB George Polyzois (2nd team OUA All-star), K Joe Valtellini, coach Steve "I think I'm a great coach" Howlett

Players to watch: DB Derek Batchelor (1st in OUA in solo tackles, 1st team all-star), QB Andrew Gillis (without question one of the most exciting field generals in the league, a scrambling left-hander who split most of his time with Mark Hamilton last year), WR Mark Stinson (or at least his blog, already with two entries unlike the failed experiment when Queen's Athletics tried the same thing with a few of their football players last year).

For future reference: Since he actually plays for the team, let's leave it to Mark Stinson - "I'm impressed with the size, confidence, and professional demeanor of an O-lineman named Steve - he's my pick!" All-Canada Gridiron lists no recruits for the team and CIS Football Recruiting Database only lists OL Patrick Yan of St. Andrew's. So let's go with Steve.

Schedule (swing games in bold):
Sep. 1 vs. Waterloo
Sep. 6 @ Windsor
Sep. 13 vs. York
Sep. 20 vs. Queen's
Sep. 27 @ Guelph
Oct. 3 @ McMaster
Oct. 9 vs. Western
Oct. 18 @ Ottawa

Final analysis: Opening against Waterloo might give the team some form of momentum if they can at least compete, but there's little to suggest this is the year the streak is broken. I love Andrew Gillis as starting quarterback and think he's their best chance at breaking the streak, but it's nothing to bet on. Nonetheless my official prediction is a 3-5 record with wins against Waterloo, York, and Queen's. Why? I'm secretly a Blues fan.

But more seriously and importantly, Stinson's blog makes an excellent point about this team - "For some guys on our team it's their fifth and final year. Guys like Cory Kennedy, Jeff Laforge, Cam Deans, Andrew Brankley and David Scott-McDowell have given everything they could and have yet to be rewarded for their efforts and commitment to our program."

That's something I talked to Mike Toth about when Queen's visited Toronto and I had him on the CFRC halftime show. A bevy of players have gone through a full football career, likely giving the same full effort of every other player in the league, and not been rewarded with a single win. The fault without question lies with a university administration that has deliberately ignored and, in earlier times, sabotaged this team to ensure its failure. This is a former university football powerhouse and its current state is one of the biggest things holding back the reputation of the OUA and broader CIS.

TACKLING THE CIS: QUEEN'S GOLDEN GAELS

We're hopping around Ontario to preview the 2007 CIS football season. Presenting: the Queen's Golden Gaels.
In '06: 5-5, lost 23-10 to Ottawa in OUA semi-final
Players to watch: DB Jimmy Allin, QB Dan Brannagan, WR Rob Bagg, RB Mike Giffin (pictured), LB D.J. Mulholland, WR Scott Valberg, DB Matt Vickers
Head coach: Pat Sheahan (8th season)
Co-ordinators: Warren Goldie (offensive), Pat Tracey (defensive and special teams)
Last league title: 1997 (Ontario-Quebec conference)
Big ones: Sept. 3 at Western, Sept. 15 vs. McMaster, Oct. 5 at Ottawa
On the web: queensfootball.com, goldengaels.com
Strengths: Brannagan has potential to become one of the OUA's best passers and he has good backs and receivers, many of whom hail from right in Kingston. The defence punched above its weight last season.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Having some newbies among the offensive linemen and receivers might make for a peaks-and-valleys offence again. The defence lost all-star linebackers Ian Hazlett and Adam Ross. A team which struggled to finish drives in '06 also has rookie kicker, albeit a talented one.

OFFENCE
The best news to come out of the Gaels' pre-season game vs. McGill on Aug. 26 was the offence connected on a couple long touchdown passes, suggesting last season's dink-and-dunk approach has been junked. Last season, Queen's threw a lot of 30-yard passes, only they went across the field. It seemed like confidence was an issue for Brannagan.

That can change depending on how quickly the young O-line, under a new coach in one-time Ottawa Gee-Gees standout Chris Green, comes around with a new centre replacing graduated OUA all-star Sean O'Donnell and only one senior starter, Cody Kennedy.

The dual MGs, running backs Marty Gordon and Mike Giffin, are reunited. Gordon, who's back from a knee injury suffered in last season's opener, is a smart runner who can change his pace and follow blocks, ideal for an offence which uses a lot of screen passes. Giffin does best when he's a change-up runner and he should be better late in games after coming in at 235 lbs., down from about 250 in past seasons.

Bagg is a burner and the Gaels have some younger receivers with some size as the 6-foot-3 Valberg, 6-4 Chris Ioannides, 6-3 Devan Sheahan to run shorter routes.

DEFENCE
You know how the Blue Jays were projected as an offensive team with suspect pitching and defence and it turned out to be the other way around? That was the Gaels last season. Tracey's defence, which was coming off a few 40-point games in '05, kept Queen's in games where the offence backfired. Despite injuries that led to a lot of guys playing significant minutes, Queen's was No. 2 in Canada in in fewest yards allowed per pass attempt (6.35), next to Ottawa (6.17). They were first in lowest completion percentage.

Allin and Vickers anchor the secondary, while Kingston natives Mulholland and Tim Poffley lead the linebackers. The Gaels' line is undersized, which is makes 280-lb. tackle Kyle McCabe is an intriguing if raw prospect. Neil Puffer is the team's best pass rusher.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Dan Village, who helped Canada win the NFL Global Futures Championship held last winter during Super Bowl week, will take over the kicking from the departed Ryan Elgar. Bagg, who returned after making it to the last cut of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, will likely be Queen's primary punt returner again. Tracey's coverage units often seem to be high-risk, high-reward -- they have a knack for causing fumbles, but have been known to give up the big return.

NEED-TO-KNOW
The schedule is tough, with trips to Western, Ottawa and Windsor in the first six weeks. The Gaels might have to do a repeat of '06, where they needed to win the last two games to get in the playoffs after starting 2-4, but at least such a start would come against much better competition.

Queen's just completed a sweeping review of its athletics program -- the gist of which was "let's not be afraid to try to win," and its facilities are being upgraded. That should help restore the Gaels to a modicum of their one-time glory, in good time.

(Photo courtesy of Jeff Chan.)

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.

TACKLING THE CIS: WESTERN MUSTANGS

Previewing the '07 CIS football season is taking over our life... anyway, here's a look at the Western Mustangs.

In '06: 6-4, lost 20-15 to Laurier in OUA semi-final
Players to watch: DB Matt Carapella, DT Tom Dolezel, QB Mike Faulds, DB Nick Kordic, RB Randy McAuley, P-K Derek Schiavone, LT Richard Zulys
Coach: Greg Marshall (1st season; 8th in CIS)
Co-ordinators: Marshall (offensive), Paul Gleason (defensive), Chris Marcus (special teams)
Last league title: 1998
Big ones: Sept. 3 vs. Queen's, Sept. 15 vs. Ottawa,
On the web: westernmustangs.ca
Strengths: Faulds and McAuley give the Mustangs perhaps a talented quarterback-tailback combo, albeit one who haven't always put up great numbers. On the other side of the ball, three solid DBs return to a group that was fourth in the OUA against the pass.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... The Mustangs have to replace two-thirds of their ground game by committee and improve their protection so Faulds doesn't finish another season in his street clothes. The defence also has a wholesale change at linebacker.

OFFENCE
According to one season preview (written by a reporter based in London, just sayin') called Faulds "as a good a quarterback as there is in Canadian university football." Really, so why was he seventh in the OUA -- never mind the CIS -- in yards per pass last season, with more interceptions than touchdowns? The Mustangs had issues with play-calling and pass protection last season that hurt Faulds' numbers -- and just plain hurt Faulods -- plus there was a lack of game-breaking receiver after having all-everything Andy Fantuz from 2002-05.

Second-year wideout Anthony Adderley and senior Josh Starr should see more passes and Marshall emphasizes the running game, so Faulds should face fewer obvious passing downs. McAuley, a late cut of the Toronto Argonauts, needs a backup who can lighten the ballcarrying load for him and keep him fresh. After four seasons and a stint in a CFL camp, he should also be able to contribute as a pass catcher. Zulys and Scott Nason are the heavies on an O-line that needs to become more consistent if Western's going to heard from in November.

Pat Wright, a standout basketball player, has switched to football. Like a lot of hoops guys, he's athletic enough to play anywhere. Last season's backup QB Mark Howard has also returned.

DEFENCE
This side of the ball has typically given the Mustangs the most problems in recent years and it's never been what percentage of the reasons behind it is coaching and which is the players; ultimately, it's just been a group that's had trouble getting a stop when it absolutely needed one. (The Laurier game last season was a classic example.)

Western's linebacker trio is all new, which might have an effect on how many different looks Gleason (who'll miss the opener vs. Queen's due to family situation) will be able to give the other team's offensive co-ordinator. Dolezel and Glen Larocque make for a strong line. The secondary, led by Carapella, Kordic and Cory Watson, is one of the better ones in the league.

SPECIAL TEAMS
No has it better in the kicking the game than the Mustangs do with Derek Schiavone, who was OUA's first-team all-star kicker and punter last season, leading the country with a 42.3-yard average. Carapella and Watson are expected to the main returners, with the latter being particularly dangerous returning punts.

NEED-TO-KNOW
The Mustangs starting the season ranked No. 7 seems like a classic case of what you often see in the NCAA -- a team's advance billing gets inflated due to tradition, a name coach (Marshall) and recognizable offensive stars (Faulds, McAuley). It's like Western is supposed to go from fifth in the OUA to first in one shot, and that seems a little much. The Mustangs probably stack up around fourth in the league after some combination of Ottawa, Windsor, Laurier and Queen's, and should go as far as the semi-final again.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.

TACKLING THE CIS: LAURIER GOLDEN HAWKS

Previewing the '07 CIS football season is taking over our life... anyway, here's a look at the Laurier Golden Hawks.

In '06: 7-3, lost 32-14 to Ottawa in conference final
Players to watch: WR Andy Baechler, G Scott Evans, SLSH Dante Luciani, RB Ryan Lynch, LB Andy Maggiacomo, QB Ian Noble
Coach: Gary Jeffries (5th season)
Co-ordinators: Ryan Pyear (offensive), Rich VanMoerkerke (defensive)
Last league title: 2005
Big ones: Sept. 3 vs. McMaster, Sept. 8 vs. Windsor, Oct. 13 vs. Ottawa
On the web: laurierathletics.com
Strengths: Lynch and Luciani are each among the OUA's best at tailback and wideout respectively and Baecher is a big guy who can catch the ball in traffic. The Hawks have done a good job at having depth at all positions and getting younger players ready to play.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Noble is a first-time starter and there will be times where the game is moving like a New York minute for him. The Hawks also lost three CFL-drafted individual talents -- Jesse Alexander, Yannick Carter and Justin Phillips -- from a good defence.

OFFENCE
The Hawks are as unsettled at quarterback as they've been in any season in a long while, going well back before Pyear's arrival in '01. The coaches at Laurier are typically good at managing roster turnover and Ian Noble got some reps last season, particularly in a home win over Western when starter Jamie Partington was knocked out. If Noble falters early, possible in Week 2 vs. Windsor's defence and its multiple looks, there might be some clamouring to play reserve pivots Vince Luciani and Ben Wilsack. The FieldTurf around the backup QB is always greener.

The Hawks typically give backup linemen a fair bit of playing time in games against lesser teams, so new blockers have less of a learning curve. Scott Evans is their best O-linemen and fullback Peter Quinnie is very capable. Dante Luciani's role as a slash player who will have to be played up, since a new quarterback might not have an easy time getting him the ball in space where he can make tacklers miss.

DEFENCE
Linebackers Maggiocomo and Luke Pinder, along with Brent Hickey in the secondary, are the main holdovers on a group which tends to mesh well and blend in new players relatively seamlessly. The Hawks will probably have a fairly young group along the line, but it there's some good-sized guys waiting in the wings such as 300-lb. Mark Ellis and 275-lb. George Kourtesiotis. Another up-and-comer is cornerback Taurean Allen.

SPECIAL TEAMS
There's enough depth on the roster to provide for solid coverage and return teams. Chris Mamo is entering a second season of double duty as the kicker and punter; he was last in the OUA in the latter capacity last season. (Waterloo's punter, playing on the same field, was second-last, which tells you the bounce had gone out of the artificial turf at university stadium that's been replaced by a more modern surface.) Luciani and Dustin Heap are expected to be the main returners.

NEED-TO-KNOW
It's a little like that Seinfeld where Elaine Benes tells Jerry, "Something bad is going to happen to you, it has to," and Jerry, smugly, says, "No, I think I'm gonna be fine," with the Hawks. Any team that's won 37 games across the past four seasons is bound to hit a downswing.

The Hawks are well-insulated against the law of averages. The program has good coaching and football is the game at the small school (which isn't so small anymore), so there aren't glaring problems when it comes to facilities or fan and administrative support. Still, an off-year is in the offing eventually. No Western on the schedule and no killer road games, possibly save for Guelph over Thanksgiving, will probably keep the Hawks in the area of 6-2.

* (Actually, a lot of those bandwagonners in Massachusetts wouldn't figure that out, but that's another post.)

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.

TACKLING THE CIS: OTTAWA GEE-GEES

Previewing the '07 CIS football season is taking over our life... anyway, here's a look at the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

In '06: 9-2, lost 28-24 to Saskatchewan in national semi-final
Players to watch: LB Joe Barnes, WR David Crane, DE Dan Kennedy, LB Mike Cornell, QB Josh Sacobie, G Naim El-Far
Coach: Denis Piché (6th season)
Co-ordinators: Chris Coulson (co-offensive), Blaine Scatchard (co-offensive), Danny Laramee (co-defensive), Phil Roberts (co-defensive), Chris Gauvreau (special teams)
Last league title: 2006
Big ones: Oct. 15 at Western, Oct. 13 at Laurier, Oct. 20 vs. Windsor
On the web: geegees.uottawa.ca
Strengths: The better Gee-Gees teams always seem to get their pride from defence; it was true even of the 2000 edition that Phill Côté quarterbacked to the Vanier Cup. Most of last season's group returns. Throw in a good running game, and it contributes to the Gee-Gees being a team that's tough to rattle.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Sacobie has three new receivers and two new offensive linemen, so the offence will likely be a little behind the defence to open the season. The Gee-Gees' second half of the season is probably tougher than the first half, so the offensive group has some time to find itself.

OFFENCE
The loss of three receivers and left tackle Kyle Kirkwood's season-ending knee injury suffered at the B.C. Lions training camp overshadowed the real big loss: Mike Donnelly, a scatback-type who gave the Gee-Gees offence a little more juice late in the season, left the team. Starting tailback Davie Mason is a 245-lb. collision runner who thrives on taking tacklers for rides, which is fun to watch but also means he needs rest to keep him fresh. Justin Hammond, who was used a lot on special teams last season, will try to fill Donnelly's role.

Sacobie will have a legit shot at winning being a Hec Crighton Trophy finalist (for pete's sake, can it go to a player from outside Ontario for a change?) if he plays well and the Gee-Gees win in their nationally televised games at Western and Laurier. The coaching staff has reined him in over his first three seasons to make him more of a pocket passer. Sacobie completed 62 per cent of his attempts last year and he and the coaching staff do a good job of spreading the passes around, which softens the blow of losing Adam Nicolson to the CFL.

The O-line has new players at each tackle spot. That's balanced out by having the OUA's best centre in Kevin Kelly and its smartest guard in Naim El-Far, who was able to get an extra year of eligibility.

DEFENCE
The Gee-Gees can apply pressure and usually with a lot of different people, too: Thirteen players were credited with at least one quarterback sack last season. Barnes, an undersized middle linebacker, is the fulcrum of a fast defence that closes better than Richard Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross. There just aren't many teams who block well enough to cut off the second level of the Gee-Gees' D, which gave up just 3.2 yards per rush and 6.2 per pass attempt, both of which led the CIS.

Kennedy at the end spot and outside 'backers Cheelor Lindor and Mike Cornell are the bright spots in the force unit. The Gee-Gees can usually get pressure without big-blitzing, so the secondary, led by safety Maxime Bedard, gets a lot of help.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Ara Tchobanian is a walking argument for the CIS moving kickoffs from the 45-yard line to the 40. He's finished fourth and second in the country in kickoff average the past two seasons. That stat doesn't reflect the number of times the Gee-Gees have tackler a returner inside the 20 after he hesitated over whether to run the ball out or give up a single. He's not a bad kicker or punter either. Hammond and receiver Justin Wood-Roy are both decent return men.

NEED-TO-KNOW
The storyline for the Gee-Gees has already been written: Make the Vanier Cup or bust after coming within a couple minutes of doing so last season. Repeating as the OUA champs is no fait accompli when a team has to travel to Western, Laurier and Mac. However, aside from the new receivers and Donnelly's abrupt departure, there aren't a lot of holes on a very good team.

File this away, though: The Yates Cup winner travels west for the national semi-final and no Ontario school has gone out there and won a playoff game since Queen's in 1968, the first year the Vanier Cup was a truly national championship. Of course, the Gee-Gees will only be playing a team (Manitoba or Saskatchewan) if they get that far, not four decades of history.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.

TACKLING THE CIS: U OF T VARSITY BLUES

Previewing the '07 CIS football season is taking over our life... anyway, here's a look at the Toronto Varsity Blues.

In '06: 0-8
Players to watch: KR Matthew D'Souza, DE Michael Goncalves, QB David Hamilton, WR Cory Kennedy, DB George Polyzois, RB-WR Mark Stinson, K-P Joe Valtellini
Coach: Steve Howlett (5th season)
Co-ordinators: Dan Crifo (offensive), Joe Rumolo (defensive), Keith Castello (special teams)
Last league title: 1992
Big ones: Sept. 3 vs. Waterloo, Sept. 29 at York
On the web: varsityblues.ca, varsitycentre.ca
Strengths: No matter how bad it's got, the Blues always have some skill position talent, and Hamilton and converted QB Stinson provide a touchdown threat.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Forty-one games without a victory does kind of speak for itself. Confidence is everything and there have been more than a few occasions over the past few years when the Blues were right in it and had no idea of how to win a game. One of these days, it will change.

OFFENCE
Hamilton, the fourth-year quarterback, at least is starting this season with some familiar faces around him, since Kennedy (493 yards receiving) and Stinson (405 receiving, 143 rushing) return. The Blues due have some experience on the line in centre David Scott-McDowell and guard Josh Armstrong. The reality is that this is a team that has to rely on first- and second-year players more than most, which often leads to mistakes brought on by inexperience.

DEFENCE
Goncalves, who was a late-round pick of the Hamilton Ticats, is probably the best player on a group that allowed that second-most yards in the country last season. Howlett, who's from the Ottawa region, reaching into his old stamping ground for a couple of highly touted defensive recruits, D-backs Kyle Kennedy (Cory's brother) from the Ottawa Sooners and Willie Sharpe of Renfrew. Kevin Asare, formerly at York, could end up as the safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS
D'Souza set an OUA record for most kick-return yards last season with 729 and it wasn't just because the Blues were fielding so many kickoffs -- he had a very good 23.5-yard average. Polyzois also returned kicks in '06. Valtellini, a fifth-year senior, handles the punting and field goals. One issue that a program such as the U of T can have is how much the starters have to play on special teams; it can contribute to the team fading in the second half. Kyle Kennedy thrived as a return man with the Ottawa Sooners in '06.

NEED-TO-KNOW
At ths point, anyone with a heart is pulling for the U of T to win one soon and avoid going into the record books for the longest losing streak in CIAU/CIS history (the record-breaker is the Western game on Oct. 13). Waterloo, whom it plays in the first game at the Varsity Centre on Sept. 3, is rumoured to be much improved, but the Blues are going into that game with the better quarterback and without an overhauled coaching staff like the Warriors'.

The other best bet is the Sept. 29 Red & Blue Bowl vs. York, by process of elimination.

Yes, that's tugging at straws a bit, but try to appreciate Howlett's program is up against it in almost every conceivable way. Recruiting is tough when faced with poor facilities, few fans, high admission standards and the reality Toronto probably has the highest cost-of-living for students, which crosses the Blues off the list of many players from average middle-class backgrounds, a description which applies to most football players. (It's not a rich-kid game.) By all accounts, the new Varsity Centre is a jewel, and hopefully that will help bring in and retain more talented players, but the U of T is going to need more than that to be relevant again.

TACKLING THE CIS: WINDSOR LANCERS

We're hopping around Southern Ontario to preview the Canadian university football season. Presenting: the Windsor Lancers.

WINDSOR LANCERS
In '06: 6-3, lost 20-16 to Western in OUA quarter-final
Players to watch: LB John Celestino, CB Colin Dixon, QB-P Dan Lumley, WR Glenn MacKay, LT Matt Morencie, DT Kyle Sleightholm, RB Daryl Stephenson
Head coach: Mike Morencie (9th season)
Co-ordinators: Scott Fawcett (offence), Morencie (defence), Brian Taffinder (special teams)
Last league title: 1975 (co-champions)
On the web: golancers.ca
Big ones: Sept. 8 at Laurier, Sept. 29 at Western, Oct. 20 at Ottawa
Strengths: Fourteen starters return to a team which had a 6-2 regular season before a mud bowl playoff loss to rival Western. The Lancers have the Hec Crighton-winning tailback and finished third nationally against the run last season.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... The Lancers don't have the biggest offensive line and sometimes struggled to get a push vs. the better OUA defences last season. Replacing guys on the defence such as Sasha Glavic, Bill Moysiuk and Alan Weekes won't be easy.

OFFENCE
There's more to the Lancers offence than Stephenson, who's shooting for a fourth straight 1,000-yard season. Lumley, who's mobile and can throw deep, averaged 9.75 yards per pass and was sacked just seven times as a first-year starter. He should have more command of the offence.

MacKay averaged 24 yards a catch last season and nine of his 32 catches went for touchdowns. Mike Harrington came on a bit toward the end of his rookie season and another receiving candidate is Ryan Thompson, who played in several Metro Bowls with the Pickering Trojans.

Windsor typically doesn't open the throttle any more than it has to; most of their long bombs come off play action. They prefer not to risk turnovers (they lost only 11 fumbles or interceptions in 2006, a league low by far). Stephenson hasn't put up eye-popping numbers vs. top teams, but he's a straight-ahead runner who doesn't seem to leave the Lancers in too many second-and-nines. Windsor is a left-handed running team: Matt Morencie has been moved to left tackle after playing slotback in '06, and the team's best returning lineman, Anthony Rimac, is apparently going to be the left guard.

DEFENCE
Windsor's defence is 32 flavours, all vanilla. Their M.O. seems to be to try and slow up the opposing quarterback with a lot of extra mental fat by substituting frequently and giving a lot of different looks and formations, but playing straight bend-but-don't-break defence. It can lead to a lot of confusion. Last season, Mac was the only team to complete 50 per cent of its attempts against the Lancers without having to throw more than 35 times; the only teams who did were those who were playing catch-up.

The front seven, led by the 6-foot-4, 295-lb. Sleightholm and Celestino at inside linebacker, is the focal group. Dixon, along with Kanata native Marc Leduc and fellow senior Oliver Clovis, give the Lancers experience in the secondary.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Veteran Kevin Reider, who was 14-of-21 (long of 44 yards) on field goals last year, returns for a fifth year. Lumley, the quarterback, does the punting, which gives the Lancers the threat of a fake (he also recovered one of his own kicks in a big win over Laurier in the regular-season finale). Morencie said the emphasis in camp will be to find capable return men.

NEED-TO-KNOW
That 6-2 conference record was not an anomaly. Windsor, humoured for so long by the rest of the conference (especially those in and around London), has become respectable in football and just won its first championship in several years in the other marquee CIS sport, men's basketball. Sports have been put on the front burner at a relatively young university that's coming into its own. It's quite something what can happen when the coaches and players know there are standards.

Last season's record will be hard to match with road games vs. Laurier, Western and Ottawa. Ultimately, with Stephenson being surrounded by some vets (though a fifth year is possible), is a season for the Lancers to take a shot at the league's traditionally strong teams. There's no harm in taking the Lancers to be playing in the second week of November for the first time since the 1970s.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.

TACKLING THE CIS: WATERLOO WARRIORS

We're hopping all over Ontario to preview the CIS football season. Presenting: the Waterloo Warriors.

WATERLOO WARRIORS
Players to watch: DB Richard Boonstra, WR Sean Cowie, OL Evan Faulkner, DE Adam Kania, DL Darren Kisinger, QB Evan Martin
Head coach: Dennis McPhee (1st season; 3rd in CIS)
Co-ordinators: Joe Paopao (offensive), Marshall Bingeman (offensive line), McPhee (defensive)
Last league title: 1999
Big ones: Sept. 3 at Toronto, Sept. 22 vs. Laurier, Sept. 29 vs. Guelph
On the web: athletics.uwaterloo.ca, waterloowarriorfootball.com
Strengths: Walsh got a taste of quarterback last season and inherits a good receiver in Cowie. The Warriors have experience on the defensive line.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Stars Jon Morbey and Chris Best graduated, leaving big holes at quarterback and left tackle, two positions that have to be immutables. The Warriors also lost their two best defensive backs, meaning there's inexperience on both sides of the ball.

OFFENCE
Kingston native Steve Campbell and the 300-lb. Faulkner provide some size up front and the Warriors should improve their blocking now that Bingeman, a highly regarded assistant who filed as interim coach last season, is dedicated to coaching the linemen. That will buy time for Walsh, who had his moments filling in for Morbey last season, to have the game slow down for him.

Cowie put up numbers last season (661 yards on 45 catches) and Dustin Zender contributed as a rookie last season; 6-foot-3, 200-lb. Ross Graham is a name to file away for future reference. Will Oud is pencilled in as the starting tailback. Keenan Smith, a 240-lb. fullback from that noted football mecca of Columbus, Ohio (but Canadian by birth), demands keeping tabs on. Last but not least, there's the question of how well Paopao's experience in the CFL is going to transfer over to the university game.

DEFENCE
McPhee's background is on this side of the ball and the unit he's inherited was by default the pride of the team last season, giving up just one touchdown in two of the team's three victories. It also had some low points, such as giving up 350 yards on the ground to Windsor, or more than 500 total yards against Toronto. Having Kania and Kisinger should help the Warriors get a push up front and let Everest, their best linebacker, fly to the ball.

By the looks of it, McPhee seems to be emphasizing shoring up Waterloo's secondary. CFL hall of famer Don Sutherin has been in as a guest coach and much of Waterloo's recruiting effort went toward this area. Boonstra will get some OUA all-star consideration at season's end.

SPECIAL TEAMS
The team's general struggles in 2006 seemed to be reflected in the individual totals for their kickers: Ian Nichol was 3-for-11 on field goals and didn't make a kick longer than 27 yards. Jason Cook was second-last in the OUA with a 33.9-yard punting average. Both return and have plenty of room for improvement. Oud as well as Justin Andrushko and Nathan Zettler, both second-year players, have experience as returners.

NEED-TO-KNOW
Those three wins last season came by one point (helped by a last-second pass interference call in the end zone), three points (against the U of T, who lost to everyone) and York (who lost to everyone but U of T). With Morbey, leading rusher Travis Gellatly and D-backs Andrew Bieronski and Drew Haynes, Waterloo has a lot to patch up this season.

The upshot is that the Warriors have improved the coaching staff with McPhee, Paopao and help from Sutherin. Bingeman is a good assistant and Chris Triantifilou, who resigned as the head man midway last season to take a higher-ranking position in the UW athletic department, remains on staff. Waterloo won't lose any games due to the coaches' lack of know-how. Trouble is, coaches just try not to lose games, players win them and it's going to take a while to raise the overall talent. Give them some time and don't put too much stock in whether they match last season's 3-5 mark.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.

TACKLING THE CIS: McMASTER MARAUDERS

Previewing the Ontario conference is going to take a couple days -- 10 teams! -- so we'll be hopping all over the place for the next couple days. Presenting: the McMaster Marauders.

McMASTER MARAUDERS
In '06: 6-3, lost 25-19 to Queen's in OUA quarter-final
Players to watch: QB Adam Archibald, LB Simon Binder, DL Eugene Boakye, WR Jordan Charter, DL Chris Van Zeyl
Head coach: Stefan Ptaszek (2nd season)
Co-ordinators: Ptaszek (offensive), Greg Knox (defensive), Larry Guarascia (special teams)
Last league title: 2003
Big ones: Sept. 3 at Laurier, Sept. 8 vs. Western, Sept. 29 vs. Ottawa
On the web: athrec.mcmaster.ca
Strengths: Archibald, the one-time star at Frontenac Secondary in Kingston, should have a good final season now that he's in his second year running Ptaszek's offence and has a bevy of receivers including Charter, B.J. Mallot and Rob Serviss.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Four of the five starters in the defensive secondary are new and Mac faces a dangerous receiver (Laurier's Dante Luciani) and veteran QB (Western's Mike Faulds) right out of the box. The offensive line will also have some new faces, which will put added pressure on Archibald.

OFFENCE
As offensive co-ordinator at Laurier during its two-year Yates Cup title run, Ptaszek directed a group that took a thinking man's approach to moving the ball, with a fair bit of motion and misdirection. He'll likely try to take that a little farther at Mac. He has two experienced QBs, Archibald and sophomore backup Ryan Fantham, depth at receiver and an experienced fullback, Rob Mitchell. (Ptaszek's offences at Laurier used an H-back, a blocker and receiver who was listed as a fullback, and the man who filled that role, Byron Hickey, is now a Marauders coach.)

Adapting a scheme that is more about imagination than superior athletes, which is new to Mac, might be a somewhat of a necessity. The Marauders lost tailback tandem Andre Sadeghian and Jordan Kozina, to the CFL and national rugby team respectively. Lineman Kyle Koch is still on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers roster, so opening 400-series highway-wide holes for the running game might not work the way it did in the Jesse Lumsden era. Ugonna Ihekwoaba, a Burlington native, should challenge for time at tailback.

DEFENCE
The front seven has typically been a Marauders strength, thanks in small part to a good talent pool in Southern Ontario. Linemen Eugene Boakye and Chris Van Zeyl, who were each third-round CFL picks, have both come back and Simon Binder leads the linebacker group.

The question mark is the secondary, which was hit hard by graduation (including that of Ottawa's Jesse Card, who set the school record for most interceptions) and will take time to develop. The Week 5 matchup vs. Ottawa and Josh Sacobie will be a good measuring stick of how that group is coming along.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Pauolo Faiazza was 8-of-15 on field goals last season and averaged just over 35 yards per punt, which suggests consistency needs to improve. He is a threat to throw the ball or run with it on fakes. Mac had some issues with breakdowns on special teams last season, particularly in the playoff loss vs. Queen's.

NEED-TO-KNOW
Mac's four straight Yates Cups (2000-03) was the last throes of what worked for the OUA's power programs in the '80s and '90s. The better teams, such as Western and Laurier, typically kept offensive and defensive schemes relatively simple and trusted in having superior athletes. The rise of Laval and Quebec football, the scrapping of the OAC (Grade 13) year in Ontario high schools and Western Canada teams' use of more experienced junior players has put an end to that approach working on a national level.


Laurier had a breakthrough, winning the Vanier Cup in 2005, because it thought more seriously about how to trick its talent into being better. Ptaszek, who was part of that shift in thinking, will probably try to do this over time at McMaster. Considering the school's size, support of sports, its facilities, and the talent and fan support, it should lead to the Marauders delivering a long-sought Vanier Cup appearance inside of five years.

This season, Mac is coming under the radar screen a bit. If it gets through a gauntlet -- it plays last season's OUA final four of Laurier, Western, Queen's and Ottawa before the end of September -- relatively intact and has a good outing vs. Guelph in the final week, it could be heard from in the playoffs. Right now, they look shakier than they have in some time, but in fairness, the bar's been set pretty high in Hamilton for nearly a decade.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.

TACKLING THE CIS: YORK LIONS

The Canadian university football season is kicking off, and Out of Left Field is here to provide a look at all 27 CIS teams. Presenting: the York Lions.

In '06: 1-7, missed playoffs
Players to watch: SLSH Kevin Walsh, QB Mike Crabtree, LB-ST Jared Corbin, OT David Gauer, DB-P Robin Legault, DE Sean Simms
Coach: Andy McEvoy (first season; 2nd as CIS head coach)
Co-ordinators: Tom Denison (offensive), Clifford Ivory (defensive)
Last league title: n/a
Big ones: Sept. 8 at Waterloo, Sept. 15 vs. Guelph, Sept. 29 vs. U of T (Red & Blue Bowl)
On the web: sport.yorku.ca
Strengths: The Lions will have an experienced QB throwing to three receivers who each caught at least 30 passes in 2006. Defensively, McEvoy and first-time co-ordinator Ivory, the former Argos star, believe they have "good team speed" and some individual talent with Simms, Corbin and Legault.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Optimism abounds, but McEvoy notes he's "not naive" about entering the season with 15 new starters on offence and defence, plus a new placekicker. "Right now half our team is first- or second-year players. At the end of the day, we're still young, but we'll work hard, get everyone to buy in and fly around." The lack of experience will be tough to overcome in the short run.

OFFENCE
Crabtree, who started out with the Ottawa Gee-Gees, might end up starting over Bart Zemanek, a four-year starter. McEvoy (a former Gee-Gees passer in his own right) says Crabtree, who was slowed by an ankle injury in '06, has "dropped weight, and come in stronger and faster." With new starters along the line and in the backfield, the Lions might end up having to be a bit pass-heavy early on. Walsh and receivers Steven Hughes and Cameron Worsley should see a lot of passes; each caught at least 30 last season. Worth noting: Hughes, from Notre Dame High in Ottawa, was the only one of that trio to have catch over 40 yards.

Walsh, an OUA all-star as a receiver and return man, will be a slash player after totalling 1,239 all-purpose yards as a freshman. "It's not complicated," McEvoy says. "We need to get him the ball as often as possible. I know when we had Andre Durie and I didn't get him the ball 30 times (in a game), people were looking at me funny."

DEFENCE
The most important newcomer is the co-ordinator, Ivory, the former Argonauts star cornerback. "First and foremost, he's a teacher," says McEvoy, who coached the defence last season. "It's not just that he's been in the pros (NFL and CFL), but he really gets the kids' attention when he talks." York's defence was a bright spot last season, often hanging tough for two, 2 1/2 quarters against the likes of Laurier and Queen's before the strain of being on the field so much took over.


Simms will be important in York's 3-4 defence and there's experience in the secondary with Legault, David Mills and Chris Russell. One key recruit York has identified is Aaron Adusei, who was an all-state linebacker two years ago in Viriginia. He played his final high season at 5-foot-10, 195 lbs., which suggest he could eventually be at home on the wider Canadian field.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Walsh gives York a return threat and Corbin was named an OUA all-star as a rush/cover player last season. Legault did the punting last season, while McEvoy says he's thrown the competition for the placekicking job wide open.

Improving the team's depth would mean fewer starters have to double up on the coverage teams and become fatigued late in games. Last season, York was beating Queen's in the fourth quarter when it gave up a 67-yard punt return that turned the game around.

NEED-TO-KNOW
So far, McEvoy, the former Gee-Gees quarterback and coach, says he's "very optimistic, very happy with the work ethic the players have shown... trying to build a concept of the team as one." The hope here is the Lions can pull it off, since Canadian university football could really stand to have at least one competitive program in the country's most influential media market. That could be wishful thinking, but there's not enough of that in the world these days.


Having two young co-ordinators in Denison and Ivory should ideally help improve the attitude around the program. As players, both were known for carrying themselves with a confidence that touched the people around them. Keep an eye on how competitive the Lions are during the final three weeks vs. Western, Mac and Laurier. If the scores are relatively close, it would suggest the rebuilding effort is starting to take.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.

TACKLING THE CIS: GUELPH GRYPHONS

The Canadian university football season is kicking off, and Out of Left Field is here to provide a look at all 27 CIS teams. Presenting: the Guelph Gryphons.

In '06: 2-6, missed playoffs
Players to watch: QB Justin Dunk, RB-KR Nick FitzGibbon, OL Ryan Bomben, OL Ian Keleher, DL Chris Hladich, DL Grant MacDonald
Head coach: Kyle Walters (2nd season)
Co-ordinators: Jamie Cana (offensive), Walters (defensive)
Last league title: 1996
Big ones: Sept. 9 at Queen's, Oct. 13 vs. Windsor
On the web: athletics.uoguelph.ca
Strengths: Dunk gives Guelph a puncher's chance if they get in a shootout, although he's lost his two favourite receivers from his first two seasons. Walters, the youngish head coach who won two Yates Cups as a player, has also sent a jolt of energy through the program and has not hesitated to give first- and second-year players a chance.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Guelph is youthful in outlook, and remember what you were like when you were 19 or 20 years old and things didn't work out? It plays on emotion, and that can bounce back on a team when things go poorly. Keeping their heads in the game will be a challenge, especially for a team that's had to retool its pass defence.

OFFENCE
Now that he's more mature, Dunk has to go without his security blankets, receivers Jeff Keegan and Dave McKoy, who have graduated. Being older and wiser also means a more balanced diet. Walters says, "I would like us to be much more balanced this year in our (pass) distribution. Defences focused their attention on McKoy and Keegan last year leading our QB to force some throws into bad situations."

Dunk, who provides a rushing threat (374 yards in '06), and FitzGibbon (414 on the ground), who had his moments as a rookie last season, will try to make defences respect the run more. Last season, defences could sit back and expect Guelph to pass, which is part of the reason Dunk threw 15 interceptions (against 14 TDs). Fifth-year seniors Lorne Foster and Adam Slomer return among the receivers and Walters says he has some good rookies, such as Zack Stacey from high school powerhouse Burlington Nelson.

DEFENCE
Hladich provides a needed veteran presence in the force unit, where five of the seven projected starters will be second-year players, including linebacker Adam Dunk, the quarterback's brother. Improving the talent in the secondary has also been a priority after Guelph gave up a lot of pass plays over 20 yards last season. Jamie Shaw, a former quarterback, was moved over to the secondary and like the receiving group, it's wide-open. Cornerback Sean Riley was the Gryphons' lone OUA all-star on defence last season.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Sophomore Rob Maver handled all of Guelph's kicking in '06 and was an OUA second-team all-star as a punter. FitzGibbon had a 24.4-yard average as a kick returner last season, but McKoy will have to be replaced as the punt returner. Walters said finding a "big time punt return man that can give us a spark ... will be a top priority during camp."

NEED-TO-KNOW
Guelph merits watching due to its underdog status. Ideally, a program such as Guelph's would be kind of a scale-model OUA version of Fresno or Boise State, drawing players who were undervalued coming out of high school. In the past two seasons they've beaten McMaster, taken Western down to the final play in London and extended Laurier to overtime.

Walters is counting on "youthful exuberance" and "unproven players looking to make an impact" to lift the team's fortunes. If Queen's or McMaster struggles, Guelph could sneak into the playoffs and be a tough out in an OUA quarter-final.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.