Three Selected for East-West
SMU's Craig Leger, Jeff Hecht and Ryan King named to East Roster
CIS Communications
Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced Monday the 89 football players who will participate in the eighth annual East West Bowl, presented by Under Armour, on Saturday, May 8, 2010 at TD Waterhouse Stadium on the campus of The University of Western Ontario in London, Ont.
Official website (including ticket information): http://english.cis-sic.ca/eastwestbowl/2010
Western is hosting the event for the second straight year. The affair was previously held at McMaster (2008), Laval (2007, 2006) and Wilfrid Laurier (2005, 2004, 2003). Kickoff for the 2010 game is set for 1 p.m.
Last spring, the West team prevailed 16-7 to improve its all-time record to 6-1 in the series.
Pat Sheahan, head coach of the reigning Vanier Cup champion Queen’s Gaels, will lead the East squad in London, while Calgary’s Blake Nill will be in charge of the West contingent.
“This is a promising group of young athletes who all have aspirations of playing professionally in the years to come,” said Sheahan, who guided the Gaels to a 33-31 come-from-behind win last November in Quebec City for their first national title since 1992. “This is an opportunity for them to showcase their talent and further develop their skills while playing with the best young football players in the country. It should be quite an event.”
“In my opinion the significance of the East West Bowl has evolved over the past few years,” said Nill, who last fall led the Dinos to their first Vanier Cup appearance since 1995 and who previously guided Saint Mary’s to a pair of CIS titles. “It has now become a true showcase of the top CIS football talent, and it is something our student-athletes prepare for from their freshmen year in hopes of someday participating in it.”
The East West Bowl showcases – for the most part - CIS players who will be eligible for the 2011 Canadian Football League draft.
The East side is comprised of student-athletes representing schools from the Atlantic and Quebec conferences, as well as from Queen’s, Ottawa and Toronto. The West squad is made up of players from Canada West and from the remaining OUA universities.
No less that 16 all-Canadians from 2009 will take the field on May 8 – seven on each side - including Laval wide receiver Julian Feoli Gudino, Queen’s offensive tackle Matt O’Donnell, Laval guard Pascal Baillargeon, Montreal defensive tackle Gregory Alexandre, StFX linebacker Henoc Muamba, Acadia defensive back Mike Miller and Laval kicker Christopher Milo for the East, and Calgary running back Matt Walter, Calgary wide receiver Nathan Coehoorn, Wilfrid Laurier wide receiver Dillon Heap, Calgary inside receiver Anthony Parker, Western guard Matt Norman, Alberta defensive end Craig Gerbrandt and Alberta kicker Hugh O’Neill for the West.
Wide receiver Thomas Howes, linebacker Steve Laporte and defensive back Ben D’Andrea will also represent Vanier Cup champion Queen’s.
Quarterbacking the East team will be Robert Mackay of Concordia and Brad Sinopoli of Ottawa, while Regina’s Marc Mueller and Saskatchewan’s Laurence Nixon will run the West offence.
Mackay set a single-season Quebec conference record in 2009 with 2,739 passing yards, led the nation with 328 pass attempts and tied for the CIS lead in both touchdown passes (18) and completions (201).
Sinopoli and Mueller were impressive in their first season as university starters after taking over from Gee-Gees and Rams greats Josh Sacobie and Teale Orban, respectively. Mueller led Canada West with 2,308 yards through the air, while Sinopoli also reached the 2000-yard plateau (2,084).
In his third campaign as the Huskies number one pivot, Nixon completed at least 60 percent of his passes (62.5) for the third straight year while leading Saskatchewan to the Canada West final.
NOTES: Past East West Bowl participants include Hec Crighton trophy winners Benoit Groulx of Laval, Daryl Stephenson of Windsor, Andy Fantuz of Western, Jesse Lumsden of McMaster and Tommy Denison of Queen’s... Other notables include former Sherbrooke Vert & Or Samuel Giguère and Calgary graduate Dan Federkeil, both members of the 2010 Super Bowl finalist Indianapolis Colts, as well as former Mustang Vaughn Martin, who played his first season with the San Diego Chargers after being selected in the fourth round in the 2009 NFL Collegiate Draft.
Previous East West Bowl results:
2009 (at Western): West 16, East 7
2008 (at McMaster): East 25, West 12
2007 (at Laval): West 22, East 19 (OT)
2006 (at Laval): West 34, East 26 (OT)
2005 (at Laurier): West 34, East 16
2004 (at Laurier): West 21, East 12
2003 (at Laurier): West 10, East 5
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Kicking off on a CFL career
Huskies' Palardy slated as potential pick in top-three rounds
MATTHEW WUEST
METRO HALIFAX
April 29, 2010 1:48 a.m.
Justin Palardy can't deny it would be pretty cool to be listed as the greatest place kicker in Canadian Interuniversity Sport history.
But he could be on the verge of something he considers a heck of a lot cooler: A spot on a season-opening Canadian Football League roster.
The Saint Mary's Huskies kicker/punter is being talked about as a potential top-three-round pick in Sunday's Canadian Football League draft in Toronto. If that happens, there is a good chance he won't be back at school in the fall, ending his realistic bid to smash all-time CIS records for scoring and field goals.
"Records are cool and all, but I'm not playing to break records — I'm playing to get a paycheque," Palardy said. "I want to go to the CFL and if I can go this year, I'm gonna go. That's my whole dream and goal. It's what I've been working toward."
Palardy, a three-time Atlantic University Sport all-star, is 90 points away from catching Jesse Lumsden's CIS scoring record of 410 and five field goals away from catching Frank Jagas's mark of 70. He already has AUS records in both categories.
The Murray Siding, N.S., native spent last week working out with four CFL clubs — the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos — and described his performance as "fairly average" while doing an abnormal amount of kicking.
Palardy said he usually kicks 10 field goals per day. Last week, he estimates he averaged more than 50.
"It takes its toll on the leg," he said. "It's constant leg extension and you can only handle so much."
Rob Maver of the Guelph Gryphons is the top-ranked kicker/punter according to CFL scouting and TSN analyst Duane Ford. But some scouts consider Palardy the best pure field-goal kicker available.
The Stampeders are one team reportedly looking for exactly what Palardy has to offer.
"Calgary really needs a field-goal kicker and they're not looking to wait the whole draft to pick one up … Whether it will be me, I don't know," he said. "I'm just going to wait until Sunday and see what happens."
Local talent
A number of local university standouts will earn consideration on Canadian Football League draft day.
TSN analyst Duane Ford's position-by-position draft rankings single out numerous Nova Scotians and Saint Mary's Huskies who could be selected on Sunday.
Following is a rundown of some prominently-ranked players, listed with height, weight, local connection, Ford's positional ranking and scouting comments.
• ADAM BABOULAS, 6-4, 292, Saint Mary's (seventh offensive tackle): "Good feet and technique. He'll need to get stronger to play at next level."
• DAN SCHUTTE, 5-11, 269, Saint Mary's (third defensive tackle): "His size isn't ideal but he can be a mismatch with speed and exceptional skills."
• REED ANDERSON, 6-1, 241, Saint Mary's (ninth fullback): "Strictly a banger."
• LEROY FONTAINE, 5-11, 209, Saint Mary's (12th linebacker): "Tough as nails but a little undersized for the next level."
• KARL McCARTNEY, 6-0, 224, Saint Mary's (15th linebacker): "Once a prized recruit, he is now done with football."
• SALEEM BORHOT, 6-3, 195, Saint Mary's (second safety): "His combination of height and speed give him perhaps the best range in this group."
• MARK HOLDEN, 6-2, 175, Saint Mary's/Halifax (12th safety): "Durability is one of the questions."
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