2014, Oct 4th: Toronto 32 @ Carleton 53

Capturing the summary of one of Carleton's first wins following the return of the school's football program. They were winless in 2013 but recorded four wins in 2014, including the one below.

The cropped text is from the football team's website, which was uncredited. Oddly, it focused on Toronto quarterback Simon Nassar's accomplishments rather than that of the Ravens.

The statistical data is from the USports website from when it was referred to as CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sports). 

...Carleton pivot Nick Gorgichuk was 21-of-28 for 302 yards, two touchdown and no interceptions, while Jesse Mills was 3-of-4 for 91 yards and Kyle Van Wynsberghe was 1-of-1 for 76 yards and one touchdown.

The Blues, playing their 1,000th game, had little reason to celebrate with the exception of quarterback Simon Nassar who set a single-game Canadian Interuniversity Sport record with 49 completions.

The fourth-year pivot from Toronto was 49-of-62 for 547 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He easily shattered the CIS mark of 41 completions set in 1981 by Varsity Blues pivot Dan Feraday and tied in 2012 by current Sherbrooke quarterback Jeremi Roch.

....

The Ravens jumped out to a 16-0 first quarter lead and made it 23-0 early in the second quarter.

The Blues finally managed to get on the board late in the second, but the Ravens responded with Van Wynsberghe connecting with Nathaniel Behar for a 76-yard touchdown pass. Carleton extended its lead as Emilio Galotta had a 13-yard fumble return to make it 37-7.

Michael Domagala added 24 and 26 yard field goals in the third quarter, while Nassar had a 24-yard touchdown pass making it 43-17 at the end of three quarters.

Nassar added two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, but the Ravens responded with a touchdown and field goal of their own to keep the game out of reach.

Oct 5th, 2013: Return of the Panda

Sept 1st, 2014: Carleton 33 @ Waterloo 14

With the two eras of Carleton teams now having separate pages, I thought I'd add some of the results for the current incarnation.

I added 2014's. This includes a victory in the first game of the season which was also the team's first since its return. That's certainly noteworthy so here's a partial recap of it, from the September 2nd, 2014, edition of The Record. Full version here.

Waterloo Warriors defender Matt Macera can't bring down Carleton Ravens Tunde Adeleke in the second half of Waterloo's loss last week  DAVID BEBEE / KITCHENER STAFF GRMP

The Ravens — yanked out of mothballs last season following 15 years in the cedar chest — survived the 18 penalties called against them for 220 yards on Monday.

But Carleton wasn't about to quibble with the outcome. With their million-dollar budget and roster of young game-breakers, the Ravens will use Monday's triumph as a stepping stone on the fast-track to respectability.

...

The Warriors, tagged with 14 penalties of their own, were more concerned about their lack of execution when it mattered.

Waterloo's first drive, a 10-play, 50-yard excursion ended abruptly on Carleton's 10-yard line when Warriors pivot Jamie Cook lobbed an interception to Justin Howell.

...

Ravens running back Jahvari Bennett scampered for 120 yards on Monday.

Carleton quarterback Jesse Mills threw two touchdown passes on the day, including a 39-yard strike to Andrew Ellis late in the first quarter to give the visitors a 10-0 cushion before 1,955 fans.

The Ravens built a 12-1 lead before Warriors linebacker/tight end Brendan Conway hauled in a four-yard TD pass from Cook for Waterloo's only touchdown.

Carleton conceded a safety late in the half and took a 12-11 lead into the locker-room at the break.

But the hosts wilted badly in the second half, scoring once, a Caleb Girard 16-yard field goal.

Eh eh eh! Make sure to mention that million-dollar budget! 😆

Another standout: Nate Hamlin had eight solo tackles. It's interesting to look back and see three defensive backs with heavy contributions in this game, arguably quite pivotal to the team's fortunes, go on to have pro careers in Hamlin (BC Lions), Adeleke (Calgary, Hamilton) and our very own Justin Howell.

RB Marley Patterson caught Mills' other touchdown pass. It was his only catch of the day, going for ten yards, but he also contributed an additional 57 yards on the ground on eight carries.

Oct 21st, 2017: "Ward makes history, Gee-Gees secure fourth-seed in OUA Playoffs"

Following today's announcement that the Ottawa REDBLACKS were bringing back kicker Lewis Ward for the 2022 season, the team ran a contest in which they asked fans to name their favourite Ward moment.

One gentleman brought up Ward's record-setting performances with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and so this post will copy partial recaps of the two games at the end of the 2017 season in which Ward made a little OUA and team history. Thank you, Steven Drover, if you happen to drop by, for the post inspiration. Excellent choice of Ward moment(s) on your part.

October 14th, 2017

The Gee-Gees football team moved to 5-2 and will finish no lower than fourth in the OUA standings, clinching a home playoff game thanks to a 40-30 victory over the Waterloo Warriors (4-4) on Saturday afternoon. Playing at Gee-Gees Field, Ottawa got another game-changing play late in the fourth quarter from Jackson Bennett, while fifth-year kicker Lewis Ward added an OUA record to his historic career points and field goals made totals.

Ward began the game for Ottawa with three field goals in the opening eleven minutes of play from distances of 15, 37, and 32 yards. The first set Ward atop the OUA All-Time record books for most field goals in a career, and he finished the day four-for four with a career total of 88.

"It was different, and it made me excited about how the day was going to go," said Ward of the busy start to the day. "We've had a good strong tradition of kicking and I hope that it continues. We're here to win football games and kicking is a big part of it if we do our jobs," continued Ward. "Matt [Falvo] was a big influence for me when I first started here in terms of how he went about things."

Ward now ranks second in U SPORTS history for field goals made in a career and sits three back of record-holder Johnny Mark from the Calgary Dinos, 2011-15. He also inched up the U SPORTS all-time rankings in points and now sits fourth, two points behind Gee-Gees record holder Neil Lumsden.

October 21st, 2017

A long road-trip to London, Ont. to close the regular season resulted in a tough 63-10 loss to the nationally fourth-ranked Western Mustangs.

With more than a handful of starters not suiting up, Ottawa struggled to get rhythm on offence, with the defence left on the field to deal with a Mustangs' potent attack.

The lone Gee-Gees touchdown came on a 60-yard interception return by Jamie Harry, who has been a star in the secondary this season. The interception was Harry's fifth of the year, which tops the OUA and is second overall in the nation.

One week removed from breaking the all-time OUA record in field goals made, fifth-year kicker Lewis Ward took aim at the school record for most points in a career.

The mark to beat of 410 points was set by CFL and Gee-Gees Hall of Famer Neil Lumsden, who racked up points as both a running back and a kicker from 1972-75.

With an extra point and a field goal on Saturday, Ward etched his name in the history books, becoming the owner of the new school record of 412 career points.

2010: Brad Sinopoli Wins the Hec Crighton Trophy

With today's announcement of Brad Sinopoli's retirement, much of the focus will be on his considerable achievements as a professional player. 

That being the case, I'd like to flashback to when he earned the top award available to a university football player. 

Thanks from the (not so) cheap seats, Mr. Sinopoli! Watching you perform has been a blast!

One To Watch: North Carolina's Patrice Rene

For a variety of reasons, I've found the NCAA season difficult to get into this past year. The bowl games don't mean much to me but I do plan on sitting down in front of the Orange Bowl tonight specifically for Patrice Rene. If you're unfamiliar with him, here's a little write up Tim Baines did for the Ottawa Citizen in September of 2019.

Where did Rene end up in the draft rankings? As of the league's first edition this past October, he was ranked eighth overall. His status for the NFL draft is less clear, however.

Rene has played in nine games this season and registered 20 solo tackles plus eight assists. The depth chart I located showed him as a back up for the Tar Heels but I'll be looking out for #5 nonetheless.

The OHSF All-Decade Team

The outstanding Ottawa High School Football social media accounts have spent the month listing off an all decade team. They have done a hell of a job in describing each player's accomplishments, giving us a glimpse as to what each guy is currently up to and providing video highlights, photography, etc.

Since the position tends to get so little recognition, I've copied the offensive linemen below. I won't encroach onto OHSF's event any further beyond strongly recommending that you check it out. I believe OHSF has a Facebook group but I've followed the proceedings on Instagram specifically (which is why that link is provided earlier) and enjoyed it tremendously on that platform. 

Post high school: Retired

Post high school: TBD

Post high school: William & Mary

Post high school: Windsor

Post high school: Clearwater Academy International

Post high school: Waterloo

Post high school: Carleton

Post high school: Acadia

Post high school: Lehigh

Post high school: Carleton

2016: Carleton Ravens 45, Ottawa U. Gee-Gees 09

It seems like these teams are only content to meet in the playoffs in years ending with a six.

Earlier this month, I posted recaps of the two times the local university met in the playoffs; the Ravens won in 1986 and the Gee-Gees in 1996.

I thought I'd already posted details about the time the current edition of the Ravens and the Gee-Gees met in the playoffs as it happened, but evidently not. My "reporting" was spotty back in 2016.

So here it is, lifted from the Ottawa Citizen. The writer's name is not specified, unfortunately.

Talk about a fierce rivalry – the Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee-Gees were pushing and yelling at each other even before the opening kickoff of Saturday’s Ontario University Athletics football playoff opener at MNP Park.

On a cloudy, cool day, tempers got hot as the Ravens marched into a semifinal matchup with Western next Saturday in London with a 45-9 win over the Gee-Gees.

The Gee-Gees made way too many mistakes in a situation that demanded excellence. A botched snap on a field goal. Untimely penalties. A blocked punt. Two interceptions. A lost fumble. Two missed third-down gambles.

Give credit to the Ravens, who put a big exclamation mark on which was the better team.

“We got a bit of a jump early, the guys started playing with more confidence, we started making some plays,” said Ravens coach Steve Sumarah, whose club claimed a 43-23 decision over uOttawa in the Panda Game at TD Place stadium on Oct. 1.

On Saturday, the Gee-Gees couldn’t figure out a way to stop Carleton’s dynamic running attack. Jayde Rowe, Christian Battistelli and Marley Patterson all took turns eating up chunks of yardage. Battistelli had 131 yards on the ground, while Rowe had 125 and Patterson and 47. 

But it was the near-brawl that really got the game off to an explosive start. The fireworks began after the Gee-Gees planted their flag near midfield. Bodies were flying into the fray. Gee-Gees linebacker Ricardo Lubin was ejected.

“It’s our house. We’re not thugs, but anybody that plays this sport knows if somebody tries to disrespect you in your own house, you have to show them the front door,” said Ravens all-star receiver Nate Behar.

Gee-Gees coach Jamie Barresi said, “What I had said to the team (Friday) was I didn’t want them to be intimidated, and I think they kind of took it the wrong way. I felt I might have bottled these guys up a bit, so I tried to let the tiger out a little, but I didn’t expect that.”

“It got us all fired up, but then it’s over after the next play kind of thing,” said Sumarah.

The game was as one-sided as the score indicated.

...

After Bryce Vieira was stuffed by Stefan Carty on a third-and-one gamble from the Gee-Gees’ 48, the Ravens settled for a Mike Domagala field goal.

A botched snap and field-goal attempt wound up in a huge gain by Tunde Adeleke, who carried 56 yards to the uOttawa 40 and that led to a Jesse Mills 24-yard TD strike to Wilson Birch.

A nice run by Dexter Brown on an inside screen set up a two-yard TD run by Rowe.

 
The Gee-Gees made it 17-3 on a 41-yard Lewis Ward field goal after Kalem Beaver hauled in a 40-yard pass. After a Gee-Gees fumble on their 10-yard line after a missed field goal, the Ravens struck again – with Rowe easily scampering into the end zone. It was 27-3 at the half after another Domagala field goal. 

On the Ravens’ first possession of the second half, Battistelli dashed into the end zone, 56 yards up the middle, untouched. Carleton got a couple of safeties, the first one on a James McCallum blocked punt.

Carleton scored again when Guillaume Caron picked off a tipped pass (with Victor Twynstra in at QB for Wendel, who left the game after taking a helmet to his elbow) and ran into the end zone. The Gee-Gees got their first touchdown with less than seven minutes left when Luke French caught a three-yard pass.

“We had early mistakes, dropped balls, it was amazing how we were able to get some momentum at certain stages and it just stopped,” said Barresi. 

The photos above were found on the Carleton Ravens football website and were taken by Valerie Wutti.

2019 Jr. Rider All Stars

As announced over the weekend and added to the league's website yesterday.

The tackle numbers for defenders are solo/assisted.

1st Team

OL Eric Bento

RB Erick Baptiste
42 carries for 183 yards and two TDs
14 receptions for 274 yards and three TDs

WR Edward Ekior
21 receptions for 471, five TDs

DL Akash Bakshi
14/13 tackles, three sacks,

LB Nikolas Delisle
39/10 tackles, one interception

DB Jordon Gorgichuck
10/13 tackles, one interception

DB Justin Butler
17/9 tackles, one sack

2nd Team

QB Alexandre Lafleur
28 carries for 193 yards and four TDs
68 of 154 passing, 1185 yards, five TDs

OL Paul Lukusa

RB Augustin Mande
58 carries for 266 yards for two TDs
Two receptions for 26 yards

WR Evan Yourth
Nine receptions for 117 yards, two TDs

DL Ibrahim Hajjeh
8/4 tackles, two sacks

LB Donovan McLean
11/11 tackles, two interceptions

DB Osa Ekiyor
18/4 tackles, one interception

The picture above was taken from Paul Lukusa's Instagram account. It seemed appropriate. :-)

2010: Junior Riders Win Title to Complete Perfect Season

The following article was added to the Jr. Riders page earlier today.

I think I was at that one. I recall leaving the house, looking at the snow fall and thinking "Meh, it can't go on much longer."

Then I was waiting for a bus at Bayview thinking "Meh, it can't go on much longer."

Then I arrived at the stadium and thought "Meh, it can't go on much longer."

It went on much longer.

Pictures above copied from the QJFL Facebook group.

2020 RedBlacks Coaching Staff Updates

I'm old enough to remember when people said we wouldn't be able to get quality coaches/players to come Ottawa because GM Marcel Desjardins has no people skills and is only working on a one-year deal.

With the most qualified head coach candidate secured, and that coach already building a quality staff, I think it's safe to say that those fears are unfounded. Let's catch up on how this coaching staff is shaping up so far.

Paul Lapolice: "We are excited to bring Mike on board as our defensive coordinator. Mike has been a successful assistant coach as well as a Head Coach in our league. He has a vast background in CFL football and his input will be very valuable to our staff and our players. Our players will also enjoy working with him on a daily basis."

 “I’ve known Mike for a long time. We’ve kind of grown up in the business together. We’re on the same page on a lot of things. Making sure we had experienced co-ordinators is part of the course in the Canadian Football League. We were excited to get Bob Dyce. He’s going to help me through the process. He knows the building, he knows the players and he’s well-respected. Bringing in Mike, who’s been a head coach and defensive co-ordinator and has been successful, it’s another person who has experience. You want to surround yourself with the best people possible."

Mike Benevides: “We want to be a group that’s going to be physical and fast and aggressive and well taught. But the vision has started way before today. It didn’t go the way they wanted (in 2019). Marcel and the group have been working hard at it and Paul’s been on the job for a while now. It was an off year. Now we have an opportunity to do things to improve it. There’s a ton of work ahead of us, but that’s OK. If you do anything in life, whether it’s football or something else, there’s always a lot to get done. You get excited about it, roll up your sleeves and get at it.”

Here are the most recent recent highlights of Benevides' career.

He...began a four-season stint as the (BC) Lions’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2008 and after winning his 3rd Grey Cup in 2011, he was promoted to head coach.  In 2012, Benevides guided the Lions to a first place finish in the west with a 13-5 regular season record and in his three-seasons at the helm, the Lions were a combined 33-21.  Benevides moved-on to the Edmonton Eskimos in 2016 as the team’s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator and in his 3rd and final season with Edmonton, he also assumed the role of linebackers coach.

Benevides' appointment is, of course, in addition to retaining Bob Dyce as special teams coach and hiring Bob Wylie to coach the offensive line.

Paul LaPolice: "We’re ecstatic to have Bob Dyce back for a fifth year with the club. I’ve known and respected Bob for many years. He’s an excellent Special Teams Coordinator, he’s got a good feel for this organization and he’s beloved by his players. We think Bob will continue to play a key role in the success of this team going forward. We worked together in 2003 in Winnipeg, Bob’s first year in the CFL, and we have been friends ever since." 

Dyce has had great success in the Canadian Football League over the years. The Winnipeg native won his first Grey Cup while with Saskatchewan in 2013 and became a champion once again with the REDBLACKS in 2016.

It's crazy to think that Dyce has already been with the team four years. Prior to his involvement, it seemed like there was at least one big return given up every game and a quality punt or kickoff return was more rare than a humble Saskatchewan fan. I don't miss those days.

Paul LaPolice: "We’re also very excited to have Bob Wylie as our Offensive Line Coach. This will be the third time that we have the opportunity to work together, so he already knows what we want to do to protect our quarterbacks and how we will run the ball. He’s an unbelievable teacher of men and he will create a great atmosphere in the offensive line room.  Our players will love the experience of working with coach Wylie."

Wylie's resume is a lengthy one indeed. Here's how it is summarized in the press release.

Bob Wylie, arrives in Ottawa with decades of experience at the college and professional football levels in the US and Canada. Wylie has worked for six Division I schools, two CFL teams and eight NFL organizations. Most recently, the Rhode Island native was the O-Line coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2017-2018 after serving in the same role with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 2014-2016.

His Wikipedia page connects his stops with the success of his former players.

Saskatchewan (2009):  Under his coaching center Jeremy O'Day, and guard Gene Makowsky were named CFL All-Stars. 

Winnipeg 2014 - 2016: Under his coaching, guard Travis Bond was named a CFL All-Star as well as an All-Division selection.

The interesting part of that is that while O'Day and Makowsky had been honoured multiple times in the past, that was Bond's only season in which he was so decorated. he's a free agent in February and I wonder if he wouldn't want to reunite with his old coach.

“I’m Happy As Hell To Be Here”

Initially made public on Saturday night, Paul lapolice's hiring as RedBlacks head coach was made official earlier today. Here are a number of quotes from the press conference.

Marcel Desjardins: “This is a great day for the REDBLACKS. We conducted a thorough process in coming to a decision as to who our head coach was going to be. We started it by talking to a number of our key players and leaders to just get a sense of what they were looking for in a head coach. 

“The main three criteria for them was to have a coach that was a very good communicator, who was going to build a solid staff and also somebody who had a passion and a will to win but also to prepare to win. Those were things that were very important to them so I thank them for that.” 

“We’re excited as a group to have new ideas come in; to have a new vision from what we’ve been doing from a coaching perspective. Off the field in terms of how we prepare from an offensive standpoint, those are things that we’re in line with in terms of how we go about that process.” 

“It was a combination of maybe what some of the people were lacking that he had, plus, the fact he was an offensive guy and could run our offence at a high level – we just felt this was the best option. He’s all about teaching and communicating. When your players are telling you they want a guy who’s communicating, that says something. Paul’s all about that. That stuff, plus his vision, was a good fit for us.” 

“At the end of the day, Paul was by far the best candidate for us. There are a lot of good people in this league that all deserve a chance to be head coach of a CFL franchise. But, for us, Paul was the best choice. We’re excited as a group to have new ideas to come in, to have a different vision from what we’ve  been doing from a coaching perspective.”

Photo by Scott Grant, Image Communications

Paul LaPolice: “I’m happy as hell to be here,” said LaPolice, who had been the Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive co-ordinator since 2016 and was the team’s head coach from 2010-12. “I’m humbled and honoured to be the head coach of the Redblacks, to be in this community.” 

"I don't have any grand aspirations or bold statements to say. I will say this, we will leave no stone unturned in our game planning, our preparation and our willingness to work on a daily basis to put us in a position to win championships. I expect our team to play fast, to play physical and have fun on a daily basis and always worry about our process, not the end result." 

"I'm a better football coach as I've had more experiences and been around other people and been in other organizations. Four years in one organization to take notes on this is how you would do this and see situations and how I would handle things differently." 

"It's important to have conversations about how we do things and how our processes are and then you look at the big picture. We made sure we communicated and made sure we were on the same page, as much as you can be. I heard a lot of good things about Marcel." 

“You can’t win games when you’re minus-17 in turnovers. We have to take the ball away better defensively and protect the ball better offensively. We just have to make sure we do things winning teams do: Protect the football, take it away, put points on the board, prevent explosive plays. I don’t think winning or losing football games is one thing. If you want one thing, we have to play intelligent, smart CFL football. We have to start teaching our players how to do that.” 

“To the fans, I want to say, let’s make sure we make this the loudest place in the east. Let’s start making crowd noise important to us so when somebody comes into our house, it’ll make it even more difficult for them."

Here's a look at LaPolice's coaching history:

2000–2001 Toronto Argonauts (QB/RC/RB) 

2002–2003 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (OC/RC/RBC) 

2004–2005 Hamilton Tiger-Cats (RC) 

2006      Toronto Argonauts (RC) 

2007      Saskatchewan Roughriders (RC) 

2008–2009 Saskatchewan Roughriders (OC) 

2010–2012 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (HC) 

2016–2019 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (OC)

His record as a head coach is not particularly good (16-28), but it does include a Grey Cup appearance off a 10-8 regular season. I don't know the whole story but the disclaimer that I come across most often is to the effect that he was not properly supported by the front office.

Whatever. To be honest, I was fed up with Rick Campbell, the team's all-too-often awful home performance, fourth quarter collapses and baffling in-game decisions. Bring on the fresh start.

2020 Starts Today

At last, we can officially put the 2019 REDBLACKS season behind us.

The team wasted no time in starting preparations for 2020 with a couple of signings today.

The most interesting is that of James Tyrrell, a receiver from Concordia. I believe he was draft eligible this past spring but not chosen. Here's a snipped article from the Stingers from his final game. It was uncredited.

Stinger football fans witnessed the end of an era when quarterback Adam Vance and wide receiver James Tyrrell walked off the field for the last time at Concordia Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

The graduating seniors, who will go down as one of all-time great quarterback-receiver tandems, cemented their place in Concordia history with another strong outing in a tough 23-17 loss to McGill University before a boisterous crowd of 2207. 

Vance completed 24 of 42 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Tyrrell caught four passes for 75 yards.... 

...

Tyrrell wraps up his season with 52 receptions for 779 yards and two touchdowns. He is first in the RSEQ in receptions, yards and average yards per game with 97.4. 

The Concordia record for most receptions in a single season belongs to Daniel Skube who caught 60 passes in 2015. Tyrrell is in a three-way tie for second place with Cory Watson (2009), currently with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Stinger Vince Alessandrini (2016). 

With 779 yards receiving, Tyrrell trails only Watson for the all-time Stinger record. The current CFL star had 821 yards in 2009.

Tyrrell was named a first-team All-Canadian last week.

The team also signed Tanner Secord, a 6' 03" / 305 offensive lineman from the Saskatchewan Huskies, also a 5th year player. 

They have brought back Nathaniel Hamelin, a former Carleton Raven and a fourth-round pick by BC in 2017, and apparently are open to bringing back Gabe Polan as well. Polan was the team's third round choice in 2019 draft out of Sherbrooke but he bailed only a day or two into training camp, apparently overwhelmed by the experience.

I'm not sure if Polan is truly returning or if adding him to the active roster is simply accounting by the team to release his rights because I struggle to find evidence that Polan played in 2019. Regardless, it's good to see that the team is wasting no time in turning the page on this miserable season.

Davis, Cassar Named to First-Team All-Canadian Squad

The following is copied from geegees.ca.

Réshaan Davis is now an All-Canadian. The defensive end was recognized by U SPORTS at the All-Canadian Awards Gala in Quebec City on Thursday night, ahead of Saturday's 55th Vanier Cup...

Photography by Greg Mason 

...Davis was a statistical leader and physical force for the Gee-Gees for the second straight season. After being selected to the East-West Bowl in 2019, Davis was second in OUA this season with 11.5 tackles for loss and fourth in sacks with seven.  

"Réshaan makes game-changing plays," says Gee-Gees head coach Jamie Barresi. "He is extremely difficult to handle in one-on-one situations and that was evident against every opponent. He is particularly effective in key moments and in late stages of games, and even in situations deep in the opponent's territory when their pass protection should be at its best." 

The product of Monsignor Paul Dwyer C.H.S. in Oshawa, Ont., Davis started every game in 2019 and registered sacks in five games with two against both Queen's and Laurier. The fourth-year Gee-Gee averaged 4.1 tackles per game and also had one forced fumble and one pass breakup this season. In his career with uOttawa, Davis has registered 13 sacks.

Carleton linebacker Jack Cassar was also selected on the strength of 44 tackles on the season (seven of which were for loss), four sacks and five pass breakups. Both gentlemen were members of the all-OUA team as well, naturally, but Cassar was a 2018 all-conference selection as well.

Photo from USports website, credit unavailable

2019 NCSSAA Senior Championship: Ashbury 42, Colonel By 12

This game took place this past Tuesday. It was originally scheduled for the middle of the previous week but delayed due to weather.

I have yet to come across a good recap of the game but, as is often the case, I will update this post with details if I come across them. In the meantime, congratulations Colts on your fourth city championship!

Ashbury Colts receiver Ben Huckabone. Photography by Drew Monrad as shared by the Ottawa High School Football Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Kanata Knights are Interprovincial Midget Champions! But First...

Kanata Knights had an eventful night this past Sunday. They not only successfully defended their 2018 NCAFA Midget championship, they defeated the Quebec Midget Football League champion Orleans Raftsmen to win Interprovincial recognition as well. Not interprovincial in any real way, but it goes down in the books as such, anyway.

I didn't find anything about the interprovincial game in the Sun/Citizen and local papers can be slow to report on these things. Case in point, the Orleans Star reported on the game the Raftsmen played in Montreal on November 3rd against the North Shore Mustangs only on November 12th.

But we'll take it for now! A portion of that article, by long-time local sports reporter Fred Sherwin, is copied below. The full version is here.

...the Raftsmen caught a break midway through the first quarter when the (Mustangs) went for it on fourth and one on the three-yard line and end up coughing up the ball. Orléans linebacker Eric Cumberbatch was Johnny on the spot to recover the loose ball and end the threat. 

The Raftsmen were unable to move the ball on their series and decided to give up a safety rather than attempt a punt from their end zone. It would be the only points the Mustangs would score all game. 

The Raftsmen's first touchdown came early in the second quarter on a 38-yard run up the middle by Dante Spadaccini. 

The Raftsmen's second touchdown came on a 25-yard pass from Nick Rico to Colin Doherty who managed to keep his feet in bounds at the back of the end zone with 1:02 left in the first half. 

The final touchdown was set up by a 58-yard punt return by Ethan Wilson. The decisive blow was delivered by Rico who threw a bullet to Jonathan Aoude who was standing on the goal line. 

The Raftsmen would add a single off a punt in the fourth quarter that the Mustangs were unable to get out of their end zone to make the final score 22-2 in favour of Orleans.

It was a dominating performance by the Raftsmen who finished the regular season with an 5-2 record. Their two losses came against the Kanata Knights in a crossover game with the NCAFA team in their season opener and the Mustangs who beat them 22-7 on Sept. 28. 

Among their five wins were five shut-outs which contributed to their league best points against total (58) and points differential (+57). The Raftsmen allowed just 158 yards in offence against the Mustangs in the championship game while racking up 297 yards when they had the ball. 

Rico completed 11 of 14 passes for 157 yards...He also ran for 30 yards on seven carries and a TD. Spadaccini finished the game with 97 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown...

The Raftsmen's stellar season would end on a sour note in the Interprovincial Bowl on Sunday, Nov. 10. 

The NCAFA champion Kanata Stallions beat them 22-14 to maintain the National Capital Amateur Football Association dominance over the QMFL. NCAFA teams are now 9-1 against their Quebec counterparts in the season finale for both leagues.

It was actually 28-14. And when local papers catch up, I'll try to locate and post a recap of that game.

The photo above was lifted from the Knights' Facebook page. I'm not certain who took it but it certainly wasn't me.

I should also mention that it was good to see Fred Sherwin's name attached to one of these articles. He was a go-to guy for me when I ran the original version of this website/blog from about 2007 to 2012 or so. He provides a lot of detailed coverage about the youth sports programs in Orleans. His work was, and continues to be, appreciated.

"Pair of REDBLACKS named CFL East Division All-Stars"

Since we're talking about awards and recognition this morning (see earlier post about the OUS all-star and all-rookie selections), may as well include the REDBLACKS selections. It won't take long.

 The text below is from a press release by the team.

The CFL unveiled its divisional all-stars on Wednesday and a pair of Ottawa REDBLACKS made the cut.  

Announced as members of the East Division All-Star squad are Canadian and original REDBLACK Nolan MacMillan and American punter Richie Leone.  

Both players were nominated by the club for end-of-year awards this year, with MacMillan named Ottawa's best Canadian and offensive lineman. Leone, meanwhile, was named the REDBLACKS Special Teams player of the year.  

In his sixth CFL season, all with Ottawa, MacMillan started 14 games and provided his usual steadying veteran presence up front for the REDBLACKS before missing the final games of the season due to injury.  

Photography by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia 

Leone had a busy 2019 campaign for the REDBLACKS with 128 punts in 17 games played, averaging 48.7 yards and a net field position flip of 39.5 yards. Leone also accumulated 2,917 yards on kickoffs, averaging 62.1 yards per kick. 

Let's adjust these a bit; Leone, of course, ended up playing in all 18 games so his totals are actually 132 punts for a 48.4 average. His kickoff average was ultimately 61.8 yards.

No disrespect intended towards either gentleman but anytime you have to refer to your star punter as "busy" is bad. Leone's personal achievements (i.e. averages) are quite good, so the award is well-deserved, but it's also partially an indictment of the offence, obviously. Montreal's Boris Bede has the second-most punts with 109.

2019 OUA All-Conference / All-Rookie

The OUA handed out some hardware earlier this week. Here are the players honoured, along with the league's write-up on each.

All-Conference

REC – Phil Iloki, Carleton

The senior pass-catcher was among the league's elite with his seventh-ranked mark of 80.5 yards per game. Iloki's efforts went for an average of 14.6 yards per catch and he turned three of those grabs into touchdowns for the Ravens this season, providing a consistently reliable option for the team's first-time starter under centre.

Note: Iloki is credited with 44 receptions on the year.

Photography by Tim Austen

DE – Réshaan Davis, Ottawa

Réshaan Davis (Oshawa, Ont.) was among the leaders in sacks, tallying seven on the season, as well as tackles for loss with 11.5.

LB – Jack Cassar, Carleton

Jack Cassar (Mississauga, Ont.) maintained his status as one of the most intimidating individuals on defence, racking up 44 tackles, including seven for a loss, as well as four sacks and five pass breakups. Cassar started his season with a bang, totaling 10.5 tackles in the black birds' opener to earn defensive player of the week honours...

SAM – Trevor Hoyte, Carleton

Trevor Hoyte's...eight-tackle effort anchored his Week 8 honour, but his season marks of 35.5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery have him placed firmly alongside his Carleton teammate as a first-team all-star.

HB – Cody Cranston, Ottawa

Cody Cranston (Winnipeg, Man.) and his team-high three interceptions also make the first team roster; an all-star campaign that he rounded out with a fumble recovery and 18.5 tackles.

RUSH – Rashad Spooner, Ottawa

Note: Spooner didn't get much of a write-up on the OUA website. I suppose it can be tricky to list contributions of a player specifically as a punt/kickoff cover man. Defensively, as a defensive back, he is credited with 15 tackles (in seven games) 10 assists, a sack, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups.

All-Rookie

Patrick Lavoie, OL, Carleton

Kevin Victome, DB, Ottawa

Kevin Victome (Ottawa, Ont.) earned the OUA special teams player of the week nod with a pair of game-changing plays...When the dust settled on his first season in Garnet and Grey, Victome had rattled off (a blocked field goal, two forced fumbles), to go along with four pass breakups and 20 tackles.

"REDBLACKS and Rick Campbell agree to part ways"

It's been a few days since (now-former) REDBLACKS head coach Rick Campbell resigned. I'm going to start with the official release then gather some quotes from the various interviews that have taken place since.

Nov 4th - The Ottawa REDBLACKS and Head Coach Rick Campbell have decided to part ways. After a difficult 3-15 season, Campbell informed the Club that he felt he could not continue as head coach and the club respects his position. 

"I would like to thank the Ottawa REDBLACKS for the last six seasons in this great city," said Campbell. "I'd also like to thank (General Manager) Marcel (Desjardins) for entrusting me with my first CFL head coaching opportunity. Leaving the REDBLACKS was a difficult decision to come to but, at the end of the day, the future of the organization is bigger than any one person and I believe it is in the best interest of the team for me to move on. I also want to thank the fans; RNation, we couldn't have accomplished what we have without you." 

 Photo from cfl.ca

Campbell leaves the REDBLACKS as the only head coach in franchise history. While his biggest success was leading the club to its first Grey Cup championship in 40 years, Campbell also coached the REDBLACKS to two other appearances in the championship game, the first coming in just the club’s second year of existence. That success included transforming a 2-16 expansion team in 2014 into Grey Cup finalists the next year through key free agent signings and the emergence of young prospects. The following year, the REDBLACKS would win it all.  

"On behalf of the Ottawa REDBLACKS, I want to thank Rick for his dedication since becoming our first-ever Head Coach," said Desjardins. "Rick's passion for coaching helped put our team on the CFL map and we will always be thankful for that. We wish Rick all the best in the next step of his career."

Campbell: “There are some pretty magic moments I won’t forget, I’m going to remember those moments...Going down Bank St. in the Grey Cup parade, are you kidding me? Literally, through my neighbourhood. That’s good shit there, pardon my language. I’m going to remember the good stuff, I appreciate it.”

"I know it feels like the right thing. I wanted to be really sure because it's been a long year with a lot of losing that I wasn't being rash or overly emotional making a poor decision. 

“Not to get into all the specifics, but I really didn’t like it when there were people who left here with a bad taste in their mouth — the list was getting a little long. You have to treat people well, you have to treat them right, empower them, value them. If you do that, people will go through the wall for you. If you don’t, it can make it tougher."

“I just want to make sure all the people who have left this place feel appreciated and feel valued. It wasn’t a power play or anything like that. It was about everybody pulling in the same direction and making it a fun place to work — for me, that was slipping, but that’s on me.

“I do not dislike Marcel, it’s not about that. Marcel’s got a lot of knowledge, there’s a reason why we won around here. Maybe it’s me that’s changed. If you know Marcel, he’s pretty consistent in how he acts. I would guess as it’s more me changing than him. Sometimes relationships have to jive to be able to communicate. It’s nothing against Marcel, I’ll put it on me too, I have to be a better communicator.”

OSEG CEO/president Mark Goudie: “My full expectation was both Marcel and Rick would be back next year and we’d be able to turn the page on what’s been a difficult 2019 and get back to where we should be at this time of year — preparing for a home playoff game,” said OSEG CEO/president Mark Goudie."

“Marcel has full authority and autonomy to put the football ops and coaching staff together, I’ll stay out of his kitchen on that. I’ll probably participate in the interview process, more for explaining the organization and what the Redblacks and OSEG are all about. Marcel has carte blanche to figure out what the staff will look like next year.”

Ottawa Redblacks general manager Marcel Desjardins, left, and Ottawa Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Mark Goudie speak to reporters about the news that head coach Rick Campbell will leave the team Monday. - Justin Tang , The Canadian Press

Desjardins: “I found out from Mark before I found out from Rick. The conversation after the fact was that he didn’t think our relationship was good enough for him to want to continue in this arrangement. Obviously, the stress of this season must have played a factor in that.

“I’m as surprised as everybody else by this outcome. My expectation was Rick would be back and we’d work together to try and get this thing straightened out. Today is kind of a strange day, an unexpected day. Rick’s a good guy, he takes everything to heart — he and I are similar in a lot of ways.

“I take complete responsibility for everything, but I also know all of the success we’ve had in the past, it was a group effort. As much as I’m the person to answer for this, there are a lot of things that happened, some of those were under my control. But there are a lot of things that didn’t work out — whether it be on the coaching side or injuries — that’s unfortunate, but at the end of the day, it’s my fault, it’s my responsibility.”

QMJFL Championship Game: Ottawa Jr. Riders 17, Chateauguay Raiders 07

The Jr. Riders overcame a 7-6 halftime deficit to secure their ninth league championship last night against long-time rival Chateauguay. I'll post more about the game when (or if) I come across more information.