2011 CIS Football Team Preview: Bishop's Gaiters

Source: John Edwards, Bishop's Sports Info

Click here to download the 2011 Bishop’s Gaiters Football Prospectus

2010 regular season record: 5-4
2010 regular season standings: T-3rd QUFL
2010 playoff record: 0-1
2010 playoff finish: Lost 56-1 to Laval in QUFL semi-final

The Bishop's Gaiters will boast a different lineup from what fans in Lennoxville have become accustomed to over the last few years. The change starts at the top, where Tony Addona has taken over for his second stint as Head Coach, after the late resignation of Leroy Blugh. The change is also evident on the field, where long-time starters Jesse Andrews, Tim Cronk, Olivier Mongeau, Justin Conn, Junior Turner and Nick Poloniato have all graduated.

This change does not faze Addona. "Our character is emerging," said the coach who won 125 games with Champlain College, "Our seniors understand and they are willing to contribute. Our attitude is good. The players understand that this is a different season."

2010 saw the Gaiters explode out of the gate, as they rebounded from a season-opening loss to Concordia to rattle off five straight victories and rose to as high as No. 5 in the country. After a thrilling overtime win over McGill, the Gaiters trounced then-No. 10 Acadia 31-16 at Homecoming and came from behind to stun Concordia 18-17 at the Montreal Shrine Bowl. Even a flood couldn't stop the Gaiters, as they downed then-No. 3 Montreal 39-21 at home on Oct. 3, in a game that was delayed 24 hours due to the rising St. Francis River, and they followed that up with a 40-10 win at Sherbrooke. However, as the October temperatures fell, so did the Gaiters' fortunes, as they closed the year with three straight losses, and fell to the Vanier Cup Champions Laval in the QUFL semi-final. 

Addona has made several adjustments to the team's coaching staff, most notably the return of a familiar name to Gaiters fans. Ian Breck, who led the Gaiters to three OQIFC championships during his 12 years as head coach, has returned to coach the defensive line. "Ian has been a successful coach in the CIAU, and is an experienced winner," said Addona. The Gaiters also have a pair of additions from the West, as Brent Bailey, a two-time provincial High School Coach of the Year and a former receivers coach for the Alberta Golden Bears, comes to coach the Gaiter pass catchers, while Jeff Willett, a former Acadia Axemen who coached the South Kamloops (B.C.) Titans for the last 12 seasons, will guide the running backs.

 The Quebec league's nine-game schedule means the Gaiters will have five regular-season home games for the first time. All five conference opponents will visit Coulter Field this year, starting with Concordia on Sept. 10. Montreal will provide the opposition for the annual Homecoming game on September 24, with Sherbrooke, McGill and Laval visiting Lennoxville in October. The Sherbrooke game on October 6 will be the first Thursday night home game in Gaiters' history. The Gaiters hit the road four times this year, starting with the Mayor's Cup in Sherbrooke on September 2, and including a visit to Sackville, N.B. to play the Mount Allison Mounties on September 17. Visits to McGill (Sept. 30) and Laval (Oct. 16) round out the regular-season slate. Including the non-conference game at York on August 27, the Gaiters could play for 14 consecutive weeks this season, should they advance to the Vanier Cup in Vancouver on Friday, November 25.

Quote from head coach:  

"We have a good, solid group of individuals who can lead the program. We will be competitive this year, and our attitude is good."

Head Coach: Tony Addona

- Number of seasons as head coach with team (including 2011): 1 (2 overall)
- Number of seasons as head coach in CIS (including 2011): 2
- Career regular season record with team: 1-7
- Career regular season record in CIS: same
- Career overall record with team (reg. season & playoffs only): 1-7
- Career overall record in CIS (reg. season & playoffs only): same

Offence                        Starters returning/lost: 7/5

Key returning players:

• Jordan Heather, QB, 3^rd season. Ormocto, N.B. native expected to move into starting role this season.
• David Haddrall, SB, 4^th season. Led Gaiters with 480 receiving yards last year, and was named team's Offensive Player of the Year.
• John Jean-Baptiste, RB, 4^th season. Led Gaiters with 273 rushing yards last year, and will look to build on strong East-West Bowl performance.

Key recruits / newcomers / transfers:

• Nick Blanchette, OL, White Rock, B.C. / Vancouver College. A native of Victoria, B.C., this 6'5", 300 lb. lineman won provincial high school championship at Vancouver College.
• Erik Krebs, OL, Puslinch, Ont. / Grossmont College (Calif.) / Jacob Hespeler H.S. A native of Cambridge, Ont., this 6'6" 305 lb. tackle was a 2009 league all-star before spending last season in the U.S.
• Kevin Rivet, WR, Otterburn Park, Que. / Univ. de Montreal / Cégep de Vieux-Montréal. Transfer from Université de Montreal was the Carabins' leading receiver in 2008.
• Bryan Counter, FB, Sherbrooke, Que. / Cégep de Sherbrooke. Lac Mégantic, Que. native won four Bol d'Or championships with Cégep de Sherbrooke Volontaires.

Key losses:

• Jesse Andrews (QB). A five-year starter and the first 6,000-yard passer in school history. Made 38 starts in five years, and finished his career holding all major school career passing records. Is now serving as an offensive assistant
• Olivier Mongeau (WR). Four-year starter at receiver and 2010 East-West Bowl participant made 18 catches last season for 250 yards.
• Tim Cronk (FB). Five-year starter at fullback. Signed as a free agent with the B.C. Lions (CFL) in the offseason.

OUTLOOK

Benoît Groulx's offence has seven starters returning from last year's unit that averaged 287 yards per game. Jordan Heather will look to fill the quarterback vacancy left by the departure of Jesse Andrews, and he will have a veteran group of targets, as the Gaiters return their top four running backs and four of their top five receivers, led by East-West Bowl participants John Jean-Baptiste (Ottawa, Ont.) and David Haddrall (Kingston, Ont.). Up front, the Gaiters return three starters from last year's offensive line, including East-West Bowl participant Kyle Handy (Cornwall, Ont.), and also boast a strong pair of rookies.

Quarterbacks
The Gaiters are in an unfamiliar position this year, with a contest for the starting quarterback position for the first time since 2006, as Jesse Andrews concluded his five-year career last season. Jordan Heather, a third-year native of Oromocto, N.B., has come out of the winter practices as the heir apparent. He started both of the Gaiters' playoff games in the last two years, and was 10-for-23 for 77 yards in limited action last season.

The veterans challenging Heather will be Alex Rivet (Le Moyne, Que.), the former Montreal Carabin who went 8-for-16 for 97 yards in one game last year, and Shane McDonald (Uxbridge, Ont.), who saw his first action in last year's QUFL semi-final at Laval. Two rookies are also in the mix: Marc-Antoine Hamel (St-Appollinaire, Que.), who was the Cégep AA Division I Offensive Player of the Year in 2010, as he went 108-for-196 for 1419 yards while throwing 18 touchdowns and only three interceptions for the Lévis-Lauzon Faucons, and Jon Shaw (Stittsville, Ont.), who spent four years with South Carleton High School and has shown well in early workouts.

Running Backs
The Gaiters return an experienced group of tailbacks, but will need to replace five-year starter Tim Cronk at fullback. Leading the ball carriers is John Jean-Baptiste (Ottawa, Ont.), who was the team's leading rusher last season, with 273 yards on 70 carries, along with Matt Burke (Timberlea, N.S.), a third-year Champlain College alum who ran for 218 yards and scored two touchdowns last season and Quincy Van De Cruize (Etobicoke, Ont.), the second-year Champlain alumnus who is rapidly developing into an all-around threat.

Also in the mix is Ronlee King-Fileen (Oshawa, Ont.), who played four games last year, averaging 5.9 yards per carry, and redshirt freshman Ryon McCalla (Brampton, Ont.) who will look to break into the dress roster this season. Rookie Jordan Lauther (Truro, N.S.) will also look to climb the depth chart.

At fullback, with Tim Cronk now playing with the B.C. Lions, the mantle has been passed to Pier-Luc Champagne (Sorel, Que.), who moved into the position late last year, after spending two years as a linebacker. He will be backed up by Luca Urbani (Montreal, Que.), a Vanier College alumnus who saw his first game action in last year's playoff game. Challenging the veterans will be Bryan Counter (Lac Mégantic, Que.), who won four Bol d'Ors with the Cégep de Sherbrooke Volontaires.

Receivers
The Gaiters return four of their top five receivers from last season, with Geoff Coventry (Orleans, Ont.), Alexander Fox (Montreal West, Que.), David Haddrall (Kingston, Ont.) and Stephen Adekolu (Brampton, Ont.) all back in the fold.

At the wide receiver position, the spot left open by the departure of Olivier Mongeau will see competition from Adekolu who caught 19 passes for 193 yards last year and Kevin Rivet (Otterburn Park, Que.), a transfer from the Montreal Carabins who has caught 81 passes for 956 yards in his career; along with redshirt freshman Tristan Bailey (Ottawa, Ont.) and Jehu Telfer (Toronto, Ont.) who sat out the 2010 season.

Pushing the veterans for playing time will be Dennis Gagné (Ottawa, Ont.), who was the offensive MVP for the St. Peter Knights in 2010, and Joseph MacDonald (Kingston, Ont.), who spent four seasons with the Kingston Grenadiers of the OVFL.

Among the inside receivers, David Haddrall will look to build on his breakout 2010 season, which saw him lead the Gaiters with 32 catches for 480 yards and three touchdowns, on his way to a berth in the East-West Bowl and being named the Gaiters' Offensive Player of the Year, while Alexander Fox (Montreal West, Que.) will look to build on a strong rookie season that saw him make 18 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns.

Veterans Shantino Wilson (Brampton, Ont.) and Nathan Heather (Oromocto, N.B.) will also look to increase their contribution. Second-year man Isak Birungi (Pickering, Ont.), who last played for the Gaiters in 2008, has also impressed in early practices. Challenging the veterans for playing time will be rookies Vincent Plourde (Drummondville, Que.) and J.P. Chretien (Trois-Rivières, Que.), who both join the Gaiters from the Cégep AA ranks.

Offensive Line
The Gaiters return seven veterans, including three starters, to the offensive line. 2010 starters Adam Hughes (Brampton, Ont.), Noubar Mareshlian (Montreal, Que.) and Kyle Handy are all back in the fold, but will have to adjust to new positions. Hughes and Handy are expected to move out to the tackle positions, with Mareshlian moving from centre to guard. Tyler Harding (Pickering, Ont.), who made three starts late in 2010 at guard, remains in that spot, with veteran Yan Jacques (Mont-St-Hilaire, Que.) moving into the centre position. They will be pushed by redshirt freshmen Philippe St-Martin (Gatineau, Que.) and Chris Robertson (Cantley, Que.), along with Jordan Kerr (Mississauga, Ont.), a transfer from Concordia. A strong crop of newcomers, led by Nick Blanchette (White Rock, B.C. / Vancouver College), Eric Krebs (Puslinch, Ont. / Grossmont College), and Antoine Lahaie (Victoriaville, Que. / Cégep de Victoriaville) will also look to break into the lineup.

DEFENCE                        Starters returning/lost: 7/5

Key returning players:

• Harrison Maloney, DB, 4^th year. 2010 CIS Second Team All-Star and 2011 East-West Bowl Participant. Made 31.5 tackles last season and scored an interception return touchdown. 
• Tyler Jutras, LB, 5^th year. Linebacker was named co-Defensive Player of the Year last year. Made 26 tackles in nine games, including seven tackles for loss. 
• Elie Ngoyi, DL, 3^rd year. Made 38 tackles last year, including 5.5 sacks.
• Steven Adu, DB, 2^nd year. Cornerback made 26.5 tackles in his rookie season.

Key recruits (or newcomers: transfers):

• Jon Watts, DL, Gainesville, Florida / Butte College (Calif.). Two-time Conference All-Star made 60.5 tackles in two years, helping Butte to a 13-0 record and a JuCo national championship in 2008.
• Greg Mellios, DL, Cornwall, Ont. / Concordia Univ. / Cornwall Wildcats. Transfer from Concordia, 6'2", 200 lb., lineman was a two-time team MVP in high school and a multi-sport athlete, playing varsity basketball and Junior B lacrosse.
• Jeff Rogers, DB, Dartmouth, N.S. / Champlain College / Dartmouth High. Former high school all-star spent three years at Champlain College, making a pair of interceptions in 2010.

Key losses:

• Mathieu Boulay, DL. Was team's leading tackler with 39.5 stops in nine games and 11.5 tackles for loss. Signed with Saskatchewan Roughriders.
• Nick Poloniato, CB. 2009 and 2010 QUFL All-Star. Made 15 career interceptions, one short of the school record.
• Justin Conn, LB. Signed by Montreal Alouettes immediately after 2010 season. Made 29 tackles, including three sacks, and had two interceptions in 2010.
• Junior Turner, DL. Second-round draft pick by Calgary Stampeders in 2011. Made 27.5 tackles, including five tackles for loss, and knocked down three passes in 2010.

OUTLOOK

Defensively, the Gaiters return seven starters from the 2010 squad, most notably the departures of Mathieu Boulay and Junior Turner to the CFL. Leading the Gaiters' returners is Harrison Maloney, who was a second-team All-Canadian and a 2011 member of Team East at the East-West Bowl. The Gaiters have a veteran linebacking corps, with Dan West (Pickering, Ont.), Tyler Jutras (Chateauguay, Que.) and Jermaine-Lewis-Parris (Brampton, Ont.) also returning. Up front, Elie Ngoyi (Sherbrooke, Que.) and Kenrick Ritchie (Scarborough, Ont.) will lead the Gaiters’ front line.

Defensive Line
While the losses of Turner and Boulay to the professional ranks will be difficult to replace, the Gaiters do return two defensive line starters, as Elie Ngoyi (Sherbrooke, Que.) and Kenrick Ritchie (Scarborough, Ont.) are back in the fold. Ngoyi finished third on the team last year with 38 tackles in nine games, including 5.5 sacks, while fourth-year veteran Ritchie made 13.5 tackles, broke up a pass and forced a fumble in his first full season as a starter.

Kevin Kwasny (Winnipeg, Man.) and Steve McCollum (Brampton, Ont.) will also look to solidify their places in the starting lineup. Kwasny made 7.5 tackles last year, while McCollum made two tackles in limited action last year. Kwasny may also see time at linebacker.

Trevor Kemp (Ottawa, Ont.), who redshirted last season, will also look to move into the lineup, as he moves up from linebacker. Jon Watts (Gainesville, Fla.), a former Junior College star in California, has impressed in early workouts, but will need to adjust to the vagaries of the Canadian game. Newcomers Greg Mellios (Cornwall, Ont.), a transfer from Concordia, and Antoine Vallee (Quebec City, Que.) from Champlain College will also look to crack the lineup. Vallée made 14 tackles and had a sack for the Cougars last season.

Linebackers
A veteran set of linebackers return for the Gaiters, with returning starters Dan West and Tyler Jutras joined by fifth-year veteran Jermaine Lewis-Parris, who has moved up from defensive halfback. West made 22 tackles last year, including three sacks, while Jutras was second on the team with seven tackles for loss. Lewis-Parris made 24 tackles last year, forced a fumble and made a sack.

Pushing the veterans for playing time will be a trio of redshirts, as ex-Champlain Cougars Phil N'Djore (Gatineau, Que.) and Jordan Larochelle (Calgary, Alta.), along with Adrian Clarke (Mississauga, Ont.) and Nathan Moyse (Kingston, Ont.) all look to solidify their places in the starting lineup. Among the newcomers, Theo Thompson (Chateauguay, Que.), who spent last year with Kent School in Connecticut, and David Plourde (Drummondville, Que.), who played three years with the Champlain Cougars, are aiming to move up the depth chart.

Defensive Backs
The Gaiters' secondary is led by halfback Harrison Maloney, a 2010 Second Team All-Canadian who made 31.5 tackles last season, and scored an interception return touchdown. The Gaiters also return cornerback Steven Adu (Brampton, Ont.), who made 26.5 tackles and had three knockdowns last season. The loss of Nick Poloniato to graduation, and Lewis-Parris' move into the linebacking corps will require some of the younger members of the secondary to step up.

First among those who will be asked to increase their contribution is O'Shane Daley (Scarborough, Ont.), who is expected to move into the safety position, following the graduation of Shane Francis. Daley has shown steady development during his time in purple. He will be pushed by redshirt Kyle Hodder (Ottawa, Ont.), a former Cumberland Panther.

At halfback, Ryland Smith (Brampton, Ont.) and Ben McPherson (Napanee, Ont.) will compete for the vacant post left by Lewis-Parris' conversion to linebacker. In limited action last season, Smith had 9.5 tackles, while McPherson made three. Kiron Clarke (Brampton, Ont.), who moved into the lineup late last season, is aiming to solidify his place on the Saturday roster.

Redshirt freshman Randy Ouaton (Ottawa, Ont.), who was an all-star at Franco-Cite high school, will compete for the other starting cornerback spot with Jeff Rogers (Dartmouth, N.S.), who spent three years at Champlain College, along with fellow redshirt Marcus Lam-Peters (Toronto, Ont.)

SPECIAL TEAMS                        Starters returning/lost: 1/1

Punter/Kicker
After setting a school record with 89 points last season, place kicker Josh Maveety has moved into the professional ranks, leaving all the kicking duties to Mathieu Paquette. The second-year Magog native handled the Gaiters' punting last year, averaging 37.0 yards on 64 punts, including six kicks of 50 or more yards. Paquette was the place kicker and punter for the Cégep de Sherbrooke Volontaires, and kicked the winning points in the 2007 Bol d'Or.

Returners
The Gaiters return both their leading punt and kickoff returners this season. Quincy Van De Cruize averaged 10.2 yards on 31 punt returns, including a touchdown last season, while Alexander Fox returned nine kickoffs for an average of 15.3 yards. O'Shane Daley and Steven Adu are also expected to shoulder some of the return load.