2008 Atlantic University Sport Football Major Awards Announced

November 6, 2008 (HALIFAX, NS) - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2008 football major award winners as selected by the conference's four head coaches following regular season play.

Quarterback Kelly Hughes of the Mount Allison Mounties is the 2008 Atlantic University Sport Most Valuable Player. Hughes, a third year pivot from Brampton, ON, led the Mounties to a 2-6 record this season and a berth in the playoffs.

The 2008 season saw Kelly lead the conference in passing yardage with 1,870 yards, passing attempts (251), completions (137), touchdown passes (11) and had a pass efficiency rating of 122.9. In addition, the versatile QB proved to be a weapon in the Mounties ground attack, rushing the ball 89 times for another 616 yards and two TD's. Hughes averaged 77.0 rushing yards per game and his 616 yards were second only in the conference to all-star running back James Green of StFX.

"Kelly has grown to be a true leader on our team," said Mounties head coach Kelly Jeffrey. "He is a special player who's leadership and toughness motivates all the players on our team." 

In just his third season with the Mount Allison program, Kelly has passed for 5,145 yards, an all-time school record, and is just the tenth QB in conference history to eclipse the 5,000-yard mark in a career. Hughes currently holds every Mounties single-game, single-season and career passing record.

Eric Lapointe was the last Mountie to be named the conference's Most Valuable Player and Saint Mary's quarterback Erik Glavic and Lapointe are the most recent Atlantic conference players to take home the Hec Crighton Trophy as the outstanding player in CIS. Lapointe won the award both in 1998 and 1996 while Glavic was last season's recipient.

The 2008 Defensive Player of the Year is StFX linebacker Henoc Muamba. Henoc, a native of Kinshasa, Congo in his second year of eligibility, has already become known throughout the league as one of the conference's top play-makers on defence.

Muamba led all Atlantic conference linebackers in tackles with an average of 5.8 per game and interceptions with three. He also added 3.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble in just seven games this season. Henoc has been selected as the Atlantic University Sport Defensive Player of the Week four times in 2008 and was named to the conference's defensive all-star team earlier this week.

A team captain with the X-Men, he was the leader of a StFX defence that led the conference in sacks (21) and interceptions (12) and surrendered a league-low four rushing touchdowns and 915 rushing yards in 2008, and average of 114.4 per contest.

"Henoc has delivered outstanding performances for our team on a weekly basis and is a major reason for the improvement in our run defence," said StFX head coach John Bloomfield. "He is extremely athletic and can run from sideline to sideline from his weak side linebacker position. He is a physical player who brings it on every play."

Muamba is nominated for the Presidents' Trophy. StFX's Adam MacDonald was the last StFX player to be named the Defensive Player of the Year and is also the most recent Atlantic conference winner of President's Trophy, which he was awarded in 2002.

Saint Mary's receiver and return specialist Jahmeek Murray is the 2008 Atlantic conference Rookie of the Year. A first-year student from Mississauga, ON, Jahmeek has had an immediate impact with the Saint Mary's program, particularly on special teams, leading the conference in total kick return yards (360 yards) and kick return average (22.5 yards/return). He also ranked second in the CIS in both categories and was named the Atlantic University Sport special teams player of the week twice and CIS player of the week once this season.

Murray finished second only to Mount Allison's Gary Ross in punt return yardage with 252 yards on 29 returns, for an average of 8.7 yards per return. He also added 34 yards rushing and 22 yards receiving on offence to give him a total of 668 all-purpose yards in 2008, the third highest total in the league.

"Jahmeek has a natural gift for running the football," says Huskies head coach Steve Sumarah. "He is highly skilled and is developing into an all-around football player. His future is very bright not just as a returner but as a receiver as well."

Huskies kicker Justin Palardy is the most recent SMU player to be name the Atlantic conference Rookie of the Year (2006) and StFX's Jeremy Steeves (2001) is the most recent winner of the Peter Gorman Trophy as the top Rookie in CIS football.

The Atlantic University Sport Outstanding Lineman of the Year is StFX offensive lineman Steve Myddelton. Myddelton, a fourth year tackle from Barrie, ON, has been a conference all-star tackle for the past two seasons and was elected a captain this year by his teammates.

Steve was a participant in the 2008 CIS East-West All-Star game in Hamilton in May and earlier this fall was identified as the 7th-ranked CFL prospect currently playing university football in Canada. Myddelton has also played on the defensive line in many circumstances for the X-Men in the past two seasons and has been extremely effective when called upon to play "both ways".

"Steve has been a dominant player at the left tackle position for the X-Men this season," says head coach John Bloomfield. "He has emerged as a true team leader and the definitive leader of our offensive line."

Myddelton will represent the conference as the nominee for the J.P. Metras Trophy which was last brought back to the AUFC in 1997 when StFX's Mike Kushnir was named the CIS's top lineman.

For the second consecutive season, Saint Mary's head coach Steve Sumarah has been selected by his peers as the Atlantic conference Coach of the Year. Sumarah, now in his third year at the helm of the Huskies' program, led the team to a first place finish with a 7-1 regular season record, including a perfect 6-0 against Atlantic conference teams, despite losing the services of 2007 Hec Crighton Trophy winner Erik Glavic at quarterback. His Huskies still managed to lead the conference in scoring with 259 points while also allowing the fewest points against (168).

Steve, a native of Halifax, NS, is a former receiver at both StFX and Saint Mary's, and has been a coach with the Huskies program for a total of 11 years. In 1999, he was chosen as the Football Nova Scotia Coach of the Year and in 2000, he was named the Atlantic University Sport Volunteer Coach of the Year as a member of Blake Nill's staff. In three seasons as head coach, Sumarah has compiled a 17-6 regular season record and is 20-8 overall, including post-season play.

Harrison Petropolis of the StFX X-Men, has been selected as the Atlantic University Sport Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner and is the conference nominee for the Russ Jackson Award. Named after CFL quarterback Russ Jackson, the award recognizes a Canadian university football player who excels on the field, in academics, and in community service.

Harrison is a fourth year starting defensive tackle at StFX and is actively involved in many community and campus charitable activities, while maintaining a 3.60 grade point average. Harrison has written the MCAT exam and intends to follow in his father's and brother's footsteps in pursuing a career in medicine. He has been employed by StFX for two summers (2006 and 2008) researching in a chemistry lab doing synthesis and study of surfactants.

Harrison's community activities include:
Volunteered with Best Buddies, a group involved with building skills and self confidence with mentally challenged persons from the community.
- Volunteered in the transitional care unit at the Victoria Grace hospital in Halifax.
- Fundraised and participated in Relay for Life, a program to raise money for cancer research.
- Volunteered with the Special Olympics when they were held in Antigonish.
- Has volunteered time to tutor fellow student-athletes and classmates since 2005.
- Volunteer instructor at StFX X-Men summer football camps.

Harrison had been having his best season on the field prior to suffering a season-ending knee injury in week 7 at Acadia.

"Harrison had been having an all-star calibre year," said X-Men head coach John Bloomfield. "He is the consummate example of the Xaverian student-athlete and we believe he would be a very deserving recipient of the Russ Jackson Award."

Terry Chisholm, an assistant coach with the StFX X-Men is the recipient of the Phil Hughes Award as the Atlantic conference's Volunteer Coach of the Year and has been nominated for the Gino Fracas Award.

Chisholm is the running backs coach at StFX, a position he has primarily coached for his 20 years on the X-Men staff, working with several different head coaches and numerous different staff members. He has also worked with linebackers and special teams in his time at StFX.

Coach Chisholm is known as an extremely positive person who exerts a very constructive presence. As a lifelong educator, Terry has made the StFX study-hall program into a shining example of success, which can be measured by the high graduation rate and the number of Academic All-Canadians StFX has produced. Most, if not all of the student-athlete's could point to the assistance provided to them by coach Chisholm, in their freshman year at StFX and beyond, in preparing them for success on and off the field.

"Terry is beloved by our players and I regularly receive correspondences from alumni to 'please say hi to Coach Chisholm for me'," says head coach John Bloomfield. "He is one of the finest gentlemen I have ever encountered. I am proud to have him on our staff and X-Men Football is privileged to have him in our program."

Two of Chisholm's sons (Kyle and Adam) are currently on the StFX roster while his third son, Craig, also played for the X-Men from 2000-04.

All Atlantic University Sport major award winners automatically become finalists for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) awards to be handed out Thursday, November 20, during Vanier Cup week in Hamilton, ON.

The 2008 Subway Atlantic University Sport Championship, The Loney Bowl, is taking place this weekend in Halifax, NS. The Saint Mary's Huskies (7-1) host the StFX X-Men (5-4) to battle for the Jewett Trophy, Saturday afternoon at 1:00pm (EastLink).

The winner will advance to the Mitchell Bowl the following weekend in Ontario to face either the Western Mustangs or the Ottawa Gee-Gee's.

For further information, please visit www.atlanticuniversitysport.com