Antigonish, NS— The 2011 recruiting season is wrapping up nicely for StFX football head coach Gary Waterman, who has secured a number of top recruits from across the country, adding to an impressive and athletic 2010 recruiting class.
“I am very excited with the new additions to the X-Men family, and I am looking forward to getting them to campus this fall,” comments Waterman.
Waterman is also pleased to announce a new addition to their coaching staff. Josh Lambert joins the X-Men following ten seasons of coaching with the Acadia Axemen. At Acadia, Lambert served as the Offensive Coordinator, Recruiting Coordinator and Director of Football Operations. Prior to Acadia, Coach Lambert spent time coaching at Southeast Missouri State and Marshall University, where he was a part of two Motor City Bowl wins. Lambert is a welcome addition to the coaching staff and will take on the role of Special Teams Coordinator for the upcoming season.
The X-Men were happy to receive commitments from many quality players right here in the Maritimes. Defensive lineman Devon Marshall will be attending StFX and playing for the X-Men this fall. Marshall is a 6’2”, 260 lb player from Sackville High who has also played for Team Nova Scotia in the Canada Cup. His Canada Cup teammate, David Culligan, will also be joining the X-Men. Culligan, a 5’8”, 160 lb defensive back is very skilled and brings a lot of speed to the table.
Coach Waterman was very happy to secure four commits from Dr. J. H. Gillis High School, in his own backyard of Antigonish, NS. Defensive lineman Drew Garvie will be a great addition to the X-Men defensive line, and his strength should help him compete right away. Defensive back Tanner Kennedy and running back Clyde Gale will also be heading down the street to play for the X-Men, as well as Julian MacDougall who is a 2010 Dr. J. H. Gillis graduate. Rounding out the Maritime class are linebacker Liam Fitzgerald (CEC), defensive lineman Bobby Martell (Auburn), kicker Jeremy Ford (Citadel), and defensive tackle Keith Messer (UNBSJ).
The 2011 class is highlighted by a large contingent from the Ottawa area, including 6’2”, 245 lb linebacker Ron Omara. Omara has been a member of Team Canada and most recently played for the Ottawa Sooners of the CJFL. “Ron is an extremely physical player who possesses a great combination of size and athleticism,” comments Coach Waterman. “He should be a fixture in the X-Men defense for years to come.”
Another exciting addition from the Ottawa area is running back Ashton Dickson. Dickson played for the Sooners and also played for the Cumberland Panthers, where he was the 2010 Offensive MVP. He ran for 883 yards on 55 carries, for an average of 6.3 yards per carry. He also caught 7 passes for 212 yards, which calculates to an impressive 30.3 average yards per catch.
Many other outstanding Ottawa football players have committed to StFX for the 2011 season, including linebacker Corey Armstrong, who was the Sooners’ Team MVP in 2010. Jesse Stevens (defensive end) and Jerome Stevens (fullback) have also committed to wear the blue and white. Defensive back Shane Nolan, another member of the Sooners, will be coming to Antigonish this fall. Nolan was an All-Canadian in the CJFL this past season. Offensive lineman Daniel Lemaire will be joining the X-Men program for 2011. Lemaire is a 6’7”, 290 lb offensive tackle who played for the Cumberland Panthers of the OVFL. The X-Men have also secured several members of the Myers Riders football team, including defensive tackle Kurtis Pankow, wide receiver Randy Roseway, offensive lineman Charles Range, and fullback Jr. Peter.
Mississauga, Ont. product Damone Williams has committed to play for StFX. While playing for the Mississauga Warriors last summer, Williams tallied 27 receptions for 511 yards. He also returned 16 punts for 201 yards (12.6 yard average), and 8 kickoffs for 212 yards (26.5 yard average), being named the team’s Most Valuable Player for his efforts. Williams spent the previous school year playing for Erie Junior College in Buffalo, NY.
The X-Men are also excited to welcome defensive back Blair Smith from the Mississauga area. Smith played his high school football for St. Marcellinus, and most recently played for the Vanier Cheetahs in the CEGEP league. Many other quality players from Ontario have committed to the X-Men program, including quarterback Cody Enman (Oshawa), wide receiver Delino Smith (Pickering), defensive tackle Kiely Hall (Hamilton), defensive end Scott Holmes (Barrie), linebacker Chris Magno (Mississauga), wide receiver Geoff Coombs (Mississauga), quarterback Michael Lesaux (Ottawa), and defensive back Chris Shibley (Kingston).
Three players from Western Canada will be making the move to Antigonish in the fall. Brendan Hamilton is a 6’3”, 215 lb linebacker from Western Canada High School in Calgary. “Hamilton has a large frame and is able to cover sideline to sideline from the linebacker position,” comments Coach Waterman. One of his teammates, defensive back Parker Shaw, will also be heading East. “Shaw is a very sound player with great instincts,” says Waterman. Aaron Sayer, a defensive back who recently played for the Saskatoon Hilltops, will also be coming to Antigonish in August.
Rounding out the X-Men’s 2011 recruiting class is linebacker James Menzies from Westmount, Que. Menzies most recently played for Trinity College School where he was the Athlete of the Year. He will use his 6’2”, 190 lb frame to compete right away, especially on special teams.
The X-Men will begin their fall training camp August 25th and will host Mount Allison in a pre-season exhibition game on September 3rd at 2:00 pm at Oland Stadium. AUS regular season action begins the following weekend when StFX hosts Acadia at 2:00 pm on September 10th.