CIS FOOTBALL: Sun Life Financial All-Canadian Banquet
All-Canadian teams announced
The awards gala was held at Sheraton Montreal Centre as part of the 50th TELUS Vanier Cup celebrations. The McMaster University Marauders face the University of Montreal Carabins in the milestone championship game Saturday at 1 p.m. EST at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, live on Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360, Radio-Canada and CIS-SIC.tv.
"Sun Life Financial is thrilled and proud to partner with Canadian Interuniversity Sport for the presentation of the 50th Vanier Cup banquet. I salute the determination, passion and commitment of the players who excel not only on the field but also in the classroom. Among those exceptional models are without a doubt the leaders of tomorrow and maybe our future colleagues," said Robert Dumas, President, Sun Life Financial, Quebec.
"As mayor of Montreal, graduate from the University of Montreal and avid sports fan, I am pleased but also very honoured to be honorary chairman of this 2014 Vanier Cup banquet," said the mayor of Montreal, Mr. Denis Coderre. "Finally, the Vanier Cup in Montreal for the first time in 50 years! The Carabins and Marauders will offer a memorable sporting moment for football fans, like me. This is a great sporting event for Montreal, the kind of grand and unifying event which helps define a city like ours."
The selection was dominated by a pair of usual suspects, with the Calgary Dinos placing no less than nine players among the CIS elite, including six on the first team and a trio on the second unit, while the Laval Rouge et Or had six players honoured (4-2).
On offence, the first all-Canadian team is comprised of Calgary quarterback Andrew Buckley, running backs Mercer Timmis of Calgary and Dillon Campbell of Wilfrid Laurier, receivers Brett Blaszko of Calgary, Mikhaïl Davidson of Montreal, Addison Richards of Regina and Nathaniel Behar of Carleton, as well as linemen Sean McEwen of Calgary, Western teammates Edmund Meredith and Sean Jamieson, and Laval teammates Karl Lavoie and Charles Vaillancourt.
Timmis, Lavoie and Vaillancourt are all returnees from last year's first squad.
Buckley had a dream night as he also returned home with the Hec Crighton Trophy and the Russ Jackson Award. The fourth-year pivot had a superb season with 2,175 passing yards, 18 touchdown passes and only four interceptions in eight league games, as well as 10 rushing majors.
Campbell was the OUA nominee for the Hec Crighton. The fourth-year senior led the country with a school-record 1,458 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
On defence, the first CIS team is made up of linemen Ettore Lattanzio of Ottawa, Daryl Waud of Western, Vincent Desloges of Laval and Jesse St. James of Acadia, linebackers Byron Archambault of Montreal, Adam Konar of Calgary and Jonathan Langa of Saint Mary's, safety Kwame Adjei of Mount Allison, halfbacks Kris Robertson of Concordia and Chris Ackie of Laurier, as well as corners Adam Laurensse of Calgary and Paolo Edwards of StFX.
Lattanzio, St. James and Adjei were all voted to the top unit for the second straight year. Lattanzio also captured the J.P. Metras Trophy as the country's best lineman, while Langa was named the stand-up defensive player of the year and received the Presidents' Trophy.
Rounding out the first-team all-Canadians for 2014, on special teams, were Laval punter Boris Bede, McMaster placekicker Tyler Crapigna and UBC kick returner Marcus Davis, the only freshman named to the top constellation.
Crapigna, a draft pick of the Calgary Stampeders last spring, is the new CIS career leader in field goals with 84. He made 24 of 27 attempts in his fifth and final season with the Marauders for a stellar 89 percent success rate.
Official TELUS Vanier Cup website: www.vaniercup.com
2014 CIS FOOTBALL ALL-CANADIANS
FIRST TEAM
Pos. Athlete University Year Hometown Program
Offence
QB Andrew Buckley Calgary 4 Calgary, Alta. Kinesiology
RB Dillon Campbell Laurier 4 Whitby, Ont. Kinesiology & PE
RB Mercer Timmis Calgary 3 Burlington, Ont. Arts/Business
IR Brett Blaszko Calgary 3 Burlington, Ont. Arts
IR Mikhaïl Davidson Montreal 4 Montreal, Que. Economics
WR Addison Richards Regina 4 Regina, Sask. Science
WR Nathaniel Behar Carleton 2 London, Ont. Communications
C Sean McEwen Calgary 4 Calgary, Alta. Science
T Karl Lavoie Laval 4 Quebec City, Que. Science
T Edmund Meredith Western 2 Toronto, Ont. Social Sciences
G Charles Vaillancourt Laval 3 Coaticook, Que. Business Admin.
G Sean Jamieson Western 3 Winnipeg, Man. Kinesiology
Defence
DT Ettore Lattanzio Ottawa 4 Ottawa, Ont. Classical Studies
DT Daryl Waud Western 4 Hamilton, Ont. Social Sciences
DE Vincent Desloges Laval 5 St. Augustin, Que. Management
DE Jesse St. James Acadia 4 Pincourt, Que. Business Admin.
LB Byron Archambault Montreal 4 Montreal, Que. Security & Police St.
LB Adam Konar Calgary 2 Vancouver, B.C. Open Studies
LB Jonathan Langa Saint Mary's 3 Etobicoke, Ont. Criminology
FS Kwame Adjei Mount Allison 4 Brampton, Ont. Sociology
HB Kristopher Robertson Concordia 5 Pickering, Ont. Anthropology and Soc.
HB Chris Ackie Laurier 4 Cambridge, Ont. Communications
CB Adam Laurensse Calgary 2 Sherwood Park, Alta. Arts
CB Paolo Edwards StFX 3 Hamilton, Ont. Arts
Special Teams
P Boris Bede Laval 5 Toulon, France Education
K Tyler Crapigna McMaster 5 Nepean, Ont. Economics
RET Marcus Davis UBC 1 Victoria, B.C. Arts
SECOND TEAM
Offence
QB Hugo Richard Laval 1 St. Bruno, Que. Mechanical Engineering
RB Chris Reid Mount Allison 1 Brampton, Ont. Communications
RB Ronlee King-Fileen Bishop's 5 Oshawa, Ont. Fine Arts
IR Nic Demski Manitoba 4 Winnipeg, Man. Arts
IR Danny Vandervoort McMaster 2 Barrie, Ont. Sociology
WR Llevi Noel Toronto 2 Toronto, Ont. Spanish
WR Sébastien Blanchard Sherbrooke 5 Ste. Sabine, Que. Business Admin.
C Jean-Christophe Labrecque Montreal 2 Quebec City, Que. Kinesiology
T David Beard Alberta 4 Sherwood Park, Alta. Phys. Ed. & Recreation
T Vernon Sainvil StFX 2 Malden, Mass. Arts
G Sukh Chungh Calgary 4 Port Coquitlam, B.C. Arts
G Philippe Gagnon Laval 3 L'Ancienne-Lorette, Que. Toxicomany
Defence
DT Donovan Dale UBC 2 Saskatoon, Sask. Visiting
DT Jacob LeBlanc Mount Allison 4 Halifax, N.S. General Commerce
DE Ricky Osei-Kusi Western 4 Brampton, Ont. King's College
DE Connor McGough Calgary 2 Medicine Hat, Alta. Science
LB Curtis Newton Guelph 3 London, Ont. Sociology
LB Drew Morris Acadia 4 Ottawa, Ont. Business Admin.
LB Nicholas Shortill McMaster 4 Nobleton, Ont. Environmental Science
FS Mark Ingram Saskatchewan 2 Imperial, Sask. Agriculture & Biology
HB Elie Bouka Calgary 3 Laval, Que. Arts
HB Demetrius Ferguson StFX 5 Nassau, Bahamas Business Admin.
CB Joey Cupido McMaster 5 Hamilton, Ont. Science
CB Josh Woodman Western 2 Chatham, Ont. Social Sciences
Special Teams
P Ronnie Pfeffer Laurier 4 Kitchener, Ont. Sociology
K Ryan Begin Acadia 4 Orleans, Ont. Business Admin.
RET Ryan Nieuwesteeg Guelph 3 Niagara Falls, Ont. Sociology
ABOUT THE 50TH TELUS VANIER CUP
Canadian Interuniversity Sport will celebrate the 50th TELUS Vanier Cup throughout its 2014 football season. For the first time in history, the championship game will be staged in Montreal - at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium - on Saturday, November 29, at 1 p.m. ET, live on Sportsnet and Radio-Canada.
Official TELUS Vanier Cup website (including ticket information) www.vaniercup.com