ANTIGONISH, NS – X-Men football head coach Gary Waterman is pleased to announce the commitment of 15 recruits to the StFX football program for the 2013 season.
Coach Waterman will be welcoming offensive linemen Vernon Sainvil (Boston, MA) and Kris Butt (Ottawa, Ont.), running back John Shields (Orillia, Ont.), and receivers Nolan O’Reilly (Chestermere, Alta.), Alex Dee (Fredericton, N.B.), Quintynn Parsons (Halifax, N.S.) and Nick Beale (Saint John, N.B.) to the offensive side of the ball. While joining the X-Men defense will be defensive backs Ryan Baker (Calgary, Alta.) and Mitch Graves (London, Ont.), defensive ends Kyle Sovie (Kingston, Ont.), Scott Ferris (Ottawa, Ont.) and Kaeto Okafor (Nigeria), defensive tackles David Bond (Antigonish, N.S.) and Alex Penney (Shearwater, N.S.), and linebacker Aaron Brownlee (Kingston, Ont.).
“I am very pleased to announce the first wave of commits to the StFX football program,” comments Coach Waterman, who wrapped up his fourth season as X-Men head coach. “We had very specific needs in our recruitment this year and these young men embody all of the qualities that we are looking for in student-athletes. We are extremely excited to have them join our X-Men football family.”
Vernon Sainvil is a 6’6”, 315 pound offensive lineman from Boston, MA who played at Malden High School, and then with Holland College in PEI. “Vernon is a big, athletic body who is very technically sound,” says Waterman. “The signing of Vernon continues our long tradition of New England high school football players coming to StFX.”
Kris Butt is a 6’2”, 270 pound offensive lineman from Ottawa, Ont. who has a great deal of football experience, playing at Mother Teresa High School, as well as with the Nepean Redskins and the Ottawa Myers Riders. He is a two-time NCAFA all-star. Waterman comments, “Kris is great young man who plays the game of football with a ton of passion. We are looking forward to working with him.”
Running back John Shields (5’10”, 200 lbs) played with the Huronia Stallions and Park Street Collegiate, and hails from Orillia, Ont. “John played football this past summer with the Huronia Stallions under current StFX offensive coordinator Josh Lambert, who was also the Stallions offensive coordinator,” says Waterman. “Josh knows firsthand the quality of athlete that we are getting in John and we look forward to working with him.”
Nolan O'Reilly is a 6’1”, 170 pound receiver from Chestermere, Alta. who played at Western Canada High School and with the Calgary Falcons midget program. Coach Waterman says, “We are excited to have Nolan join our football team. He has great hands and a high football I.Q.”
Six feet, 185 pound receiver Alex Dee played at Leo Hayes High School in Fredericton, NB and Lake Travis High School out of Austin, Texas. Alex was a 2012 NBIAA All-Star. Waterman notes, “Alex comes to us from the very competitive Leo Hayes program and has a diverse football background. He is a competitive athlete who has a bright CIS future.”
Quintynn Parsons is one of three Nova Scotians amongst the X-Men recruiting mix. Hailing from Halifax, Quintynn is a 6’1”, 165 pound receiver who was the 2012 Scotia division offensive MVP at Halifax West High School. He also won the top special teams player award for the division. “Quintynn is a dynamic athlete with great upside,” says Waterman. “We are excited to have him join the X-Men family.”
Nick Beale (6’1”, 185 lbs) hails from Saint John, N.B. where he played receiver for Harbour View High School. A member of the 2012 U-18 Team New Brunswick, and a two-time NBIAA all-star, Nick is a dynamic athlete. Accordingly to Coach Waterman, “Nick is a good young prospect who we are excited about both as a receiver and a long snapper.”
Ryan Baker is a 5’11”, 170 pound defensive back from Calgary, Alta. who played at Central Memorial High School. “Ryan is a playmaker with tremendous speed,” comments Waterman. “He has an extensive track and field background which has served him well in the game of football. We are glad he chose to join the X-Men family.”
Mitch Graves (6’2”, 180 lbs) is another defensive back to join the StFX squad. A native of London, Ont., he played at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. “Mitch comes to us from an outstanding football program,” says Waterman. “His team won the 2012 TVRAA central conference championship. Mitch has great range and a high football I.Q., a combination that should help him transition to the CIS very nicely.”
Kyle Sovie is a 6’2”, 215 pound defensive end from Kingston, Ont. He played at Holy Cross Secondary School and also with the Kingston Grenadiers. Kyle was an OVFL all-star with the Grenadiers in 2011. Waterman mentions, “Kyle is a gifted athlete with a non-stop motor. He plays the game with intensity and likes to get after the quarterback. He also adds to the number of great, young Kingston Grenadier players who have chosen to make their mark at StFX.”
A native of Ottawa, Ont., Scott Ferris (6’3”, 225 lbs) is a defensive end who played with the Bel-Air Lions and the Ottawa Myers Riders. His Riders experience includes three seasons in the OVFL and this past season in the CJFL. “Scott comes to us from a very successful Myers Riders program,” says Coach Waterman. “He has tremendous upside and we are excited to have him.”
Defensive end Kaeto Okafor is 6’3”, 227 pounds and hails all the way from Nigeria, having played most recently with Holland College in PEI. Waterman comments, “Kay is a dynamic athlete with a huge upside. He has that rare combination of speed and power that will allow him to make an impact early. We are thrilled to have him join the X-Men family.”
David Bond is a local product from Antigonish, N.S. The 6’3”, 285 pound defensive lineman played with Dr. J. H. Gillis High School and was a member of the 2011 U-18 and 2010 U-17 Nova Scotian teams. A 2012 NSSAFFL all-star, Waterman says, “We are thrilled with the commitment of David Bond. He is a local athlete who we have had the opportunity to see for several years now as he has been at our summer camps, and he has continued to develop at a rapid pace. The sky is the limit in terms of his potential.”
Defensive lineman Alex Penney (6’4”, 265 lbs) comes from Shearwater, N.S. and played at Cole Harbour High School. Alex was an NSSAFFL all-star at multiple positions (DL and FB) in 2012. “Alex is an athletic, big body athlete who has played multiple positions for his high school team,” comments Waterman. “We are looking forward to helping him reach his full potential with the X-Men.”
Rounding out the defensive recruits is 6’1”, 225 pound linebacker Aaron Brownlee. Aaron is a native of Kingston, Ont. who played with the Kingston Grenadiers and Holy Cross Secondary School. “Aaron is an aggressive, downhill linebacker with a punishing style of play,” says Waterman. “He is a football junkie and should push to contribute on special teams early. He’s another Grenadier product, and we couldn’t be more excited to work with him.”
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