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Concordia hosts regional showcase for football prospects

Stingers linebacker among those chosen to participate in official CFL combine

On Wednesday, March 18, Concordia held the Canadian Football League (CFL) regional combine at the Loyola campus. It was a chance for Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) football players to show off their skills to CFL team scouts and representatives for the upcoming summer draft.

They arrived at the Stinger Dome bright and early. Forty-four hopeful players arrived in different colours from different backgrounds. Whether it was in Concordia maroon, McGill red or Sherbrooke forest green, soon enough, they were all equals fighting for the scouts’ attentions.

Photo by Keith Race

Concordia was well represented on Wednesday. Among those invited were Stingers linebackers Travis Brent and Eric Noivo, defensive lineman Shaquille Armstrong, offensive lineman Frederik Landry-Simard and wide receiver Michael Harrington. Although they are no longer a part of the Stingers team, Concordia alumnus, defensive lineman Jonathan Langma and defensive back Nathan Taylor, were invited to the combine as free agents.

“They don’t have film of me playing this year but they still thought enough of my athletic abilities to invite me again. It gave me the chance to train harder and improve on the numbers that I need to improve on,” said Taylor.  “It means the world to me that they still think highly enough of me to invite a free agent that hadn’t played last year.”

The day started at 8 a.m. for the players, as they had to register and weigh in. For the rest of the morning, they went through a series of individual tests such as bench press, vertical and broad jump, 40-yard dash and other standard tests for a professional combine.

“It’s different when you get into that [weight] room,” said Noivo. “Our gym isn’t the biggest to begin with and there are 15 chairs and it’s packed with guys watching you, plus there are cameras. That was the only thing I was really nervous for.”

For the rest of the afternoon, players participated in one-on-ones and special teams drills. The off-field testing can only tell the scouts so much about a player. The on-field tests were what everyone was waiting to see. On the sidelines, scouts, players and even family members watched with excitement.

“When we got on the field and in pads, I felt really good. I’m happy overall, it was a fun experience, long day though,” said Noivo.

At the end of the day only five players were chosen to go to the official CFL combine in Toronto this past weekend, but just to be invited to the regional combine was a great accomplishment for the players.

“It was an honour and it ended up being a pretty good experience. I [was] just trying to come out of this with positive thoughts and see what happens in the future,” said Harrington. “I did alright, I always feel like I can do a little bit better but that’s just the competitive side of me. Overall I did what I could and hopefully I impressed some people.”

Among those chosen to participate in the official combine in Toronto was Concordia’s Travis Brent. He will join 50 other players in Toronto, including former Stingers linebacker Max Caron, defensive lineman Quinn Smith, quarterback Reid Quest and wide receiver Kristopher Bastien.

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Optimism for the future: Concordia’s football team is in-transition with a new coach and some new faces

Photo by Brianna Thicke
Photo by Brianna Thicke

No varsity team has undergone more turmoil in the past couple of seasons than Concordia’s football team.

Two years ago, the Stingers had to forfeit two wins due to an ineligible player and finished the season 2-6-1. This year, the Stingers finished last in their Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) division and reached new lows, going 0-8. They were only one of three teams in the country to go winless this past season and were fourth in points allowed. The recent struggles for the football team is an unfortunate trend, as the last time the Stingers had a winning season was in 2008 when they went 5-3.

Two bright spots for the Stingers this past season was the play of linebacker Max Caron and slotback Kris Bastien. In November, both were named to the Quebec university all-star team and both are highly regarded Canadian Football League (CFL) prospects by the Scouting Bureau for the upcoming draft.

Another bright spot for the Stingers football team is that six of its players were invited to the Montreal CFL combine that Concordia will be host on Wednesday, March 19. These players include linebackers Travis Bent and Alexandre Lemire, defensive ends Eric Noivo and Jonathan Langma, defensive tackle Shaquille Armstrong, centre Frederik Landry-Simard and slotback Michael Harrington.

It was not the way that former head coach Gerry McGrath had imagined his retirement, but the records only show half the truth. In such a strong division that includes powerhouses like Laval, Montreal and Sherbrooke, the Stingers’ strongest asset was their tenacity. Every game this year the Stingers fought to the final whistle, and it is this drive that gives Stingers fans optimism for the future. In three out of their eight games, the Stingers lost by eight points or less. With a couple better bounces, some of their results could have looked very different.

Now, a new era has begun for Concordia football. Led by former Stinger and new head coach, Mickey Donovan, spirits are high for next season. Donovan, 33, brings new energy to the program and an energetic personality that will surely rub off on his players. McGrath will forever be a household name for Concordia football as he led the Stingers onto the field for 14 seasons as head coach. Though most players agree on how much McGrath meant to the Stingers program, it was simply time for a change.

The coaching staff has already made strides in improving their squad for next year. In January, one of Quebec’s top quarterbacks signed a letter of intent meaning that, according to the Concordia’s Department of Recreation and Athletics, Jérémie Mongeon-Duby, who played for Cégep St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, has committed to Concordia for next fall. Along with Mongeon-Duby, the Stingers have recruited three players from Cégep Édouard Montpetit. Alexandre Renaud, Mickael Côté and Louis-Simon Bossé will all join the Stingers this August.

To say that the Stingers football season was a struggle, would be an understatement. The silverlining is that they made the necessary changes during the offseason to bounce back next year. There is more work to be done, but Donovan has brought a new attitude to the Stingers team. Expect a rejuvenated and hungry squad when they take to the field next season.

 

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Mickey Donovan to lead Stingers football team

Concordia alumnus Mickey Donovan was announced as the new head coach of the Concordia Stingers football team on Feb. 11.

Donovan was introduced by Director of Recreation and Athletics, Patrick Boivin. Donovan expressed his excitement at returning to his alma mater and working with the Stingers.

“This was my dream job. My wife and I always talked about. If there was a job that would open, this is the one that we would want. This is home,” Donovan said.

According to Boivin, the fact that Donovan understands today’s student athletes will help him become a great coach.

“Mickey’s approach with players is much of a partnership. He understands today’s reality of student athletes since he was there not too long ago,” Boivin said. “[Donovan]’s able to connect with the kids one on one. In the years to come its exactly what we need in order to build this kind of team unity and have everyone buying in to what needs to be done.”

Boivin added that Donovan’s recruiting skills are also a huge asset for the team. The team will be doing a lot of recruiting over the next few years, both in Montreal and outside of the province and country.

“We have an opportunity to be able to recruit. We have all the tools that we need, it’s just a question of being out there and doing the work and putting the effort in in order to see the kids we want to recruit … Mickey has been stellar at doing that over the last couple of years,” Boivin said.

Donovan is looking forward to meeting with the team so that they can start working right away.

“We’ve had a great team. Playing Concordia last year [with the Redmen], [the Stingers] never gave up,” Donovan said. “Coming in, I just want them to believe, and buy in on everything that we all are working on to get to that Vanier cup or Dunsmore cup, whatever it is that we can get to. And that’s the goal that I want all of us to have.”

Jamal Henry, a slot backer for the Stingers, is looking forward to working with Donovan.

“I’m excited because when he and his brother played here it was pretty great. What we need is greatness and discipline, and I think he will bring that to the table,” Henry said. “We were anxious to find out who the new coach would be and now that we know, a weight has been lifted off our shoulders. We can play football now so were very excited about that.”

Donovan will be the fifth head coach in the 40 years of Stingers football history. He will be replacing Gerry McGrath, who has been coaching the team for 22 years. McGrath coached Donovan when he was at Concordia.

“[Donovan] has all the values and virtues of a great young man. He was a great player [at Concordia] and he made my job as a coach easy,” said McGrath. “I think that he will build a great legacy on his own.”

Donovan, who was a linebacker with the Stingers for three seasons between 2002 and 2004, graduated with a BA in Leisure Sciences in 2006. While on the team, he completed 130 solo tackles and 46 assists, totaling

153 points in just 19 games.

He was a two-time Quebec all-star, a two-time CIS all-Canadian, and won the Presidents’ Trophy as the top defensive player in Canadian university football in 2004. In 2005, he joined the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger Cats, but suffered a knee injury the following year that lead to the end of his playing career.

His coaching career began when he interned at the University of New Hampshire in 2006. The following year he started coaching the Western Mustangs linebackers. He worked with the Mustangs for four years, and while there he was in charge of special teams, served as the team’s recruiting coordinator, and was in charge of the defensive front seven.

After that, Donovan worked as a guest coach at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp in 2011 and the Toronto Argonauts in 2013. He also worked as a special teams coordinator for the Canadian under-19 team at the 2009 world junior championship, and as the defensive coordinator for the Team Ontario West at the Canada Cup tournament in 2010 and 2011.

Donovan joined the McGill Redmen program as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. It is the first time that Donovan will be working as head coach.

 

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A rollercoaster season for football team

The Concordia Stingers football team ended their season with a hard-fought loss against the Laval Rouge et Or, 32-19, capping a tumultuous year that saw a rash of inconsistent plays and a controversy that ended the Stingers’ playoff hopes early.

After a solid exhibition win against the University of Toronto, the Stingers escaped their season and home opener against Bishop’s University with a 42-36 win, nearly blowing a big halftime lead. They were then blown out of the water by the powerful Université de Montréal squad, but bounced back with a win against St. Francis Xavier a week later.

That’s where the good vibes ended, for a little while, anyways.

The Stingers endured a three game losing streak that put them in a precarious position with regards to their playoff standing. At 2-4, they would need a near-miracle to squeak into the playoffs, and then would have had to line up against one of the elite Quebec squads.

Instead, the self-disclosure of an ineligible player on the roster resulted in major sanctions being handed down by the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport, voiding both of Concordia’s regular season wins, dropping them to 0-6 and ending any hopes of making the playoffs.

There is no doubt it was a crushing blow; athletes in all sports spend hours, days, months and years preparing for their sport. One could argue all time and effort spent preparing for what the Stingers had hoped would be a breakout year suddenly seemed for nought, as if none of it had ever mattered. The work put in and sacrifices made for those wins were suddenly rendered meaningless by what was deemed an “administrative error.”

Others may have crumbled in that spot, but the Stingers refused to lay down and die. They bounced back with a 43-40 win against cross-town rival McGill, a game that will no doubt be ingrained in the minds of these players for the rest of their lives. They sent a message to the rest of the league that day: you can knock us down, but you can’t knock us out.

Alas, the spirited effort will go down as the team’s only win in 2012, but the Stingers showed their mettle in the toughest of situations, not only against McGill, but also in defeats against Sherbrooke and Laval to close out the season.

Nathan Taylor, one of the team’s defensive leaders, who played his final game in a Stingers uniform against Laval, summed up a sentiment that is no doubt shared by his teammates:

“It has been an honour playing for the Concordia Stingers,” he said. “This season doesn’t dampen my pride one bit. We had to play through things that most players never even think of, and that builds tremendous character.”

The Stingers finished the 2012 season with a record of one win and eight losses. This is the team’s worst record dating past 1988.

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Stung hard and reeling

What started off as a season filled with promise has taken a turn for the worse as the Concordia Stingers football team sits at 2-4 with three games left in the regular season.

The first of their upcoming games is against an improved McGill Redmen squad at Percival Molson Stadium, followed by a rematch against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or, who dismantled the Stingers 46-6 on Saturday at Concordia Stadium. The final game of the season comes against the class of the RSEQ, the Laval Rouge et Or.

The only game that can be a predicted win is the McGill game. Though, even that will be a tough contest, as the Stingers offense was nowhere to be found against Sherbrooke, or against the Université de Montréal Carabins the week before, where the Stingers were shut out by a score of 38-0 by the latter.

Halfway through the 2012 campaign, we have a better understanding of how the team compares to the top schools in the province and, as it stands, Concordia’s football program is nowhere close to the rest.

There are plenty of talented players on this team, but they haven’t been able to put consistent efforts as a unit on a weekly basis. What’s up for debate is whether the team simply isn’t prepared going into games. This would either fall on Gerry McGrath and his coaching staff or solely on Concordia’s talent, which, while solid, is simply not up to par with Montréal’s, Sherbrooke’s or Laval’s.

The Montréal defensive line made mincemeat of the Stingers offensive line in the teams’ two games this season, teeing off on quarterback Reid Quest for a whopping 15 sacks combined, not to mention the hits Quest took after releasing the ball or scrambling for yards. However, they have allowed 21 total sacks on the season, suggesting that Montréal may simply have one of the more ferocious pass rushes in the country.

Quest, who started the season off well, has tailed off as of late, having thrown five interceptions in his last two games. Quest is not all to blame for several of the interceptions, as some were balls that his receivers were unable to contain, instead getting tipped and picked off. At the end of the day however, it shows up on his stat line, and he has admitted that he needed to a better job of taking care of the football.

The aforementioned receiving core is seriously missing Kris Bastien, who has been out with a shoulder injury that he suffered in the first game of the season (a game in which he caught 6 passes for 242 yards). The Stingers are trying to fill the void with Sanchez Deschamps, Mike Harrington, Jamal Henry, and Shayne Stinson, but having Bastien back in the lineup bolsters the entire receiving corps and brings a different dimension to the passing attack.

The running game has been average at best, averaging 108 yards a game, good for fifth in the six-team conference, but Michael Donnelly and Raul Thompson won’t be getting many touches if the team is always forced to play catch-up early in the games. When given the opportunity, Donnelly has been a solid running back, and the speedy Thompson has shown to be a good change-of-pace runner.

On the defensive side of the ball, things don’t get much better. The Stingers are giving up an average of 38 points a game, and currently rank last or second-to-last in pass defense, and rush defense, culminating in an average of nearly 500 yards against a game.

The unit has its bright spots, however. Linebackers Travis Bent and Max Caron, last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winner as the most outstanding defensive player in the country, are ranked third and fifth on the tackles list, respectively. Defensive end Quinn Smith is ranked fourth in the conference in sacks, with five in total.

Keegan Treloar has been solid in the kicking game, having hit on 11 of his 17 field goal attempts, while defensive backs Kris Robertson and Nathan Taylor have proven to be two of the most dynamic kick returners in the country, with Robertson handling kicks and punts and Taylor bringing back missed field goals.

Overall, it’s safe to say the season thus far has been a disappointment but the players know it, the coaches know it, and one would think that the school knows it, too. While the results haven’t completely tarnished the program’s reputation, the future does not bode well if the team cannot get their act together and give top-end recruits a reason to commit to Concordia.

The next three games are essentially do or die for the Stingers. Sufficient to say that if the downward spiral continues, there could be drastic changes made during the off-season.

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Stingers football team falls to Sherbrooke in the Shrine Bowl

It was a cold and crisp Saturday afternoon when Concordia’s football team hosted the Sherbrooke Vert et Or in the 26th annual Shrine Bowl. Both teams entered the game with a 2-3 record and were looking to get back to .500. The murky afternoon never brightened up for the Stingers as they lost to Sherbrooke in an upsetting 48-6 final score.

The game started with a bang when Stinger Raul Thompson returned the opening kickoff for 59 yards. Concordia capitalized from their starting field position and took an early 3-0 lead. That was as good as it got for the Stingers as the Vert et Or would respond with 18 unanswered points and went into halftime up 28-6.

With only 90 yards on the ground, Sherbrooke’s throwing game tormented Concordia’s defense throughout the entire match. Sherbrooke’s quarterbacks Jérémi Roch and James Goulet combined for 273 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Despite the score, Concordia’s offense also put up impressive stats even though they never scored a touchdown.

“I bet you the offensive statistics are pretty close between the two teams,” said Stingers coach Gerry McGrath after the game. The Stingers ended the afternoon with 235 yards in the air and 104 on the ground.

Concordia’s downfall was the turnovers. With three turnovers in the first quarter alone, the Stingers gave up a total of two interceptions, four fumbles and three turnovers on downs. Sherbrooke was able to capitalize off Concordia’s mistakes and scored 23 points on these turnovers.

“The biggest difference was turnovers,” said Stingers defensive end Eric Noivo. “Unfortunately for us, they got a couple of lucky bounces and we got behind early.”

By the end of the game, the packed crowd continued to cheer and were in their seats until the final whistle. Win or lose, the Shrine Bowl continues to generate donations for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

“There was a certain excitement around the team leading up to the game,” said Noivo. “It’s fun to play for the kids, especially when you see how much it means to them.”

 

The Stingers’ next game is Saturday, Oct. 13 when they will travel to McGill to play for the Shaughnessy Cup at 1 p.m.

 

Photos by Veronique Thivierge

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Stingers struggle away from home

After a dominating win over the St. Francis Xavier X-Men last weekend, Concordia’s men’s football team were on the road again to face the Bishop’s Gaiters at Coulter Field.

The Stingers were victorious against the Gaiters in their first meeting of the year and were looking to complete the season sweep. Both sides battled back and forth throughout Saturday afternoon, but the Stingers were unable to make a comeback and left Lennoxville defeated.

Concordia got off to a fast start by recording points on their first two drives. Following a touchback on their initial drive, the Stingers concluded their second drive with a touchdown by Matt Scheurwater. The 61-yard drive was highlighted by a 47-yard completion from quarterback Reid Quest to Shayne Stinson.

By the end of the first quarter Concordia was ahead 18-7 and seemed as if they were going to pull away. On paper, the Stinger’s offense had a big game. They rushed for 131 yards and threw for 263.

The turning point in the game came in the second quarter when the Stingers offense disappeared. Concordia’s offense scored zero points and struggled to get any consistent drives going. They had only three first downs in the second quarter, two of which were because of penalties on Bishop’s. The Stinger’s offence had four consecutive two-and-outs and went into halftime trailing Bishop’s 19-18.

After halftime, the Gaiters never trailed and continued to pound the Stinger’s defense behind running back Matthew Burke. Burke, a fourth year veteran, had a career-best afternoon and finished the game with 239 rushing yards and one touchdown.

Early into the final quarter, the Gaiters extended their lead to 35-18 and forced Concordia to try and come back. The Stinger’s were able to score 12 points in the fourth quarter, but the damage had already been done. Concordia’s inability to play a complete 60 minutes came back to haunt them, as their comeback fell short.

Even though it is only halfway through the regular season, Saturday’s loss to Bishop’s had serious playoff implications. Since the Gaiters outscored Concordia in their two games, if the two teams have the same record by the end of the season, Bishop’s will be ranked ahead of Concordia. Although it is too early to tell, if it does come down to head-to-head matchups, Saturday’s loss will be that much worse.

 

The Stingers look to bounce back against the Montréal Carabins at home on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.

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Stingers get back to winning ways

After being dominated by the Montreal Carabins last week, the Stingers men’s football team hit the road to redemption. Travelling to Antigonish, Nova Scotia, the Stingers took on St. Francis Xavier’s X-Men in their home opener on Saturday.

From the initial kickoff, Concordia took control of the game and handed St. FX their first loss, with a final score of 41-20. The Stingers set the tempo on the opening drive by marching down to score the game’s first touchdown. The 76-yard drive was capped off by a pass from Reid Quest to Jesse McPhail. The Stingers never trailed in the game and improved their record to 2-1.

Quest went 26-for-44 in passing attempts and ended the afternoon with 266 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He spread the ball around as four Concordia receivers had three catches or more.

While the aerial assault was virtually unstoppable, running backs Michael Donnelly and Raul Thompson combined for 125 yards and kept the X-Men defense off balance.

On the other side of the ball, Concordia’s defense was just as solid. During the second half, they allowed only seven points, and none in the final quarter. Behind linebacker Max Caron, who had two sacks on the day, the Stingers recorded four sacks, a fumble recovery and a safety.

The defense was a disruptive force throughout the game and never allowed the X-Men offense to gain traction. As the Stingers offense methodically marched up and down the field drive after drive, St. FX never found the same type of rhythm.

One of Concordia’s most underrated aspects of the game was their special teams, specifically their kicking game. Stingers kicker Keegan Treloar went six-for-six in field goal attempts and three-for-three in extra point attempts. Highlighted by a 42-yard field goal, Treloar’s impressive performance was responsible for 21 points and single handedly outscored the opponents.

Concordia controlled all phases of the game and never gave the X-Men a chance to come back. The Stingers overcame the excitement of an opponent’s home opener and focused on playing a complete team game for 60 minutes. With the satisfaction of such a dominating win, a long bus ride home goes a lot more smoothly.

 

The Stingers will look to duplicate this past weekend’s performance when they travel to Bishop’s University to take on the Gaiters on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 1 p.m.

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