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HEADLINES

Bishop’s plays host to blue chip football recruits

By Mike Hickey, Special to the Record
Lennoxville, Feb. 21, 2005 – The Quebec University Football League football season is still six months away but head coach Tony Addona and his Bishop's University coaching staff are working hard to improve their on-field product.

Despite the fact that Coulter Field is covered with snow, the Gaiters welcomed 46 prospective student-athletes to the Lennoxville campus for the school’s annual football recruiting weekend.

Click here for pictures from the 2005 Purple & Silver Dinner

The event is run in conjunction with the school’s Winter Homecoming and was sponsored in part by the Gaiter Club and the school’s football alumni. The recruits met with coaches and academic advisors, visited with present and past members of the Gaiters football club, attended a Gaiters basketball game against the UQAM Citadins and attended the Purple and Silver dinner.

The Gaiters are coming off a disappointing 2004 season that saw them finish in last place in the country’s toughest conference. Despite the poor record, there were some positive aspects of the campaign which Addona would like to build on.

One of the positives was a renewed commitment from the school to improve the football team, a commitment that may include improved athletic facilities. The support from the alumni was evident during Saturday’s Purple and Silver Dinner.

‘’It was a very special weekend,’’ Addona said. ‘’It was the largest Purple and Silver dinner and I think that the alumni did a great job of representing the school. We had each alumnus introduce himself and talk about their Bishop’s experience.

‘’It is amazing how many of them still benefit from contacts they made during their days at Bishop’s. I think it was important for the recruits to hear not only the stories about being student-athletes at Bishop’s, but also of the diverse occupations that our alumni have undertaken.’’

On the field the development of freshman quarterback Kyle Williams was the highlight of a disappointing 2004 campaign. Williams was selected as the country’s Rookie of the Year despite missing the final two games with a concussion.

Several other young players gained invaluable experience as the season progressed. But at the end of the season Addona admitted the team needed to surround Williams with quality offensive players and improve the defensive side of the ball.

‘’I was pleased not only with the quantity of recruits on campus this weekend but also the quality, particularly on defence’’ Addona said. ‘’We need help in every position, defensive line, linebackers and in the backfield. On offensive we need linemen, a back-up quarterback and tailback.’’

Normally it takes a rookie a season or two before they can make contribution at the university level but Addona believes some of this year’s recruits can make an immediate impact.

‘’We put them through some testing Saturday and the recruits did very well,’’ Addona said. ‘’Some of these guys can come in and make a contribution right away. If we can get our fair share of these players we will be well on our way to fielding a winnng football team.’’

Second-year defensive lineman Matt Chown agreed with Addona that the potentiel newcomers will make a positive impact on the football program.

‘’It was a good weekend and there were some big kids with talent who would really help our program,’’ Chown said. ‘’They had a good time and hopefully they will be back in September as teammates.’’

Mike Berta, Will Henry, Braden McLean, Kevin Krug, Adam Noll, Josh Bottril, Evan Quon,
Asst. Coach Marc-Andre Parenteau & Richard Parenteau

Asst. Coach Christian Audet, Davie Mason, Eddie Thompson, Cedric Ferdinand, Steve Lagace,
Glen Downs, Matt Haddad & Anthony Morris

Asst. Coach Eric Bolduc, Mike Cornell, Corey Greenwood, Shomari Williams, Jean-Luc Marcil-Ferland, Kyle Jones, Kirstyn Carruthers, James Yurichuk, Ben Naskins,
Asst. Coach Marc Loranger & Tyler Dacosta

Asst. Coach Leroy Blugh, Jerome Daley, Jonathan Munzar, Kevin Turner, Dedrick Sterling, Adam Borisko

Wes Rundle, Kyle Rigg, Jermaine Blake, Kwasi Nkansah, Elliot Richardson, Theo Feriou
Marc Deslauriers, Najja Coley & Ass. Coach Charles Francoeur

Zach MacDonald, Theo Feriou, Jonelle Tolbert, Asst. Coach Matt McBrine & Joey Sabo

Tyler Kerpan, Jonathan Fortier, Joel Lefebvre, Dustin Whyte, DanVillage, Ryan Kastner
& Head Coach Tony Addona

Members of the Bishop's University Football Alumni Club