2011 CIS Football Team Preview: Laurier Golden Hawks

Source: Jamie Howieson, Laurier Sports Info

2010 regular season record: 4-4
2010 regular season standings: 4th in OUA
2010 playoff record: 1-1
2010 playoff finish: Lost 32-31 to Ottawa in OUA Semifinal

It was an up and down season in 2010 for the Laurier Golden Hawks. The team came out of the gate slow, dropping their first three contests. However, the Hawks went on to win four of their final five contest to finish the season 4-4, good for fourth place in the OUA. The key victory during that stretch came in Week 6 against the Guelph Gryphons when the Golden Hawks dominated every aspect of the game in front of their Homecoming crowd to earn a 36-2 win. That win turned out to be the difference between the two teams during the season, allowing Laurier to earn the tiebreaker over the Gryphons to earn home field advantage in the OUA Quarter-finals.

With the hometown fans cheering them on, Laurier showed again that they had Guelph’s number in 2010, winning 42-10 and advancing to the OUA Semifinals to battle the Ottawa Gee-Gees, the top team in the OUA during the regular season. Having to travel to Ottawa, the Golden Hawks started slow before a big second quarter gave them an eight point lead heading into the half. After the teams traded touchdowns in the third, Ottawa would score nine unanswered points in the fourth in pull out a 32-31 win, eliminating the Hawks from playoff play.

This season, the Hawks appear poised to go deep in this year’s playoffs as the team returns 17 starters from a year ago. With a veteran offence, a talented defensive core, and a strong recruiting class, expectations are high as the squad looks to bring home the university’s first Yates Cup since capturing back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005.

Quote from head coach:

“We are extremely optimistic about the upcoming season. We return some outstanding athletes and we are bringing in a very talented freshmen class for 2011. We became a good football team by the end of the 2010 campaign and we intend to build on our second half momentum.  We believe we will be competitive with the top teams in the OUA and we are very much looking forward to getting the season underway.”

Head Coach: Gary Jeffries

- Number of seasons as head coach with team (including 2011): 9 seasons
- Number of seasons as head coach in CIS (including 2011): 9 seasons
- Career regular season record with team: 51-13-0
- Career regular season record in CIS: 51-13-0
- Career overall record with team (reg. season & playoffs only): 62-20-0
- Career overall record in CIS (reg. season & playoffs only): 62-20-0

OFFENCE

Number of returning starters: 9

Key returning players:

Shamawd Chambers – REC
Chambers returns to the Golden Hawks for his fourth season. A two-time OUA Second Team All-Star and a participant in the 2011 East West Bowl, Chambers is a Top 10 prospect for the 2012 CFL Canadian Draft. He needs 797 yards receiving to crack the 2,000 yard mark for his career.

Dillon Heap – REC
Heap will be back in the purple and gold for his fifth and final year in 2011. The 2010 recipient of the OUA Russ Jackson Award, Heap is Laurier’s all-time career leader in both punt return and kick return yards. Last season, he led all Laurier receivers in receptions, yards and touchdowns.

Shane Kelly – QB
Kelly returns to Laurier for his final year of eligibility in 2011. Last season, his first as a Golden Hawk, Kelly threw for 1,095 yards and six touchdowns while completing nearly 58% of his passes.

Donnie McKenzie – OL
McKenzie is back for his fourth season with the Golden Hawks. One of the largest members of Laurier’s offensive line at 6-6, 310 lbs., he was a part of a group that allowed just nine sacks all of last season.

Alex Anthony – REC
Anthony is set to suit up for his third season at Laurier. The team Rookie of the Year in 2009-10, Anthony has recorded 25 receptions for 411 yards and four touchdowns through his first 13 games in the OUA.

Key recruits (or newcomers: transfers):

Greg Nyhof – QB
A graduate of Christ the King CSS, Nyhof was his school’s Senior Male Athlete of the Year last season after throwing for eight touchdowns in six games. A GHAC All-Star, Nyhof is a two-time winner of the R.J. McCarthy Award for excellence in academics and for displaying dignity, equity and respect in sport.

Ashton Rochester – RB
A graduate of Holy Trinity CSS in Oakville.

Kelvin Muamba – REC
A graduate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Muamba is a two-time Offensive MVP for his high school squad. Last December, he was selected to play for Team Canada after racking up 950 total yards and 12 touchdowns in four games played.

Key losses:

Michael Knill – OL
Evan Pawliuk – QB
Jeff Emberley – REC

DEFENCE

Number of returning starters: 8

Key returning players:

Mitchell Bosch – LB
Bosch returns to Laurier for his fourth season with the purple and gold. An OUA All-Star for the first time in his career a season ago, Bosch led the Golden Hawks in solo and assisted tackles in 2010.

Shane Herbert – CB
Herbert will don the Golden Hawks uniform one last time in 2011. A participant in the 2010 East West Bowl, Herbert recorded career highs in tackles (19), solo tackles (18) and knockdowns (9) a year ago which earned him an invitation to the Toronto Argonauts training camp this summer.

Scott McCahill – DB
McCahill will be back for his fourth season with Laurier this year. Last year, the 6-0, 195 lbs., defensive back set career highs in tackles (19.5), solo tackles (16) and assisted tackles (7).

George Kourtesiotis – DL
Kourtesiotis returns for his fifth and final year with the Golden Hawks. One of the veterans of the defensive line this season, Kourtesiotis recorded two of the Golden Hawks 21 sacks on opposing quarterbacks in 2010. His play last year earned him an invitation to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats training camp this summer.

Daniel Bishop – LB
Bishop is back for his fourth season at Laurier. A 2011 East West Bowl participant, Bishop finished second on the team in total tackles last year in 30.5, a new career high, and also established personal bests in solo tackles (20) and assisted tackles (21).

Key recruits (or newcomers: transfers):

Adam Olson – DB
A graduate of Sir John A. MacDonald HS in Nova Scotia.

Josh Perry – DL
A graduate of Blessed Trinity CHS, Perry was Blessed Trinity’s 2010-11 Athlete of the Year after recording 43.5 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Chris Ackie – LB
A graduate of Preston HS, Ackie was his team’s MVP last season recording 31 solo tackles, 33 assisted tackles, three interceptions and two sacks. He also added two punt return and two kickoff return touchdowns on special teams.

Key losses:

Giancarlo Rapanaro – LB
Mitch Nicholson – FS
Stephen Cormack – DL

SPECIAL TEAMS

Key returning players:

Dillon Heap – KR/PR
Nathan Hawkes – K/P

Key losses:

Giancarlo Rapanaro - K