TORONTO (U SPORTS) – Five Thunderbirds have been named to the 2018 U SPORTS Valero East-West Bowl.
With the 2018 Canadian Football League draft just two days away, all eyes will turn next week to the next generation of top Canadian football prospects.
The Vanier Cup finalist Université Laval will host the East-West Bowl for the second consecutive year, which features U SPORTS football players heading into their CFL draft year. The 16
th annual top prospects game will be played at TELUS-U.L. Stadium on Saturday, May 12 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
2018 East-West Bowl Schedule
East-West Bowl Historical Results
UBC's
Michael O'Connor is one of two quarterbacks named to the West team roster. The 6'5" 225 pound pivot threw for over 2300 yards with a 67.5% completion rate with 14 touchdowns during the 2017 season. The third-year from Ontario led the Hardy Cup playoffs with eight touchdowns while throwing for 619 yards.
O'Connor is joined on the West team by one of his favourite targets, third-year receiver
Trivel Pinto who led the Canada West with 53 total receptions in 2017. The first team All-Canadian averaged more than 100 yards receiving per game in 2017 finishing with five touchdowns and added two more in the playoffs.
Three members of UBC's defence are also headed to Quebec City in defensive lineman
Connor Griffiths and defensive backs
Stavros Katsantonis and
Malcom Lee.
Also a first team All-Canadian, Griffiths amassed 17.5 total tackles and two sacks adding another 5.5 tackles and a sack in two playoff games.
Katsantonis was named Canada West Defensive Player of the Year for 2017 and a first team All-Canadian for the second straight season. The third-year Arts student led the conference with four interceptions and three forced fumbles and finished with 25.5 total tackles. He added another pick and five tackles in UBC's Hardy Cup semi-final win over Regina and amassed eight total tackles in the Hardy Cup.
Another first team All-Canadian, Lee had three interceptions and added six knockdowns. The Surrey, B.C. native was also named a Canada West All-Star.
The game serves as the first step to identifying future CFL talent. For the next year, players from both squads will vie for coveted spots on the CFL Scouting Bureau Top 20 Prospects List – published in August, December and
April – before showcasing their skills at regional and national combines in advance of the draft next spring.
Western Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall, who captured his first national championship as a U SPORTS bench boss last November in Hamilton, Ont., will be behind the West team bench. Bishop's head coach Cherif Nicolas, who led the Gaiters in their first season in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference, will coach the East team. Full rosters for both teams are available below.
The 2018 edition of the event, which also includes four days of practices, a combine for participating players, and a CFL free-agent camp, kicks off on Monday, May 7.
The West team is mostly made up of U SPORTS football players from Canada West and Ontario University Athletics (OUA) schools, except Carleton, Ottawa and Queen's, which play for the East squad. The rest of the East team features players from AUS and Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) schools.
Last year, the West defeated the East 37-13 for their second straight win, extending their lead in the all-time series to 9-6. The game featured 10 of the 20 prospects on the final CFL Scouting Bureau List released last month for the
2018 CFL Draft.
2018 U SPORTS VALERO EAST-WEST BOWL ROSTERS
Note: Some players will play for both teams to fill out all the positions
EAST TEAM
| First name |
Last Name |
School |
Pos. |
| Nathan |
Heide |
Acadia |
OG |
| Thomas |
Grant |
Acadia |
DT |
| Zack |
Graveson |
Bishop's |
REC |
| Guillaume |
Caron |
Carleton |
DB |
| Frederik |
Robitaille |
Carleton |
DE |
| Matt |
Halbgewachs |
Concordia |
OG |
| Maurice |
Simba |
Concordia |
OT |
| Levondre |
Gordon |
Laurier |
RB |
| Mathieu |
Betts |
Laval |
DE |
| Dominic |
Lévesque |
Laval |
K/P |
| Samuel |
Thomassin |
Laval |
OG |
| Alexandre |
Savard |
Laval |
RC |
| Vincent |
Desjardins |
Laval |
DT |
| Kevin |
McGee |
Laval |
DB |
| Pierre-Karl |
Lanctot |
Laval |
OL |
| Zack |
Williams |
Manitoba |
OT |
| Kamba |
Katchelewa |
McGill |
LB |
| Gabriel |
Parent |
Montréal |
RB |
| François |
Hamel |
Montréal |
FS |
| Malikue |
Richards |
Mount Allison |
REC |
| Damian |
Halstead |
Mount Allison |
LB |
| Jamie |
Harry |
Ottawa |
CB |
| Cody |
Cranston |
Ottawa |
DB |
| Kalem |
Beaver |
Ottawa |
REC |
| Ejaz |
Causer |
Queen's |
DB |
| Chris |
Osei-kusi |
Queen's |
REC |
| Samuel |
Piché-luneau |
Sherbrooke |
DL |
| Samuel |
Polan |
Sherbrooke |
CB |
| Gabriel |
Polan |
Sherbrooke |
RB |
| David |
Savard |
Sherbrooke |
FB |
| Vincent |
Roy |
Sherbrooke |
DL |
| Antoine |
Lyte-Myers |
Saint Mary's |
CB |
| Josh |
Henry |
Saint Mary's |
REC |
| Kaion |
Julien-Grant |
StFX |
REC |
| Gordon |
Whyte |
StFX |
LB |
| Jimmie |
Cunningham |
StFX |
DL |
| Nick |
Hallett |
Toronto |
HB |
| Nick |
Stadnyk |
Toronto |
REC |
| Lamar |
Foyle |
Toronto |
LB |
| Eddie |
Nam |
Toronto |
OL |
| Chris |
Merchant |
Western |
QB |
| Brett |
Hunchak |
York |
QB |
Head Coach: Cherif Nicolas, Bishop's
Offensive Coordinator: Gabriel Cousineau, Montreal
Defensive Coordinator: Paul Eddy Saint-Vilien, Carleton
Special Teams Coordinator: Dan McNally, Acadia
WEST TEAM
| First name |
Last name |
School |
Pos. |
| Jonathan |
Harke |
Alberta |
C |
| Kemal |
Kochisarli |
Alberta |
OG |
| Garrett |
Meek |
Alberta |
DL |
| Joshua |
Taitinger |
Alberta |
LB |
| Jeshrun |
Antwi |
Calgary |
RB |
| Hunter |
Karl |
Calgary |
REC |
| Nick |
Statz |
Calgary |
DB |
| Theodore |
Landers |
Guelph |
QB |
| Job |
Reinhart |
Guelph |
LB |
| Eric |
Starczala |
Guelph |
OL |
| Kurleigh |
Gittens Jr. |
Laurier |
REC |
| Trevaughan |
James |
Laurier |
DT |
| Drew |
Mairleitner |
Laurier |
OG |
| Robbie |
Smith |
Laurier |
DE |
| Shai |
Ross |
Manitoba |
REC |
| Derek |
Dufault |
Manitoba |
DE |
| Jamel |
Lyles |
Manitoba |
RB |
| Jesse |
Walker |
Manitoba |
REC |
| Eric |
Blake |
McMaster |
DB |
| Jordan |
Lyons |
McMaster |
RB |
| Marquis |
Richards |
Queen's |
FB |
| Cord |
Delinte |
Regina |
DB |
| Polis |
Koko |
Regina |
DB |
| Kyle |
Moortgat |
Regina |
REC |
| Ryan |
Schienbein |
Regina |
REC |
| Payton |
Hall |
Saskatchewan |
FS |
| Evan |
Machibroda |
Saskatchewan |
DT |
| Brian |
Hope |
Saint Mary's |
K/P |
| Connor |
Griffiths |
UBC |
DL |
| Stavros |
Katsantonis |
UBC |
DB |
| Malcom |
Lee |
UBC |
DB |
| Michael |
O'Connor |
UBC |
QB |
| Trivel |
Pinto |
UBC |
REC |
| Lautaro |
Frecha |
Waterloo |
DB |
| Jesse |
Gibbon |
Waterloo |
OL |
| Grégoire |
Bouchard |
Western |
OG |
| Phillipe |
Dion |
Western |
LB |
| James |
Hawley |
Western |
DE |
| Cedric |
Joseph |
Western |
RB |
| Fraser |
Sopik |
Western |
LB |
| Drew |
Desjarlais |
Windsor |
OL |
| Evan |
Martin |
Windsor |
DB |
| Colton |
Hunchak |
York |
REC |
| Nikola |
Kalinic |
York |
REC |
Head Coach: Greg Marshall, Western
Offensive Coordinator: Ryan Sheahan, Calgary
Defensive Coordinator: Dwayne Cameron, Laurier
Special Teams: Brendan Conway, Waterloo
Offensive Line: Irv Daymond, Laurier
Quarterbacks: Steve Snyder, Western and Kyle Quinlan, McMaster
Receivers: Jabari Arthur, Calgary
Running Backs: Tom Flaxman, McMaster
