Category: Features

Draft-eligible Dufault a leader on the field and in the classroom for the Bisons

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature image by: gobisons.ca

It’s safe to say defensive end Derek Dufault is the complete package.

Along with being a top-level CFL prospect entering the 2018 season, he’s also an ace in the classroom, earning Academic All-Canadian status (minimum 3.5 GPA) every year since enrolling at the U of M in 2015.

“I’m always doing something, I’m never just loafing on my couch,” the computer science major says. “I’m either in class, at the weight room or I’m at home sitting at my little desk doing my assignments or getting ready for tests. I always try to organize my time fairly effectively.”

While Dufault’s work ethic on his own time is admirable, his work ethic on the field has been visible from early on.

In 2012, he was named an all-star at the U16 Red River Cup. The following summer, he was named a defensive captain for Team Manitoba at the U18 Canada Cup. That same fall as a junior, he led the Winnipeg High School Football League’s John Potter Division (AAA now called Division 1) in sacks, with 10.

His performance on the field attracted the attention of many U SPORTS schools, with upwards of 10 interested in his services before he even began his senior year. But on September 1st, at the age of 16, he made his intentions clear, verbally committing to his hometown school while becoming the youngest recruit in Bison football history.

“I just asked myself, do I really see myself wanting to take this whole university career, and going and trying to get a degree and be a university athlete, and making it harder on myself by going anywhere else besides home. So that was definitely a big part in making that quick decision,” he says.

“Also, the U of M was exactly what I wanted, with the facility and the coaches. All the stars just lined up, so that’s why I decided to commit so early.”

Entering his senior year, Dufault had plenty to be excited about. But a broken arm suffered at the 2014 Canada Cup threatened to put a damper on his final season of WHSFL action.

“In that time, I was working so hard trying to get my arm back into the shape it was before, despite only having one functional arm, and doing all the right things to be ready for my final year,” he says.

The product of Dakota Collegiate not only recovered, he came back better than ever. On September 20th of that year, he tied the single game sack record, registering six against the powerhouse St. Paul’s Crusaders. At the end of the season he was also rewarded as the Potter Division’s Defensive Player of the Year.

U SPORTS career

That fall, Dufault continued to up his stock, playing in all eight regular season games as a rookie, while adding 9.5 tackles. He’s been a mainstay at defensive end ever since, registering 51 tackles and 4.5 sacks over the next two years.

“It definitely didn’t come easily,” a humble Dufault says of his quick rise in the U SPORTS ranks.

“I remember my first spring camp, I had [current Cleveland Brown] Geoff Gray at one tackle and [2016 CFL draft pick] Alex McKay on the other. So two really good, huge offensive linemen at the time. It was an eye-opening weekend going against that kind of strength and speed. That’s also what made me go like, okay I have four months until main camp starts, I better do everything I possibly can to get to the level that these people are on right now.”

A captain for the first time last season, Dufault describes his play on the field as “level-headed.”

“I’m not going to get all riled up and crazy to the point where I’m out of my mind and can’t understand what I’m doing on the field,” he says.

“I just think about things objectively, which spills onto the field. No matter what play happens and if I mess up or do good, or if my teammates mess up or do good, I’m either going to try and help correct myself, or help correct my fellow teammates and just continue on with the game.”

Dufault continued his upward trajectory in the spring, registering 1.5 sacks during the Valero East West Bowl – the showcase game for the top U SPORTS prospects eligible for that year’s CFL draft.

“Everything was well organized, so I think it all flowed really well,” he says of his performance.

“The competition obviously is the best in Canada, so it was definitely interesting. Usually when I’m playing a game or at practice, there’s usually one or two really good players on the field at all times, but at East West, every single person is that good. It was cool to see that, because I basically had to go one hundred percent, mistake free and just do my best every single play. So it was definitely an interesting experience.”

Dufault and the Bisons enter 2018 with plenty of optimism, especially on the defensive line where, on paper, they may have the best unit in the country.

Included are returning Bisons Brock Gowanlock and Cole Adamson, along with impact transfers Kent Hicks (Westshore and former Bison), Jeremie Drouin (Westshore and Bishop’s University), Shaun Robinson (Westshore, Okanagan and Mount Allison University), Chris Larsen (Westshore and Guelph University) and Samson Abbott (Winnipeg and University of Alberta).

“It’s good,” Dufault says of the loaded front four.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I was talking to [head] coach [Brian] Dobie about that a little while ago, and he said that exact same thing, that we really do have two starting lineups right now. It’s going to be a really tough competition in main camp. Everyone’s going to be pushing each other and feeding off of each other in order to do as well as we possibly can.”

Veteran Austin Balan’s work ethic will help lead Sisler in 2018

By: Mike Still (@mikstill94)

Austin Balan is the type of player who lets his performance on the field do the talking.

“I’m more of a do my job, lead by example kind of guy,” he says calmly.

“I’m in the weight room as much as humanly possible. I’m there at lunch and after school, and we have a group chat and I try to text my teammates telling them when our speed training days are and stuff like that, but I’m not super, super talkative. Everyone just sees me working.”

The Sisler Spartans senior – who will play both safety and running back for the team this year – has demonstrated his tireless work ethic ever since he stepped onto the gridiron.

For example, he switched to defensive back when trying out for Team Manitoba’s U16 program a few years ago, as he was undersized at linebacker. Despite not having the same level of experience as the other defensive backs, he still thrived.

“I was super nervous, obviously because it was a new position and I didn’t think I could stack up to [the other players], because they’d been playing [defensive back] for a lot longer than I had, and I didn’t really know what I was doing,” he says.

“But I got the call that I made the team, and I was just trying to soak up everything that I could as quickly as possible to get out on the field and do something at the position.”

Balan continued to demonstrate his abilities in 2015, winning the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) junior varsity title as a grade nine starter for the Spartans.

Sean Esselmont, the co-head coach of Sisler’s varsity team took notice of Balan’s performance that season.

“I remember going to a JV practice, and he was just heads and shoulders above everyone else that was out there,” he says.

Balan was close friends with many of the grade 10’s that were on the 2015 championship team, and naturally wanted to get the opportunity to continue playing with them for the next two years.

He had some conversations with Esselmont, who let him try out at the varsity level during the spring. To no one’s surprise, Balan excelled, and earned a spot on the Spartans Division 1 roster as the only grade 10.

“When I got that opportunity to play up, I was super excited,” he says passionately. “There’s more competition in [Division 1], and you get to play against the top players in the city.”

Balan made a clear statement as a sophomore that he would be an elite-level player in the league. He finished the 2016 season with 51 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks and was awarded the Division 1 Rookie of the Year award at year’s end.

“[Playing in Division 1] really helped with being aggressive, because I was playing against and tackling bigger kids,” he says. “I’m still undersized, but I feel like now I can take on anybody who’s in my draft class, because I’ve been playing with older kids my whole life.”

Balan continued to back up his statement as a junior last year, registering 46 tackles, two interceptions and a sack. He also demonstrated his athleticism on the offensive side of the ball, carrying the rock 12 times for 202 yards and two scores, while averaging 16.8 yards per rush.

“He went from being a great coverage safety in the middle of the field, to being an all-around defensive player,” Esselmont says of Balan’s growth over the years.

“He’s also grown into an all-around offensive threat. He’s become a complete football player in every sense of the statement.”

Naturally, Balan has high expectations for himself as he enters his senior season at Sisler. He is currently ranked 95th on CanadaFootballChat’s top 100 players list for the 2018 season, and hopes to rise up the rankings as the months continue.

“This year, I’ve been getting a lot more recognition and it’s good to see that all of my hard work is starting to pay off,” he says.

“I’d like to go higher on [CanadaFootballChat’s] list, but I’m just hoping when the season starts and when Canada Cup starts going, that they’ll see who I am as a player.”

Leadership a natural quality for Waterloo-bound Gillen

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Featured image by: bluebombers.com

St. Norbert product Charles Gillen prides himself on being a leader both on and off the football field.

On the gridiron, it’s his positivity that’s contagious.

“I love getting the guys hyped up,” he says passionately. “Even if you make a mistake, I’m still going to hype you up for the next play, that kind of thing.”

And Gillen has the productivity to back up his enthusiasm. A constant for the Celtics since grade nine, the six-foot-three, 215-pound athlete has played essentially every position on the defence except for defensive tackle, while offensively he’s been a running back and receiver.

“I just fit both roles,” he says of his versatility. “Offensively, I love making cuts. I want to score. Defensively, I love coverage and I love tackling.”

Gillen’s dedication to the sport was keyed in on early, as he was invited to a Top Prospects camp after his grade nine season. That’s also the first time he started seriously thinking about playing at the next level.

Over the next three years, Gillen began personally sending his mid-season and end of season highlights to every single university recruiting coordinator across Canada.

“One of the things that I heard from the Top Prospects camp, is that you’ve got to go out of your way to send [your tape] to [recruiters], because they’re looking at thousands of kid’s films,” he says.

“And if you’re sending it right to them, there’s a higher chance that they’ll look at yours, so that’s why I started doing that.”

Gillen’s work on the field, and diligence in sending out his highlight tapes every year caught the eye of many recruiters. By his grade 12 season, he had narrowed down his choice of school to Waterloo, Queen’s, Bishop’s, Mount Allison and Saskatchewan.

Off the field, Gillen is just as dedicated. Since grade 10, he’s been part of jack.org – a mental health/peer support network that has a chapter at his school. One of the group’s duties is to provide presentations and workshops that promote positive mental health, while also eliminating the stigma around mental illness.

Gillen says he joined the group after one of his friends expressed feelings of depression. He wanted to be able to do something to help, not only for this individual, but others as well.

“Because everyone kind of knew me from football, I was able to use [the support network] as a platform to promote a really good message,” he says.

“The people who you don’t think could suffer could honestly be suffering, and when it’s too late, you lose someone super close that you love. So that was one of the biggest reasons I joined the group.”

Interestingly, it was the 18-year-old who benefitted from peer guidance in his senior year. His family wasn’t super high on him leaving the city to play football, and he ultimately found himself living with a friend in late April while also working.

“At first my emotions were high and I was kind of on edge, thinking about if this was the best thing. Now I’m pretty calm and it’s just natural for me,” he says of his current living situation.

“We have a lot of help [at St. Norbert]. People are always willing to talk to you. One of the biggest reasons I like St. Norbert is because you can open up. I was talking to the principle and the guidance counsellor and they were giving me advice to figure out everything myself, so it was really good.”

A few weeks after moving out, he took his first, and only official visit to Waterloo.

“I wasn’t exactly planning on committing, I was thinking about it, so I went on a visit,” he says. “And just the atmosphere, right away you just get that feeling that yeah, this is it, this is the place for me.”

Gillen, who will be suiting up at running back for the Warriors, is set to leave the first week of August for his new home. In the meantime, he’ll be working as well as training for the season.

On top of being a varsity athlete, Gillen will also be putting in some serious work in the books, as he knows exactly what he wants to do academically.

“I just love law,” he says. “When I was younger, I watched the trial of OJ Simpson and it made me interested in the legal process. I plan to take psychology and legal studies and eventually get into law school.”

Akau healthy, excited to help lead Rifles d-line

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo by: Matthew Hamilton

Machuor Akau’s football journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride at top speed.

It all started after a chance encounter in the halls of Oak Park High School in 2011 with legendary head football coach Stu Nixon.

“About tenth grade, I was still playing basketball, and coach Nixon came and talked to me and said ‘hey you should try out for the football team.’ So I went and tried out for the junior varsity team and loved it.”

Interestingly, Akau suited up as a defensive back in his first-ever season of tackle football. At the time, the junior varsity player was 140 pounds and over six feet tall, so positionally it made sense.

Impact of Recruit Ready/Eddie Steele

When the year ended, Akau was hooked on the game. But he also knew he needed to gain some size, as the plan was to convert him to a hybrid linebacker/defensive end. Cue Oak Park alumnus Brad Black, who along with Blaire Atkinson, founded premier football training program Recruit Ready in 2013.

That year, Recruit Ready was doing in-house training at Oak Park, which Akau benefited from greatly.

“Brad Black, who was a huge mentor of mine, brought me into the strength and conditioning program, so I started training with [Recruit Ready],” he says.

“At the time, I didn’t know a single thing about training, and they instilled that work ethic in me and it just grew from there. I don’t think I could’ve done that without the extra help of [Recruit Ready] guiding me through that process.”

On top of his base training, Akau was also receiving valuable knowledge from former Manitoba Bison/current Saskatchewan Roughrider Eddie Steele.

“Eddie Steele I have a great relationship with,” he says. “In terms of the little stuff like working technique, he would always lend me a hand with that. I talk to him all the time, and any time I need help I shoot him a message.”

Akau had a successful 2013 season, enough so that at the end of his junior year, the Carleton Ravens came calling. Akau built a great relationship with the coaching staff, and they even came to Oak Park to visit him, which he says “meant a lot.”

Returning to the field, when Akau’s senior year came around, he quickly became an unstoppable force at defensive end. He finished the season with 40 tackles, four sacks, two blocked punts and three fumble recoveries — all of which he did in just six games.

Arguably more importantly though, his squad was able to upset perennial powerhouse St. Paul’s for the AAA provincial title in a game that came down to a last-second field goal that was shanked by the Crusader’s kicker.

“I’ll be honest, we thought the game was over, because it was a 15 yard kick,” Akau says with a grin. “But hey, you never know in football. Keep playing until the clock hits zero.”

Carleton experience/injury

Naturally, after such an impressive senior year, Akau started gaining interest from other university programs such as Regina, Calgary and Waterloo. But it was Carleton that “held a place in his heart” because they were the first program that showed interest in him.

He took his official visit to Carleton in February of his grade 12 year, staying for two days with fellow Winnipeger and now former Raven Leon Cenerini.

“After two days, I just loved it,” Akau says with a smile. “I already had a great relationship with the players and coaches, and they saw something in me. Kind of like what coach Nixon saw in me in high school.”

Akau after committing to Carleton for the 2015 season. Photo by canadafootballchat.

With his commitment for the 2015 season made, Akau now had to prove himself at the university level, which, unsurprisingly was difficult at first.

“Going into training camp was a huge jump, not only physically, but just learning the playbook,” he says.

“The game was also a lot faster from high school, so I kind of struggled in training camp, but as soon as training camp ended and we got towards the season, I started picking things up and was beating older veterans.”

By the time week one came around, Akau was set to see time as a true freshman. But that’s when everything started to fall apart.

First, he rolled his ankle and missed game one. Then, the following week, he sustained an injury so gruesome that even writing about it hurts.

“It was the last practice of the week for week two, and we were doing one-on-one pash rush,” Akau says.

“I did one rep and won so I bounced to the other side of the line just to get another rep in. I did an inside swim move, planted my leg, and the lower part of my femur snapped in half. That tore my ACL, MCL PCL and meniscus.”

When Akau went to see a surgeon in Ottawa, it was suggested that he stop playing permanently. Naturally, that didn’t sit well with the native of Kenya, who refused to give up the game he loved dearly.

“I just knew that I could overcome [the injury] and get back, because I saw myself doing it,” he says. “I was like, you did well coming in as a rookie. Once you come back from this injury, you can get back to that level.”

Akau had his surgery in early March in Ottawa, and then returned home at the end of April, giving him the opportunity to do basically all of his rehab in Winnipeg.

“Immediately I went to Elite Performance,” he says.

“I’d never trained there before, so I went and talked to [co-founder] Jeff Fisher, who I have a great relationship with now, and he told me that he would get me back on the field, and that’s all I needed to hear, because the doctor told me otherwise.

“[The rehab] was probably the most grueling year-and-a-half to two years I’ve ever experienced in my life. It was painful and it was long. Most knee rehabs are 7-12 months, but mine took close to two years to fully heal. It definitely took a lot of hard work, but I just kept going after it every day.”

Next steps/Joining the Rifles

Akau chose to take the 2016 season off, de-committing from Carleton in order to fully focus on his rehab as well as spending time with his family.

“At the time, my knee wasnt good enough to play the following season anyways, so I was like, I may as well stay at Elite Performance and continue to work out and train every single day and get my knee better.”

Despite not playing, Akau was still garnering interest from various football programs, including the Canadian Junior Football League’s Winnipeg Rifles.

Head coach Geordie Wilson, as well as defensive backs coach and Oak Park/Manitoba Bison alumnus Justin Kasak were among the individuals who contacted him. He was also getting messages from some of his old friends who now played for the Rifles. This, coupled with Akau’s desire to return to the game slowly and patiently, were enough to convince him to sign with the team for the 2017 season.

”I took it as a challenge to test my knee out, and see if I could still do it,” he says. “Instead of going back to a U SPORTS team, I thought the better route for me would be to play Rifles.”

Akau played in just four regular season games last year, as he continued to be patient with his recovery.

“At times during a game, I’d get rolled on or something, and my knee would instantly swell up,” he says.

“And learning from rehab, you have to be smart with your body, which is something I wasn’t good for before — I would just go, go, go. But after injuring my knee, I took it very, very carefully because I didn’t want to go back to that [original stage of rehab].”

By the time this past offseason rolled around, Akau was finally able to start re-honing his game. He was given the chance to lift heavy again, and has also incorporated yoga and speed work with “guru” Glenn Bruce into his regimen.

“In terms of last season, my offseason program was mostly rehab work, so I didnt have a lot of core or power lifting or strength work. It was moreso mobility, knee rehab specific stuff,” he says.

“This offseason was light years compared to last offseason. I feel healthy, I went on a diet and lost 15 pounds, and I feel way healthier and stronger. It’s definitely going to be a good season, I’m excited.”

Akau during Rifles 2018 mini camp. Photo by Matthew Hamilton.

Akau has every reason to be excited, not only for himself, but his squad as a whole. The defensive line looks to be a particular strength this year for the Rifles, with himself, as well as Hayden Nellis (who’s currently training with the Bombers), Samson Harper and Justin Kwiatowski leading the way.

“We hold each other to a high standard,” Akau says of the relationship the front four has. “We don’t let each other slack off as a unit or take plays off. I think we’ll definitely do very well this year.”

Mature DB Kastellanos ready to settle in with Toronto

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo caption: Kastellanos evades a defender while with Dakota. Photo by Ruth Bonneville

Andreas Kastellanos is a smart, detailed and team-oriented football player, but his successful career on the gridiron almost never happened.

“I started playing tackle football for St. Vital when I was in grade four. I was put on the offensive line and I hated it,” he says. “I remember the first year, I wanted to quit because I just couldn’t do it.”

But Kastellanos pushed through. Naturally, as the years went along, he got taller and fitter. Originally he was placed at receiver and running back, not moving to defensive back until grade eight.

“I wasn’t a fan of [defensive back] at first, but I learned to really love it,” he says.

“I remember my first year playing defensive back, my mom told me to try out for the provincial U16 team, and I was super scared that I would get cut and didn’t want to do it, but I actually made it as an under-aged player.”

The following season in grade nine was when Kastellanos realized he wanted to take football as far as he could. He was going to school at Glenlawn Collegiate at the time, but played for St. Vital because Glenlawn didn’t have a team. The season with the Mustangs ended in success as he claimed a provincial title.

But at the end of the year, he made the move to Dakota Collegiate.

There were a number of factors involved in his decision.

First off, a large bulk of his championship teammates from the year prior were also planning on heading to Dakota. They knew if they stuck together, they could have a core built together for a championship team a few years down the line.

Secondly, Kastellanos knew that in order to get noticed and possibly get a U SPORTS offer, he’d need to say goodbye to community football.

“Most people know, if you want to go somewhere, you have to play high school football,” he says. “Club football is a good time and it’s still competitive, but scouts and coaches won’t really look at you unless you’re exceptional.”

And finally, there was his step-dad Rick Watts, who had made a name for himself at Dakota as an all-star in volleyball, basketball and high jump.

Kastellanos credits Watts — who was named the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association Male Athlete of the Half Century in 2012 — as a massive influence in his development as a football player throughout the years.

“I just call him the guru,” he says. “He was a freak athlete and having him as a support and a guru has helped so much. I can’t thank him enough.

“He’s helped a lot with my fundamentals, so my press technique, where you line up, how much pressure you should have on your toes, all the details. It’s something that you don’t really learn anywhere else, unless someone tells you.”

With the aid of Watts, as well as valuable training from Recruit Ready and former NFL and CFLer Lamar McGriggs, Kastellanos was able to turn himself into a shut-down defensive back throughout high school.

He started in AAA as a sophomore for Dakota, and despite winning just two games over the span of his grade 10 and 11 seasons, he knew something big was coming.

Cue the core of St. Vital alumni, which included linebacker/Manitoba commit Noah Paulic and fellow defensive back Nick Conway. Along with a number of others, the Lancers battled their way to a provincial final berth.

“We all knew throughout the process that by grade 12, we would have a solid foundation of seniors and we’d be able to compete,” Kastellanos says. “And sure enough, grade 12 comes along and we make it to the championship.”

Kastellanos (far left) after winning the 2018 WHSFL Senior Bowl. Photo by Diana Foxall.

Toronto comes knocking

After a stellar high school career, it’s no surprise that Kastellanos garnered U SPORTS interest. He had sent his tape out to many universities, and one team that was quite high on him was the University of Toronto. He initially started talked to the U of T in the summer of 2017, but their head coach was then fired early that same fall.

The Dakota product didn’t talk to Toronto for a while after that, until February of 2018 when he got a text from Bob Mullen, the defensive coordinator/DB coach who got the ball re-rolling on Kastellanos’s U to T opportunity.

He went on an official visit in mid-March, and on March 31 — his birthday — he signed on the dotted line to become a Varsity Blue.

“I just look at it as opportunity, that’s all I see right now,” he says of his decision to head out east.

“Everyone knows that Toronto, they don’t play around. They have so many full-time coaches who know what they’re doing. The facilities are top-tier facilities as well. All aspects when I went there were covered, and it just satisfied me a lot.”

Banares parlays flag football passion into spot on Team Canada

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

At age six, Julian Banares got the football itch, and to this day, it hasn’t gone away.

“I think I was watching a CFL game on TV, and then I told my dad, I want to play this. He’s like, ‘okay,’ so as soon as he found sign-ups, he took me over and signed me up to play football. That’s been my sport ever since.”

Banares began his tackle football career as a running back, before gravitating to the quarterback and receiver positions as he got older.

While he wasn’t playing tackle football though, he was fully immersed in the flag version of the sport, something he started participating in when he was eight.

“I think it was just something to do honestly, when the football season wasn’t around,” he says. “It was a spring league, so you still wanted to play football all year round, and as soon as the snow melted, I could remember wanting to play flag football.

“It’s just a fun sport and it’s fast-paced because you’ve got five-on-five. It’s the closest thing you can get to tackle football without contact.”

And boy was he good at it. For example, when Banares was in grade eight, he represented Team Manitoba at U14 nationals. He did the same thing in grade 10.

“I’ve had some pretty good experiences playing flag at the national or provincial level,” he says.

“It was really just exposure to a higher level of competition. Playing against different teams from different provinces and seeing how they play, and being able to see where your strengths as a team were, or even as an individual player. It was really good exposure in that sense, to play against a higher level of competition and to improve your game.”

Banares’s grade 10 year at Sturgeon Heights was memorable for more than one reason though.

It was that season, in 2008, that the Huskies rolled to the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) AA championship. Their roster included the likes of Ryan Marsh, one of the greatest pivots in WHSFL history. On top of that, there was also Grey Cup champs Kienan LaFrance and Anthony Coombs. Banares also earned the division’s Rookie of the Year nod.

“It was crazy,” Banares says of the 2008 season.

“You maybe take a little bit of it for granted, just because we blew every team out. There really were no close games. Realizing the talent we had, looking back on it now, it was crazy what we were able to do and produce. To be able to be a part of that championship team was pretty special.”

Fast-forward to present day, and Banares is still making his presence felt on the field, as he was part of the Team Manitoba roster that captured gold at last weekend’s senior men’s flag football nationals in Saskatoon.

Team Manitoba’s gold medal-winning flag team.

Among the competition was a Team Canada roster that included Chris Bauman, a former first overall pick in the 2007 CFL draft, as well as former Grey Cup champ Chris Getzlaf.

To top it all off, Banares was named tournament defensive MVP, earning him a nod to Team Canada’s roster for the World Flag Football Championships, which take place later this year in Panama City.

“To be completely honest, getting selected was completely unexpected,” says the soft-spoken Banares.

“I went out to Saskatoon with no expectations whatsoever besides going there and playing and winning the championship. Aside from the personal achievement, I really didn’t expect the invite, so now it’s just going to be preparing for that tournament, and playing at another level of competition which I haven’t experienced before.”

Team Canada connection helps lead Viner-Cox to Calgary

By: Mike Still

Just under a minute into a conversation with local product Tyrece Viner-Cox, it quickly became evident that he eats, sleeps and breathes football.

“Football, really that’s it for me,” he says passionately. “This is the only thing I really care about. I decided when I was a young kid that I would put my best foot forward and try to go as far as I want.”

Since age seven, the versatile player – who’s suited up as a running back, defensive end, receiver and linebacker – has lived up to his words. For example, when he was still in junior high, he made Team Manitoba’s U16 provincial team as a running back.

“My dad said, ‘you’re probably not going to make this team. You’re big, but you’re the youngest kid.’ And I told myself, I told my dad and I told my uncles, no, I’m doing this, and I’m going to make this team.”

High school recognition

Viner-Cox continued to prove that he was one of the best prospects in the country throughout his high school career. In his grade nine season with Dakota in 2014, he was named Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) Rookie of the Year after starting on both sides of the ball as a receiver and defensive end.

“My expectations for Dakota were to play a lot, and be someone who could make a difference, but I never expected to play both sides early,” he says.

“But as I got there and as I was playing, my expectations for myself shot up. I wanted to go in there and make as many plays as I could. I knew I was the youngest kid, but that never really bothered me.”

Viner-Cox after winning the WHSFL Rookie of the Year award. Photo by Shane Cox.

The following year, Viner-Cox took his game to the next level, moving to Welland, Ontario to play for Canada Prep Academy – the only high school in the nation to play a full season of American football exclusively against US high schools.

“I wanted to go [NCAA] Division 1, so I was like, I’ll go there [to Canada Prep],” he says. “I didn’t know how much I would play, because I was the youngest kid again.

Despite his age, Viner-Cox started both ways yet again, making plays at receiver and defensive end. It also didn’t take him long to get acquainted with his new surroundings.

“[Playing for Canada Prep] was really cool for me,” he says of his time in Ontario. Leaving home was never really a big deal for me. Since I was a kid, I knew I was going to live on my own, and my dreams were to leave Winnipeg, so it was cool to see how I developed, not only on the football field, but as a person.

“My second month in, I was like, whatever. My friends, yeah cool I’ll see them another time. I’m trying to chase something for myself right now. I never really had home sickness or anything like that.”

At the end of the 2015 season, Viner-Cox returned home at the request of his parents. He finished his high school career playing two seasons with the Garden City Fighting Gophers.

His defensive numbers with Garden City were in the top five for both his junior and senior years, as he amassed 84 tackles and six sacks. He also tacked on over 200 yards receiving. Additionally, Viner-Cox was recognized by CanadaFootballChat (CFC) as the 41st ranked prospect in all of Canada during his senior year.

The hard-nosed athlete’s performance – specifically in grade 11 – was even more impressive, considering the fact that he was coming off of an MCL injury from the spring.

International bowl and commitment to Calgary

Viner-Cox’s abilities also extended beyond the local high school ranks in his senior year, as he was named to Team Canada’s U18 roster for the 2018 International Bowl series against the United States in early January. His selection was due to a stellar performance at the Canada Cup earlier in the summer.

Canada made a statement in the contest, defeating the Americans 44-26. Viner-Cox contributed to Canada’s victory with a sack.

“I just felt comfortable,” he says of his performance in the contest.

“After my sack, my teammates were all happy for me. We were all motivated, so that was big. I was waiting for a sack for so long in that game, and after I got it was just a relief.”

With all of his accolades, it’s no surprise that, starting in grade 10, Viner-Cox garnered interest from university programs in Canada and the United States. American teams such as Maine and UConn were interested in his services, and it seemed like his Division 1 dreams would become a reality.

Unfortunately, his grades weren’t where they needed to be, and just like that, the American options began to fizzle. But when one door closed, another one opened – this one in the form of the 2017 Hardy Cup-winning Calgary Dinos.

The Dinos were interested in a number of players from Team Canada’s U18-winning roster, and Viner-Cox at defensive end was one of them. After some discussions with his International Bowl comrades, he made his decision.

“It’s funny, because when we were playing Team Canada, we were all like, we don’t want this to stop. So a couple players were like ‘lets go to Calgary.’ And we all agreed,” he says.

“I’m just really comfortable going there, and I feel like I can contribute, and they’re going to get me right.”

With his commitment, Viner-Cox became another key piece to a Dinos recruiting class that was ranked first overall by CFC for the 2018 season. The class includes 12 other players in CFC’s 2018 top 100 rankings, as well as seven other members that suited up alongside Viner-Cox for Team Canada.

Arguably the most important fact for the Winnipeg native though, is the fact that Calgary graduated four defensive linemen, which increases his chances of starting as a true freshman.

This opportunity isn’t lost on Viner-Cox, and knowing his track record, he should be right in the discussion for a starting spot depending on how training camp later this summer goes.

“My goal is to go in and be a true freshman. I’ve been saying this, I really, really want to be a true freshman,” he says. “I’m a very versatile player, and I feel like that will be an advantage.”

Resilient Shillingford ready for final run with the Rifles

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo by: Matthew Hamilton

Griffin Shillingford’s football journey is the epitome of patience and perseverance.

The six-foot-one receiver played his community ball with the Crescentwood Grizzlies, before becoming an inaugural member of the Kelvin Clippers junior varsity team in 2011.

The following year, he helped lead the Clippers to a WHSFL AA division title – the school’s first championship since 2007. Individually, he finished his high school career with 43 catches for 638 yards and five majors.

“It was great to be in that program,” he says of his time with Kelvin. “We came up from nothing in junior varsity, to winning and establishing ourselves as a program in three short years, so it was really good to be in that setting.”

Shillingford hauls in a pass while with the Rifles. Photo by John Woods.

Despite a strong high school career, Shillingford didn’t receive any university scholarship offers. He had discussions with Carleton and Queen’s, but nothing came of them. He also attended the Manitoba Bisons spring camp in 2014, but yet again left without a scholarship offer.

“Even though I had a pretty good spring camp and [the Bisons] said they wanted me to come play, they weren’t offering me any scholarship,” he says.

“I kind of felt like without an offer I wasn’t going to get the same type of playing time as some of the other guys.”

Instead of getting down on himself, Shillingford sought out other options in order to keep his football dreams alive. He chose the junior football route, suiting up for the Winnipeg Rifles for the 2014 season.

Even though he didn’t attend spring camp with the team, he was still able to crack the roster. Unfortunately, he broke his ankle halfway through the year and was reduced to the role of cheerleader. Regardless, Shillingford was still grateful for the opportunity to suit up for the Rifles.

“I think it was beneficial for me, because I developed more as a man and grew up a little bit,” he says. “I don’t think I was ready for U SPORTS at the time, so I think playing a year for the Rifles was the right step.”

When the year finished, Shillingford knew he wanted to give U SPORTS another try, but was struggling to find an in. His prayers were answered by JC Hardy, a former U SPORTS player who knew a coach at New Brunswick’s Mount Allison University.

After some back-and-forth discussions, Shillingford committed as the Mountie’s final recruit of the 2015 season. Yet again, he wasn’t granted any scholarship money. Instead, he was told to come out and prove himself.

That’s exactly what Shillingford did. He dressed in one game as a rookie and was also named the team’s developmental player of the year.

The following season, optimism was high. Shillingford entered training camp as a starting slotback, but tore his hamstring shortly afterward. He tried to come back a week later and tore it again. The same thing happened two more times during the season, leaving the receiver with immense frustration.

He’d never had any muscular injuries in the past, so he didn’t know how to recover properly. Additionally, Mount Allison only had one trainer that covered all varsity sports.

“I’d go in for treatment and the list would be full. So I never really got to have the right type of treatment,” he says. “And that’s not a knock on Mount Allison, it was just a smaller school and they didn’t have the resources.”

At the end of the 2016 season, Shillingford left the Mounties, as his injury wasn’t getting any better, and he knew the resources available wouldn’t cut it.

Despite a forgetful year, he still grew mentally.

“In a way, [the hamstring injury] helped me age mentally, because I had to mature and understand that though adversity, you’re still going to have to do your thing. You can’t just say, oh I tore a hamstring, or oh I broke a bone, what do I do? You have to get through it in any way that you can, and come back better than you were.

“I would say it definitely took my game back a little bit, because I missed pretty much a whole year of football, but it also gave me an appreciation for the rehab process, and really taking care of my body.”

With his football future up in the air once more, another opportunity from the Rifles came knocking, courtesy of Shillingford’s former Clippers teammate Nathan Dickson.

Dickson had spent a few years in U SPORTS himself, with Alberta. He’d returned home for the 2016 season and enjoyed success with the Rifles.

“I was talking to Nathan and he gave me [head] coach [Geordie] Wilson’s number. Through that I messaged coach Wilson and asked if it would be okay to come out and get some reps,” he says.

Things worked out for the best for Shillingford, as he earned a starting spot on the roster, posting 237 yards and two touchdowns overall.

“It was awesome because I kind of came full circle. I was on the Rifles my first year out of high school and got a taste of junior football before being injured,” he says passionately.

“It was nice to be back and to realize that I could reassert myself, and prove to myself and also to the team that that player that was hurt and couldn’t contribute before, could be something.”

Now entering his final year of junior eligibility, Shillingford is primed to help lead the Rifles offence in 2018. When he graduates, he’ll still have three more years of U SPORTS eligibility as well.

His message to any player coming out of high school that, like himself, wasn’t as highly recruited is quite simple.

“In Winnipeg especially, I think there’s a stigma around playing junior, and that if you don’t go to U SPORTS, you’re not good enough, and I think people are being misled in that way,” he says.

“So I would say get rid of the stigma of junior football in Manitoba or across the prairies, and play as much football as you can.”

St. Pierre-Laviolette going the distance to achieve football dreams

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

For Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette, football has been far more than a game. Instead, it’s provided him a ticket to a better life, and has also opened his eyes to opportunities he likely wouldn’t have had otherwise.

The speedy running back grew up in Brandon, Manitoba with a single mother who raised him, along with his four other siblings – all of whom are boys.

“It was actually pretty tough for me,” he says of his time in the wheat city.

“I had a rough childhood growing up there, as far as being a handful for teachers and people in the community, and just doing things and hanging out with people that I probably shouldn’t have. I really just wanted to get out of there. I’ll always love it, it’s my hometown, but I don’t see myself living there in the near future.”

Despite what was going on around him, football was still a big part of his life. He took a liking to the sport as a kid, where he admired receivers like Steve Smith in the NFL and Milt Stegall in the CFL.

Unfortunately, St. Pierre-Laviolette was reduced to the role of a fan, as his mother couldn’t afford to enrol him in the game when he was younger.

But in grade eight, everything changed. His mother was able to get funding from KidSport, enabling him to play a year in the Westman Youth Football Association. He became a natural at the running back position due to his quickness.

“In the youth league, the fastest kid gets the ball,” he says. “So I just fell in love with being a running back at that point and never tried to change it.”

Crocus Plains experience

The coaching staff at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School noticed his performance in the league, and convinced him to join their program for the following year. The running back said the adjustment to high school football was tough at first, but once he got used to the flow, it became an invaluable outlet in his life.

“Football was one of the first places where I saw real structure in my life,” he says.

“At first it was a little rocky because I wasn’t used to taking orders from anybody and stuff like that, but the more I came to love the game, the more I understood that it’s something I had to do, and the more it just converted into life lessons and more than just football.

“That’s the greatest thing about the sport. It’s helped me become a good person, and not just a better athlete but a way better person. I would not be where I am today if I didn’t play ball.”

Individually, St, Pierre-Laviolette enjoyed one of the most impressive careers in Winnipeg High School Football League history. In his junior and senior seasons from 2012-13, he racked up a whopping 2,426 yards and 27 touchdowns.

St. Pierre-Laviolette as a member of the Plainsmen. Photo by Bruce Bumstead.

“We were a real family, we were really tight,” he says of his time with Crocus Plains.

“It’s the first team I’ve ever played on where everyone was really friends and hung out every day. We were just a band of brothers. It didn’t matter if we were winning or losing. “

Junior football exposure

Despite his accolades on the field, the stud running back had trouble finding a university program to play on after high school due to his grades. Ultimately, he decided to take the junior football route instead, suiting up for the Canadian Junior Football League’s (CJFL) Winnipeg Rifles in 2014.

St. Pierre-Laviolette was just 145 pounds in his debut season, but managed to secure the starting running back position, alongside former all-star running back Colton Smith from Miles Mac. The weight was lifted from his shoulders slightly, due to the fact that the Rifles had veteran pivot Tyler Vieira under centre, as well as Kurt Goodrich – one of the best to ever strap on the pads for Winnipeg – at receiver.

After one year with the Rifles, the running back moved to Regina, where he enjoyed a tremendous career with the CJFL’s Regina Thunder.

When he first suited up for the Thunder in 2015, the team already had an established running back in current Saskatchewan Huskie Colton Klassen. Despite this, St. Pierre-Laviolette still churned out 777 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.

“There’s so much more pressure when you’re labeled the starter, and the game doesn’t fall singly on you, but you’re one of the biggest parts of it for your offence. When I was able to come to Regina and have that pressure taken off of me, it helped me improve my game,” he says of the 2015 campaign.

The following year was even better, as the Brandon native won the conference rushing title with 1,020 yards and was also named an All-Canadian.

St. Pierre-Laviolette was a multiple award winner as a member of the Regina Thunder. Photo by bdnmb.ca.

Playing pro in Sweden

His momentum didn’t stop there, as during the offseason, he received an offer to play professionally in Sweden for the Uppsala 86ers. Originally, the running back thought the message he received on Facebook was spam, he but decided to follow up anyways.

It turned out that his information had been passed on by an international agent, who had seen St. Pierre-Laviolette perform well during Saskatchewan Roughriders rookie camp the summer prior. Uppsala’s starting running back was unavailable to start the season, which is when the 86ers came calling.

After pondering his options, the Canadian decided to take the risk, heading to the Swedish Superserien league for the 2017 season. There is no age limit in the league, so he was playing against athletes that were twice his age at times. In Sweden, the season is also 15 games long, and teams play American rules, with 11 players instead of 12.

“It was a really great experience,” he says of his time in Sweden. “I loved playing football down there a lot, and I feel like it also opened some coaches eyes to the fact that hey, maybe this kid might be someone worth looking in to.”

Individually, St. Pierre-Laviolette led the six team league in rushing, utilizing his game-breaking speed to burn defences.

“[The coaching staff] tried to get me to do power runs, but I don’t think they were expecting me to be as small as I was,” he says.

“As soon as they realized my running style, we switched it all up to zone, and they utilized my skill set to make it work for me, which was awesome, because I’m not trying to go around trucking people.”

St. Pierre-Laviolette during his time with Uppsala. Photo by Yamamoto Shinji.

Personally, the trip to Europe opened St. Pierre-Laviolette’s eyes to the allure of other countries.

“We got to travel to Finland for a game, so I took an overnight cruise to do that, which was awesome,” he says. “When you’re driving down the highway, you’d see old castles and stuff like that. It was completely different and a very beautiful country.”

The Swedish season lasted until July, giving the Canadian the chance to be back in time for the 2017 CJFL campaign as well, where he was ranked as the fourth best junior player in all of Canada entering the season. Injuries derailed him slightly, but he was still impactful on the field.

Commitment to the University of Manitoba

St.. Pierre-Laviolette’s accomplishments in junior as well as Europe peaked the interest of multiple U SPORTS schools. The decision as to where to take his talents came down to the University of Regina and University of Manitoba, and he ultimately settled on the Herd.

“The U of M just seemed like the better fit for me. It was closer to home, and I’ve always wanted to be a Bison. School-wise, I feel like that’s going to be the best for me to succeed, he says.

He noted that he’s both “excited and nervous” to return to the books.

“I haven’t been to school in 4-5 years, so it’s definitely going to be a change to head back and try and be a student. But it’s also exciting that I have a chance to get an education, and if football doesn’t work for me, I then have something to fall back on.”

The junior football veteran has already met with coach Dobie and multiple players on the roster, such as fellow running back Jamel Lyles. With Lyles’s power and St. Pierre-Laviolette’s speed in the backfield, the possibilities are endless.

“He basically told me not to consider him a starter or me a starter,” the latter says of his conversation with Lyles. “We’re just kind of going to be the one-two punch, and whatever they feel like is going to help them win games, I’m more than willing to do.”

Grant Park linebacker Chris Mushenza ready to make Saskatoon his new home

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Chris Mushenza is no stranger to adaptation, both on and off the gridiron.

He’s travelled frequently in his life, living in locations such as Hamilton, Ontario, and St. Lazare, Manitoba, before settling in Winnipeg for his senior year of high school in 2017.

Mushenza spent most of his teen years in St. Lazare, which is a small community roughly three hours away from Winnipeg.

“There’s not much to say about [St. Lazare] actually,” he says. “There’s probably a population of less than 300, so it was really secluded.”

Growing up, Mushenza always played sports. He was a basketball guy for the most part, but that all changed when he moved to Manitoba.

“There wasn’t a lot of basketball in St. Lazare, so I had to find another sport, and I started playing football,” he says.

“I just fell in love with it from there.”

Mushenza’s first taste of organized football occurred in grade 10, where he played two seasons with the Park West Outlaws of the Rural Manitoba Football League. He suited up as a receiver for his squad, where he was able to display his athleticism.

Prior to his senior year, Mushenza was forced to adapt once more, as his family moved to Winnipeg. One of the first things he did that summer was find a high school that was offering a receivers camp. Grant Park fit the bill.

“When I came to Winnipeg I didn’t really know anybody,” he says. But in the summer at the receiving camp I made a couple friends, and then I went to the training camp at Grant Park after deciding to come to school here, and it just went on from there.”

Mushenza was quick to point out the role that Grant Park head coach Doug Kovacs had on him during his transition to a new school.

“He was really great. The first day I met him he gave me his number and we were texting back and forth. He also gave my parents a tour of the school, and really helped us with applying and getting into school.”

The coaching staff threw a curveball at Mushenza prior to the season however, asking him to start both ways as a receiver and linebacker. While he’d never played the latter before, he trusted in the coaching he was given.

“I just love playing football,” he says. “Obviously I was more used to playing receiver, but coach Kovacs and [linebackers] coach [Steve] Silver and all the defensive coaches really helped me learn the position of linebacker.”

Mushenza noted that playing both ways helped him learn the game more, while also increasing his intensity. The results on the field showed, as Grant Park was regarded as one of the league’s best defensive teams. Mushenza contributed 16 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumbled and a fumble recovery.

“I was always a physical receiver, but hitting on defence was a lot different,” he says. “I felt like I became a more aggressive player as the year went along, because you have to be when you’re playing linebacker. Overall, it felt like my whole football IQ went up.”

When the season ended, Mushenza started sending his highlights to various university football programs. Scott Flory – the head coach of the Saskatchewan Huskies – got back to him expressing interest. The two met, and Mushenza was impressed with their interaction.

“Coach Scott Flory is a really genuine guy, and overall I hear good things about him. He just seems like he cares about the players and is trying to get to not only play football but gain an education too.”

For Mushena, the 2018 season will signal another adjustment to a new city. But the linebacker is ready for what’s ahead.

“I just felt like it was a good fit, based on the type of linebacker [Saskatchewan] want me to be,” he says.

“They want me to play more of an outside/DB type linebacker, which I feel more comfortable with, because I don’t feel I’m big enough to be a rush end or inside linebacker. I’m big enough and fast enough to cover receivers and running backs, so I felt comfortable there.”