Mounties Lead AUS with 10 Football All-Star Selections
Nov. 5, 2014 (HALIFAX, N.S.) - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2014 football all-stars as selected by the conference's four head coaches following regular season play.
The defending champion Mount Allison Mounties (8-0) lead the list of all-conference selections announced today, claiming a total of 10 all-star positions after finishing the regular season as the only undefeated team in the country. Finishing atop the AUS conference standings and ranked sixth nationally, the Mounties will host the Subway AUS Loney Bowl this Saturday at MacAulay Field in Sackville, N.B., for the first time since 1998.
Mount Allison will host the StFX X-Men, who posted a 5-3 regular season record and went on to stage a 18-17 come-from-behind victory in the AUS semifinal playoff game last weekend versus Acadia. Members from the X-Men squad account for eight players on this year's all-star team.
The Acadia Axemen (3-5, 0-1 playoffs), for their part, have had seven team members named to the all-star squad, while two Huskies have earned AUS all-star honours for Saint Mary's (0-8).
Leading the list of Mounties named to the all-star team is third-year quarterback Brandon Leyh of New Westminster, B.C. who threw a league-leading 129 completions over the course of the regular season.
Leyh, also named the top quarterback in the conference last season, threw for an average of 192.4 yards per game including 10 touchdowns and just four interceptions to lead Mount Allison to their first-ever undefeated regular season.
Rookie running back Chris Reid of Brampton, Ont. and fifth-year wide receiver Josh Blanchard of Waasis, N.B. join Leyh on the list of Mounties named to the all-star squad. Reid led the Atlantic conference in rushing, finishing with 987 total yards on 173 carries, and scored five touchdowns.
Blanchard, the MVP of the 2013 Subway AUS Loney Bowl, posted 50 receptions for 620 yards for the Mounties this season and tied for the league-lead in receiving touchdowns with five. His 50 receptions are the second most in school history behind Gary Ross who had 60 catches in 2009.
Other Mount Allison student-athletes earning offensive all-star honours for the first-place Mounties are second-year centre André Goguen (Moncton, N.B.) and fifth-year guard Quinn Everett (Glen Haven, N.S.).
Another four Mounties have been named defensive all-stars, and none are new to the list. Fourth-year defensive tackle Jacob LeBlanc (Halifax, N.S.) was named to the all-star squad for the fourth consecutive year. LeBlanc was named AUS rookie of the year in his first year with the Mounties in 2011.
This is also the third consecutive year that fourth-year cornerback Donovan Saunders (Hamilton, Ont.) has earned a place on the AUS all-star team.
Fourth-year linebacker Te Nguyen (Mississauga, Ont.) and fourth-year safety Kwame Adjei (Brampton, Ont.) are both AUS all-stars this year for the second consecutive season.
Adjei recorded four interceptions and 34.0 total tackles, including five tackles for a loss and three sacks for the Mounties this season, while Nguyen added a team-leading 44.5 tackles, which included 3.5 sacks.
Rounding out the list of AUS all-stars from Mount Allison is fourth-year punter Kyle McLean (Nepean, Ont.) on special teams. McLean averaged 32.4 yards per punt this season and had the most punts downed inside the 20-yard line with 20.
From the second-place StFX X-Men, fourth-year running back Ashton Dickson (Ottawa, Ont.) and fourth-year wide receiver Randy Roseway (Ottawa, Ont.) were both named to the AUS all-star squad.
Dickson posted 662 total rushing yards on 123 carries this season and scored three touchdowns for the X-Men, while Roseway had 33 receptions for 581 yards and tied Mount Allison's Blanchard for the league-lead in receiving touchdowns with five.
Other StFX X-Men named offensive all-stars included second-year offensive tackle Vernon Sainvil (Malden, Massachusetts) and fifth-year inside receiver Jordan Catterall (Oakville, Ont.).
Catterall had 26 receptions for 529 total yards for the X-Men this season and three touchdowns. This is his third time being named an AUS all-star. He was also named to the all-star squad in 2011 and 2012 after taking home AUS rookie of the year honours in 2010.
Three StFX student-athletes were named AUS defensive all-stars. Fifth-year defensive tackle Jesse Stevens (Ottawa, Ont.), fifth-year defensive back Demetrius Ferguson (Nassau, Bahamas) and third-year cornerback Paolo Edwards (Hamilton, Ont.) all earned the honour for the X-Men.
Ferguson led the StFX squad in tackles this season with 46.5, while Edwards boasted four interceptions in seven regular season games – two of which he returned for touchdowns.
Lastly, from StFX, Roseway was named to the all-star team a second time as a special teams all-star. As a punt and kick returner, Roseway posted 16 kick returns for 273 total yards and 35 punt returns for 301 total yards on special teams for the X-Men.
From the third-place Acadia Axemen, third-year inside receiver Brian Jones (Enfield, N.S.), third-year offensive tackle Ethan Charters (Oromocto, N.B.) and fifth-year guard Kirby Fletcher (Grimshaw, Alta.) were all named AUS offensive all-star.
Jones led the Atlantic conference in receiving this season with a school record 57 receptions for 639 total yards and three touchdowns.
This is Fletcher's third appearance on the AUS all-star team. He also earned the honour in 2013 and 2012.
On defence, fourth-year linebacker Drew Morris (Ottawa, Ont.), fourth-year defensive end Jesse St. James (Pincourt, Que.) and fifth-year defensive back Brett Backman (Tantallon, N.S.) were the three Axemen named to the AUS all-star team.
St. James tied for the league-lead in sacks this season with eight. This is his second consecutive year being named an AUS all-star.
This is Backman's third consecutive year being named to the all-star squad for the Axemen.
The final Acadia student-athlete to make this year's AUS all-star list is fourth-year place kicker Ryan Begin (Orleans, Ont.) on special teams.
Begin single-handedly racked up 62 points for the Axemen this season, successfully completing 17 out of 18 attempted field goals and making good on all 11 extra-point kick attempts.
He earned his place in the AUS all-time record books this season. Begin is now sitting tied for third in most field goals made in a single game with five and tied for fourth in most field goals made in a single season with 17. He is also currently the active leader in career field goals with 46 – giving him the fifth-most ever in AUS history.
Lastly, from the Saint Mary's Huskies, second-year defensive end Matt Delmas (Bedford, N.S.) and third-year linebacker Jonathan Langa (Etobicoke, Ont.) were both named to the AUS all-star team.
Delmas tied Acadia's St. James for the league-lead in sacks this season with eight and led the conference in sack yards with 66.
Langa recorded 80.0 total tackles this season (62 solo and 32 assisted), setting the AUS all-time record for the most tackles in a single season.
2014 ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY SPORT ALL-STARS
DEFENCE:
Defensive Tackle: Jacob LeBlanc, Mount Allison (4th year – Halifax, N.S.)
Defensive Tackle: Jesse Stevens, StFX (5th year – Ottawa, Ont.)
Defensive End: Jesse St. James, Acadia (4th year – Pincourt, Que.)
Defensive End: Matt Delmas, Saint Mary's (2nd year – Bedford, N.S.)
Linebacker: Drew Morris, Acadia (4th year – Ottawa, Ont.)
Linebacker: Te Nguyen, Mount Allison (4th year – Oakville, Ont.)
Linebacker: Jonathan Langa, Saint Mary's (3rd year – Etobicoke, Ont.)
Safety: Kwame Adjei, Mount Allison (4th year – Brampton, Ont.)
Defensive Back: Demetrius Ferguson, StFX (5th year – Nassau, Bahamas)
Defensive Back: Brett Backman, Acadia (5th year – Tantallon, N.S.)
Corner Back: Paulo Edwards, StFX (3rd year – Hamilton, Ont.)
Corner Back: Donovan Saunders, Mount Allison (4th year – Hamilton, Ont.)
OFFENCE:
Centre: André Goguen, Mount Allison (2nd year – Moncton, N.B.)
Guard: Quinn Everett, Mount Allison (5th year – Glen Haven, N.S.)
Guard: Kirby Fletcher, Acadia (5th year – Grimshaw, Alta.)
Tackle: Vernon Sainvil, StFX (2nd year – Malden, Massachusetts)
Tackle: Ethan Charters, Acadia (3rd year – Oromocto, N.B.)
Inside Receiver: Brian Jones, Acadia (3rd year – Enfield, N.S.)
Inside Receiver: Jordan Catterall, StFX (5th year – Oakville, Ont.)
Wide Receiver: Josh Blanchard, Mount Allison (5th year – Waasis, N.B.)
Wide Receiver: Randy Roseway, StFX (4th year – Ottawa, Ont.)
Running Back: Chris Reid, Mount Allison (1st year – Brampton, Ont.)
Running Back: Ashton Dickson, StFX (4th year – Ottawa, Ont.)
Quarterback: Brandon Leyh, Mount Allison (3rd year – New Westminster, B.C.)
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Punter: Kyle McLean, Mount Allison (4th year – Nepean, Ont.)
Place Kicker: Ryan Begin, Acadia (4th year – Orleans, Ont.)
Special Teams Player: Randy Roseway, StFX (4th year – Ottawa, Ont.)
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Note: The Atlantic University Sport major award winners who will become finalists for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) football awards will be announced Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014.
The 2014 Subway AUS Loney Bowl takes place this Saturday at MacAulay Field on the campus of Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B.
The Mount Allison Mounties (8-0) host the StFX X-Men (5-3, 1-0 playoffs) to battle for the Jewett Trophy, Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. live on Eastlink TV. The game will also be available live via webcast at www.AUStv.ca.
The winner will advance to the 2014 CIS Mitchell Bowl, which will be played Saturday, Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. EST at the home of the OUA champions.
The winner of the CIS Mitchell Bowl will advance to face the winner of the CIS Uteck Bowl in the 50th Telus Vanier Cup being played at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in Montreal, Que. on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 1 p.m. EST.
Event and ticket information for the 2014 Subway AUS Loney Bowl can be found by visiting www.mta.ca/loneybowl.
Ticket information and other event details for the 2014 CIS Mitchell Bowl will be announced once the OUA host has been determined.
Event and ticket information for the 50th Telus Vanier cup can be found by visiting www.vaniercup.com.
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