A New Hope for Gaels football

Ashton Watson joins the Gaels

AIDAN MICHAELOV Assistant Sports Editor

A new prospect joins the Gaels football squad. Ashton Watson—a wide receiver from Newmarket, Ontario—looks to bring a wealth of experience, talent, and dedication to success to the Gaels roster .

Watson’s football career began at the age of six where he played two seasons for the Newmarket Bucks. When he switched to the Metro Toronto Wildcats two years later, he met Coach Marcello Lio, a figure Watson cited as having a profound impact on his football career.

“I had a bit of an ego; he changed my whole mindset. He made me a team player. My work ethic got way better when I was getting coached by him,” Watson said in an interview with The Journal

Having played running back for almost the entirety of his football career, Watson saw the change to wide receiver in his Grade 12 season to best utilize his skillset.

“I like helping, blocking, and making big plays for my other teammates, but I couldn’t really do that as a running back. So, I kind of like receiver a lot,” Watson said. “I’m also in the open field already, and that’s where I excel at for sure.”

Even before his recruitment to Queen’s, Watson was recognized on a national level. From scoring touchdowns in the Canadian Football Chat prospect team to competing on Team Ontario for the Canada Cup, he never struggled to succeed at any level of his playing career.

Watson displayed immense excitement and commitment about joining the Gaels. When asked about his motivations behind choosing Queen’s, he said the attraction of a good football program that values academic growth of their student-athletes was the selling point.

“They care about building each player on their team,” he said. “Resumes for businesses, mock interviews, all that little stuff matters to me, like they don’t just care about football. They care about their player. They’re not just a roster number.”

Coming from an all-boys boarding school of about 600 students, Watson voiced his worries about the number of students at Queen’s. He emphasized the pressure he’s put on himself to be accountable as he won’t have anyone watching over him anymore.

Watson will be living on campus this year where he’s excited to play video games and watch Star Wars with friends.

Watson will face off against the Laurier Golden Hawks in the Gaels home opener at Richardson Stadium on Aug. 26. He’ll be going up against his brother, Mason Watson, a solid Defensive End for the Golden Hawks.

At 6’4” and weighing in at just over 200lbs, Miedema’s hockey IQ and dedication to becoming a well-rounded player has been something reporters have talked about.

Miedema joined the Frontenacs mid-way through last season when the Windsor Spitfires traded him for Shane Wright. Between the Frontenacs and the Spitfires, Miedema posted 52 points in 68 games in the 2022-23 season .

“I’m still really happy to be in Kingston as a Frontenac and looking forward to the upcoming season,” Miedema said in an interview with The Journal. “The coaches care a lot and really want us to do well individually and as a group…When you combine coaches who care and all the extra stuff you do, it puts you in a position to be successful.”

Finding the success that many hockey players work so hard to have, Miedema described hearing his name called in the draft as “unreal.”

“It’s something you dream of as a kid,” he said. “To hear your name called, that’s something that you get chills about…It’s a dream come true for not only myself, but everyone who’s supported me.”

Originally from Cobourg, ON, Buffalo is one of the closest cities to home for Miedema.

“I lucked out with that,” he said. “I literally drove to development camp, whereas a lot of guys got to fly across the country or fly through another state or province.”

Having recently attended development camp for the Sabres, Miedema recounted what a typical day with them looked like.

“The way they treat us is top notch,” he said. “The NHL’s the real deal.”

Miedema said practicing on NHL ice was a particularly heartfelt moment for him.

“I know it’s only a practice jersey, but wearing that jersey for the first time—like I said earlier about getting drafted—you get chills.”

“[It’s] something you dream about as a kid, wearing an NHL jersey for real, not just one of someone you look up to,” he said. “It’s your own jersey and this might sound pretty cliché, but it’s truly one of the best feelings in the world.”