Wilfrid Laurier University 5th Quarter Club From the Home of Golden Hawk Football
Volume 8, Issue 2 News and Notes 2003 Review Regular Season Record: 6-2 Playoffs Record: 2-1 CIS Coach of the Year Gary Jeffries Gino Fracas Volunteer Coach of the Year Rob Dalley John Alexander Award Roly Webster Kevin Webster OUA All-Stars First Team Jeff Melis - C Ryan Jeffrey - OT Justin Shakell - DE Kevin MacNeill - LB Ian Logan - DB Second Team Mitch Zappitelli - OG Josh Alexander - DT Tony Bretney - DE David Agro - FS CIS All-Canadians First Team Justin Shakell - DE Second Team Jeff Melis - C Ryan Jeffrey - OT Kevin MacNeill - LB Home Opener Monday, September 6 vs. Toronto Homecoming Game Saturday, September 25 vs. McMaster
Preseason 2004
The Future Looks Bright With the loss of 14 graduating seniors from last season’s Yates Cup finalist team, the 2004 version of the football Golden Hawks will be filled with the optimism and excitement of a squad whose roster will be made up of more than 50% first and second year players. Head Coach Gary Jeffries has put together a team that will be strong in athleticism and skill but short on experience. There is no doubt that this year’s team will be better after the regular season concludes than it will be opening day when the University of Toronto Varsity Blues visit University Stadium. Offensively, the Golden Hawks return their entire starting receiving core and quarterback Ryan Pyear (4th Yr). Pyear will look down the field at one of the best group of athletes in the OUA. Slotbacks Andrew Agro (3rd Yr) and Brian Hickey (3rd Yr) both were selected for last spring's East West Bowl and will return this fall with valuable experience gained from working with some of the best athletes and coaches in the country. Andy Baechler (2nd Yr), last year’s runner up for Golden Hawk Rookie of the Year, did not look out of place as a freshman and will look to become one of the premiere receivers in the league. Pyear will once again look to Joel Wright to make the big plays. Joel caught two touchdown passes on the last play of the game in 2003, one in double overtime in Kingston that sent the Hawks to the Yates Cup.
Wide Reciever Steve Frake, going into his fifth season in 2004, announces that the Hawks are number one after their victory over Windsor in 2003.
Along with a strong returning class, look for freshmen Matt Premo (Sault Ste. Marie), Tim Birkett (St. Andrew’s College) and transfer Ryan Branting (UBC) to make an impact. Tailback Nick Cameron (4th Yr) will look to prove he was perhaps the second best running back in the OUA last season -- despite being a backup. At 5’10 and 215 pounds Nick provides strength, speed, and great receiving skills from the tailback spot and will be a featured part of the Golden Hawk attack in 2004. Returning after a two year absence from football is TB Marvin Williams (4th Yr). As you might remember, Marvin rushed for over 200 yards during the second half alone in the 2001 OUA Semi-final game in Kingston. He will give some depth to a young group of running backs which features a talented freshmen class including tailbacks Joel Gooding (Kitchener),
Ryan Lynch (Waterloo), Brodie Legein (Ancaster) and fullbacks Chris Levan (Point Edward) and Jason Partridge (North Bay). The offensive line will be rebuilt in 2004. With the loss of four starters and one back-up, there will be lots of opportunity for both the returning group and the freshmen to earn a starting spot. OG Mitch Zappitelli (4th Yr) will anchor the group and is the only returning OL to start every game in 2003. Mitch also played in this past springs East West Bowl, holding his own against some of the most talented defensive linemen in the CIS. The Hawks will look to third year player Kyle Weston for athleticism and leadership as he gained valuable experience in 2003. Second Year player Andrew Dietrick (2nd Yr), Erik Salo (4th Yr), Stephen Braun (4th Yr) and Bill Girt (5th Yr) all played last season Continued Page 3
For more information please visit our website at
www.laurierathletics.com
Laurier Hawk Talk Back for 2004-2005
Laurier Hawk Talk, a unique sports radio show focusing on student athletes, coaches and officials at Wilfrid Laurier University, debuted August 23rd, 2003 on 570 News - the No. 1 station for news and information in the region. The show will now be entering its second season beginning Saturday August 28th, 2004, at 10:00 AM. Laurier Hawk Talk is the only 60 minute sports magazine show on public radio in Canada devoted to a university. This weekly news and sports information show on 570 AM and on 570NEWS. com highlights the achievements of our student-athletes, coaches, alumni, and officials. Hosted by award winning Toronto Star journalist David Grossman, the show was extremely successful it the inaugural 36-week season. Along with the stories of present student atletes, this year’s show will continue to feature the SAXON High School report as well as the “Where are they now?” feature brought to you by the Laurier Alumni Association. Along with “Laurier Hawk Talk” 570 NEWS was also able to broadcast 6 football games and one basketball game in 2003-2004, and this seaon will move to a full schedule of Laurier Football beginning Monday September 6th, live on 570 AM and 570NEWS. com.
Reebok & New Hawk Uniforms In the summer of 2003 Laurier Athletics was fortunate to sign a two-year agreement with Reebok to be the Apparel and Footwear supplier to the Laurier Golden Hawks Football Team. This sponsorship deal was designed to provide enhancements to the Football team that previously were costs incurred by the athletes. In return Reebok was provided exposure through event signage, field signage and affiliation with a team with a strong tradition. In 2003 Reebok provided apparel and footwear packages
for both the coaches and players, and this summer provided support to the “All-Canadian Football Camp” hosted at Laurier the end of June. During the summer of 2004 the football program has worked hard with Reebok in redeveloping the football uniform that will be unveiled at the home opener on Monday September 6th. In the second year of the deal with Reebok, Laurier is extremely pleased to be partnered with a brand such as Reebok and hope to maintain this relationship for future years.
Message from the Athletic Director “Investing in People” has been the aim of the 5th Quarter Club since 1998. In that year the Club was established to provide an opportunity for WLU Football alumni and friends to contribute to the current generation of football student-athletes and to enhance the program. Since that time, investment by Club members has served to enhance many aspects of Golden Hawk Football, including: 1) Coaching Support increased ability to attract top quality assistant coaches professional development support for all coaches additional full-time coaching in 2003 in hiring of Stefan Ptaszek, Offensive Coordinator off-season field and agility coaching led by Brent McFarlane (former Olympic & National Track & Field Coach) 2) Recruiting creation of the Golden Hawk Bird Dog Scout Team (over 25 alumni scouts) additional travel budget for national recruiting creation of the best website in country (supported through ‘68 Alumni, Ken Will) scout service report database development 3) S t u d e n t - A t h l e t e Development A program to support the athletic, academic and social development of the student-athlete with tutorial support, sportpsychology and nutritional
assistance, as well as leadership and career training. 4) Facilities & Equipment WLU is recognized as having one of the best football facility operations in Canada. The Canadian University Football Coaches Association has insisted that the annual CIS East-West All-Star Bowl Game be hosted at Laurier. Investments in facilities upgrades, using funds raised from alumni, assisted us in achieving this reputation. Enhancements to new equipment have made some CFL operations envious. Improvements to technology support have allowed the football program to buy state of the art film editing equipment. 5) Tom Allen / Newport Credit Football Bursary - Alumnus Dr. Tom Allen has setup a bursary in his name to be awarded to a deserving football student-athlete in his 2nd year or more who has achieved a minimum academic average of 70% or better in his previous year of studies. 6) Athletic Therapy Support Alumni support has allowed for a dedicated therapist to be hired for football, not only to treat and rehabilitate injuries but to assist in preventative strength and conditioning programs. 7) Alumni Involvement The 5th Quarter Club Friends of Football Corporate
Dinner, with leadership past chair, Terry Reidel and current chair, Dr. Rich Agro, has not only assisted us in raising significant monies for the football program, but has re-energized the WLU Football Alumni community and raised the profile of the program not only in the local corporate community but also provincially and nationally. Now the Hawk Football Alumni have their own golf tourney to build community and assist the current team. Our vision to build the best football program in Canada is on track. Coach Gary Jeffries and his team of coaches and players sincerely appreciate you. On behalf of the WLU Department of Athletics and Recreation, Thank you for your continuing support. Sincerely,
Peter Baxter
Hawks Ready for 2005 Continued From Cover and will be looked upon to provide stability to a young group. Freshmen Wayne Brock (Markham) and Gary Cressey (Mississauga) are expected to contribute early in their careers. As mentioned Ryan Pyear returns as the incumbent quarterback. After a good season in 2003, Ryan will look to take his game to the next level and to be considered among the elite signal callers in the country. Back-up Jamie Partington (3rd Yr) had a great off season and will look to push Pyear for the staring job. Freshman Dante Luciani (Oakville) was the under 19 Team Canada quarterback that traveled to the Super Bowl this past winter, eventually losing to a tough USA team. Dante spent last fall at Berkshire Preparatory School in upstate New York honing his skills. The Hawks look for Dante to provide some stiff competition at the QB spot early in his career. The kicking game will be solid with the return of Brian Devlin (4th Yr) who has established himself as a clutch place kicker and a very accurate punter. First year receiver Tim Birkett was an outstanding kicker in high school and
should provide the team with depth. The strength of the defense in 2004 will be the secondary. 1st Team OUA All-Star and two time East West Bowl participant Ian Logan (4th Yr) will lead a very talented and experienced group. Steve Frake returns for a fifth year after being drafted by the Montreal Allouettes and attending their training camp in June. Last season’s Golden Hawk Rookie of the Year Josh Maltin will be looked upon to develop into one of the top defensive backs in the country. Jeff Smeaton (4th Yr), Steve Surya (3rd Yr), Nial Both (4th Yr) and Bobby Kootstra (3rd Yr) all return and give the unit depth and experience. The linebackers will be an exiting group to watch in 2004. Their lack of experience will be overshadowed by their athleticism and desire. Lee Maggiacomo will return for a fifth year and will no doubt be cheering for his younger brother Anthony (2nd Yr) to crack the line-up. Jesse Alexander will solidify the middle after coming on strong towards the end of the year in 2003. Look for senior Bryan Sloot (4th Yr) to compete for playing time. Second year
player Yanick Carter made the switch from DB in the spring and should make an impact at the cover LB spot early. Keep an eye on Freshman Luke Pinder (Preston). Luke was the high school player of the year in the Kitchener Waterloo area last fall. The defensive line was the hardest hit by graduation this past year with two AllCanadians and an OUAAll-Star moving on. DT Kyle Armour (3rd Yr.) returns form knee surgery in 2003 and should provide toughness and size in the middle. Adrian Houwer (3rd Yr), David Montoya (3rd Yr) and Josh Golding (2nd Yr) will all play and are a very tenacious group. Freshmen Steve Cormack (Waterloo), Andrew Flatt (King City) and James Cranston (Ancaster) will all compete to dress and play. With a new playoff format in the OUA this fall (6 teams make the play-offs with the top two teams receiving a bye in the first round), the Hawks will look to get off to a good start when they face the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at University Stadium on Labour Day Monday at 7:00pm. Hope to see you there!!!
Coach’s Corner Laurier alumni and friends of Golden Hawk Football, welcome once again to a new and exciting 2004 football campaign. I am hopeful you will continue to support this storied program and we will satisfy your very large appetite for exciting, entertaining, winning football. We return some outstanding athletes from our Yates Cup finalist team of 2003 and we once again have had a very strong recruiting performance in the off season. This year’s edition of the Hawks will be much younger as we field a team that will be made up of 70% first and second year athletes. Our biggest loss due to graduation from the 03 team was at the offensive and defensive lines. We will field a very
athletic defence and we will align 12 outstanding athletes, the most glaring difference may be that we don’t have as many players in a 3 point stance? On offence we will have outstanding quality at all the skill positions, our concern is a very young and inexperienced offensive line. The success of this year’s Hawks will in large part be in how quickly this O line unit develops. I am very confident we will have developed quite nicely by playoff time. Regardless of how many wins and how many losses the Hawks put on the board this season I can guarantee you we will be playing typical Golden Hawk football. No one in this league will compete harder, with more intensity or with
2004 Golden Hawk Schedule September 6 Toronto at Laurier - 7 pm September 11 Windsor at Laurier - 2 pm September 18 Laurier at Western - 2 pm September 25 McMaster at Laurier - 2 pm October 2 Laurier at Waterloo - 2 pm October 9 Laurier at Guelph - 2 pm October 16 Ottawa at Laurier - 2 pm October 23 Laurier at York - 2 pm October 30 Quarter-Finals - 2 pm November 6 Semi-Finals - 1 pm November 13 Yates Cup - 1 pm November 20 CIS Semi-Finals - TBA @ Quebec Winner November 27 Vanier Cup - TBA @ Hamilton
Why Not Hire A Golden Hawk?
more emotion and passion than the Hawks. See you at University Stadium. Golden Hawks forever,
Anyone who has opportunity for long term or summer employment and would be interested in hiring a current member of the Hawks is asked to contact Gary Jeffries at (519) 884-0710 ext. 2180
Fifth Annual Corporate Dinner A Success The fifth annual Friends of Golden Hawk Football Reception and Dinner was held on April 27, 2004. This year the event surpassed last year’s event by $12,000 raising a total of $60,000 for the football program through the dinner and auctions. The event took place at the Waterloo Inn & Conference Centre. The goal of the evening is to bring the corporate world, alumni and friends together in the promotion of Golden Hawk Football. This year’s event, like the past was completely sold out. Paul Heinbecker, spoke as the honorary chair of the event while Keith Pelley, President & CEO of the Toronto Argonauts topped off the night as the key note speaker. The event was later rebroadcast on Rogers Cable (channel 20 Kitchener). Golden Hawk Football has enjoyed excellent support in the past and the proceeds from this event have helped to enhance the program over the past five seasons.
Adopt A Golden Hawk Program The Golden Hawks invite everyone to play a role in the student-athlete experience by “adopting” an athlete. The Adopt-A-Golden Hawk program is more than a fundraiser; it is an opportunity for the community, alumni and corporate sector to support a specific team, while at the same time becoming involved with a specific student-athlete. Last year marked the first season of the program with the successful adoption of over 70 Golden Hawk football players. Any contribution will help enhance the student-athlete experience and assist them in achieving their academic and athletic success. For more information on participating in the AdoptA-Golden Hawk program please contact Roland Webster at rwebster@wlu.ca or Coach Gary Jeffries at gjeffrie@wlu.ca.
2004 Freshmen Class
Name Luke Pinder Joel Gooding Ryan Lynch Steve Cormack Brock Warner David Dulmage Stephen Turner Jordan Schaus Josh Duru Ryan Dutkus Wayne Brock Brodie Legein Matt Nytschyk Chris Vlowianitis Warren Rigby Nic Martin Troy Leach Dante Luciani Jason Partridge George Dimacakos Gary Cressy Aaron Amadio Duncan Robertson Andrew Flatt John Kowalski Steve Williams Ryan Branting Cory Matthias Matt Premo Ian Clark James Cranston Andrew Franzini Riley Armstrong Chris Levan Dan Swystun Tim Burkett Ben Coker Noah Rushon Brad Fryett Mike Gow
Position LB RB RB DL OL LB RB LB REC OL OL RB REC REC LB QB REC QB FB DB OL DB DB DL DB QB REC OL REC DB DL DB DB FB DB REC RB REC LB LB
Ht. 6’2 6’0 5’10 6’1 6’0 6’0 5’10 6’1 5’0 6’0 6’2 5’9 5’11 5’10 6’0 5’10 5’0 6’0 6’0 5’10 6’3 5’10 6’2 6’0 5’11 5’10 6’0 6’0 6’4 6’0 6’1 5’11 5’11 6’0 5’9 6’1 5’9 6’3 6’1 6'1
Wt. 200 195 185 265 250 200 185 195 180 265 280 180 185 180 200 190 180 190 245 175 265 180 185 245 185 190 190 210 200 190 245 190 195 225 175 185 185 190 195 200
Hometown Kitchener Kitchener Waterloo Waterloo Belleville Belleville Oakville Waterloo Welland Welland Markhan Ancaster Ancaster Mississauga Nobleton Kingston Barrie Oakville North Bay Brampton Mississauga Sault Ste. Chatham King City St. Catherines N. Vancouver Toronto Orillia Sault Ste. Hamilton Ancaster Mississauga Midhurst Point Edward Sault Ste. Marie Newmarket Oakville Sault Ste. Marie Hagersville Oakville
High School Preston Preston WCI St. Davids Quinte Moira Holy Trinity WCI Notre Dame Notre Dame Markham St. Mary’s St. Mary’s St. F.X. Georgian College Kingston Collegiate Central Berkshire Prep. West Ferris Chinguacousy Meadowvale Marie St. Mary Chatham Kent Villinova Winston Churchill Hansworth UBC Orillia Marie White Pines Westdale Ancaster St. F.X. Barrie North Sarnia Collegiate White Pines St. Andrew’s College Loyola Marie White Pines Hagersville Holy Trinity
Our Corporate Sponsors Ball Construction Waterloo Inn and Conference Centre Berkshire Investments Labatt Breweries of Ontario McGinnis Front Row Sleeman’s Brewing and Malting Co. Glassford Motors Ltd. WLU Student Union OTIP/RAEO WLU Student Services WLU WLU Alumni Association Ken Will Mentor College Strait Crossings Inc.
Orion Capital Inc. WLU Development Maple Trust Financial Victoria Star Motors Venngo Inc. Alliance Homes TD Evergreen Morty’s Pub JG Custom Woodworking Capital Insights and Solutions Schneider’s Food Centre for Education and Development BLM Trucking Cisco Foods Height Products