CIS announces All-Canadians and Major Award winners

Five Acadia football players were honoured this past week on Thursday night at the annual All-Canadian Banquet at the Vanier week festivities, this year in Quebec City. AUS Rookie of the Year, Acadia defensive lineman Adam Melanson was in attendance at the luncheon as a nominee for the National Rookie of the Year.

Four Axemen were named to the CIS All-Canadian squads including first team members Jesse St. James and Brett Backman - St. James, a defensive end and Backman a defensive halfback. Second team All-Canadians included fifth year veterans Taylor Renaud - his second year as an All-Canadian receiver, and Cameron Wade, also his second year as an All-Canadian defensive halfback.

QUEBEC CITY (CIS) - The 2013 Canadian Interuniversity Sport football all-stars were announced on Thursday evening during the Sun Life Financial All-Canadian Banquet, presented by Mallette.

As was to be expected, the top-three ranked programs in the country at the end of the regular season, Western, Laval and Calgary, stole the spotlight with four selections apiece on the first dream team. The Mustangs also placed four players on the second squad, the Rouge et Or three, and the Dinos two.

The awards gala was held at Hilton Quebec Hotel as part of the TELUS Vanier Cup celebrations. Laval (11-0) and Calgary (11-0) face off in the 49th CIS championship final Saturday at 1 p.m. EST at TELUS-Université Laval Stadium in Quebec City, live on Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360 and Radio-Canada, as well as on the web at www.cis-sic.tv.

On offence, the first unit is comprised of Bishop's quarterback Jordan Heather, running backs Mercer Timmis of Calgary and Anthony Coombs of Manitoba, receivers Alexander Fox of Bishop's, Paul de Pass of Toronto, Brian Marshall of Western and Mustangs teammate George Johnson, as well as linemen Laurent Duvernay-Tardif of McGill, Jas Dhillon of UBC and the Laval trio of Pierre Lavertu, Karl Lavoie and Charles Vaillancourt.

Heather also claimed the Hec Crighton Trophy as CIS player of the year at the gala. The fifth-year senior from Oromocto, N.B., set a single-season CIS record this fall with 3,132 passing yards in eight games.

Timmis, the Canada West nominee for the Hec Crighton, led the country in all-purpose touchdowns (19), rushing majors (18) and yards on the ground (1,157). Fox topped all CIS receivers in yards (1,009) and touchdowns (12). Duvernay-Tardif also captured the J.P. Metras Trophy as the nation's top down lineman.

It marked the third straight selection as a first-team all-Canadian for Lavertu and the second of their careers for Duvernay-Tardif (2012) and Coombs (2011). Coombs (2012), Vaillancourt (2012) and Fox (2011) are also all former members of the second squad.

On defence, the first team is made up of linemen Ettore Lattanzio of Ottawa, Donovan Dale of UBC, Derek Wiggan of Queen's and Jesse St. James of Acadia, linebackers Doctor Cassama of Calgary, Pawel Kruba of Western and Beau Landry, also of the Mustangs, safety Kwame Adjei of Mount Allison, halfbacks Brett Backman of Acadia and Cyril Iwanegbe of Calgary, as well as corners Andrew Lue of Queen's and Maximilien Ducap of Laval.

Kruba received the Presidents' Trophy as CIS defensive MVP at the banquet, while Cassama was the Canada West finalist for the award. Lattanzio and St. James shared the CIS lead in conference action with 10 quarterback sacks apiece.

Landry and Lue were both CIS all-stars back in 2011, the former on the top unit and the latter on the second squad.

Rounding out the list of first-team all-Canadians for 2013, on special teams, were UBC punter Quinn van Gylswyk, Calgary placekicker Johnny Mark and Toronto returner Kevin Bradfield.

Mark was good on a CIS-best 88.2 percent of his field goal attempts in league play (15 of 17). He had previously earned second-team nods each of the past two seasons.

Highlighting the list of second-team all-Canadians on offence were Western quarterback Will Finch and Mount Allison running back Jordan Botel, the OUA and AUS conference nominees for the Hec Crighton Trophy. Finch set an OUA season mark with 3,047 passing yards this fall, while Botel was the most-utilized back in the country with 170 carries.

Manitoba inside receiver Nic Demski was honoured nationally for the first time on offence after a pair of selections as a returner (2012 first team & 2011 second). Acadia wide receiver Taylor Renaud was a member of the second squad a year ago.

Leading the second CIS team on defence were linebackers Ron Omara of StFX and Antoine Pruneau of Montreal, the AUS and RSEQ nominees for the Presidents' Trophy.

Pruneau (2012 second team), Queen's linebacker Sam Sabourin (2011 & 2012 second), Acadia halfback Cam Wade (2011 first & 2012 second), Western tackle Daryl Waud (2012 first) and Queen's halfback TJ Chase-Dunawa (2012 first) are all repeat all-Canadians.

Official TELUS Vanier Cup website: www.vaniercup.com

2013 CIS FOOTBALL ALL-CANADIANS

FIRST TEAM

Pos. - Athlete - University - Year - Hometown - Program

Offence
QB Jordan Heather Bishop's 5 Oromocto, N.B. History
RB Mercer Timmis Calgary 2 Burlington, Ont. Business
RB Anthony Coombs Manitoba 3 Winnipeg, Man. Science
IR Alexander Fox Bishop's 4 Montreal, Que. Sports Studies
IR Brian Marshall Western 4 London, Ont. Social Sciences
WR George Johnson Western 2 London, Ont. King's College
WR Paul de Pass Toronto 5 Ajax, Ont. Arts & Science
C Pierre Lavertu Laval 4 Quebec City, Que. Business Admin.
T Karl Lavoie Laval 3 Quebec City, Que. Open Studies
T Laurent Duvernay-Tardif McGill 4 St. Hubert, Que. Medicine
G Jas Dhillon UBC 3 Surrey, B.C. Arts
G Charles Vaillancourt Laval 2 Coaticook, Que. Business Admin.

Defence
DT Ettore Lattanzio Ottawa 3 Nepean, Ont. Classics & Ethics
DT Donovan Dale UBC 2 Saskatoon, Sask. Kinesiology
DE Derek Wiggan Queen's 4 Toronto, Ont. History
DE Jesse St. James Acadia 3 Pincourt, Que. Business Admin.
LB Pawel Kruba Western 5 Windsor, Ont. Social Sciences
LB Doctor Cassama Calgary 3 Kristianstad, Sweden Arts
LB Beau Landry Western 4 Kitchener, Ont. King's College
FS Kwame Adjei Mount Allison 3 Brampton, Ont. Social Sciences
HB Brett Backman Acadia 4 Tantallon, N.S. Arts
HB Cyril Iwanegbe Calgary 2 Brooks, Alta. Arts
CB Andrew Lue Queen's 4 Markham, Ont. Environmental Studies
CB Maximilien Ducap Laval 5 L'Islet, Que. Education

Special Teams
P Quinn van Gylswyk UBC 1 Victoria, B.C. Arts
K Johnny Mark Calgary 3 Peterborough, Ont. Science
RET Kevin Bradfield Toronto 3 Toronto, Ont. Arts & Science

SECOND TEAM

Offence
QB Will Finch Western 2 Burlington, Ont. Social Science
RB Brendan Gillanders Ottawa 5 Orleans, Ont. Human Kinetics
RB Jordan Botel Mount Allison 2 Prince George, B.C. Arts
IR Nic Demski Manitoba 3 Winnipeg, Man. Arts
IR Evan Pszczonak Windsor 4 Amherstburg, Ont. Human Kinetics
WR Taylor Renaud Acadia 5 Winnipeg, Man. Education
WR Addison Richards Regina 3 Regina, Sask. Science
C Sean McEwen Calgary 3 Calgary, Alta. Science
T Josh Prinsen Queen's 5 Napanee, Ont. Mining Engineering
T Alec Pennell UBC 2 Port Coquitlam, B.C. Arts
G Sukh Chungh Calgary 3 Port Coquitlam, B.C. Arts
G Cameron Thorn Guelph 5 Midhurst, Ont. Science

Defence
DT Brandon Tennant Laval 3 Montreal, Que. Business Admin.
DT Daryl Waud Western 3 Hamilton, Ont. Social Sciences
DE Joel Seutter Saskatchewan 5 Sherwood Park, Alta. Arts & Science
DE Dylan Ainsworth Western 3 Delta, B.C. Social Sciences
LB Ron Omara StFX 4 Aylmer, Que. Arts
LB Sam Sabourin Queen's 4 Stittsville, Ont. Physical Edu. & Health
LB Antoine Pruneau Montreal 4 Montreal, Que. Arts & Science
FS Mark Ingram Saskatchewan 4 Imperial, Sask. Agric. & Bioresources
HB TJ Chase-Dunawa Queen's 5 Toronto, Ont. Biology
HB Cameron Wade Acadia 5 Moncton, N.B. Science
CB Tevaughn Campbell Regina 2 Toronto, Ont. Business Admin.
CB Eric Black Saint Mary's 4 Toronto, Ont. Criminology

Special Teams
P Boris Bede Laval 4 Toulon, France Physical Edu. & Health
K Lirim Hajrullahu Western 5 St. Catharines, Ont. Graduate Studies
RET Guillaume Rioux Laval 5 Paris, France Nutrition