Football Axemen take 6 of 7 AUS Major Awards

(HALIFAX, N.S.) - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2019 football major award winners and all-stars as selected by the conference's five head coaches following regular season play.

OUTSTANDING PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Hunter Guenard, Acadia Axemen (Chris Flynn Trophy)

Acadia Axemen quarterback Hunter Guenard has been selected as the Atlantic University Sport outstanding player of the year.

A fourth-year bachelor of arts student from Calgary, Alta., Guenard led the AUS conference this season in total passing yards with 2,287, as well as passing yards per game with 285.9.

He threw for a league-leading 16 touchdowns and had 145 completed passes on the season, leading the Axemen to a first-place finish and a perfect 8-0 record.

In the past two seasons as the starting quarterback, Guenard has 4,197 passing yards, to average 262.3 yards per game. His 2,287 yards passing this season are the fourth most in AUS history and second only to Larry Jusdanis in Acadia school history.

In addition to being named conference MVP this season, Guenard was also named a conference all-star. This is his second consecutive year being named an AUS all-star.

Guenard in the nineteenth player from the Acadia Axemen to earn this honour. Prior to this season, teammate Dale Wright was named the conference's top player most recently for the Axemen, winning in 2017.

Guenard now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the Hec Crighton Trophy as U SPORTS outstanding player of the year.

Three Axemen players have previously earned the national honour, including Bob Cameron (1977), Bob Stracina (1976) and Al Charuk (1974). The most recent Atlantic conference player to earn the national honour was former Saint Mary's standout Erik Glavic who won the award in 2007.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Daniel Bell, Mount Allison Mounties

The AUS rookie of the year is Daniel Bell from the Mount Allison Mounties.

A six-foot-two, 200-lb defensive back from Saint John, N.B., Bell played in all eight regular season games for the Mounties this season.

The Mounties finished with a 3-5 record to clinch the third and final playoff position this season.

Bell finished fourth in the league with four sacks and was third on the Mounties roster in total tackles with 35.5 (30 solo, 11 assisted), averaging 4.4 tackles per game.

He had seven tackles for losses this season, four pass break ups, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and blocked a point-after attempt.

Bell also finished fourth in the conference with three interceptions.

This marks the fourth time in the last six seasons that a player from Mount Allison has been named the AUS rookie of the year. Former Mountie standouts Jakob Loucks (2016), Donovan Glave (2015) and Chris Reid (2014) have most recently won the honour.

Bell now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the national rookie of the year award.

Loucks is the most recent AUS winner of the Peter Gorman Trophy as the top rookie in the nation, earning the honour in 2016. Other Mount Allison standouts to earn the honour include Sébastien Roy (1999), Éric Lapointe (1995), Grant Keaney (1988) and John Hutchinson (1980).

OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Bailey Feltmate, Acadia Axemen (Tony Proudfoot Trophy)

Acadia Axemen linebacker Bailey Feltmate has been named the AUS outstanding defensive player of the year for the second time in his career.

He first earned the honour in the 2017 season.

A fourth-year kinesiology student from Moncton, N.B., Feltmate finished second in the conference in solo tackles (45), total tackles (58.5) and tackles per game (7.4). He tied for third in the conference in assisted tackles with 27.

He had three tackles for loss this season, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries—two of which he returned for touchdowns in Acadia's first and second regular season games.

Throughout his four-year AUS career and 31 games played, Feltmate has amassed 203 career total tackles (152 solo and 102 assisted), placing him fifth in the AUS record book, and second in Acadia school history.

In addition to being named the AUS outstanding defensive player of the year, he was also named a conference all-star for the third consecutive season today. Feltmate was also named a U SPORTS second team all-Canadian in 2017.

Acadia student-athletes have now taken home this award in three of the past five seasons. In addition to Feltmate's 2017 win, former Axemen standout Drew Morris earned the honour in 2015.

Feltmate will now represent the conference as the AUS nominee for the Presidents' Trophy awarded to the national outstanding defensive player of the year. No Acadia player has ever won the national honour. 

OUTSTANDING LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: Oliver Grant, Acadia Axemen

Oliver Grant of the Acadia Axemen has been named the Atlantic University Sport outstanding lineman of the year.

The six-foot-four, 275-lb offensive lineman played in all eight regular season games for the Axemen in their undefeated 8-0 season.

A fourth-year bachelor of science student from Halifax, N.S., Grant anchored an Acadia offensive line which led the conference in total yards per game (482.5), and in passing yards per game (299.9) and in passing touchdowns with 18. The Axemen also finished first overall in rushing yards per game (182.6) and rushing touchdowns (15).

In addition to being named the league's top lineman, Grant was also named an AUS all-star today.

This marks the third consecutive season an Acadia player has been named the conference's top lineman. Oliver Grant's brother Thomas Grant earned the honour for the Axemen last season, and Adam Melanson won the award in 2017.

Oliver Grant will represent the conference as the nominee for the J.P. Metras Trophy which was last brought back to the AUFC in 1997 when StFX's Mike Kushnir was named the nation's top lineman. An Acadia player has yet to win the national honour.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Bailey Feltmate, Acadia Axemen

Bailey Feltmate from the Acadia Axemen is the 2019 AUS student-athlete community service award recipient and will be the conference nominee for the prestigious Russ Jackson Award.

Named after CFL quarterback Russ Jackson, this award recognizes a Canadian university football player who excels on the field, in academics, and in community service.

This is the sixth consecutive year a player from the Acadia Axemen has earned the honour.

The fourth-year kinesiology student and AUS outstanding defensive player of the year volunteers extensively in the community.

Along with his fantastic performance for the Axemen this year, the Acadia team captain boasts a 3.63 cumulative GPA and has been a U SPORTS academic all-Canadian for the past two seasons.

Feltmate is the 2019-20 S.M.I.L.E. director. S.M.I.L.E (Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience) provides an inclusive physical activity program for those with special needs. He has been involved with the program for four years, including being a S.M.I.L.E. leader and S.M.I.L.E. instructor.

He is a junior student therapist for the Acadia Axewomen basketball team. With the team he is in charge of assessing injuries, running therapy sessions and attending all practices and games.

Feltmate has served on the executive committee of the Acadia Players' Association since 2017 and is responsible for recruitment and registration for Acadia's Relay for Life. 

He has also given his time to teach and provide skills and drills to the Valley Bull Dogs Football team and is a Cardiac Rehab Leader, providing expertise on active living and creating workout programs for those who have suffered cardiac related problems.

He now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the national award. The last AUS student-athlete to earn the national honour in this category was Mount Allison's Dan Parker who won the award in 2005.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Jeff Cummins, Acadia Axemen (Larry Uteck Trophy)

Acadia Axemen head coach Jeff Cummins has been chosen by his peers as the Atlantic conference coach of the year.

In his 17^th year at the helm of the Acadia program, Cummins led the Axemen to a perfect 8-0 season, finishing first in the conference standings and clinching hosting rights to the Subway AUS Loney Bowl.

This is Cummins' sixth time being selected as the AUS coach of the year. He has previously earned the honour in 2017, 2012, 2011, 2005 and 2004.

His Acadia squad led the conference this regular season in numerous statistical categories, including touchdowns (37), passing touchdowns (18), rushing touchdowns (15), rushing yards (182.6 per game), passing yards (299.9 per game) and first downs (25.4 per game).

Cummins now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for this year's U SPORTS coach of the year award. He previously won the award in 2017 and 2011 and is the most recent AUS coach to receive the national honour.

ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Michael Squires, Acadia Axemen (Phil Hughes Award)

Michael Squires of the Acadia Axemen is the 2019 recipient of the Phil Hughes Award and the AUS nominee for the national Gino Fracas Award.

This award is given annually to an assistant coach who does not make their full-time living coaching football for the university.

Squires currently serves as the Axemen's receivers' coach and has been on the Acadia coaching staff since 2015. He worked with the running backs in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, before switching to receiver coach in 2017 when the Axemen were crowned AUS champions.

Along with their perfect season this year, Acadia led the league in passing yards with 299.9 yards per game, and passing touchdowns with 18—double the next closest team in the conference.

Acadia receivers Glodin Mulali and Cordell Hastings finished second and third in the conference in receiving yards per game with 90.1 and 81.8, respectively.

Since joining the Axemen coaching staff in 2015, Squires has been instrumental in Acadia football's recruitment program, spearheading their social media presence to promote the program nationally.

In addition to the time he devotes with the Axemen, Squires also serves as a coach for Football Nova Scotia's Under 18 team, and has done so since 2013. 

This marks the second time a coach from the Acadia Axemen has been honoured with the Phil Hughes Award, with Larry Stewart earning the honour in 2010.

Squires now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the U SPORTS Gino Fracas Award. Saint Mary's Joe Taplin is the most recent AUS recipient of the national award. He won in 2013.

2019 AUS All-Stars

All-Stars:

Defensive Tackle: Angelo Gentile, Acadia (3^rd year - Halifax, N.S.)

Defensive Tackle: Reece Martin, Mount Allison (2^nd year – Moncton, N.B.)

Defensive End: Alex Fedchun, StFX (2^nd year – Calgary, A.B.)

Defensive End: Aidan John, Saint Mary's (1^st year – Halifax, N.S.)

Linebacker: Bailey Feltmate, Acadia (4^th year – Moncton, N.B.)

Linebacker: Louve Moussenguet, Bishop's (3^rd year - St-Jerôme, Que.)

Linebacker: Riley Gabriel, Acadia (2^nd year – North River, N.S.)

Free Safety: Lucas Cormier, Mount Allison (1^st year – Sackville, N.B.)

Halfback: Daniel Bell, Mount Allison (1^st year – Saint John, N.B.)

Halfback: Cole Virtanen, StFX (2^nd year – Nanaimo, B.C.)

Cornerback: Antoine Lyte-Myers, Saint Mary's (5^th year – Toronto, Ont.)

Cornerback: Nicholas Cartagenise, Bishop's (3^rd year – Brampton, Ont.)

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Centre: Jonathan Zamora, StFX (4^th year – Mississauga, Ont.)

Guard: Peter Kourtis, Saint Mary's (3^rd year – Toronto, Ont.)

Guard: Brock O'Brien, Mount Allison (4^th year – Wolfville, N.S.)

Tackle: Oliver Grant, Acadia (4^th year – Halifax, N.S.)

Tackle: Gregor MacKellar, StFX (2^nd year – Timberlea, N.S.)

Inside Receiver: Liam O'Brien, Saint Mary's (4^th year – Parksville, B.C.)

Inside Receiver: Nathan Walker, Bishop's (5^th year – Brampton, Ont.)

Wide Receiver: Glodin Mulali, Acadia (3^rd year – Moncton, N.B.)

Wide Receiver: Cordell Hastings, Acadia (4^th year – Calgary, A.B.)

Running Back: Dale Wright, Acadia (3^rd year – Markham, Ont.)

Running Back: Louis-Philippe Gregoire, Bishop's (3^rd year - La Baie, Que.)

Quarterback: Hunter Guenard, Acadia (4^th year – Calgary A.B.)

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Place Kicker: Brian Hope, Saint Mary's (4^th year – Port Coquitlam B.C.)

Punter: Keiran Burnham, StFX (4^th year – Cambridge, Ont.)

Kick Returner: Glodin Mulali, Acadia (3^rd year – Moncton, N.B.)

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All Atlantic University Sport major award winners automatically become finalists for the U SPORTS awards which will be handed out at the U SPORTS All-Canadian Football Awards Gala being held Nov. 21 in Quebec City, Que