December 8, 2006
OUA MAKES MAJOR FOOTBALL STRIDES IN 2006
Hamilton, Ontario - As Ontario University Athletics (OUA) begins to prepare for its upcoming 100th anniversary of the Yates Cup in 2007, the conference can be proud of the accomplishments and momentum it has made following a successful 2006 season. The national championship may currently reside at Laval, however there are more elite football programs in the OUA than in recent memory and many of the country's top student-athletes are building an Ontario foundation that will last years.
Looking at both team accomplishments and individual achievements, it's obvious that OUA football is headed in the right direction. Yates Cup champion Ottawa finished the regular season with an OUA-best 7-1 record while McMaster, Wilfrid Laurier and Windsor all boasted a mark of 6-2, highlighting the parity throughout the league. The Gee-Gees (No. 3), Golden Hawks (No. 7) and the 5-3 Western Ontario Mustangs (No. 8) all finished the season in the CIS Top 10.
With the national spotlight on individual effort heading into the final week of the CIS postseason, Ontario was more than well represented. The OUA captured the most all-Canadian votes on offence with 13 selections, including nine on the top unit. The conference also led the way with seven national defensive all-stars, including five on the first team.
The OUA dominated the list of major award recipients at the CIS level in 2006. Windsor running back Daryl Stephenson captured the Hec Crighton as the country's top player, keeping the highest individual honour in Ontario for a seventh consecutive season. Waterloo standout Chris Best took home the J.P. Metras Trophy for outstanding down lineman in the CIS, while Naim El-Far from Ottawa was the recipient of the Russ Jackson Award, presented to the player in Canada who best exemplifies the attributes of football skill, academic achievement, and citizenship. The country's top football leader thinks these accolades are a true sign of hard work in the OUA.
"It says there's a lot of good football being played in Ontario and a lot of good football players on the field," expressed 2006 CIS Coach of the Year, Denis Piché. "The OUA has evolved tremendously in the past five years. The desire to be more competitive has been felt. The All-Canadians and major awards can be seen as a result of the OUA evolving to a more levelled field nationally."
Piché became the first Ottawa head coach in 26 years and third in CIS history to claim the Frank Tindall Trophy since the inception of the award in 1969. He believes that one big move by the OUA has helped pave the way to success.
"This year's decision on first-year student financial awards may be the biggest proof of our competitiveness," Piché continued. "The talent was there but we needed to find a way to keep it in Ontario. We were at a big disadvantage versus the rest of the country. The recent exposure to power house programs like Laval and Saskatchewan has been an eye opener for the OUA, its coaches and players. This has made a big impact on our ways to do things."
There is even great momentum in the business of OUA football as well. The number of University Rush games broadcast live on the Score Television Network increased from eight to 10 and this year's Yate Cup was the second most-watched game in the station's five years of OUA coverage.
"The breadth of OUA coverage has expanded greatly thanks to University Rush," expressed Ward Dilse, executive director, OUA. "More of our student-athletes are being profiled on national television and OUA teams have a terrific opportunity to showcase their football programs as well as their academic institutions."
Dilse also noted that corporate partnerships continue to increase for the conference as the product on and off the field improve, adding Belair Direct as a new partner in 2006. There are also exciting facility developments at McMaster, Toronto and Windsor which will add to recruitment and strengthen the image of the OUA.
As another year closes on the fall sports program in the OUA, there is excitement and optimism for the future of football across the conference. The 2006 season provided fans with stability and hope for OUA football in 2007 and beyond.
- OUA -
Looking at both team accomplishments and individual achievements, it's obvious that OUA football is headed in the right direction. Yates Cup champion Ottawa finished the regular season with an OUA-best 7-1 record while McMaster, Wilfrid Laurier and Windsor all boasted a mark of 6-2, highlighting the parity throughout the league. The Gee-Gees (No. 3), Golden Hawks (No. 7) and the 5-3 Western Ontario Mustangs (No. 8) all finished the season in the CIS Top 10.
With the national spotlight on individual effort heading into the final week of the CIS postseason, Ontario was more than well represented. The OUA captured the most all-Canadian votes on offence with 13 selections, including nine on the top unit. The conference also led the way with seven national defensive all-stars, including five on the first team.
The OUA dominated the list of major award recipients at the CIS level in 2006. Windsor running back Daryl Stephenson captured the Hec Crighton as the country's top player, keeping the highest individual honour in Ontario for a seventh consecutive season. Waterloo standout Chris Best took home the J.P. Metras Trophy for outstanding down lineman in the CIS, while Naim El-Far from Ottawa was the recipient of the Russ Jackson Award, presented to the player in Canada who best exemplifies the attributes of football skill, academic achievement, and citizenship. The country's top football leader thinks these accolades are a true sign of hard work in the OUA.
"It says there's a lot of good football being played in Ontario and a lot of good football players on the field," expressed 2006 CIS Coach of the Year, Denis Piché. "The OUA has evolved tremendously in the past five years. The desire to be more competitive has been felt. The All-Canadians and major awards can be seen as a result of the OUA evolving to a more levelled field nationally."
Piché became the first Ottawa head coach in 26 years and third in CIS history to claim the Frank Tindall Trophy since the inception of the award in 1969. He believes that one big move by the OUA has helped pave the way to success.
"This year's decision on first-year student financial awards may be the biggest proof of our competitiveness," Piché continued. "The talent was there but we needed to find a way to keep it in Ontario. We were at a big disadvantage versus the rest of the country. The recent exposure to power house programs like Laval and Saskatchewan has been an eye opener for the OUA, its coaches and players. This has made a big impact on our ways to do things."
There is even great momentum in the business of OUA football as well. The number of University Rush games broadcast live on the Score Television Network increased from eight to 10 and this year's Yate Cup was the second most-watched game in the station's five years of OUA coverage.
"The breadth of OUA coverage has expanded greatly thanks to University Rush," expressed Ward Dilse, executive director, OUA. "More of our student-athletes are being profiled on national television and OUA teams have a terrific opportunity to showcase their football programs as well as their academic institutions."
Dilse also noted that corporate partnerships continue to increase for the conference as the product on and off the field improve, adding Belair Direct as a new partner in 2006. There are also exciting facility developments at McMaster, Toronto and Windsor which will add to recruitment and strengthen the image of the OUA.
As another year closes on the fall sports program in the OUA, there is excitement and optimism for the future of football across the conference. The 2006 season provided fans with stability and hope for OUA football in 2007 and beyond.
- OUA -
