2015 AUS Football Team Preview: Saint Mary's Huskies

2015 CIS FOOTBALL TEAM PREVIEW - Saint Mary's Huskies

2014 regular season record: 0-8
2014 regular season standings: 4th in AUS
2014 playoff record: 0-0
2014 playoff finish: n/a

General Write-Up:

For the Huskies, 2014 was a very difficult season from start to end as they posted their first 0-8 season in the program's history. Saint Mary's, with a league-leading 23 Atlantic conference championship banners, will look to return to the post-season in 2015.

The Huskies are the most recent AUS team to advance to a Vanier Cup (28-14 loss to Manitoba in 2007) and the last AUS team win one (33-21 win over Saskatchewan in 2002).

We knew going into last season we would be very young. Some of this was a product of a change in our recruiting philosophy (we recruited younger players with a longer time horizon) and the lack of senior players because of the gap caused by a late start to the 2012 recruiting class.

It was a baptism of fire for many young players as we dressed over 20 first year players every game and 8-10 of these players were in starting positions.

What also bodes well for us is that the majority of these returning players played meaningful reps in games last season. That game experience is invaluable.

This has also been the best off-season in terms of training. We have recruited a team full of very hard working young men. We, as a team and family, have made a commitment to each other to work extremely hard this offseason.

Quote from head coach: Perry Marchese

"I have no doubt 2015 will be huge bounce back season for us. We return a great number of players, approximately 58, which is by far the most in the three years I have been Head Coach."

"I fully expect to contend for the conference title in 2015 - plain and simple. It may be hard for some to believe this based on last year's record and I fully understand that. All I can say is watch us."

Head Coach: Perry Marchese

- Number of seasons as head coach with team (including 2015): 4
- Number of seasons as head coach in CIS (including 2015): 4
- Career regular season record with team: 8-16
- Career regular season record in CIS: 8-16
- Career overall record with team (reg. season & playoffs only): 9-18
- Career overall record in CIS (reg. season & playoffs only):9-18

OFFENCE

Number of returning starters: 10

Key returning players:

• Scott Borden, QB (3rd Year, Halifax N.S.) has patiently waited his turn to play. He has had a tremendous off-season and had an excellent spring camp. He broke his wrist in game three last year and lost some valuable game experience but has fully recovered. He recently spent a week with at the Montreal Allouettes training camp on the CFL QB exchange program and we expect he will have a huge impact this season.
• Derek Pisani (Newmarket, Ont.), Jacob Gesse (Montreal, Que.) and Ryan Zawacki (Thunder Bay, Ont.) are the returning running backs.
• Receiver is one of the best depth positions on the team. Mohamed Abdallah (Toronto, Ont.), Rick LeMoignan (Edmonton, Alta), Daniel Sule (Dartmouth, N.S.), Jaegar Prot (Ottawa, Ont.), Spencer Weichert (Dartmouth, N.S.), Quinn Polley (Edmonton, Alta.), Tyler Ganhao (Oshawa, Ont.), D'Shawn Miller (Brampton, Ont.), Lukas Snyder (Calgary, Alta.) and Evan Rutherford (Oshawa, Ont.) will battle it out for playing time.
• OL - Sean Guihan (Montreal, Que.), Djdorge Petrovic (Brantford, Ont.), Chris Doucette (Hamilton ,Ont.), Dryden Ferjo (Oshawa, Ont.), Justin Murphy (Halifax, N.S.), Sean Reardon (Halifax, N.S.), Nick Bartolacci (Halifax, N.S.).

Key recruits or transfers:

• We have three QB's coming in this year - Trevor Erdmann (Edmonton, Alta.), Brett Barrett (Red Deer, Alta.) and Ryan Foster (Edmonton, Alta.). I expect all four QB's to battle it out in training camp and force us to make some difficult decisions on the depth chart. They all bring different things to the table and the competition will make us better.
• RB's - Leo Mantuila (Edmonton, Alta.) and Tristan Almas (Brantford, Ont.).
• OL - Mike Anniuk (Calgary, Alta.), Dalton Laughlin (Brantford, Ont.), Jacob Kreoplf (Oshawa, Ont.) Tyler Dewaele (Brantford, Ont.) Zack Skerry (Halifax, N.S.) and Marcus MacIsaac (Halifax, N.S.).

DEFENCE

Number of returning starters: 9

Key returning players:

• Defensive Line - We have very good depth and talent here for 2015. Omar Abdallah-DT (Edmonton, Alta), Simon Bell - DE (Hamilton, Ont.), Tresor Buama-Mafuta-DT (Montreal, Que.), John Cole-DE (Dartmouth, N.S.), Kyle MacDonald -DT (Sackville, N.S.).
• Linebacker - Aiden Panchysyn (Edmonton, Alta.), Jeremy Williams (Halifax, N.S.), Brad Herbst (Ottawa, Ont.), Spencer Bennett (Halifax, N.S.), Lawson Morassutti (Newmarket, Ont.), Luke Ciraco (Newmarket, Ont.), Troy Adams (Newmarket, Ont.) and Mak Fox (Bedford, N.S.)
• Defensive Back - Kevin Myrthil (Montreal, Que.), Mandella Loggale (Edmonton, Alta.), Taylor MacDonald (Bedford, N.S.), Nik Shymko (Oshawa, Ont.), Kanaar Bell (Oshawa, Ont.), Leon Metchie (Brampton, Ont.), Scott Baigent (Halifax, N.S.) and Sam Badre (Edmonton, Alta.).

Key recruits or transfers:

• DL - Newcomers Mike Corbiel - DE (Toronto ,Ont.), and Terrence Mendes-DT (Halifax, N.S.).
• DBs - Levi Sim (Edmonton, Alta.), Andreas Robinson (Halifax, N.S.), Alijah Wilson-Agosto (Toronto, Ont.), Antoine Lyte-Myers (Toronto, Ont.), Matt Bayne (Bedford, N.S.), Davian Reid-Lynch (Oshawa, Ont.), Dion Thomas Hodges (Dartmouth, N.S.), Faheem Jean Pierre (Montreal, Que.).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Key recruits or transfers:

• Ideen Samadi, Kicker (Edmonton, Alta.)

OTHER INFO:

Recruiting by position…

3 QBs, 5 RBs, 5 Receivers, 8 Olinemen, 5 Defensive Linemen, 6 linebackers and 10 DBs.

Recruiting by Province…

19 - Nova Scotia
13 - Ontario
7 - Alberta
2 - Quebec
1 - New Brunswick
1 - Manitoba

Source: Saint Mary's Communications