By Donnovan Bennett - Sportsnet TV Personality
Follow Donnovan on Twitter: @donnovanbennett
As we come down the stretch of the 2014 CIS football season not only are teams making their playoff push, players are solidifying their candidacy for post-season awards.
I've long felt that the awards should be a greater part of the national conversation and that the process should include the national media that is monitoring games throughout the year across the country. Having said that, that standpoint is only worthwhile if I put my money where my mouth is. If I were in a room of CIS awards evaluators, here's a brief synopsis of who I'd advocate for and why. The great part about these honours is with so many talented athletes, there is no right answer. I'd love your feedback about who should win the hardware, but keep in mind, this is fluid as the season is far from over and the road to CIS recognition is a marathon not a sprint.
Note: I have deliberately left the Russ Jackson Award out of this list as I feel it is virtually impossible – and unfair - to even try to predict a winner due to the academic and community involvement components of the award. The long list of worthy candidates for the Russ Jackson could be a separate piece altogether.
PETER GORMAN TROPHY (rookie of the year): Hugo Richard, quarterback, Laval
Other nominees
Canada West: Marcus Davis, receiver/returner, UBC
OUA: Michael Moore, linebacker, Queen's
AUS: Chris Reid, running back, Mount Allison
I originally had Marcus Davis winning this award. He's a matchup nightmare and has a long, bright future not just in CIS but in the CFL afterwards. But I was talked out of it, not because he is undeserving but because there is no chance the voters will fail to reward a true freshman who not only leads his team to an undefeated season but leads the nation in passing. Hugo Richard is the only QB averaging over 300 yards per game and is doing it while completing 67% of his passes. His 12-2 TD-to-interception ratio is among the best in the country and he's managed to do it while often only playing three quarters of football as Laval's average margin of victory is 42 points. That's not a typo. Many are comparing Richard to Alex Skinner and Tristan Grenon, the two men who have led Laval to successive Vanier Cup championships the past two years. A more accurate comparison is former Laval Hec Crighton winner Benoit Groulx. Both are accurate passers, both can buy time in the pocket with their legs but are not runners. However, Richard is farther along at this stage of his career as he continues to improve in his reads and understanding of route concepts.
This award will be sealed on the final day of the regular season. Laval goes on the road to rival Montreal in a game that may have playoff implications. This will be Richard's first road test in a hostile environment. How he responds to the atmosphere and maintains his ability to navigate checks at the line of scrimmage will ensure his rookie of the year resume remains unblemished.
FRANK TINDALL TROPHY (coach of the year): Kelly Jeffrey, Mount Allison
Other nominees:
Canada West: Blake Nill, Calgary
OUA: Michael Faulds, Wilfrid Laurier
RSEQ: Mickey Donovan, Concordia
If the voting was done after the 2013 post-season, Kelly Jeffrey may have won this award last year. He won't be denied this year if the Mounties remain unbeaten. The AUS is the toughest conference to run the table in because it's hard to beat the same football team twice in the same season let alone, in some cases, three times. Coach of the year is a tough award to evaluate. It would not bother me if Laval's Glen Constantin won this award virtually every year. At the university level where the head coach does everything from recruit to fundraise, scheme, and pick the uniforms, the proof is in the pudding. The coach who has the best team did the best job. More often than not, that's the Rouge et Or. However, at times we need to take a more nuanced approach. The fact that Mickey Donovan and Michael Faulds are doing so much with so little needs to be commended. They've turned young teams with losing cultures around in short order - in Donovan's case in less than a year on the job. When he has a full offseason to recruit, the Stingers will be scary good.
However, no coach and no program does more with less from a resource perspective and a talent perspective than Kelly Jeffrey. The trademark of a good leader is leaving things in a better situation than when you left it. The head coach position at Mount Allison wasn't a desired spot when he arrived. If he were to leave today it would be. I'm not suggesting that Jeffrey would leave Mount A, but there will be job openings this offseason at high profile schools in the RSEQ, OUA and Canada West. Jeffrey's name will be high on prospective athletic directors' lists. That's how you know he's done a great job coaching in 2014.
J.P. METRAS TROPHY (outstanding down lineman): Ettore Lattanzio, defensive tackle, Ottawa
Other nominees:
Canada West: David Beard, offensive line, Alberta
RSEQ: Vincent Desloges, defensive end, Laval
AUS: Mete Konya, defensive line, StFX
Lattanzio was nominated for this award last year and there is no shame to losing to a guy who is now in the NFL in McGill's Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. This is the one award where you know all the nominees have future careers in pro football. Lattanzio's pro career might be at one of three defensive line positions, he's that athletically versatile. That's why he wins it for me because schematically he provides his coordinator with the most flexibility in order to help his team win games.
Lattanzio is comfortable playing anywhere along the line and could take snaps as a rush end or outside linebacker if necessary. For those who haven't seen him play; he's a J.J. Watt like player at the CIS level. A year after co-leading CIS with 10 sacks, Lattanzio is currently tied for the CIS lead with seven, and 20 of his 22.5 tackles are of the solo variety. Those are big numbers for an interior lineman. He doesn't have a lot of talent around him on defence so he is double teamed on every play no matter where he lines up. He has at least one sack in every game this season except last week's contest against Waterloo where he was rested for the bulk of the one-sided game. With his two remaining games coming against McMaster and Windsor, two pass-happy programs, Lattanzio is going to get ample opportunity to rush the passer and add to those totals.
PRESIDENTS' TROPHY (outstanding defensive player): Byron Archambault, linebacker, Montréal
Other nominees:
Canada West: Connor Ralph, linebacker, Alberta
OUA: Nick Shortill, linebacker, McMaster
AUS: Jonathan Langa, linebacker, Saint Mary's
This is basically the best linebacker in the country award. Routinely all four nominees are linebackers. Aside from the entire Concordia secondary which has racked up 14 interceptions, no single defensive back has had a massive year.
This award was a photo finish for me. Jonathan Langa has had an incredible year for Saint Mary's, leading the country in not just tackles with 46 but solo tackles with 34. I gave the nod to Archambault because to go along with his 25 tackles, he has 7.5 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks. He's the most well-rounded defensive football player in the country. Archambault is also the leader of a much better team defence and thus has done his damage in far less snaps. Montreal's defence is seventh in the nation while the Huskies are 19th. More importantly, SMU has made the second most tackles in CIS with 62 while Montreal has made the second least with 44, meaning the Huskies are on the field for far more defensive snaps which helps to inflate Langa's numbers relative to Archambault. McMaster's Nick Shortill is in the conversation as well, as he had probably the most dominant game of the year last week against Western. If MAC remains undefeated, he'll garner late votes but generally this is a middle linebackers award and the most consistent one all year has been Byron Archambault.
HEC CRIGHTON TROPHY (most outstanding player): Dillon Campbell, running back, Wilfrid Laurier
Other nominees
Canada West: Andrew Buckley, quarterback, Calgary
RSEQ: Hugo Richard, quarterback, Laval
AUS: Chris Reid, running back, Mount Allison
The last seven Hec winners have been quarterbacks since Windsor running back Daryl Stephenson was crowned in 2006. The law of averages says if you have a big season throwing the ball you're in the running to win CIS football's most coveted individual award. There are many QB candidates this year. Buckley, Richard, Finch, Ferguson, Kennedy, Roch, Burko all have legitimate arguments as to why they are most deserving, and that's exactly why none of them are going to win it. No longer is having an elite quarterback a luxury, it's a necessity. The level of play across the board by quarterbacks has never been higher. While they are all having great years it's hard to say one is more outstanding than the rest of the pack.
Dillon Campbell on the other hand is by far and away having the best year of any rusher in the nation. He's averaging a ridiculous 204 yards per game. That is a career game for most running backs. That is a season's worth of yards for others as running backs by committee are the norm. Campbell is an every down back who gives every defensive coordinator nightmares. He is the only player currently with double digit TD's, scoring 10. Most impressively, out of his 110 carries, he's only fumbled once. His numbers would be more astronomical if he hadn't been pulled early in blowout wins over Toronto, Waterloo and Carleton. Campbell still has a tough road ahead as he faces Western, McMaster and Guelph down the stretch - three teams with everything to play for who just so happen to be the three best defences in the conference and among the best in the nation. Not only will he need to keep his average around 200 per game to prove he hasn't picked on the minnows of the OUA, he has to add a signature run in a big game to leave no doubt that voters should handoff the trophy to a running back in 2014.
Follow Donnovan on Twitter: @donnovanbennett