New look for AUS football

Sophomore QB Jack Creighton gets No. 1 job with AUS-best Huskies

By MONTY MOSHER Sports Reporter, The Chronicle Herald

August 28, 2009

Much has changed in AUS football since the conference-champion Saint Mary’s Huskies lost on the road in a national semifinal last season to the Western Mustangs.

The Huskies will begin their chase for a conference three-peat with training camps around the conference opening Saturday.

The season begins Sept. 12 with Saint Mary’s visiting St. Francis Xavier on the new artificial surface at Oland Stadium. It is a rematch of last year’s conference final, won 29-27 by the Huskies in Halifax.

The Mount Allison Mounties are on the road against the Acadia Axemen in the other season opener, also Sept. 12.

Two stories dominated the headlines in the off-season with the Huskies losing Hec Crighton Trophy-winning quarterback Erik Glavic to former SMU head coach Blake Nill and the Calgary Dinos. Glavic only played in one game for the Huskies last season while he recovered from a knee injury.

The X-Men dispatched head coach John Bloomfield at the end of the 2008 season and promoted assistant coach Gary Waterman into the top job. Waterman becomes the first black head football coach in the conference.

While Glavic’s departure caused a fuss, it leaves Steve Sumarah’s team with an undisputed No. 1 quarterback in sophomore Jack Creighton. In what was supposed to be a red-shirt year for the Ontario native, Creighton made rapid progress guiding the offence.

"With Erik leaving in January, it really allowed Jack to take full control," Sumarah said. "He’s gained confidence because of that and the team has gained confidence in him. We’re excited to name a No. 1 quarterback early and ride him."

Saint Mary’s (7-1)
The rich got richer with the Huskies stuffing an already crowded backfield with Tristan Jones, a record-setting junior with the Edmonton Wildcats.

He joins brother Devon, who had more than 500 yards on the ground in four games with the Huskies last year. Truro’s Craig Leger will also figure in.

Fifth-year receivers Carl Hardwick and Aaron Racioppa along with AUS top rookie Jahmeek Murray will be key in the pass attack.

All-Canadian cornerback Jeff Zelinski, who went to CFL camp with Saskatchewan, along with linebackers Karl McCartney, Ryan King and defensive lineman Dan Schutte, an all-Canadian, will lead the defence.

League scoring leader Justin Palardy will return to kick.

St. Francis Xavier (4-4)
Waterman takes over a team that came agonizingly close to bumping off the Huskies in the title game in each of the past two seasons.

Quarterback Steve Snyder and Halifax running back James Green, an all-Canadian, return for their fifth years. Snyder’s top target will be wide receiver Akeem Foster, with a league-best 17.9 yards per catch.

Dartmouth’s Gordon Sawler and Christian Oberegger, offensive linemen who participated in CFL camps, will lead the way up front with all-Canadian Steve Myddelton and Rory Campbell gone.

A key recruit on offence is running back Sean Atkins, a former high school all-star in Texas. Fullback/slotback Jeremy Marchand is the biggest loss to the offence.

Key returning players on the defence are backs Nick Riva and Kwasi Nkansah; all-Canadian linebacker Henoc Muamba (AUS defensive player of the year) and Tom Lynch; and linemen Yahia Dalloul of Halifax and Dave Skillen. Nkansah, Skillen and Dalloul are fifth-year seniors.

Mount Allison (2-6)
The Mounties have some great pieces but some big holes, too.

Kelly Jeffrey’s team returns conference MVP quarterback Kelly Hughes and superstar all-Canadian receiver/returner Gary Ross, who is on the cusp of a number of conference records.

Left tackle Aaron Harper will lead the offensive line. Receiver Adam Molnar is a returning all-star at receiver.

They will also have Halifax’s Bradley Daye back in the fold on defence. The former triple threat missed most of last season with an ACL injury.

The Mounties will need a total renovation on the defensive front seven after losing two starters on the line and at linebacker, including heart-and-soul tackle Scott Sheffer from Bedford. Andrew Blencowe is also gone from the interior of the line and Dustin Timothy from end.

Halifax’s Ben Halpern, a third-year linebacker, will get a chance to lead.

Olivier Eddie will handle the kicking.

Acadia (1-7)
The Axemen were hit hard by injuries for a second straight year and avoided a winless campaign with a victory on the last day of the season at Mount A.

They had two key losses to the CFL — free safety Elliott Richardson and first-round pick Matt Carter, with 134 catches in four seasons with the Axemen. Both had a year remaining.

Acadia also lost former top rusher Cale Inglis, their middle three offensive linemen in two-time conference top lineman Adam Rogers, Steve Patrick and Curtis Taylor and fifth-year nose tackle Jamie Johnson.

Keith Lockwood enters camp as the No. 1 quarterback, but will have pressure to keep the job.

Five-foot-seven sophomore Nick Lauder of Hubley starts the year as the top running back with Edmonton newcomer Zack Skibin looking for his chance.

Devon Jones moves outside from the slot to become the primary receiver, helped by Halifax’s Will Tanner. Truro’s Greg Kinsmen, a left tackle, becomes the leader of a rebuilt offensive front.

Terence Bay’s Adrian Saturley will head the defensive line with Tom Labenski the leader at linebacker and Najja Coley and Mike Miller the veterans at defensive back.

( mmosher@herald.ca)