Laurier Running Back Dillon Campbell named OUA MVP
HAMILTON, Ont. – Coming off a breakout season in 2013 when he led OUA in rushing, Laurier running back Dillon Campbell (Whitby, Ont.) established himself as one of the best football players in the country by literally running away with the CIS rushing title.
November 13, 2014
HAMILTON, Ont. – Coming off a breakout season in 2013 when he led OUA in rushing, Laurier running back Dillon Campbell (Whitby, Ont.) established himself as one of the best football players in the country by literally running away with the CIS rushing title.
Helping carry the Golden Hawks from a 1-7 record last year to a playoff appearance this season, Campbell amassed 1458 rushing yards – 471 yards more than CIS second-leading rusher Chris Reid of Mount Allison.
Appearing in all eight of Laurier's regular season contests, Campbell ran for 100+ yards every game, 200+ yards three times (including a school record 293 yards in a game against Toronto), and led OUA and CIS with 13 touchdowns and 182.2 yards per game.
Putting his outstanding year in a historical context, Campbell's 1458 rushing yards in a season ranks sixth all-time in the CIS record book, and was the most by a CIS running back since Jamall Lee of Bishop's ran for 1464 yards in 2007. It was also the most rushing yards in a season by an OUA running back since McMaster's Jesse Lumsden ran for a CIS-record 1816 yards in 2004. Campbell now joins Lumsden as the only other OUA running back to rush for more than 1400 yards in a season; a feat Lumsden accomplished twice in his career.
Campbell becomes just the fourth Laurier Golden Hawk to win the OUA MVP award and is the first to do so since Bill Kubas won the award in 1994.
The Russ Jackson Nominee is a name put forward by OUA for the award presented annually by CIS to the player who best exemplifies the attributes of academic achievement, football skill, and citizenship.
This year's nominee is McMaster defensive lineman Adam Dickson (Niagara Falls, Ont.). Having put together a solid season on the field with 10 tackles and one sack, Dickson, who dressed for the team in each of his five seasons, continues to balance a heavy academic schedule as he pursues an engineering degree, and is actively involved in several community and volunteer programs.
Named a second-team all-star in 2012, Dickson is a four-time CIS Academic All-Canadian, four-time Marauder Scholar (academic average above 80%), and four-time Dean's Honour List student.
Along with being a leader on the field and in the classroom, Dickson is tremendously involved in his community and donates countless hours of his time volunteering. He participates in many team initiatives such as the local reading program that sees McMaster student-athletes visit elementary schools to promote literacy, the Marauder football golf tournament to raise proceeds for Hamilton's Ronald McDonald house, and various other activities within the McMaster Athletes Care Program.
Outside of the Marauders initiatives, he is a volunteer coach in the Niagara Minor Football Association and at St. Paul's Secondary for his former high school team in Niagara Falls. Once again, his efforts go above and beyond as a volunteer coach, often organizing and taking part in team events, and working with players during the offseason as well.
Truly embodying what it means to be a student-athlete, Dickson is a student member of the McMaster Engineering Society and the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers as he devotes time to his future career.
McMaster linebacker Nick Shortill (Nobleton, Ont.) captained a defence that allowed the fewest points in the conference and he takes home the President's Trophy for OUA Stand-up Defensive Player of the Year for his great play this season.
Shortill led the Marauders in tackles with 40, including a team-leading 29 solo tackles, and added 2.5 sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery. After missing half of the 2013 season, Shortill put together a career year and developed into one of the best linebackers in the country, being named an OUA First-Team All-Star for the 2014 season.
For a second-consecutive season, defensive lineman Ettore Lattanzio (Nepean, Ont.) of the Ottawa Gee-Gees takes home the J.P Metras Award for OUA Lineman of the Year.
Following a 2013 season in which he tied for the CIS lead in sacks, Lattanzio was once again a one-man wrecking crew, leading OUA with eight sacks and a career-high 14 tackles for a loss. The eight sacks ranked third in CIS, while the 14 tackles for a loss ranked first.
It is the third consecutive season Lattanzio has gotten at least eight sacks, and he now has 31 in his four-year career. His 26 tackles this season were a career high and he once again finds himself named an OUA First-Team All-Star. He recorded at least one sack in six of Ottawa's eight regular season games.
For a second straight year the Norm Marshall Trophy for OUA Rookie of the Year is handed to a McMaster Marauders receiver.
Daniel Petermann (Stoney Creek, Ont.) followed in the footsteps of his teammate and fellow receiver Daniel Vandervoort, putting together a rookie campaign that would make several veterans envious. Petermann ranked second on the Marauders with 35 receptions and four touchdowns, and was the team's third-leading receiver with 468 yards.
After scoring a touchdown in his first career OUA game in Week 1 against Guelph, Petermann truly burst onto the OUA scene in Week 4 in McMaster's 49-2 win against York, catching eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. Playing in all eight regular season games, Petermann made at least two catches in seven games, and his four touchdown receptions tied him for ninth in OUA.
For the second time in three seasons, McMaster head coach Stefan Ptaszek takes home the Dave 'Tuffy' Knight Award as OUA Coach of the Year.
Having won the award in 2012, Ptaszek receives the honour again after leading the Marauders to a 7-1 season, with the only loss coming in the final week of the season after his team locked up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Since joining the Marauders as head coach in 2006, Ptaszek has a 54-18 win-loss record in the regular season. He led the school to its first ever Vanier Cup win in 2011, and made another CIS championship appearance in 2012 losing to the Laval Rouge et Or. In his nine seasons at McMaster, the Marauders have never posted a sub .500 winning percentage in the regular season and have made the OUA playoffs every year.
The 2014 Volunteer Coach of the Year Award goes to Carm Genovese of McMaster. Coach Genovese entered the 2014 season as the second longest serving assistant on the Marauder staff. He graduated from McMaster in 1979 and was a member of the McMaster Football Team of the Decade for the 1970s. Genovese also received the McMaster Friend of Distinction Award in 2005. He is currently the Vice Principal at St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton, Ont., and has been tirelessly volunteering for over 20 years.
The 2014 Officials Award of Merit goes to Henry Chiu who has been involved in OUA football since 1998. Having joined the Toronto Football Officials Association (TFOA) in 1990, Chiu has remained passionate and dedicated to the game, constantly striving to improve his on-field mechanics and rules knowledge. On Saturday he will be involved in his ninth Yates Cup, and it will be his second as a referee. He has also worked the 2002 Churchill Bowl, and the 2004 and 2009 Vanier Cups. He has been rated as one of the top three head referees on the OUA panel, and currently serves as an executive member for TFOA and as Vice President of the Ontario Football Officials Association.
2014 OUA FOOTBALL MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
Most Valuable Player – Dillon Campbell – Laurier
President's Trophy (Outstanding Stand-up Defensive Player) – Nick Shortill – McMaster
J.P. Metras Trophy (Lineman of the Year) – Ettore Lattanzio – Ottawa
Norm Marshall Trophy (Rookie of the Year) – Daniel Petermann – McMaster
Dave 'Tuffy' Knight Award (Coach of the Year) – Stefan Ptaszek – McMaster
Russ Jackson Nominee – Adam Dickson – McMaster
Volunteer Coach of the Year – Carm Genovese – McMaster
Officials Award of Merit – Henry Chiu