2013 East West Bowl head coaches look forward to today’s game

It’s Friday afternoon, one day before the best of the CIS players from the East and the best from the West take the field at TD Waterhouse stadium in London Ontario. The East West Bowl showcases the best Canadian football talent from across the country. Players from all through Canada meet in London for one week to show football fans the talent they possess. This game will display the best Canadian football players at the college level. Head coaches Stefan Ptaszek of McMaster and Mount Allison University head coach Kelly Jeffery lead the East and West on to the field this Saturday at 1pm. CanadaFootballChat.com got to speak to both coaches, looking ahead to tomorrow’s game and getting their professional inputs on what we can expect to see.

CFC: How has this week been for you?
Kelly Jeffery: Excellent, the kids have been working very hard and it compares to the other kids we have had in the past.
Stefan Ptaszek: A great week, Western is a great host. Getting to work with a combination of the best players and coaches in this country is a privilege and it’s really fun watching these kids compete.

CFC: What does the East West Bowl mean to you?
KJ: An opportunity for kids to showcase their talents and compete against the best of the best from around the country.  It is very competitive and a great way to see elite football.
SP: One of the best shows of Canadian football talent there is at any point in the calendar year. A wonderful tradition giving young men one of the most unique opportunities you could ever ask for as a football player.

CFC: How has it been coaching players from different teams and varying skill levels?
KJ: It is not much of a varied skill level; there are some really talented kids who are all easily coachable. They are here because they deserve to be. They are the top kids in the program.
SP: The colours on the helmets are all different but the quality of the men and the characters and values of them all seem really consistent. They are all great men.

CFC: Any players that stand out so far?
KJ: I would say this is the deepest and most solid group I have seen since coaching at this level. Our left tackle from McGill (Laurent Duvernay-Tardif) and our center from Laval (Karl Monjoie)  have performed  really well. Our defensive end from Queens, Derek Wiggan, is a really talented kid. We have a deep secondary too.
SP: Beau Landry (Western) might be one of the best players in this country at any position. Austin Kennedy (Windsor) is an absolute bag of hammers to try to cover. Top to bottom though there have been great players on both sides of the ball.

CFC: What are you going to do to ensure a win?
KJ: We have good players and good coaches. All I need to do is put them in the position to be successful. We have kids who can make plays on both sides of the ball. The main thing is keep possession and have no turnovers.
SP: No promises of wins or loses, Gary Jefferies taught me that. I can promise that this group will compete for all four quarters that I can guarantee.

CFC: Any final comments for our readers?
KJ: If you have an opportunity to watch come out. I think 30 players from last year’s game have since been drafted into the CFL. This is a great way to observe the future of the sport.
SP: A wonderful event, no better way to spend an afternoon than watching a great sport.