OVFL Preview: London Junior Mustangs JV: Bringing the aggression and increasing the competition

With a championship win in sight, players and coaches on the London Junior Mustangs Junior Varsity league are working hard towards such a goal. With London being the hotbed for football that it is, they have been assembling a winning team from the pool of talent in the city and its surrounding areas, that many can’t wait to see hit the field.

Chances are that this goal may become a reality by the end of the summer. Players on the team have been shaping up, and have shown onlookers that the athleticism amongst each other is pretty good. Head Coach Nawaz Tahir comments on this observation, “I am happy with the speed, and I’m happy with the size that we’ve got. We have a few returning quarterbacks that are at our disposal, the skill positions are good, and on the lines we have great size.” Of course many will also be able to credit the great coaching staff that has been assembled as well, with coaches like Barry Huggins (OFC), Mekka Jones (OLC) and Bruno De Sando (RBC); and new coaches such as David Hocking (RB) and Christopher Patton (REC). The Team will also have many resources at its disposal over the course of the summer, which include access to other great coaching staff, Western University’s field and facilities, and the benefit of video training.

Some of last of the key players that will be noticed on the JV team’s offensive line this year include quarterback Haylen Ferguson, Wide Reciever Brandon Coughlin, Sean Vogan (QB), and K.C. Bakker, whom has been recognized as the biggest offensive line man. Focusing on the defensive line we can see Thomas Waight (LB) who is the defense captain, Andrew Thurston (LB), and Dara Sos (DB) who is considered to be the big Defensive tackle.

Performance in 2011 may be of some concern to many fans, as the offensive line had what coach Tahir concedes was a bad year, with a lot of injuries, causing different starting lineups to form at the beginning of each week. New tactics and an increased depth amongst the players on the field should ensure that no matter what will be thrown at them, players will be able to respond reactively to any mitigating circumstances. When it comes to the defensive line last year, the team had a slow start, which was followed up by a change in personnel in the system, but ultimately the JV Junior Mustangs finished fairly strong on D line, which is something that they are striving to mirror in the coming weeks. Coach Tahir acknowledged that last year was one of the worst years in the team’s 9-year history, but like any great coach, takes it as a learning experience. “We failed on both sides of the ball.” Said Tahir, “[This year] we’re going to score more points offensively. In terms of defense we want more aggression and we want to win the turnover battle. We want to be in the positive numbers.”

Even though 2011 was marred with a number of player injuries, leading the team to not have the same starting lineups week after week, Coach Tahir was happy to say that “there are no injuries to report, Knock on wood.” This doesn’t necessarily dictate that the team will be in the free and clear, as they still have to look towards a division match against the Cambridge Lions, where the winner of this game usually takes the division. Another team that promises to ensure a healthy on-field rivalry is with the Essex Ravens, whom the JV Mustangs have had major battles with before. These will be the key matchups to look for as the summer season moves forward.

“I’m excited about this year, we watched some film from the other teams as well and what they been doing in the preseason. I think it’s going to be a good year for JV, and I think it’s going to be competitive.” Said Coach Tahir. “I’ve noticed the last few years programs are getting better, it’s more competitive, and we’re looking to get more competitive.”