Alberta welcomes 4 commits to team

Golden Bears draw in commits from Alberta and BC.

It will soon be time to call Edmonton, Alberta home for these four young men, Taylor Knoll, a safety from Mount Boucherie Senior Secondary School, Cory Yeast, a defensive lineman from the Kamloops Broncos, Jean-Simon Ouellette, a receiver from George McDougall High School and Frederic Muamba, a defensive back from the Carleton Ravens.

Taylor Knoll

Taylor Knoll isn’t going into an easy program to say the least. The future engineering student said, “(The program) is extremely difficult and I didn’t know how to be able to balance both the sport I love and the school. The reason I chose UofA is for the amazing amount of academic support they provide.”

The 10-year veteran has been around the sport for some time. He was also drawn to “the total sense of community and family on the team.” He said, “I already know some players on the team that I used to play with so the transition should be much easier!”

The Mount Boucherie Bear (BC Schools Football Association) added that, “The coaching staff is awesome and (they) give tons of support and guidance to all the players.” He was impressed with “the care and effort the coaching staff puts towards the players.”

The 5’10, 180lbs safety and defensive back started playing football at the age of seven. Hailing from Kelowna, BC, he has spent time playing with Team BC on multiple occasions. In 2014, he travelled to Dallas, Texas with Team BC in the International Bowl. His team bested Team USA with a final score of 10-7.

Cory Yeast

Knoll isn’t the Golden Bear’s only BC pick-up. Cory Yeast, who played with the College Heights Cougars (BCSFA) and the Kamloops Broncos (CJFL), will be heading into the interior from his home in Prince George, BC for the next leg of his journey.

“I chose the University of Alberta because of the great coaches that are there. The facilities are the best I’ve seen. It’s a team is on the rise and it has outstanding academics and academic support there,” the chemistry major said, adding that he is taking a biological science minor.

With academics and athletics firmly sown up, what the 6’3, 248lbs lineman needs now is a strong coach. “The coaches at UofA are great,” Yeast said. “Head Coach Morris has really turned that team around and all the coaches he has there are very knowledgeable. They know how to make a winning atmosphere.”

In his grade 12 year, Yeast was named the Cougars MVP and defensive player of the year. He was also recognized as a provincial all-star.

Jean-Simon Ouellette
To reach his new home, all Jean-Simon Ouellette has to do is drive north from his hometown of Calgary, Alberta. The 6’4, 200lbs multi-position athlete has signed as a receiver. He has played with the George McDougall Mustangs (Rocky View Football League) and the Northern Raiders midget team (Calgary Area Midget Football Association).

Frederic Muamba
Frederic Muamba is a transfer from the Carleton Ravens. He will be returning to his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. In high school, he played with the Austin O’Brien Crusaders (Metro Edmonton High School League).