CIS: All-Canadian teams announced (VIDEO)

QUEBEC CITY  – The 2013 Canadian Interuniversity Sport football all-stars were announced on Thursday evening during the Sun Life Financial All-Canadian Banquet, presented by Mallette.

As was to be expected, the top-three ranked programs in the country at the end of the regular season, Western, Laval and Calgary, stole the spotlight with four selections apiece on the first dream team. The Mustangs also placed four players on the second squad, the Rouge et Or three, and the Dinos two.

The awards gala was held at Hilton Quebec Hotel as part of the TELUS Vanier Cup celebrations. Laval (11-0) and Calgary (11-0) face off in the 49^th CIS championship final Saturday at 1 p.m. EST at TELUS-Université Laval Stadium in Quebec City, live on Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360 and Radio-Canada, as well as on the web at www.cis-sic.tv.

On offense, the first unit is comprised of Bishop’s quarterback Jordan Heather, running backs Mercer Timmis of Calgary and Anthony Coombs of Manitoba, receivers Alexander Fox of Bishop’s, Paul de Pass of Toronto, Brian Marshall of Western and Mustangs teammate George Johnson, as well as linemen Laurent Duvernay-Tardif of McGill, Jas Dhillon of UBC and the Laval trio of Pierre Lavertu, Karl Lavoie and Charles Vaillancourt.

Heather also claimed the Hec Crighton Trophy as CIS player of the year at the gala. The fifth-year senior from Oromocto, N.B., set a single-season CIS record this fall with 3,132 passing yards in eight games.

Timmis, the Canada West nominee for the Hec Crighton, led the country in all-purpose touchdowns (19), rushing majors (18) and yards on the ground (1,157). Fox topped all CIS receivers in yards (1,009) and touchdowns (12). Duvernay-Tardif also captured the J.P. Metras Trophy as the nation’s top down lineman.

It marked the third straight selection as a first-team all-Canadian for Lavertu and the second of their careers for Duvernay-Tardif (2012) and Coombs (2011). Coombs (2012), Vaillancourt (2012) and Fox (2011) are also all former members of the second squad.

On defense, the first team is made up of linemen Ettore Lattanzio of Ottawa, Donovan Dale of UBC, Derek Wiggan of Queen’s and Jesse St. James of Acadia, linebackers Doctor Cassama of Calgary, Pawel Kruba of Western and Beau Landry, also of the Mustangs, safety Kwame Adjei of Mount Allison, halfbacks Brett Backman of Acadia and Cyril Iwanegbe of Calgary, as well as corners Andrew Lue of Queen’s and Maximilien Ducap of Laval.

Kruba received the Presidents’ Trophy as CIS defensive MVP at the banquet, while Cassama was the Canada West finalist for the award. Lattanzio and St. James shared the CIS lead in conference action with 10 quarterback sacks apiece.

Landry and Lue were both CIS all-stars back in 2011, the former on the top unit and the latter on the second squad.

Rounding out the list of first-team all-Canadians for 2013, on special teams, were UBC punter Quinn van Gylswyk, Calgary placekicker Johnny Mark and Toronto returner Kevin Bradfield.

Mark was good on a CIS-best 88.2 percent of his field goal attempts in league play (15 of 17). He had previously earned second-team nods each of the past two seasons.

Highlighting the list of second-team all-Canadians on offence were Western quarterback Will Finch and Mount Allison running back Jordan Botel, the OUA and AUS conference nominees for the Hec Crighton Trophy. Finch set an OUA season mark with 3,047 passing yards this fall, while Botel was the most-utilized back in the country with 170 carries.

Manitoba inside receiver Nic Demski was honoured nationally for the first time on offence after a pair of selections as a returner (2012 first team & 2011 second). Acadia wide receiver Taylor Renaud was a member of the second squad a year ago.

Leading the second CIS team on defence were linebackers Ron Omara of StFX and Antoine Pruneau of Montreal, the AUS and RSEQ nominees for the Presidents’ Trophy.

Pruneau (2012 second team), Queen’s linebacker Sam Sabourin (2011 & 2012 second), Acadia halfback Cam Wade (2011 first & 2012 second), Western tackle Daryl Waud (2012 first) and Queen’s halfback TJ Chase-Dunawa (2012 first) are all repeat all-Canadians.

Official TELUS Vanier Cup website: www.vaniercup.com

2013 CIS FOOTBALL ALL-CANADIANS

FIRST TEAM

Pos.     Athlete                        University       Year    Hometown                  Program

Offence

QB       Jordan Heather            Bishop’s          5          Oromocto, N.B.           History

RB       Mercer Timmis            Calgary            2          Burlington, Ont.           Business

RB       Anthony Coombs        Manitoba         3          Winnipeg, Man.           Science

IR        Alexander Fox             Bishop’s          4          Montreal, Que.             Sports Studies

IR        Brian Marshall             Western           4          London, Ont.               Social Sciences

WR      George Johnson           Western           2          London, Ont.               King’s College

WR      Paul de Pass                 Toronto            5          Ajax, Ont.                    Arts & Science

C          Pierre Lavertu              Laval               4          Quebec City, Que.       Business Admin.

T          Karl Lavoie                  Laval               3          Quebec City, Que.       Open Studies

T          Laurent Duvernay-Tardif  McGill             4          St. Hubert, Que.           Medicine

G         Jas Dhillon                   UBC                3          Surrey, B.C.                 Arts

G         Charles Vaillancourt    Laval               2          Coaticook, Que.           Business Admin.

Defence

DT       Ettore Lattanzio           Ottawa             3          Nepean, Ont.               Classics & Ethics

DT       Donovan Dale             UBC                2          Saskatoon, Sask.          Kinesiology

DE       Derek Wiggan              Queen’s           4          Toronto, Ont.               History

DE       Jesse St. James             Acadia             3          Pincourt, Que.              Business Admin.

LB       Pawel Kruba                Western           5          Windsor, Ont.              Social Sciences

LB       Doctor Cassama           Calgary            3          Kristianstad, Sweden   Arts

LB       Beau Landry                Western           4          Kitchener, Ont.            King’s College

FS        Kwame Adjei               Mount Allison  3          Brampton, Ont.            Social Sciences

HB       Brett Backman             Acadia             4          Tantallon, N.S.             Arts

HB       Cyril Iwanegbe            Calgary            2          Brooks, Alta.               Arts

CB       Andrew Lue                 Queen’s           4          Markham, Ont.            Environmental Studies

CB       Maximilien Ducap         Laval               5          L’Islet, Que.                 Education

Special Teams

P          Quinn van Gylswyk     UBC                1          Victoria, B.C.               Arts

K         Johnny Mark               Calgary            3          Peterborough, Ont.       Science

RET     Kevin Bradfield           Toronto            3          Toronto, Ont.               Arts & Science

SECOND TEAM

Offence          

QB       Will Finch                    Western           2          Burlington, Ont.           Social Science

RB       Brendan Gillanders      Ottawa             5          Orleans, Ont.               Human Kinetics

RB       Jordan Botel                Mount Allison  2          Prince George, B.C.     Arts

IR        Nic Demski                  Manitoba         3          Winnipeg, Man.           Arts

IR        Evan Pszczonak           Windsor           4          Amherstburg, Ont.       Human Kinetics

WR      Taylor Renaud             Acadia             5          Winnipeg, Man.           Education

WR      Addison Richards        Regina             3          Regina, Sask.               Science

C          Sean McEwen              Calgary            3          Calgary, Alta.               Science

T          Josh Prinsen                 Queen’s           5          Napanee, Ont.              Mining Engineering

T          Alec Pennell                UBC                2          Port Coquitlam, B.C.    Arts

G         Sukh Chungh               Calgary            3          Port Coquitlam, B.C.    Arts

G         Cameron Thorn           Guelph             5          Midhurst, Ont.             Science

Defence

DT       Brandon Tennant         Laval               3          Montreal, Que.             Business Admin.

DT       Daryl Waud                 Western           3          Hamilton, Ont.             Social Sciences

DE       Joel Seutter                  Saskatchewan  5          Sherwood Park, Alta.   Arts & Science

DE       Dylan Ainsworth         Western           3          Delta, B.C.                   Social Sciences

LB       Ron Omara                  StFX                4          Aylmer, Que.               Arts

LB       Sam Sabourin              Queen’s           4          Stittsville, Ont.             Physical Edu. & Health

LB       Antoine Pruneau          Montreal          4          Montreal, Que.             Arts & Science

FS        Mark Ingram                Saskatchewan  4          Imperial, Sask.             Agric. & Bioresources

HB       TJ Chase-Dunawa        Queen’s           5          Toronto, Ont.               Biology

HB       Cameron Wade            Acadia             5          Moncton, N.B.             Science

CB       Tevaughn Campbell     Regina             2          Toronto, Ont.               Business Admin.

CB       Eric Black                    Saint Mary’s    4          Toronto, Ont.               Criminology

Special Teams

P          Boris Bede                   Laval               4          Toulon, France            Physical Edu. & Health

K         Lirim Hajrullahu          Western           5          St. Catharines, Ont.      Graduate Studies

RET     Guillaume Rioux         Laval               5          Paris, France                Nutrition