Carabins ready for long awaited training camp

Montreal,-  With the the Montreal Carabins football training camp upcoming, it will not necessarily be the same. When the Carabins begin their first practice tonight (Thursday)  they will have their head coach Danny Maciocia take control of the defense. Players will also have an eye on the vacancies in the starting lineup.

In his third season, the Head Coach of the Carabins said he very comfortable in his new role as  Defensive Coordinator and is eager to put into practice what he has produced in the last month.

“Working with the defense is a challenge that I love,” said Maciocia. “I had thought about taking on this role and now I have the opportunity to do it here.

“It changes the perspective on the field. The mentality of our defense is to attack the opponent’s weaknesses.”

“I think we now have a mature team with a good group of veterans and some major recruits,” he added. The players have a lot of experience over the past seasons,”

“We will build on our speed and we never give up.”

With the departure of leaders like quarterback Alexandre Nadeau-Piuze (now quarterbacks coach) and linebacker Jonathan Beaulieu-Richard (now evolving with the Montreal Alouettes), there are some important positions to be filled in the starting lineup.

In particular, the offense is looking for a new pivot. Gabriel Cousineau, who is in his third year, and Pierre-Luc Varhegyi, who begins his second season, will have the chance to make case for themselves.

“I think see a good fight between Gabriel and Pierre-Luc ,” says offensive coordinator Marco Iadeluca. “These are two quarterbacks  that are very good at our gamebook.”

“It will be interesting to see them progress. There is also Samuel Caron that had a great camp with us this winter and has demonstrated good potential. With Nicolas Lafond also returns for a fourth year, we have a really good group. ”

After a very good recruitment drive , more than 40 players will be making their first training camp debut with the Carabins. There will also be other new faces on the field. Among them, is the new receivers coach Danny Desriveaux.  After six seasons in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts, Desriveaux begins its official debut on the sidelines.

“I have the opportunity to learn every day here in a group of highly experienced coaches who have seen a lot of football, he said. “I prepare a little the same way as when I was a player.

“I need to know our system perfectly, our players and the league. I prepare as best as possible to deal with this challenge. ”

Since his arrival, he worked closely with Marco Iadeluca, taking more responsibility this season now that Maciocia is more focused on defense.

“Our preparation has been very good throughout the offseason, said Iadeluca. “ As a former player, Danny (Desriveaux) was able to bring a new vision to our work.”

“We look forward to putting it all into practice on the ground.”

The Carabins football offices are animated as ever. There is no doubt that the season is quickly approaching.

“After a long off-season, we cannot wait to take action with our team,” Maciocia concluded with a smile.

The players will participate in their first training session today, Thursday. Then they take the field every day and play a pre-season game at CEPSUM Friday, August 23 against the McGill Redmen. Tickets are on sale now via the carabinsfootball.ca .

OFFENSE:

Impact players back in the lineup:

Mikhail Davidson (receiver) has actually had a breakthrough last year in his second season with the Carabins. He set a team record with 622 yards on the pass. This versatile and spectacular receiver also amassed a total of 1,312 yards during the season, including his kickoff returns. It was a peak in the circuit.

Nicolas Dubeau (running back) gained 407 yards rushing in his rookie season in 2012, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. With Rotrand Sene, they form one of the best duos rushers in Canada.

Philip Enchill (receiver) will begin his third season with the Carabins. Last year, he played a role increasingly important to the receiving core. He caught seven passes for 84 yards in the season, in addition to scoring two touchdowns.

Simon Légaré (offensive line) has elected to play a fifth and final season with the Carabins after being selected in the CFL draft last spring by the Montreal Alouettes. Légaré was selected as the second team All-Canadian in 2010.

Ali Ndao (receiver) has made ​​a good impression in his rookie season last year earning 243 yards on 19 catches. He also scored two touchdowns.

Rotrand Sene (running back) returns for a fifth and final season. RSEQ’s Player of the Year in 2012, Sene was selected as a league All-Star in his last three seasons. Also, he was selected as a First Team All-Canadian in 2010. In 2012, he dominated the RSEQ with 813 yards on the ground. He ranks third in RSEQ history with 3548 rushing yards gained in his career. There are 231 yards left for him to go to  second place.

 

 

IMPACT RECRUITS AND TRANSFERS:

Sean Thomas Erlington (receiver – Cégep du Vieux Montreal). CEGEP Division 1 All-Star selection in 2011 and 2012.

Lloyd Constant (offensive line – Vanier). CEGEP Division 1 Offensive Lineman of the Year in addition to being selected to the All-Star team.

DEPARTURES:

Alexandre Nadeau-Piuze (quarterback) was the starting quarterback for the Carabins the last three seasons. He left with virtually every quarterback record in the history of the team since his return in 2002. He had his best season last year by becoming the first Carabins quarterback to amass more than 2,000 passing yards in a season. Nadeau-Piuze was part of the RSEQ All-Star team.

Alexandre Fortier-Labonté (receiver) finished as the second leading receiver last year with gains of 386 yards, but ihas maintained the highest average with 16.8 yards per reception.

Jean-Christophe Morin-Phaneuf (receiver) was one of the best Carabin receivers.  In three seasons, he finished third in yards gained in his career.

Alexis Rousseau-Saine (offensive line) was the captain of the Carabins for the last two seasons. The leader was named a provincial All-Star three times and has  left after four seasons.

DEFENSE:

Impact players back in the lineup:

Byron Archambault (linebacker) was the leader of the Carabins in tackles last season with a total of 46, including four sacks. He was named defensive player of the week in the RSEQ twice.

John Samuel White (defensive line) had an extraordinary second season with the Carabins. In 2012, he managed 12.5 sacks. It is a RSEQ record and also shares this record with a CIS compatriot. Last year, he was named best lineman in the RSEQ. He was selected defensive player of the week in the RSEQ on two occasions, including after passing four sacks in a victory over the Concordia Stingers.

Anthony Coady was chosen as a RSEQ All-Star in 2012. He was the leader for the Carabins with four interceptions. This is shared with a fellow Quebec player. In addition, he made ​​26 tackles, which is tops among the Carabins defensive backs.

David Menard (defensive line) is one of the most versatile players on the Carabins defensive line Carabins. He has been a leader since his arrival in 2010. After a campaign in which he had 18 tackles, including four sacks in 2012, Menard will play his fourth season and will be eligible for the next CFL draft.

Prune Antoine (linebacker) was selected as a Second Team All-Canadian in 2012, in addition to being selected as a RSEQ All-Star for the last two seasons. He will also be eligible for the CFL draft next spring. Last year, he managed 24.5 tackles and an interception.

IMPACT RECRUITS AND TRANSFERS:

Pier-Yves Lavergne (linebacker) played with the Gee-Gees for the past three seasons and took part in the latest East-West Bowl.

Cromer-Alex Emond (receiver – Cégep de Lévis-Lauzon). He was selected to the CEGEP Division 1 all-star team in 2012 and Division 2 in 2011. He finished third in the league with a total of 73 tackles, including seven sacks, last season. During his three year college career, he managed 158.5 tackles.

Emile Charron-Ligez (defensive line – Cégep du Vieux Montreal). He shared top place in CEGEP Division in 2012 with eight sacks.

DEPARTURES:

Jonathan Beaulieu-Richard (linebacker) will now realize his dream of playing pro. After signing a contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at the end of last season, he now plays with the Montreal Alouettes. In five seasons with the Carabins, he holds the team records for the greatest number of career tackles (180.5) in a season (68.5) and a game (14).

Olivier Lemire-Frechette (linebacker) was an important part of the Montreal defense in recent seasons. This versatile player has changed between positions of linebacker and defensive back.

Jonathan Gagnon (defensive back) was an imposing player on the Carabins secondary and on special teams. He had managed 19.5 tackles last year, in addition to an interception and three assists, which was tops among the Carabins.

With files from Mathieu Dauphinais