CIS Preview: Great expectations for Acadia Axemen going into 2012 season

“We have great coaches in the AUS and I expect the other teams to be very competent and ready to knock off the 2011 AUS champs.”

Those are the sentiments of Acadia Axemen head coach Jeff Cummins as he is in the midst of preparing for the 2012 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) season. The Axemen are aware that all other teams in the conference will be gunning for the defending conference champions; however the team knows what the key to success will be in defending their crown.

“We will always have to be great on special teams, not turn the ball over to our opponent and then take it away from the other guys,” explains Cummins. “We don’t know what the other guys are doing… we can’t control what they do, so we can’t worry about them.”

“We will just do what we do and take care of our business, just like last year.”

Last season, the Axemen led in the AUS conference with a 7-1 record. As a result of winning the conference championship over the Saint Mary’s Huskies at the Loney Bowl, the Axemen punched their ticket to the Uteck Bowl. However, their road to the Vanier Cup came to an abrupt halt as the McMaster Marauders defeated them in the bowl game (final score 45-21).

Having a solid football organization from top to bottom has enabled the Axemen to achieve their goals on the field.

“We have great coaches, great support from our administration and finally great kids that work hard on the field and off to become greater people,” says Cummins.

Cummins returns as the leader of the Axemen. He has been with the team since 2001. For the first two seasons at Acadia, Cummins was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator (2001, 2002).

When he took over the head coaching position with the Axemen in 2003, Cummins built a proven track record of success. During his tenure at Acadia, he’s guided the Axemen to three conference championships. Moreover, Cummins has been named AUS coach of the year three times. In 2011, the Axemen head coach was recognized nationally. He was awarded the Frank Tindall award as Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) coach of the year.

As for the Axemen coaching staff, there is one change going into this season. Tom Flaxman has departed from his role as co-offensive coordinator with the team. Moving closer to home, Flaxman accepted the offensive coordinator position with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues of the Ontario University Association (OUA).

Chris Judd will be the sole offensive coordinator going into this season while Shad McLachlan is the defensive coordinator. Assistant coaches for the Axemen include Peter Fraser (offensive), Larry Stewart (offensive), Sean Hall (defensive secondary), and A.J. Tufford (receivers).

While there were minimal minor injuries at the Axemen’s most recent spring training camp, Cummins says the camp was”outstanding”.

In particular, the Axemen offensive unit had a very successful camp. By keeping their playbook small while focusing on fundamentals and skills development, the offensive unit looked solid.

“We are a power run football team and like to move around and hit people in the mouth,” adds Cummins of the unit. “Our guys have really bought into and embraced the physicality that we demand of them.”

“We had competition across the board offensively, specifically on the O-line and at receiver. We are possibly losing three players at each of those positions and have had guys step up and take the bull by the horns.”

The Axemen’s head coach says that offensive players Kyle Graves (quarterback), Taylor Renaud (receiver), Zack Skibin (running back), Andrew Healy(quarterback), Tyler Honeywood (offensive lineman), Colin Murray (offensive lineman) and James Young (offensive lineman) were standouts.

Like the offense, the defensive unit is taking shape. By keeping things simple while increasingly working on the fundamentals needed to be great technicians, Cummins says the defensive core was just as impressive.

“There is a huge void in the middle of our defense with the graduation of third year starters nose guard Andrew Frazer, middle linebacker Tom Labenski and free safety Mike Rostance but we have some pretty good players to step into the opportunity given them,” comments the Axemen’s head coach. “We competed at all positions and believe that competition will bring the cream of the crop to the forefront at all positions.”

John Wilson (defensive end), Jake Thomas (defensive tackle), Ed McNally (linebacker), Andrew Rowe (linebacker), Cam Wade (defensive back) and Alex Graham (defensive back) stood out on the defensive unit during camp.

Fifth year eligibility has been a key factor in the losses the Axemen face going into this season. On the defensive side, the team has lost five starters: three defensive backs, one linebacker and one defensive tackle. As for the offense, they too will be without five starting players: one fullback, two offensive linemen and one receiver.

“We have younger players that are excited about the opportunities that are available now to them as they want to get out and show people their skills at all positions,” explains Cummins of how the team has reacted to the gaps to fill on both units.

This year’s recruiting class will compensate for the key losses on the Axemen. Overall, Cummins is satisfied with the group coming to the team.

“We have addressed our needs at the offensive line and at defensive back where we are losing three starters at each spot,” says Cummins. “That being said, I like where we are at with our young kids on campus and the recruits we have secured to date.”

Two recruits that will be expected to make significant contributions immediately will be offensive linemen Matt Davidson (6’6, 285 lbs) and Chris Fanning (6’3,285 lbs). Davidson comes from British Columbia and has previously suited up for the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Clan and the Kamloops Broncos of the British Columbia Football Conference (BCFC). Meanwhile, Fanning previously played for the Ottawa Myers Riders of the National Capital Amateur Football Association (NCAFA) & Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL), St. Mark’s and Team Ontario East.

Suleiman Semalulu (5’9, 180 lbs) and Will Wojcik (5’9, 175 lbs) are two defensive backs that the Axemen hope will made an immediate impact on the team early on. Semalulu previously played for the Champlain Cougars (CEGEP) and the Ottawa Sooners of the Canadian Junior Football League. Wojcik has suited up for the Cumberland Panthers of the Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL) and Team Ontario East.

As Mike Squires leaves the Axemen for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL), there may be a hole to fill at the receiver position. Cummins says that one player that is built for speed and could contend for the possible vacant slot is Nova Scotia standout Brian Jones. The 6’4, 215 pound receiver has previously suited up for the Lockview Dragons of the Nova Scotia Student Athletic Football Federation (NSSAFFL) and Team Nova Scotia.

Ultimately, there are clear expectations the Axemen have going into the 2012 season.

“It’s the same as every year,” comments Cummins. “Win the AUS, win the Uteck and then go get a national championship!”

Photo credit (all but Coach of year): Mona Ghiz

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