CIS preview: UBC ready to go – play Alumni & Menlo College in exhibition

The UBC Thunderbirds football team opens their 2011 training camp in one week with player arrivals and orientation scheduled for Thursday, August 18. Head coach Shawn Olson, who led UBC to a 2-6 record in his first season at the helm in 2010, is excited to see what kind of difference a year makes.

“We are way ahead of where we were last year in terms of our planning. We are grounded and setup compared to last year when there was a bit of turmoil with all the construction at the stadium. There is a lot more calm and focus among the staff and we know the details that have to be emphasized on the field,” said Olson.

UBC opens the 2011 regular season on Friday, September 2 on the road against the Regina Rams. The T-Birds have scheduled an 11-day camp with on-field activities beginning August 19 in preparation for their opening week of the Canada West season. On the schedule are a pair of exhibition games, an in-house contest against UBC Alumni (August 21) as well as a game against Menlo College (California) on August 27.

“There’s some really good benefits to a full-on exhibition game. The competition, especially when you cross the border, is going to be very good. This game means something to Menlo where as we will approach it more like an exhibition. We’ll take down 50 guys and make sure they all see a lot of time. We need to manage fatigue and injuries but we are going to try and win it. These are the types of experiences that can help us build that culture of winning that the program needs if we want to be successful,” noted Olson.

Approximately 100 players are expected at Thunderbird Stadium for camp with at least 40 of those making their first appearance on the field for UBC. One area that won’t feature as many new faces is on offence, where the T-Birds return eight starters from 2010 including quarterback Billy Greene and running back Dave Boyd.

“On offence, the biggest area of change will be at offensive line. We have a number of guys coming in, however, that we expected to be very good. How that unit gels, though, will impact what we can do,” said Olson.

On the defensive side of the ball, there are a few significant turnovers in personnel as well as a slight change in scheme that will be addressed during camp.

“There’s a lot more transition on this [defensive] side of the ball. We need to figure out who are linebackers are after graduating a few key guys. We have some returnees but also some younger guys who are ready to contribute. We’ll be shuffling the deck along the line as well. We are aiming for a slightly different scheme and we’ll have to see how it all comes together,” added Olson.

Incoming recruiting class:

CLICK HERE for entire CIS recruiting list

British Columbia 49

Phil Dick – LB – Regina Transfer / STM (Burnaby, BC) January – Verbal
Warren Reece – RB – New Westminister Hyacks (New Westminister, BC) January – Verbal
Dominik Bundschuh – QB – Vienna Vikings (Vienna, Austria) January – Verbal

Ian Henderson – LB New Westminister (New Westminister, BC) Signed
Mike Spagnolo – DB – St. Albert Skyhawks / Team Alberta (St. Albert)Signed
Chris Adams – DB – South Delta (Vancouver) Signed
Jacob Carvery – REC – Sands / North Delta (Vancouver) Signed
Riley Jones – LB – South Delta (South Delta, BC) Signed
Hayden Nicol – REC – North Delta / Carson Graham (N Vancouver)Signed
Jon Waters – 6’1 220 – FB – Harry Ainlay, Alberta All Star and Team MVP (Edmonton) Signed
Josh Cochrane – REC – South Delta (South Delta, BC) Signed
Cody Cochrane – REC – SFU / South Delta (South Delta, BC) Signed
Devin Spence – QB/DB – Kelowna (Kelowna, BC) Signed
Ethan Sadowski – DL – Seaquam (Delta, BC) Signed
Arshi Dhaliwal 6’2 275 – DL/OL – Mission (Mission, BC) Signed

Cameron Canales – QB – Terry Fox / Team BC (Abbotsford, BC) Verbal
Cody Hillhouse – LB/DB – St. Mary’s / South Delta Verbal
Eric Angerman – 6’5 280 – OL – Bishop O’Bryne / Team Alberta (Calgary) Verbal
Charlie Thorpe – 6’0 210 – LB Vancouver College – BC all star (Vancouver ) Verbal
Taylor Harrison – DL (AA Defensive MVP) South Delta / Team BC (Vancouver)- Verbal
Sam Adu – RB – Victoria Rebels (2x BCFC all-star) (Vancouver) Verbal
Trace McLellan-Eeles: RB – Foothills Composite – Okotoks, Alberta – 5’10 – 200lbs. Verbal
Jonathon Waters: DL – Harry Ainley – Edmonton, Alberta – 6’1 – 220lbs. Verbal
Chris Adams: DB – South Delta – Vancouver, B.C. – 6’0 – 175lbs. Verbal
Tanner Carlile: OL – South Delta – Vancouver, B.C. – 6’1 – 250lbs. Verbal
Charlie Thorpe: LB – Vancouver College – Vancouver, B.C. – 6’1 – 200lbs. Verbal
Cole Allinger: DL – Handworth – Vancouver, B.C. – 6’5 – 270lbs. Verbal
Peter Markel: DB – Corona Del Mar – Newport Beach, California – 6’1 – 185 Verbal
Adam Konar: LB/DB – Vancouver College – Vancouver, B.C. – 6’2 – 200lbs. Verbal
Spencer Wilson – DL – Arnprior / Ottawa Sooners / Team Ontario (Arnprior, ON) Verbal
Noslan Jara 6’4 215lbs – DE – Notre Dame High School (Vancouver) Verbal
Roberto Perizullo 6’2 330lbs. DL – Notre Dame / Team BC (Vancouver) Verbal
Alex Bulcke – 6’2 – 260 lbs OL – Essex Ravens / St. Anne (Windsor, ON) Verbal
Tony Ganton 6’5 270 – DL – Sands Secondary (Vancouver BC) Verbal
Ben Bahrami 6’2 220 – LB – Western University transfer / West Vancouver (Vancouver, BC) Verbal
Mike Didomenico 6’6 300 – OL – Saddleback Junior College (Toronto, ON) Verbal
Riley Horvath 6’2 220 – DE – Catholic Central (Lethbride, AB) Verbal
Ross Hilliam 6’1 180 – REC – St Thomas More (Vancouver, BC) Verbal
Kehl Snyder 6’1 190 – DB – William Aberhart (Calgary, AB) Verbal
Patrick Sullivan 6’6″ 260 – OL – Queens transfer – Law school (Vancouver, BC) Verbal
Vivie Bojilov – 6′ 220 – LB – Simon Fraser transfer / New Westminister (New Westminister, BC) Verbal
Logan McLeod 6’3″ 285 – OL – Acadia transfer / Mission (Mission, BC) Verbal
Pierre Lacerte 5’11” 205 – LB – Franklin (El Paso, TX) Verbal
Keegan Carruthers 6′ 215 – LB – Cumberland / St. Pat’s / Team Ontario East (Ottawa, ON) Verbal
Kofi Kuma-mintah 6’2″ 210 – DB – South Fraser Rams / Butte College Verbal
Andrew Darcovich 6’2″ 185 – REC – White Rock Titans (White Rock, BC) Verbal
Satbir Jawandha 6’3″ 225 – LB – South Fraser Rams Verbal
Daniel McCutcheon 6’1″ 170 – REC – Rick Hansen Verbal
Ryan Williams 5’11” 265 – DL – Kamloops Broncos (Kamloops, BC) Verbal