Clan announce first recruits of 2014

Burnaby, BC – The Simon Fraser University Clan football team has received 11 commitments from players who will join the Clan this fall.

The class includes seven offensive players and four defensive.

Seven come to the Clan from schools in British Columbia, two from Ontario, one from Quebec and one from the state of Washington.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Clan have added offensive linemen Michael Beck (Coquitlam, BC) from Terry Fox Secondary, Yanda Yano (Coquitlam, BC) also from Terry Fox Secondary, Aaron Parker (Delta, BC) from South Delta Secondary, Stephane Tanguay (Russell, ON) [CFC TOP 100] from the Ottawa Sooners, wide receiver Sam Nadon (Montreal, QC) from Kent Prep, running back JP Kalambay (Coquitlam, BC) from Centennial Secondary and quarterback Derrick Becker (Olympia, WA) from Olympia High School.

In Beck, the Clan add an offensive lineman who is 6-3 and 260 pounds who has been recognized as the top offensive lineman on his team several times. He has also played with Team BC under-18.

Beck’s teammate Yano brings another large frame to the Clan’s offensive line as he stands 6-2 and weighs in at 275. He will line up at tackle. Yano was named the top offensive lineman on his team in 2013.

Heading west from Ontario, Stephane Tanguay played in the Ontario Junior Football League with the Ottawa Sooners and stands 6-6 and weighs 295 pounds. Tanguay has played primarily at tackle and has been an Ontario Football Conference all-star.

Rounding out the offensive lineman joining the Clan is Parker, who helped his South Delta Sun Devils to a 7-1 record last season. Parker stands 6-2 and weighs 270 pounds.

Originally from Quebec, Nadon helped his team at Kent Prep in Connecticut to a 6-2 record last year. The wide receiver stands 6-1.

JP Kalambay will join the team this fall. An athletic player, Kalambay also represented his province with the Team BC under-18’s last year, played as a running back in high school.

At quarterback, Becker played for Olympia High School but now lives in Hawaii. In his senior season, Becker completed 65 percent of his passes for 1886 yards and 23 touchdowns, which was a school record. Becker added another 518 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. He received 4A Narrows offensive most valuable player honours for his efforts.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Clan have added four defensive lineman in Cam Cross (Coquitlam, BC) from Carson Graham Secondary, Liam Palco-Johnson (Salts Spring Island, BC), Cole White (Pitt Meadows, BC) from Pitt Meadows Secondary and Kyle Wilson (Unionville, ON) from Bill Crothers Secondary.

All four players bring size to the Clan defensive line.

Cross joins the Clan out of North Vancouver, BC. He stands 6-3, 230 pounds and helped his team reach the Subway Bowl, playing in the BC High School Football AA Championship.

Palco-Johnson, like Cross, stands 6-3 and weighs in at 230 pounds. Originally from Toronto, ON, Palco-Johnson now calls Salt Spring Island home.

Standing 6-3, 280 pounds, Cole White is another local product coming to the Clan defensive line that helped his school Pitt Meadows Secondary to a winning 4-3 season in 2013.

Rounding out the Clan’s 11 recruits is Wilson who comes to the Clan at 6-5 and 260 pounds. He was a high school football MVP with his team in Guelph, ON and named most valuable lineman on his club team the Newmarket Bucks. He also has ties to British Columbia as his brother lives on Vancouver Island.

The 2014 Clan recruits will join SFU in August atop Burnaby Mountain for training camp as the team prepares for the 2014 season, their first under new head coach Jacques Chapdelaine.

Photo credit:  Ron Hole

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