On Saturday February 11th, 2012, 125 of the top players from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island converged on Citadel High in Halifax for the fifth annual Prodigy Sports Maritime Combine.

Players were tested in five skills while recruiters from 17 Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) and Atantic Football League (AFL) teams looked on and scouted them. Representatives were present from the following schools: Carleton (CIS), Saint’s Mary’s (CIS), Acadia (CIS), St. Francis Xavier (CIS), Mount Allison (CIS), Dalhousie (AFL), Holland College (AFL), Bishop’s (CIS), Saint John (AFL), Champlain (AFL), Queen’s (CIS), McMaster (CIS), Calgary (CIS), Guelph (CIS), McGill (CIS), Western (CIS) and Toronto (CIS).

Skills included Vertical Jump, Shuttle Run, Standing Long Jump, Bench Press Repetitions at 185 lbs (or 135lbs) and 40 yard Sprint. In the second half of the Combine, there were sessions with one on one and two on two with helmets and shoulder pads. Football athletes put on a great display of talent in front of those in attendance.

Overall, it was a success across the board. Chief organizer of the event, Citadel Phoenix co- head coach and defensive coordinator Jeff Lawley was pleased with the outcome of the event.

“The fifth Annual Maritime Combine was a huge success,” comments Lawley. “We are extremely pleased how much this has grown in popularity in such a short time.”

“There were 17 university teams from across Canada in attendance to recruit the best talent from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.”

All the recruiting universities in attendance were impressed by the event. Saint Mary’s Athletic Director Steve Sarty was among the group.

“I think Jeff Lawley and the staff from Citadel High did a great job putting on a top notch combine,” says Sarty.

As for what the recruiting team from SMU were looking for at the combine, it was a combination of scouting new talent with players that the football program has had their sights set on for a bit of time.

“We, Saint Mary’s, did go into the combine with our eyes on some players and were also looking to learn more about a some other players,” explains the Saint Mary’s Athletic Director. “It is great to see the rich talent pool that exists in the local market.”

“We are anxious and excited to move forward with some of the student-athletes we saw at the combine and hope to add them to the Saint Mary’s family.”

Gary Waterman is the head coach with the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. Through St. FX’s involvement with the Atlantic University Sports (AUS) camp as well as scouting during high school football games, Waterman is familiar with many of the senior players in attendance at the Combine.

However, the experience this past weekend presented the X-Men recruiting team a great opportunity.

“We feel the Citadel combine provides us with an excellent opportunity to see many of the younger kids first hand in a competitive setting,” adds Waterman. “Also, our attendance at this combine will help us find the odd player who may have flown under the radar.”

Like Sarty, Waterman was impressed with how the Combine turned out.

“Overall, we feel that the Citadel Combine was a huge success,” says the X-Men head coach. “It was extremely well organized and the quality of the players has continued to improve each year.”

“Seeing the number of coaches who flew in from different parts of the country shows how much talent there is in the Maritimes.”

Newly named offensive coordinator of the Toronto Varsity Blues, Tom Flaxman was one of those recruiters that flew into Halifax for the event. This was his fourth year attending the Combine and says that each year it gets bigger and better. Moreover, he gives a lot of credit to the organizing team (Lawley, Mike Tanner and volunteers) for putting on a tremendous event.

Flaxman explains the benefits of attending a combine from a recruiter’s perspective.

“At combines such as this one, there are always players that you have on your radar,” explains the former Acadia Axemen coordinator. “It’s a good chance to see them move around and do football specific drills, it gives you a chance to confirm what you have already seen on film or in person, it’s just part of the evaluation process.”

“For us, it’s a chance to meet some of the recruits we have been talking to in person and in some cases meet their parents. You are always looking for those hidden gems, but for the most part if you have put the work in during the evaluation process you usually have a good feel for the lay of the land.”

As for future combines, University of Toronto hopes to keep booking flights to Halifax in order to attend the event.

“They do a great job every year with this combine, it’s so well run and well organized University of Toronto will be going to this combine for as long as they continue to put it on,” adds Flaxman.

One thing Flaxman took notice over the years at the event is how much the level of talent has increased in the Maritimes as well as the growth of the game.

“There are great players in the Maritimes the talent level is improving every year out there,” comments the Varsity Blues offensive coordinator. “It’s amazing to see how much the sport has grown on the East Coast over the last four years, and I believe that will continue.”

“There are some great athletes on the east coast and more importantly some great students; we hope we can continue to build great relationships with the players and coaches in the Maritimes.”

McMaster Marauders recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach Frank Gesztesi has also attended four Maritime Combines and likes how well it was organized. Reaping the benefits of attending the previous combines, recruiters bolstered their roster with the likes of Nico Jones and Ben Wallace. Furthermore, the Marauders are also considering a couple of players from this year’s class as key additions.

Gesztesi is impressed by the talent. There are also far reaching effects of this event.

“The talent level is very good, and I believe getting better with each year,” states the Marauders recruiting coordinator. “It is also great to see an east coast team in recent Football Canada Cups.”

“This allows us to see how these young men match up against the best from other provinces.”

During the event, coaches get on the spot feedback regarding how the athletes are testing; however, Gesztesi says that the results are only a benchmark for comparisons.

“How well the young men do in the one on one skill drills that take place in the second half is just as important,” adds Gesztesi. “Some young men may not test well, but show true grit and toughness in the one on ones.”

“The best young men test well, and do well in the one ones. My focus is usually on the young men who are first and foremost academically strong, also those young men who may want to try something different in terms of coming to Ontario to pursue their post-secondary education.”

For Guelph Gryphons offensive coordinator Todd Galloway, this combine marked a homecoming of sorts for him and he impressed with the how this combine has grown and evolved in such a short span of time through the leadership of Lawley and the Citadel program.

“From my personal perspective, I used to coach in Halifax, so it was a great way to reconnect with players I used to coach and have had an eye on for a little while now,” adds the former Huskies coach. “Also, because it is not maybe a regular trip, there is a hope to find a hidden gem to round out our recruiting class.”

“This was a very successful combine from my perspective; there were a few kids that I am really high on and this gave me an opportunity to evaluate them one last time and get some more face time with them.”

Furthermore, Galloway says that the growth and evolution of this event in such a short time into a premier event that showcases the best talent this region has to offer.

“Every year I go to this I am very pleased with the talent here,” explains the Gryphons offensive coordinator. “There is very good talent in the Maritimes, there just isn’t as much football.”

“There are less than 20 High School in Nova Scotia that have football.”

One group of recruiters that took a different approach to this event was the Calgary Dinos. Defensive assistant Matt Berry explains that due to the late timing of the event, the Dinos are already in the advance stages of this year’s recruiting class.

Therefore, Berry is already familiar with players via coaching or through watching games. At this event, the Dinos look towards the future and try to scout out grade 10 and 11 players that take part. However, Berry says that the Dinos are looking for depth at the offensive lineman and running back positions and did have their eyes on two participants in particular.

“We have been recruiting Kadeem Adams for a few months now, as we feel he is the top player in the Maritimes this year,” states the Dinos defensive assistant who adds that the creation of this combine is a positive avenue for players to gain exposure and show their talents. “I did use this combine as an opportunity to meet with Quentin Chown; he is a running back from New Brunswick.”

“He had sent us his film, which was very impressive and we have had some initial conversations. But this combine allowed us to meet in person and he was able to enforce the athletic ability he showed on film, with his performance on Saturday.”

Speaking of Adams, he was one of the players that was heavily scouted at the Combine. The Citadel Phoenix offensive lineman participated for the third straight time and explains his reasons for taking part in the event.

“I wanted to participate in this combine because I needed to assure the coaches that my shoulder is getting better,” says Adams, who is graduating from Citadel High this spring. “This combine was a success personally, I beat some personal goals and that’s what it’s all about.”

As for the event itself, Adams supports this event and recommends football players to take part in future combines.

“I would strongly recommend the Maritime Combine to all high school football players across the Atlantic,” comments Adams. “It was the main way I got recruited.”

“The level of talent in the Maritimes most times goes unnoticed. Bringing a lot of the coaches to our backyard to see us work is a positive gateway in eventually putting Maritime players on the map.”

Citadel Phoenix wide receiver A’dre Fraser also participated in this event for the third straight time. The NSSAFFL Nova Division MVP and first team all-star wanted to give scouting schools another chance to see his talents.

“I personally wanted to participate in the combine to give universities one last look at me, so they knew what they were getting and that I am improving over the off-season,” adds Fraser, one of the offensive dynamos for the Phoenix. “It gave me a chance to actually see how I do match up against the best players in the province.”

In testing during the event, Fraser had a successful day. He placed first in the 40 yard sprint, Long Jump and Shuttle Run. Furthermore, he ranked third in the Vertical Jump.

Fraser has key words of advice for any future football hopefuls.

“I would recommend all players that want to play beyond high school go to the Maritime Combine and get your name out there,” says the Phoenix offensive star. “It is a huge reason as to how I got myself noticed and I would also recommend that players don’t wait until grade 12 to attend the combine; you can’t show improvement if the university coaches have no prior stats.”

Like everyone else in attendance, the graduating wide receiver was impressed with the calibre of talent displayed at the event.

“The level of talent there is great,” explains Fraser. “People don’t realize that there are some great players here in the Maritimes because we don’t have the exposure that other provinces have.”

“It’s even better that all of these universities do take the time out of their schedule to come over to the East Coast and see the talent that we do have here.”

One player who was trying to get some recruiters to take notice of him was Makenzie Fox. The Charles P Allen linebacker went to the Combine upon the advice of Cheetahs head coach Michael McPherson, defensive coordinator Alain Lefebvre and receivers coach Blair Ryan.

“They urged me to participate in the Combine to help gain recognition from universities throughout Canada, and to also showcase some of my talent which may not have been seen by some of the universities that were in attendance at the combine,” adds Fox, who in his first year at the Combine was tops in Bench Press testing. “I believe the Combine was very successful for me as it gave me the chance to showcase my strengths and test well in front of many universities from around the country.”

The graduating linebacker says he highly recommends the Combine to future participants.

“I would strongly recommend other players to take part in the Combine in years to come as it is a great opportunity to show off your talent to high level coaches that can help you get to the next level in football,” explains Fox. “Overall, I thought the level of talent at the Combine was awesome, especially as a first timer at the event.”

“It was also great to see how many universities were in attendance at the Combine and how great it was to interact with the different schools.”

Auburn Drive Eagles defensive back Trae Colley was hoping to get some attention at the Combine. The NSSAFFL Scotia Division second team all-star at the defensive back position said it was a great learning experience for him.

“I participated in this event because this is the perfect opportunity to make a name for myself and even though I did not win any awards it was successful because I got to see what I need to improve on to make it to the next level,” comments the grade 11 player who attended the Combine for the second straight time. “I would recommend it to other players especially grade 10’s because it’s the best way right now to get noticed.”

“I think there was a lot a talent there from all positions, and there was a fair number of universities there to scout but I just wish we had more time to chat with them and there was a few more.”

NSSAFFL Scotia Division first team all-star at the defensive back position from the John Hugh Gillis Royals, Keighen MacRae took part in his first combine. This was a truly positive experience that he was honoured to participate in last weekend.

“I attended the Combine to try and open any doors possible to be able to play at the next level and have my name mentioned with other big high school names,” says MacRae. “I would say the Combine was a success to me because I got to participate in various competitions and see where I rank among other players.”

“I also got to participate in one on one drills with some big name receivers to see how I would do against them.”

He too highly suggests that future Maritime players take part in this elite event.

“I would highly recommend other players to take part in the Combine next year because it’s a huge opportunity to get your name out to coaches and show them what you’re capable of,” adds the Royals defensive back. “It is also an amazing experience to participate in and I was amazed at the level of talent at the Combine, it really shows you where you stand among other players in the Maritimes, not just players in your league or on your team.”

“I was really impressed with the amount of universities that showed up.”

As for going forward with the event, Lawley says due to the success of the Combine and feedback received from all those involved, positive changes are on the horizon.

“The success of our Combine has led us to investigate a bigger facility for next year,” comments the chief organizer of the event. “The feedback from the university coaches has indicated that we run one of the top Combines in Canada of which we are very proud.”

“A recurring suggestion from the university coaches is to include grade 11’s for next time which will help grow the Combine to higher level. The coaches are keen to make contact with players at a younger age and follow their development.”

Galloway welcomes the changes and sees the positives of the moves.

“I really like the format that I believe they are going to next year,” says the Gryphons offensive coordinator. “They will be opening it up to more grade 11’s which is great.”

“This will allows us coaches to get an earlier look at kids a then follow their progress for a year.”

While Berry applauds the success of the Combine, he feels that changes to the event would benefit and increase the event on a whole.

“In the future, I hope it expands and moves to a larger facility that will allow for greater amount of football drills and possibly scrimmage,” adds the Dinos defensive assistant. “The guys at Citadel and Prodigy Sports have done a great job building this event to the high level it has attained.”

“My only other suggestion would be to move it up into January, so that it would expose all the players earlier in the recruiting process. I believe there is a great amount of potential in the Maritimes, teams just have to envision the what that potential can grow into.”

Gesztesi echoes the sentiments of all the university recruiting groups.

“I understand the organizers are considering bringing in some grade 11s for next year and perhaps even moving to a bigger venue as a result of feedback they received,” says the Marauders recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach. “I think those are both great ideas, and evidence of the quality of the Combine in that they would react to that feedback.”

“This helps us in developing longer term relationships and to get to know a young man much better in terms of character and work ethic, as well as push the academic side of things at an earlier age when there is still time to make changes for the better.”

Combine Skills Results (Partial):
***NOTE***: Complete results are available at:
[URL]http://www.citadelfootball.net/index_files/Page340.htm

Top 40 Yard Dash:
A’dre Fraser, Citadel Phoenix: 4.45
Ashton Slawter, Dartmouth High Spartans: 4.68
Dylan Whenham, Leo Hayes: 4.70
Andrew Viera, Dartmouth High Spartans: 4.71
Angus Fraser, Auburn Drive Eagles: 4.72
Dylan Cossar, Prince Andrew Panthers: 4.73
Robert Howie, Leo Hayes: 4.74
Bill Dmitropolous, Lockview Dragons: 4.75
Derek Naugler, Cobequid Cougars: 4.75
Curtis Bawn, Horton Griffins: 4.75
Keighen MacRae, Dr. JH Gillis Royals: 4.75
Allan MacLeod, Halifax West Warriors: 4.75
Jordan Koch, Charles P Allen Cheetahs: 4.76
Jason Simmons, Oromocto: 4.77
Matt Nettle, Citadel Phoenix: 4.79
Louis Stephen, Charles P Allen Cheetahs: 4.79

Bench Press Reps @ 225 lbs:
Makenzie Fox, Charles P Allen Cheetahs: 16x
Jordan Grant, Halifax West Warriors: 16x
Emile Milton, Citadel Phoenix: 15x
Shane Stonehouse, Sir John A MacDonald Flames: 10x
Andrew Viera, Dartmouth High Spartans: 7x
Isaac Noonan, JL Ilsley Judges: 7x
John Cole, Auburn Drive Eagles: 3x
Nick Rhodenizer, Citadel Phoenix: 2x

Vertical Jump (Inches):
Ian Miller, Citadel Phoenix: 33
Nick Rhodenizer, Citadel Phoenix: 31
A’dre Fraser, Citadel Phoenix: 30
Dylan Cossar, Prince Andrew Panthers: 29
John-Paul Primeau, Avon View Avalanche: 27
Alexander “AJ” Whitehead, Avon View Avalanche: 27
Makenzie Fox, Charles P Allen Cheetahs: 27
Brian Jones, Lockview Dragons: 27
Jack Lawen, Citadel Phoenix: 27

Shuttle Run:
A’dre Fraser, Citadel Phoenix: 4.07
John-Paul Primeau, Avon View Avalanche: 4.3
Ian Archibald, Charles P Allen Cheetahs: 4.4
Shivase Reddick, Dartmouth High Spartans: 4.4
Drew MacIsaac, Citadel Phoenix: 4.4

Standing Long Jump:
A’dre Fraser, Citadel Phoenix: 9’4.5
Brian Jones, Lockview Dragons: 9’3
John-Paul Primeau, Avon View Avalanche: 9’3
Dylan Cossar, Prince Andrew Panthers: 9’3

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