Knightly welcome (VIDEO)

Knights teammates reunite to become newest recruits to join Yates Cup Champions.

Four former teammates will be joining forces once again, but this time, it will be on the CIS stage.

Noah Usherwood, Malcom Lee, Jalen Jana and Kevin Marshall have all signed with the Western Mustangs.  All four players will join the team for the 2014 OUA season.

Previous to the Mustangs, all four standouts played for the St. Thomas More Knights of the British Columbia High School Football Association (BCHSFA).

Lee and Usherwood are both CFC TOP 100 players.

“These four young men were a pleasure to recruit; they all have similarities that our staff really enjoyed,” commented Mustangs Recruiting Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach Chris Bertoia on the commitments.  “They’re good students, they are good people who all come from great families, and they carry themselves with class and respect.”

“Coach Kully and his staff at STM were obviously great teachers and mentors to these four.  We’re happy and excited that they all decided to stick together, move east for their education and take their next steps on the field as Western Mustangs.”

MALCOM LEE:

The 6’2, 185 pound receiver from Surrey, British Columbia was selected as a BCHSFA Eastern Conference and a BC Provincial All-Star this past season.

“We’re extremely excited that Malcom decided to join our school and football program,” said Bertoia of the CFC TOP 100 player.  “Malcom is not only a great young athlete but he is an outstanding student who has great character!”

“His merits on the field to this point can be verified by his film.  He is an athletic and electric player who has shown an ability to be diverse on the field, playing wide receiver, defensive back, quarterback and running back.  Malcom is a team player and we look forward to seeing him excel in the purple.”

NOAH USHERWOOD:

For the 6’2, 205 pound linebacker from Burnaby, British Columbia, there was never a question of where he wanted to commence his CIS career.

“I committed to Western because it has always been my dream school in Canada,” expressed Usherwood.  “I also believed it was the best balance of academics, including a very high support level and athletics.”

“I was also intrigued by their weightlifting program and coaching staff. I wanted to be a huge part of their tradition also.”

In 10 games with the Knights this past season, the CFC TOP 100 player registered 109 tackles, 29 tackles for a loss, recorded 11 sacks and caught seven interceptions.

“Noah Usherwood is an athletic and physical linebacker; he can bring the wood,” commented Bertoia.  “We’re very excited that he decided on Western, he is a great addition to our linebacker core.”

“Noah does well in school and has a great work ethic; he is determined to be successful and has a good personality.  He’ll be a great fit in our locker room.  He is driven to compete and we have no doubt he’ll make an impact as a Mustang.”

JALEN JANA:

The 5’10, 190 pound defensive back from Surrey, British Columbia found everything he was looking for in the London, Ontario campus.

“I committed to Western because I felt that Western would provide me with the best of both worlds – in terms of academics and football,” said Jana.  “They have one of the top kinesiology programs in the country and are a contender for a Yates Cup every year.”

“Coach (Greg) Marshall and Bertoia made it really clear on what the school and football program could offer me for the next four to five years and my parents and I decided that I could not pass up the opportunity to be a part of such a great school.”

Moreover, Jana’s official visit to the school solidified his commitment decision.

“On my visit to Western, I had a chance to learn about the great football tradition at the school and was able to talk a lot about how I could help the team on the field,” added the British Columbia defensive standout.  “What was most important to my parents and I was all the academic support they had for the guys on the team, and coming in as a freshman next year I really appreciated all the efforts they make to help the younger guys out with the transition from High School to University.”

“It really made my decision about coming to Western a lot easier.”

Due to ACL surgery, Jana has to miss his entire senior season with the Knights.  In 2012, Jana racked up 1031 rushing yards, 557 receiving yards, scored 12 touchdowns, caught six interceptions and had 14 knockdowns. For his exceptional play that season, he was selected as Provincial and Conference All-Star at the defensive back position.

Jana also won 2012 Flag Football Nationals.  Not only has he excelled on the gridiron, but also on the basketball court.  Jana has represented his home province as a member of Team British Columbia’s under-15 and under-16 basketball squads.  While he was on the under-15 team, Jana was selected as a National All-Star.

“We’re excited that Jalen committed to be a Western Mustang,” said Bertoia.  “He had an outstanding junior season as a defensive back and running back gaining all province accolades.”

“He is also a provincial level basketball player.  Jalen Jana is a special athlete; unfortunately Jalen was sidelined in his senior season with an injury.  That didn’t stop us and numerous top universities in pursuing Jalen.  He is a very good student who wants to be a physiotherapist.  He has worked tirelessly to get back from his injury and we believe that he’ll have an outstanding career in our defensive backfield.”

KEVIN MARSHALL:

For the 6’3, 210 pound linebacker from Port Moody, British Columbia, there were three specific reasons why Western stood out from all the other CIS schools.

“The first was their unparalleled Ivey business program that will allow me to pursue the career I want in business,” explained Marshall.  “Second was the great reputation of Mustangs football.”

“I honestly believe Western Ontario has an opportunity to make a run at the Vanier Cup in the next five years and I really liked the coaches as well as the winning tradition. Finally, the campus felt right. London is a beautiful area and Western seemed like the right environment.”

Marshall has played the past four seasons with the Knights.  Not only is he a linebacker but he has also played at the tight end position.  This past season, the linebacker registered 45 tackles and caught two interceptions in seven games for the Knights.  In two postseason games, Marshall registered 16 tackles. For his stellar play on the field, Marshall was selected as a Provincial All-Star.

“Kevin Marshall is a bright young man, who has managed to carry a mid-90’s average while excelling in both football and wrestling at the provincial level in BC,” expressed Bertoia.  “With his frame and athleticism we’re excited to watch him develop into an outstanding linebacker for us.”

“He has played both linebacker and defensive end with St. Thomas More; he has a very high football IQ and has an extremely high ceiling in regards to where he can go in football.  We’re very happy he decided become a Western Mustang.”

Lee Photo Credit:  Ron Hole Photography

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