OPC: Team East JV QB Lawrie hopes to rise amid pressure

The countdown begins to CanadaFootballChat.com Ontario Prospect Challenge on the May1st weekend.  In the days leading up to OPC, CFC will preview the teams, coaches and players participating in the big event.

As a pivot, Alex Lawrie has always worn a “producer” hat on the field.

“I believe I can achieve anything if I put my mind to it,” elaborated the 5’11, 175 pound quarterback.

Throughout his young gridiron career, Lawrie has been able to produce magical offence moments with several teams at varied levels.  Those teams include St Peter Knights of the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) as well as the Cumberland Panthers of both the National Capital Amateur Football Association (NCAFA) and Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL).

Equally, he has demonstrated his passion for playing quarterback and enjoys playing this position for a couple of main reasons.

“It allows me to step into a leadership role and take control,” explained Lawrie.  “It may be the hardest position in sports and there’s always something to improve on.”

There are a trio of NFL quarterbacks that Lawrie studies and tries to emulate on the field – Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals), Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) and Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts).

“Each of these quarterbacks show great leadership and are able to perform every Sunday,” added the pivot.  “When it’s all said and done, they get the job done.”

Three moments stand out as the highlights of his gridiron career.

“It’s a tie between Winning the city NCAFA Championship in 2013, the high school Championship in 2014 and the Pop Warner Super Bowl win,” recalled Lawrie.

In the next couple of weeks, Lawrie will add another special, unique moment of his storied gridiron career. He will participate in the Ontario Prospect Challenge (OPC) as a member of junior varsity Team East squad that will battle Team Central on May 2^nd. For his part, the Class 2017 pivot is grateful for the learning opportunity the OPC will provide for him.

“I was invited to the high school all-star game and was forced to make a choice between that and OPC,” offered Lawrie. “I believe I will benefit more from joining OPC.”

During the entire OPC process, the Team East junior varsity quarterback has relished the opportunity to work with the coaching staff.

“I’m very impressed with the amount of experience and football knowledge our coaches have,” commented Lawrie.  “I have a great amount of respect for them and I believe I still need to prove myself as a player in order to gain their respect.”

Playing on a big stage such as OPC is a huge task.  However, Lawrie is prepared to handle the pressure come game day.

“I’m very excited to take on this challenge and will be ready to perform on game day,” said the Team East pivot.  “I’m very excited to get on the field and I’ve been training with Gridiron Academy and practicing/watching film with the JV Cumberland Panthers.”

One thing that is motivating Lawrie to excel in OPC is the team cohesion on the Team East junior varsity squad.

“I can already feel the sense of family with these guys and I can’t wait to start truly working with them,” added the offensive standout.

While preparing for the May 2^nd game, Lawrie is looking forward to a tough battle against Team Central and in particular a couple of players from that squad.

“’I’m very excited to see how Willy Pierre-Dimbongi and Kian Williams will perform,” elaborated Lawrie. “I feel teams from GTA will definitely put some great athletes on the field and provide a good match up.”

As the OPC is a stepping stone for many players to make their mark in the recruitment market, Lawrie is no exception.  Set to graduate in 2017, the pivot would like to pursue future studies in paleontology and is already considering four OUA schools – Carleton, Queen’s, Toronto and Ottawa. Moreover, he is open to NCAA considerations.

Overall, there are some goals he wants to achieve when he takes the field on May 2^nd to leave a favourable impression with recruiters and scouts who will be in attendance.

“I want to have the best game of my career and for all of the players to rally together to become unstoppable,” offered Lawrie.

Once the OPC game is in the books, the Team East junior varsity quarterback hopes his legacy will live on through his recruitment process.

“I hope to get noticed by schools around Canada and the US and also to not only make myself a better player, but to make others better,” expressed Lawrie.

(twitter: http://twitter.com/vohra_ameeta)