OVFL PREVIEW: CFL talent hopes to put roar back in varsity lions

Photo by Dave Wing

Last year start through three weeks:
Varsity: 1-2
Junior Varsity: 3-0

Last year finish:
Varsity: Missed playoffs
Junior Varsity: Lost in Junior OVFL Ontario Championship

Players to watch:

DE Dequan French-Gray
QB James Roberts
WR Adam Mueller

Varsity

It was a big offseason for the Cambridge Lions as the organization made some noise in the coaching department.

Former CFL-er Anthony Maggiacomo has been promoted to varsity head coach after serving as linebacker coach and special teams coordinator for junior varsity last year.

Among his accolades, Maggiacomo won the Grey Cup as a player with the Montreal Alouettes in 2009, was named OUA defensive player of the year as a linebacker at Wilfred Laurier University and won a Vanier Cup Championship in 2005.

“I was fortunate to be around some pretty successful head coaches at some pretty high levels where I got to see essentially the best of the best in Canada,” he said. “I try and take a little bit from all the coaches I’ve had and try to emulate them.”

Maggiacomo has had experience coaching but has his work cut out for him with the Lions. The varsity team missed the playoffs last season and, according to director Bill Martindale, had problems keeping players committed. The culmination came with a forfeit to Sault St. Marie late in the season because they didn’t have enough players to field a team.

“That was the most painful day of my year last year,” Martindale said. “I had to decide that it was not safe to put those kids on a bus and send 18 kids up into the Sault.”

The forfeit resulted in fines for the team.

Also new to the varsity staff is Dr. Tony Chris as offensive coordinator. Chris was the head coach for Resurrection Catholic Secondary School in Waterloo last season and is bringing a whole new offensive mindset to the Lions.

Junior Varsity

At the junior varsity level, head coach and last year’s coach of the year John Dunham hopes to build on last year’s success with what he calls a stronger team. One position of emphasis is quarterback where returning starter James Roberts will most likely lead the offense. Also manning the pocket for the Lions is Austin Gordon who Dunham is impressed with as well.

Dunham also expects big things from returning defensive end and OVFL all-star Dequan French-Gray.

“He’s just a monster,” Dunham said. “We had a couple scrimmages last week and he had like 5 sacks on 40 plays or something. He was just a growing concern.”

According to the coach, the JV defensive line and linebackers are the biggest strength of the team right now.

The first match of the season is a big one for the varsity and junior varsity Lions as they’re both pitted in home games with perennial powerhouse Essex Ravens, a team, Marindale says, has had a direct affect on his own team’s makeup.

After a 90-0 beat-down at home at the hands of the Ravens in 2007 followed by an overtime loss in Essex in 2008, Marindale says the Ravens forced him to reevaluate the Lions.

“After that (2008 game) was when we, as a board, stepped back and said we’ve got to look at this again and we really made some drastic changes in 2008 and we’ve now built us into a competitive program,” he said.

As for this year, Martindale is excited about the matchup.

“We’re really looking forward to having the (varsity) champions come right back here again with our new team and see how we can stand up to these guys.”