OVFL PREVIEW: Wildcats backs poised to dominate

Photo courtesy Krista L. Hillman

Last year start through three games:
Varsity: 3-0
Junior Varsity: 3-0

Last year finish:
Varsity: Lost in conference semi-final to Cumberland
Junior Varsity: Lost in conference semi-final to Brampton

Players to watch

RB Pelie Jorgen
RB Jordan Richards
DB Eric Richards
QB Brett Stein

Varsity

Metro Toronto varsity head coach Frank Panos is back coaching the Wildcats after coaching the the Thunder for the past ten years but he already thinks the team can match their undefeated start last season, which includes a meeting with his former team.

“I think we are capable of starting with a three and 0 record, yes.” he said.

Panos says the team has a good core of players coming up from junior varsity level and a strong batch of returners.

Highlighting the group is the team’s running back corps. Alex Malone, Jordan Richards, Travis Jennings and George Daniel are expected to lead the offense.

“It’s fair to say all four of those players could be starters on any other football team,” Panos added.

According to Panos, all four backs are strong, fast, strong and have good hands. Malone had 144 yards on 23 carries last season in JV. Jennings put up 5 touchdowns and 640 yards. Richards, another JV product, had 6 touchdowns in 64 carries while Daniel had 3 touchdowns on the varsity team.

On defense, Panos says shutdown corner Eric Richards and defensive lineman Jeremy Magan-France are expected to have big seasons.

Richards had five picks last year with varsity and five batted balls. Magan-France, who Panos says is both aggressive and smart, had one sack with JV.

Panos hasn’t designated a starting quarterback yet but he plans to have a go-to-guy in the pocket with the other working in a limited role.

The Metro Wildcats welcome the new-look Newmarket Bucs to Birchmount Stadium the first game of the season. The York Simcoe Bucs, formerly in the Ontario Football Conference, combined with the Newmarket Storm this year to form the new team.

“They are going to be stronger than they were last year,” Panos said

The key, he says, is to focus on the basics.

“(We need to) focus on fundamentals to keep it somewhat simple and just execute as best we can,” he said. “And I think we’ll have a faster team than they will. I anticipate us winning that football game.”

Junior Varsity

Junior varsity Wildcats head coach Steve Medcalf says his team’s backfield is also stacked.

Pounding the rock will be compact 260-pound full back Clinton Leonard who, Medcalf says, runs a 4.9 second 40-yard dash.

“He’s a menace,” the coach added.

Also in the Wildcat’s backfield this season is peewee product Pelie Jorgen. Jorgen had 21 touchdowns and led the league with 1413 yards last season, averaging a beastly 11.8 yards per carry.

Medcalf also sees a big season coming from from Malcolm Carter. Carter, a 6’4”, 189-pounder packed 2 touchdowns and 66 yards into just 6 receptions last season with JV.

Starting at quarterback will probably be mobile newcomer Brett Stein but Medcalf is pleased with last year’s peewee starter Nathan Officer being ready to step in if needed. Officer had 792 yards, 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions last season.

The JV team starts with Newmarket game one as well. Wildcats president Chuck Richardson, who formed the team in 1998 and stopped coaching in 2002, can relate to the problems the Bucs might face in their current carnation.

“The first three years…we learned the hard way what not to do as an organization,” he said. “After that we regrouped and came out with a very planned and methodical approach to (the team’s) development, which included what we call ‘smart expansion meaning expand when we can, not when we have to.”