This past Saturday afternoon at McMaster University’s Ron Joyce Stadium, the OVFL All-Star Prospects Game took place, where the Wettges and Adams Conferences squared off.
In a hard fought game that only saw 18 points scored, Adams edged Wettges 10-8 after overcoming a 8-7 deficit in the third quarter with a field goal. Defence reigned supreme as no point were scored in the fourth quarter.
With the game over, the players had some time to reflect on the experience with CanadaFootballChat.com
Being Chosen to Play
āItās obviously a great honour to be named to the team because of the competition we have in the league,ā stated Connor Smith, a quarterback for the Toronto Thunder.
The game had an exciting atmosphere and was a lot of fun,ā said Daynar Facey, a wide receiver who also plays for the Toronto Thunder. āIt was a great honour to have my work this past season recognized.ā
āBeing named to play in the game is an honour because it feels good to be recognized as an exceptional player in the league and to join others of the level,ā added Alonzo Addae, a defensive back for the Pickering Dolphins.
āJust being able to play against the best and play well against the best in a big stadium like McMaster was just an amazing and memorable experience,ā said Kesean Bennett, a linebacker with the Pickering Dolphins
The Competition
āItās great to play against the best of the best and even greater to be considered among them,ā said Facey. āDue to the amount of talent we had a lot of rotations so I personally donāt feel like I could get into a rhythm.ā
āThis yearās All-Star Prospects Game was an amazing experience for me,ā said Craig Dawe, an offensive lineman for the Ottawa Myers Riders. āThe game speed was extremely fast and intense.ā
āThe game was very competitive because itās the best against the best and nobody wants to come second place,ā explained Addae.
Learning and Adapting
āMy experience at the 2014 OVFL All-Star Game was remarkable,ā stated Austin Gonsalves, a running back with the Markham Raiders. āThe coaches were very good at teaching a brand new system considering we only had two hours of practice.They were also very understanding and overall a good group of coaches.ā
āWorking with new coaches is always good because for me Iām like a sponge,ā said Addae. āI love to soak up new information from different people to better my game.ā
āIt was a great experience and the coaching staff was a really good staff that I felt comfortable working with,ā added Tyler Clucas Warren, offensive lineman for the Toronto Thunder.
The Coaches Perspective
I love these kind of games, because I believe it is great for the kids,ā said Roberto āBubbaā Allen, Defensive Line Coach for the Wettges Conference. āThey get to meet and be teammates with guys they have been play going against for years and for this one day, they are wearing the same color and playing for the same cause and in some cases, a lot of these kids remain friends and end up being college teammates. Ā What stood out for me most, is how quickly the kids developed a comrade. Itās as if they have been playing together for years,ā
āConsidering our limited preparation time, I was impressed with the players’ ability to just go out there and make plays,ā stated Wettges Special Teams Coach John Buck.
Matt Kassner, who is a coach with the Myers Riders, served as a Linebackers Coach for the All-Star Game. Ā He talked about how great of an experience the game can be for each player and how it can prove to be very important for their future.
“You can tell by the emotion in the game that both teams wanted to win pretty badly, said Kassner. āTo represent your team and your family, I think itās a great experience for all the kids.ā
āThere was probably at least ten or twelve university schools talking to them after the game, I think thatās a good experience for a lot of them,ā he said of the opportunity to play in front of university scouts. āFor many itās there first time being scouted, I think thatās eye opening for them, seeing all these schools looking at them and talking with them. It gets them a little more excited and puts a little more motivation for this upcoming season and training to get to the next level.ā
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