Team Nova Scotia preview: How will the hosts fare?

The best pre-university football tournament in Canada, the Football Canada Cup, begins July 11th in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. This is Nova Scotia’s first time participating in the Football Canada Cup since 2005. Nova Scotia will be the best prepared squad entering the tournament from playing 3 exhibition games in the Nova Scotia Varsity Football League (spring league) and participating in the AUS skills camp. The question is do they have the numbers required to be competitive when they draw players from only 17 Varsity High School football programs? That is why we play the games.

Chris Valardo – Head Coach Team Nova Scotia U18 Q & A
a)What are our team’s biggest strengths?
Our team’s biggest strength would be the fact that we have been together for a few months and have built a strong team concept of working hard together.

b)Highlights of our tryout process?
We started our process back in Nov 09. We held three open tryouts evaluating approx 90 athletes to finally get down to our 40 man roster. This process went really well and we were impressed with talent that came out for our team.

c)Coaching staff strengths?
We are very fortunate to have a coaching staff that is made up of CIS coaches, High School coaches and minor coaches from across NS. We have former all Canadian CIS players on our staff, all conference players and even two coaches with two CIS championships to their credit. This experience has been extremely valuable in our team’s growth and development.

How do you feel about your first opponent?
Alberta who finished 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] and 4[SUP]th[/SUP] at last year’s U17 Canada Cup will be a formable opponent. They come from a football hotbed and will definitely be bigger and more experienced than our players. We hope to give them a competitive game in our opener.

Our team’s biggest challenge
Our biggest challenge will be to stay healthy and to compete with all of these provincial teams. NS has not competed at the Canada Cup since 2005 so we want to put forth a strong showing in
our home province. All of the teams representing there provinces are significantly larger that NS and definitely have more experience. Our goal is to represent NS to the best of our ability.

Players to Watch from Team Nova Scotia
Jesse Mills – QB, at 6’4’’ and 225 lbs Jesse has both the leadership and physical tools to lead NS both on and off the field. His strong arm and poise have won him our starting QB job and I am sure he will impress both fans and CIS scouts alike.

Andreas Robinson – RB, a grade 10 student from Citadel High, Andreas was not only a star running back but also a track and field superstar in the NS high school athletic federation. Andreas is blazing fast with great moves

Terrence Mendes – DT, big, strong, agile and athletic are just a few ways that most scouts describe Terrance. At 6’2’’ and 325 lbs his impressive size, strength and quickness make most offensive lineman nervous and most offensive coordinators lost sleep. Terrance patrols the D-line with an attitude and a swagger much beyond his years.

Devon Marshall – DT, the other half of the terrible twosome! 6’3’’ and 255 lbs of grease lightning! If Terrance doesn’t get your attention on the D-line, Devon surely will!

Jacob Leblanc – LB, a 270 lb middle linebacker with great speed and quickness for his size. Jacob was a dominate Lb from J.L Isley high school in Spryfield NS and brings a drive and desire to succeed like few others at this level of football.

Kenzie MacNeil – CB, Kenzie is a NS High School football all-star with the Lockview Dragons of Fall River NS. A converted RB Kenzie uses his quickness and excellent mind for the game to be a stand out at corner. Many teams avoid through the ball to his side once they identify his unique talents and cerebral approach to the game!

Duncan Coady – SB, toughness and sure hands makes this fearless receiver a player to watch for Nova Scotia. Duncan is another High School all-star from JL . Isley High in Spryfield NS and has led our team both on and off the field for two years now. When we need a key reception Duncan always finds a way to make it happen.

STAFF
Head Coach Chris Valardo
Assistants Devin Murphy
Larry Priestnall
Steve Melanson
Dave Kelly
Shannon Noel
Thomas Elinskey

General Manager Keith Skiffington
Equipment Manager Derek Weber
Team Physician Dr. Iain MacNeil
Athletic Therapist Jody Aiken

ROSTER
Jersey # First Name Last Name Position Height Weight School Home Town
2 David Culligan DB 5’7″ 145 Sir John A. MacDonald High Timberlea, NS
3 Jesse Mills QB 6’4″ 225 Citadel High Halifax, NS
5 Iain MacMillan RB 5’9″ 170 Central Kings High Coldbrook, NS
7 Nick Hunsley QB 5’10” 157 Sir John A. MacDonald High Seabright, NS
9 Jordan Coleman QB 6’4″ 230 Halifax West High Halifax, NS
10 Tyrell Giffin DB 6’1″ 190 Dr. John Hugh Gillis High Antigonish, NS
15 Donald Tabor REC 6’1″ 240 Dartmouth High Dartmouth, NS
18 Adam Olsen DB 6’0″ 175 Sir John A. MacDonald High Tantallon, NS
21 Robert Preistnall RB 5″10″ 210 Central Kings High Coldbrook, NS
22 Mitch Cross DB 5’9″ 170 Lockview High Enfield, NS
24 Will Stewart LB 5’10” 190 Horton High Wolfville, NS
25 Andreas Robinson RB 5’11” 165 Phillips Exeter Academy Dartmouth, NS
26 Kenzie MacNeil DB 5’10” 155 Lockview High Enfield, NS
28 Todd Dow DB 5’10” 150 Central Kings Coldbrook, NS
29 Derek Brown REC 5’10” 150 Citadel High Halifax, NS
31 Mensah Foster RB 6’0″ 175 Citadel High Halifax, NS
32 William Zed DB 5’10” 185 Citadel High Halifax, NS
33 Patrick LeClair DB 5’10” 170 Lockview High Fall River, NS
34 Liam Fair LB 5’11” 195 Lockview High Fall River, NS
40 Kyle Aiken LB 6’1″ 215 Lockview High Fall River, NS
42 Jacob LeBlanc LB 6’2″ 275 J.I. Isley High Halifax, NS
43 Tristan Jennings DB 5’10” 175 Cobequid Educational Center Truro, NS
47 Michael Nisbet LB 5’11” 245 Halifax West High Halifax, NS
50 Kadeem Adams OL 6’3″ 251 Citadel High Halifax, NS
53 Dylan Tufts DL 5’11” 215 Sir John A. MacDonald High Hammonds Plains, NS
54 James Logan OL 6’2″ 218 Sir John A. MacDonald High Tantallon, NS
55 Adam Melanson DL 6’1″ 215 Horton High North Alton, NS
56 Jacob Gee DL 6’2″ 210 Central Kings High Coldbrook, NS
57 William Mosher OL 6’2″ 285 Northeast Kings Education Center Kentville, NS
58 Jeff Longaphy DL 6’3″ 227 Northeast Kings Education Center Kentville, NS
59 Devon Marshall DL 6’4″ 255 Sackville High Lower Sackville, NS
60 Peter Akerley OL 6’0″ 260 C.P. Allen High Bedford, NS
64 Bennett Gaskin OL 6’3″ 230 Citadel High Haifax, NS
66 Bradley Burgess OL 5’10” 240 Central Kings High Coldbrook, NS
67 Douglas Spriggs OL 5’10” 310 Horton High Wolfville, NS
68 Terrence Mendes DL 6’1″ 325 Citadel High Halifax, NS
75 Jeremy Ford K 6’1″ 176 Citadel High Halifax, NS
80 Jared Sutton REC 6’2″ 190 Cobequid Educational Center Salmon River, NS
81 S. Alex Smith REC 6’4″ 180 Citadel High Halifax, NS
85 Kyle Frost REC 5’11” 155 Citadel High Halifax, NS
88 MacKenzie Goodwin REC 6’0″ 140 J.I. Isley High Halifax, NS
89 Duncan Coady REC 5’10” 185 J.I. Isley High Halifax, NS