Mustangs “family feeling” draws in 3

Western adds one Ontario commit and two out-of-province commits to their 2018 class.

It is said that a football team is a family, and defensive lineman Bruce Maas from Saint Andre Bessette Secondary School and linebackers Matthew Soles from Trinity College and Dylan Rachel from Notre Dame Regional Secondary School are ready to run with the Western Mustangs herd.

Bruce Maas

Courtesy of Bruce Maas.

There is nothing like representing your hometown, and Bruce Maas from London, Ontario, will be doing just that this upcoming season and beyond. “I chose Western because I have always wanted to play for my hometown,” he said. “The excellence this program has achieved also made it very appealing because I wanted to go to a school where football was taken seriously, and the winning culture was strong.”

Entering his third season with the London Jr. Mustangs (OPFL), Maas has already had an introduction to Western’s coaches. “Playing on the Jr. Mustangs, I met a number of Western coaches and the way they coached and treated me and the other players really showed that this was the right fit for me,” he said.

The 6’3, 230lbs defensive end also spent four years with the St. Andre Bessette Bulldogs (Thames Valley Regional Athletics). Last summer, he won a OPFL championship with the Jr. Mustangs. He was also nominated for SPECTA at his school. He is interested in taking either history or philosophy with the aspirations of attending law school.

Matthew Soles

By Tom Reynolds.

When Matthew Soles was visiting schools, Western took his breath away. “My campus visit was incredible and the people there were so good to me and made me feel like I could easily make this place home for the next few years,” he said.

Interested in taking broadcasting, Soles added that Western’s media program is “what set it apart from other schools. I chose Western because it had everything I was looking for in terms of both academics and football.”

Soles is originally from Pointe-Claire, Quebec, however he moved to Port Hope, Ontario, to play for the Trinity College Bears (Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association). Prior to that, he played with the Loyola High School Warriors (Greater Montreal Athletic Association) and the Lakeshore Cougars. He has won two leadership awards with the Bears and Warriors. In 2014 and 2015, he helped the Warriors win two GMAA championships.

Soles, who is 6’0, 215lbs, may still have a few months to go before he joins the team, but his enthusiasm isn’t wavering. He said, “I am beyond excited to play and go to school at Western!”

Dylan Rachel

Growing up in his hometown of Vancouver, BC, Dylan Rachel has always had his number one fan beside him. “It’s just me and my mom in my house and without her, I would not be the person I am today, and I have her to thank for having these amazing opportunities in life,” he said.

One such opportunity is being able to play for the 2017 Vanier Cup champions. “Western had the perfect academic program for me, medical sciences. I also felt apart of a family when I was there visiting. It felt as if it was more of a family than just a football team,” he said.

“The coaches were amazing. Not only are they amazing football coaches, they are (also) great people,” he added. “The amount of respect I was given when visiting was amazing. It was a big part of my decision process, finding coaches who cared about me on more than just a football level.”

Rachel, who is 6’3, 190lbs, has spent three years with the Notre Dame Jugglers (BC Secondary Schools Football Association). While playing as a defensive back, he was recognized with a provincial all-star selection. He was also a captain on Team BC at the 2017 Football Canada Cup.

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