Jayme mentions this in a comment to an earlier post. Hey, it’s quiet, so why not include it? Besides, it impacts the Cumberland Panthers.
The (abbreviated) article is from Cornwall’s Standard-Freeholder and written by Todd Hambleton.
The Cornwall Wildcats have announced they’ve been awarded a franchise in the highly-scouted Ontario Varsity Football League, with play to begin this May.
“We’re excited, this is something huge for us,” said Rod Simpson, the Cornwall Minor Football Association club president. “Everything just fell into place.”
Simpson said the association has toyed with the idea of an OVFL team for a few years; in existence for six seasons, and with over 300 players in the spring league last year, the timing seemed right, to add what’s a football version of a junior A hockey team, for players 19-and-under.
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Cornwall will be one of 28 teams in the OVFL, and squads include the Mississauga Warriors, Barrie Stallions, Brampton Bulldogs, Toronto Thunder, Metro Toronto Wildcats, Niagara Spears and London Falcons.
But Eastern Ontario is represented too, with Cornwall’s biggest rivals likely to be the Cumberland Panthers, Ottawa Myers Riders and Kingston Grenadiers.
The Wildcats varsity club will play an eight-game schedule, with home games on Saturday afternoons at Joe St. Denis Field at the Bob Turner centre. Travel isn’t onerous — Cornwall has games in its inaugural campaign at Cumberland and Kingston, and two more in the Toronto area.
/The Wildcats have a gameplan drawn up well in advance, with Cornwall native Wayne Blakely having been chosen the varsity team’s head coach. Blakely’s football resume includes five seasons as head of the Cumberland franchise; two years ago he returned home to Cornwall, and last spring began coaching with the Wildcats program in the fall at St. Joseph’s Secondary School.
Blakely’s coaching staff will be made up almost entirely of current or former university players and will include Luc Lacelle (offensive co-ordinator), Kirby Camplin (defensive co-ordinator), Al Primeau (special teams and QB’s), Chad Guay (running backs), Pat Coristine (wide receivers), Joe Bradshaw (defensive line), Pat Carson (linebackers) and Chris Sullivan (defensive backs).
“This is brand new for us, but we have to think big and we’re hoping to make the playoffs,” Simpson said.
“We have a lot of talent in this area, and our district is fairly large.”
3 Comments
For many reason i think this is very good for everyone.
Cornwall
They now have a high level team that is needed something the area has been lacking for some time.Kids now have a team they can play for at the highest level.From a fan side this gives people in cornwall a high level with out doubt they will support the team no question.
Eastern Ontario
This is good for eastern ontario to have 4 teams at the varisty level.
I noticed that the Cumberland Panthers have the varsity standings ready to be updated on their site for 2010 and the list of teams in their division now includes the Kingston team, so apparently they have returned as well.
Hopefully they can maintain that division structure for a while. Games against Kingston, Cornwall and another local team are a lot easier to manage than going to the Toronto area every couple of weeks, obviously.
For those who are interested the joiltte priates of the qjfl have folded.