Page 8 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 12

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Wildcats making Cornwall’s future rosier

By Vincent Cama
t’s no secret that Cornwall has seen
Ibetter days. The blue-collar town

has seen major industry flee the region
leaving high-unemployment and post-
secondary education rates well below
provincial standards. According to
a December 2012 advisory from
the Ontario Federation of Labour,
Cornwall is still scraping the bottom
of the barrel in the province when it
comes to median household incomes
and boasts as much as 24% of
families who identify as low-income.
Opportunity for young residents of
the Seaway City remains a rare bird.
What Cornwall does have is a rich
sporting tradition. While football is
still a slowly growing fringe sport
in the region, it’s arguably having a
larger impact on the young people
that play it. Because of its relative
inexpensiveness, many kids playing
football come from that low-income
bracket, giving those who play it and
excel an opportunity they previously The Cornwall Wildcats play an exciting brand of football but most people don’t realize the opportunities that
never had. alumni have available to them. Photo by Terry Tinkess.

The Ontario Varsity Football
League program came into existence that number has swelled to eighteen his young linebacker’s progress. matter where that motivation comes
in January 2010. “Canadian university and keeps growing. As long as his players continue from. Kids are getting noticed and
scouts or even Canadian junior trying to improve on and off the field, opportunity is knocking.

scouts were not flocking to Cornwall While the Wildcats boasted seven Camplin figures it doesn’t much

all-stars in their line-up for their
for football, it just didn’t happen,” historical best 7-3 2013 season, the
said OV head coach Kirby Camplin Wildcats Alumni
who has been with the club since player that Camplin singled out as
typifying what the program is trying 1. Taylor Servais, OL, Ottawa U (CIS)*

its inception, first as its defensive
coordinator during the inaugural to accomplish was LB Travis Gaspe. 2. Kyle Handy, OL, Bishops (CIS)*
2010 season and the head coach since Gaspe, a 6’2 220lb. wrecking ball 3. Jean-Phillipe Begin, LB, Laval (CIS)
the year after. and member of the nearby Akwesasne
community, never thought that a 4. Nick Lapierre, LB, Ottawa Sooners (Jr.)
“We realized that we had a lot of
good football players here but there post-secondary education would 5. Alex Labonte, LB, Ottawa U (CIS)

were no opportunities for them to ever be in his future. That reflected Jesse McPhail, WR, Concordia (CIS)
in his attitude towards school. When 6.
be seen by university scouts,” said
Camplin of the drive to get a varsity Carleton University defensive line 7. Greg Mellios, DL, Bishops (CIS)
coach and former Hamilton Tiger
program. “(There were) very limited Cat defensive tackle Darrell Adams 8. Kevin Alienik, DL, McMaster (CIS)
opportunities for these kids to go
play at the next level, not because told him that he would look mighty 9. Sean Smith, OL, McMaster (CIS)
fine on the Ravens defense, Gaspe’s

they weren’t good enough, simply 10. Anto Almasian, DL, Colgate (NCAA)
that nobody came to see them or they outlook changed.
didn’t play anywhere for somebody “(Coach Adams) explained to me 11. Matt Mondoux, RB/ATH, Sooners (Jr.)
to see them.” that it doesn’t matter where you come 12. Mike Leroux, LB, Queens (CIS)
from or how smart and intelligent
Close to four years on, the OVFL 13. Jarret St. John, WR, Carleton (CIS)
you are,” said Gaspe. “(He said) just
program is doing exactly what it set
out to do when it was established. keep practicing, study and see what 14. Jesse St. John, RB, Queens (CIS)
you can achieve.” Carleton isn’t
Namely, giving talented young the only program interested in the 15. Will Green, OL, Ottawa U(CIS)
football players in Cornwall the
athletic linebacker either as Ottawa 16. Matt Smith, OL, Ottawa U (CIS)
opportunity to be seen by those who
U sent scouts down to talk with him
need to see them. When the program 17. Austin MacKay, St. Lazare (Jr.)
began, the list of Cornwall alumni as well.
in the CIS or junior ranks was a “Those are the kind of stories that 18. Josh Hodgson, St. Lazare (Jr.)
minuscule two. In just three years are just beautiful,” said Camplin of *Pre OVFL Wildcats