McMASTER ANNOUNCES EARLY FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS
May 4, 2005
HAMILTON, ON - The McMaster Football program is pleased to announce their early football recruiting class based on first round offers made by the University.
McMaster has secured 18 players including 6 from the Greater Hamilton Area, 3 from Oakville, 3 from British Columbia and 1 each from Brantford, Guelph, Fort Erie, Kingston, Tottenham and Windsor.
The Recruits include Ian Beaupré (Offensive Line - Oakville, ON), Ben Catto (Receiver - Sooke, BC), Brien Chamney (Receiver - Oakville, ON), Casey Coleman (Linebacker - Kingston, ON), James Edwards (Defensive Line, Hamilton, ON), Eric Fraser (Receiver - Burnaby, BC), Matt Giordano (Receiver - Hamilton, ON), Justin Hodgin (Receiver - Coquitlam, BC), Zack Johnson (Offensive Line - Oakville, ON), Andrew Joakim (Offensive Line - Tottenham, ON), Josh Kreidl (Receiver - Hamilton, ON), Jordan Kozina (Runningback - Brantford, ON), Mike Labelle (Tight End - Guelph, ON), Alec Lemaire (Defensive Line - Fort Erie, ON), Bryce Leblanc (Quarterback - Windsor, ON), Pat Shulist (Defensive Back - Hamilton, ON), Shawn Windsor (Receiver - Stoney Creek, ON)
McMaster, Head Coach Marcello Campanaro made the following comments on the early football recruiting class. "The entire coaching staff is extremely pleased with the quality of the 2005 Early Recruiting Class. We look forward to working with an extremely talented group of quality people, who are good students, that excel in playing football".
A second round of acceptance offers will be made by McMaster University later this month.
McMaster will begin fall training camp on August 24, 2005.
McMaster Early Recruiting Class 2005
Ian Beaupré
OL
6'2" 265 lbs
T.A. Blakelock
Oakville, ON
Ian is one of three Blakelock alumni to join the Marauders in 2005. Brien Chamney and OL-mate Zack Johnson are the other two. Having been well coached at the high school level, Ian will be a great addition to the offensive line this fall.
Mike Boyd
5'8" 175 lbs
Orchard Park S.S.
Hamilton, ON
Mike has great body control and unbelievable speed. He is a smooth runner and can do a lot of damage to the opposition's defense after the catch. Mike will be exciting to watch.
Ben Catto
REC
6'5" 210 lbs
Edward Milne Com. School
Sooke, BC
Big & tall, Ben will be a great target coming across the middle for QB Adam Archibald. He also played LB in high school but is more naturally suited for the offense. Ben is also a good basketball player.
Brien Chamney
REC
6'4" 190 lbs
T.A. Blakelock
Oakville, ON
The second part of the Blakelock trio has great size and great hands' He has been compared to current Marauders coach and alumnist Ryan Janzen. Has played soccer since age 4; and could handle kicking duties when needed.
Casey Coleman
LB
6'2" 200 lbs
Frontenac S.S.
Kingston, ON
Casey will join long-time hometown friend Archibald when he arrives in Hamilton in August. Casey decided to reconnect with his Frontenac pal by choosing to make a difference with the Marauders.
James Edwards
DL
6'2" 260 lbs
St. Mary's High School
Hamilton, ON
James is another addition from the local area. He has had success at both football and wrestling in the Golden Horseshoe. He is touted as one of the best wrestlers in his weight/age category. He will be a great addition to the Defensive Line.
Eric Fraser
REC
6'2" 190 lbs
Burnaby Central H.S.
Burnaby, B.C.
The Marauders other 'out-of-province' recruit, Eric's strength is his speed. Clocked at 4.5 sec on the 40 yard dash, Eric was the B.C. representative in the Nike Canada speed competition in 2004.
Matt Giordano
REC
5'8" 170 lbs
Westdale H.S.
Hamilton, ON
Matt is a great receiver who will remind many of Mac-alumnus and current Ti-Cat Chris Rankin. Not very big, but extremely consistent when it comes to catching the ball and running routes, Matt follows the Westdale Warriors tradition of excellence; Kicker Michel Ray, who was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes in last week's Canadian College CFL Draft, was a standout at Westdale High School.
Justin Hodgin
REC
6'0" 205 lbs
Holy Cross H.S.
Coquitlam, BC
Justin joins the Marauders for summer training from British Columbia as he prepares to make an impact at the receiver spot.
Michael Hoy
DL
6'4" 305 lbs
Preston H.S.
Kitchener, ON
Michael is one of the more physically and mentally mature student-athletes recruited by McMaster. He played in the COMFL with Tri-City Vipers with McMaster receiver B.J. Malott.
Zack Johnson
OL
6'3" 300 lbs
T.A. Blakelock
Oakville, ON
Zack rounds up the group from the Oakville's T.A. Blakelock school. He is a power weight lifter who utilizes his strength to stop the opposition from reaching the QB. At 300+ lbs, he is difficult to move and will be a nice addition to our offensive line.
Andrew Joakim
OL
6'1" 260 lbs
Banting Memorial S.S.
Tottenham, ON
Andrew reminds many of Mac alumnus and current Bergamo Lion Dave Forde. Size, weight, demeanor and abilities; the entire staff hopes to see Andrew develop into a solid player during his tenure with the Marauders.
Josh Kreidl
REC
6'1" 185 lbs
Sherwood S.S.
Hamilton, ON
Home grown talent who plays for the OVFL Hamilton Ironmen. Josh has great body control and speed for a guy of his size. Josh is a very smart football player and will be excited to continue his football career in his hometown.
Jordan Kozina
RB
5'10" 185 lbs
St. John
Brantford, ON
Young man with great abilities carrying a football. He can also be used out of the backfield. Spent the fall 2004 semester playing rugby in England before returning to his hometown of Brantford to finish his high school career. Jordan has a great opportunity to compete in his first year.
Mike Labelle
TE
6'3" 230 lbs
Catholic Central High School
Guelph, ON
Mike has moved around over the last few years. In 2002 & 2003, he was enrolled in high school in Michigan. Following his 2 years at Notre Dame Prep, he returned to Canada where he joined Mike Circelli's Catholic Central Crusaders in London, ON. Having been coached by current Mac players J.P. Circelli, Nate Finlay and CFL-bound Matt O'Meara, Mike has great knowledge of the game of football and will compete for the starting TE position.
Alec Lemaire
DL
6'4" 250 lbs
Fort Erie S.S.
Fort Erie, ON
Alec, although not as experienced as some of the other recruits, will be exciting to watch. His height and the size of his frame already make practice planning exciting for DL coach Lou Cafazzo. Having played basketball for a long time, Alec is a smart athlete who will develop into a nightmare for the opposition.
Bryce Leblanc
QB
6'0" 185 lbs
Herman S.S.
Windsor, ON
Bryce is the first QB to commit to McMaster since Adam Archibald did the same in 2003. Bryce comes from a good football background and will be the first student-athlete from the Windsor area to join the Marauders in 5 years.
Pat Shulist
DB
6'2" 195 lbs
Westdale S.S.
Hamilton, ON
Pat joins Westdale grad Matt Giordano in joining the Marauders for the fall of 2005. Pat has played various positions on the defensive side of the ball, but will give the defensive secondary a try as he enters his first year with Mac.
Shawn Windsor
REC
6'1" 185 lbs
Saltfleet S.S.
Stoney Creek, ON
Shawn is another great local athlete who joins the receiving corps for the 2005 season. Shawn's versatility will allow him to move from one spot to the next without losing a step. His rugby background also allows him to help on special teams.