
The Laurierย menโsย football team looks to build upon the incredible Yates Cup run they had last season. When aย programย competesย at this level,ย improvement becomes aย constantย necessity,ย asย each OUA team has been working hard to push the needle further and further in order to find success this season.ย Head coachย Michaelย Fauldsย reflects on the offseason they have had, โOur veteran players that all returned are very hungry and eager to work to take a step further than we did last year.โย Fauldsย adds that they have added approximately 30 players to the team and likes the way they are mixing with the team.ย ย
Young players have to fill roles and provide depth every year and this year is no outlier. Coachย Fauldsย notes, โThere have been some young players flashing and Iโll start by saying we have so many returning vets that thereโs no pressure to play first years.โย Fauldsย highlights receiver Nickย Petermannย as a young player developing well.ย Fauldsย continues on the defensive side of the ball, โNotย necessarilyย freshman but with the loss of a couple linebackers, we have some very young linebackers going into their second year that are showing really well, in Brad Cowen and Danielย Szatmari.
The reality of running an OUA programย is players leave. Youย spend some time developing players, they play, and then they have to leave. So development becomes key and next man up becomes more thanย aย clichรฉ. With departures of key playersย Kwakuย Boatengย andย Nakasย Onyeka,ย the defense has the task of replacing some very highย caliberย players.ย Kwakuโsย skill at rushing the passer racked up sacks, quarterbacksย hits, and allowed theย defenseย toย cover for far less time.ย Nakasโย skill at getting off blocks andย chasingย down running backs kept opposing offences off schedule and inย unfavorableย down and distance.
The reality of running an OUA programย is players leave. Youย spend some time developing players, they play, and then they have to leave. So development becomes key and next man up becomes more thanย aย clichรฉ.
Coachย Fauldsย is no stranger to roster turnover, โYouย loseย a couple good players every year and those more senior players kind of rise toย the occasion to become leaders,โ saidย Faulds. Replacingย departed players is somethingย Fauldsย and his staff have faced before andย Fauldsย recalls, โWhen we lost Chrisย Ackieโฆand some of those guys in theย past,ย itโs likeย whatโsย Laurierย going toย do?ย The key for us is theย competitionย and depth within the roster and we continue to have guys that are ready when we have some nice senior guys depart.โย ย
Quarterbacks have to be leaders and more importantly,ย they have to be analytical players on the field. In addition,ย they direct the players on the field with the immense detailsย of motion, snap counts, etc.ย This is why development is so important for the position and repetitions are key.ย Thisย isย Michael Knevelโs first full offseason as the starter and this means more reps with the starters, which willย improve their chemistry as a unit.ย Faulds, who formally played the position, sheds light on this, โAs a Quarterbackย itโsย all about timing and continuity within an offenseโฆheโsย got some really dangerousย weaponsย andย receiversย and in the backfield atย running back, you got a good veteran, solid offensive line in front of him. So you can see it at practice, Michaelโs in complete control.โย ย
ย The running back group was deep last year with many different backs taking handoffs and slashing defenses.ย Levondreย Gordon andย Osayiย Iginuanย will most likely lead the group this year, as both hadย significant contribution to the backfield down the stretch last year.ย With the departure of Ericย Guiltanan,ย Fauldsย still thinks the group is dangerous, โObviously with Ericย Guitananย and Darian Wake graduation but toward the end of the year when those two wereย injuredย Levondreย Gordenย andย Osiuiย Iginuanย took the majority of the carries. So that gave them a lot of confidence as they entered the offseason.โย ย
Theย Fauldsย regime is going into its fifth year, and every year has seen improvement.ย What he thinks his program brings most is culture, โCulture, we kind of set it in the first year but I think thereโs justย more familiarity now.โ Since his program has done the recruiting five times now,ย each player is handpicked for his scheme.ย โThis is the first season that Iโve been here where every single player was recruited by our coaching staff, soย there are no old regime players. Every single player knows from day one they stepped on this campus what the culture and everything they were stepping into.โย Fauldsย notes the momentum the program has gained each year and think this year should be no different, โItโsย not a team thatโs won a Yates Cup thatโsย going toย glow around and wear t-shirts all around, parade the Yates cup around. Itโs a hungry group thatโsย constantlyย reminded of the 36-6 score we had at Laval.โ
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