McGill trio of Hamilton, Sinotte and Anderson earns QUFL all-star status
MONTREAL -- Andrew Hamilton, Charles-Antoine Sinotte and Austin Anderson, three members of the McGill Redmen, are among the 2009 Quebec University Football League all-stars announced by the Quebec Student Sport Federation, Sunday. The team also features 13 members from the defending Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or and four players from the Concordia Stingers, plus three players apiece from the Montreal Carabins and Sherbrooke Vert & Or, in addition to a pair from the Bishop's Gaiters.
Hamilton, a six-foot, 198-pound native Montrealer who spent his teen years in Miami, Fla., and transferred to McGill this fall, is the first McGill running back to earn all-conference honours since Nick Hoffmann in 2003. Hamilton rushed for 854 yards in seven games, averaging 122 yards per game and 7.3 per carry, scoring three touchdowns.
Sinotte, a 22-year-old physical education senior from Trois-Rivieres, Que., has garnered all-conference honours for the third time in four seasons. A former All-Canadian, he caught 49 passes for 491 yards and five TDs this season to become the all-time CIS receptions leader with 199 and is expected to return for his final season of eligibility. Sinotte has caught at least one pass in 29 of his 30 career contests at McGill.
Anderson, a sophomore placekicker from Canmore, Alta., and the son of former NFL star kicker Gary Anderson, connected on 12 of 14 field goals for an 85.7 per cent success rate. The 20-year-old commerce major who missed six games last year due to a serious torn groin muscle, bounced back to lead the Redmen in scoring with 53 points in eight contests, including 36 points on field goals, 15 on conversions and a pair of rouges. Anderson, believed to be the only player in Canada who does not use a kicking tee on field-goal attempts, is McGill's first all-star kicker since Anand Pillai in 2004.
There were four unanimous choices on the all-star squad, which was selected by the conference's six head coaches. They include Laval wide receiver Julian Feoli-Gudiño and punter Christopher Milo, Concordia linebacker Cory Greenwood and Bishop's kick return specialist Steven Turner. The voting for quarterbacks finished in a dead heat so both Benoît Groulx of Laval and Concordia's Robert Mackay received a berth on the dream team.
Feoli-Gudiño hauled in 34 catches for 364-yards and four TDs while Milo averaged 40.9-yards on 67 punts. Greenwood led all defensive players in the QUFL with 62 total tackles, 52 of which were solos, and averaged 7.8 tackles per game. Turner racked up 265 yards on 13 punt returns, averaging 20.4 yards per return.
Record setting performances in 2009
Several honorees established league records including Groulx, Mackay, running back Pascal Fils of the Vert & Or and McGill receiver Charles-Antoine Sinotte.
Groulx shattered the QUFL record for career TD passes with 66, surpassing the previous mark of 63 set a year ago by former Redmen quarterback Matt Connell.
Mackay set the new single-season mark for the most yards passing, finishing the campaign with 2,739 yards, 206 more than Connell's previous record of 2,533 set in 2007.
Fils registered the second-most rushing yards ever gained in a QUFL season, racking up 1,331, just shy of the standard (1,464) set last year by Bishop's running back Jamal Lee.
Charles-Antoine Sinotte became the most prolific receiver in CIS history with 199 career receptions. He is expected to return to McGill for a fifth season unless selected in the upcoming CFL college draft.
2009 All-Star Team - Offence
Position: Name, University, Program of Study, Year of Eligibility, Hometown, Last team
Quarterback: Benoit Groulx, Laval, General Studies, 5, Montreal, Cégep du Vieux Montréal
Quarterback: Robert Mackay, Concordia, Human Relations, 3, Port Dover, Ont., St. Andrew's College
Running back: Pascal Fils, Sherbrooke, Multidiscipline Studies, 4, Montreal, Vanier College
Running back: Andrew Hamilton, McGill, Certificate (Business), 5, Montreal, Concordia University Inside Receiver: Charles-Antoine Sinotte, McGill, Physical Education, 4, Trois-Rivières, College de Trois-Rivières
Inside Receiver: Cory Watson, Concordia, Arts, 4, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Vanier College
Wide Receiver: Julian Feoli-Gudino, Laval, Industrial Relations, 3, San José, Costa Rica, Cégep du Vieux Montréal *
Wide Receiver: Simon Charbonneau-Campeau, Sherbrooke, Biotechnical Engineering, 2, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Centre: Louis-David Gagné, Laval, Consumer Science, 5, Québec, Collège François-Xavier-Garneau
Guard: Pascal Baillargeon, Laval, Multidiscipline Studies, 3, St-Anselme, Cégep de Lévis-Lauzon
Guard: Yannick Sage, Sherbrooke, Multidiscipline Studies, 3, Sherbrooke, Champlain College (Lennoxville)
Tackle: David Bouchard, Laval, Finance (Masters), 5, Trois-Rivières, Syracuse University
Tackle: Kristian Matte, Concordia, Leisure Sciences, 4, St-Hubert, Vanier College
2009 All-Star Team - Defence
Position: Name, University, Program of Study, Year of Eligibility, Hometown, Last team
Defensive End: Mathieu Brossard, Montreal, Administration (HEC Montréal), 5, Montreal, Collège André-Grasset Defensive End: Marc-Antoine Beaudoin-Cloutier, Laval, Business Administration, 4, St-Basile, Collège François-Xavier-Garneau
Defensive Tackle: Gregory Alexandre, Montréal, Arts and Science, 3, Montreal, Cégep du Vieux Montréal
Defensive Tackle: Jean-Philippe Gilbert, Laval, Law (Masters), 5, St-Victor de Beauce, Champlain College (Lennoxville)
Linebacker: Cory Greenwood, Concordia, Human Environment, 4, Kingston, Ont., Ottawa (QJFL)*
Linebacker: Joash Gesse, Montreal, Education (Math - Secondary), 4, Montreal, Cégep du Vieux Montréal
Linebacker: Kelly-Joseph Hilaire, Laval, Multidiscipline Studies, 5, Montreal, Cégep du Vieux Montréal
Defensive Back: Maxime Bérubé, Laval, Business Administration, 4, Valleyfield, Collège François-Xavier-Garneau
Defensive Back: Alex Surprenant, Laval, Business Administration, 4, Farnham, Cégep de St-Jean-sur-
Richelieu
Corner Back: Olivier Turcotte-Létourneau, Laval, Business Administration, 3, Quebec, Collège François-Xavier-Garneau
Corner Back: Nick Poloniato, Bishop's, Business, 4, Hamilton, Ont., St. Jean de Brebeuf H.S.
Safety: Jonathan Laliberté, Laval, Business Administration, 3, Varennes, Cégep du Vieux Montréal
2009 All-Star Team - Special Teams
Position: Name, University, Program of Study, Year of Eligibility, Hometown, Last team
Punter: Christopher Milo, Laval, Multidiscipline Studies, 3, Montreal, Cougars de St-Leonard*
Placekicker: Austin Anderson, McGill, Management (Finance), 2, Canmore, Alta., Canmore Collegiate
Kick returns: Steven Turner, Bishop's, Social Sciences, 4, Brampton, Ont., Brampton Bulldogs*
* Unanimous choice
** Tie
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SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman, McGill
514-398-7012
Mylène Vézina, FQSE
mvezina [at] fqse.qc.ca
514-252-3300 poste 3453