2015 CIS FOOTBALL TEAM PREVIEW:Queen's University Gaels
2014 regular season record: 3-5
2014 regular season standings: 8th in OUA
2014 playoff record: NA
General Write-Up: Turning over a large portion of their team from 2013 to 2014 the Gaels saw an influx of youth hit their roster to start last season. Queen's started out with a minor setback having to forfeit their season opening win due to an ineligible player. Despite the tough start the Queen's unit continued to grow as a team and even managed to give the Yates Cup Champion Marauders a scare in Hamilton before falling late. The Gaels, led by All-Stars
Alex Carroll,
Doug Corby,
Jesse Andrews and
Derek Wiggan, turned things around winning their final three games of the season against Toronto, York and on the road at Carleton. Quarterback
Billy McPhee finished off his OUA career leading the conference in touchdown passes while his favourite target Carroll led the OUA in touchdown receptions.
This season, Queen's will look to build on their end of year success during the 2014 campaign in what will be the last time the Gaels take the field at the current version of Richardson Stadium. The youth movement continues once again this season and with a large number of younger players, new stars are expected to emerge and establish themselves for years to come. Veterans on offence such as Corby and Andrews are expected to lead a young core. Corby is coming off one of the best performances ever seen at an East-West Bowl and Andrews finished as an OUA All-Star despite missing time due to injury last season. Second-year quarterback
Nate Hobbs is expected to take the reins on the quarterback position looking to build on the chemistry found for his first career touchdown pass to Corby in 2014.
The defensive line will see the return of two Kingston area veterans
Luke Ball and
Corey Flude. With a large group of rookies looking to continue to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball the Gaels will have a hungry group looking to impress. Two key players return as OUA All-Rookies
Jason Shamatutu and
Mike Moore are once again back in the fold. Moore, Shamatutu,
Nelkas Kwemo and
Chris Mackey will be looked upon for leadership in their young careers to starting shaping the defensive unit for years to come.
Quote from head coach: Pat Sheahan "This will be a very interesting year as a new generation of Gaels dawn the tri-colour and take the field at Richardson Stadium. A whole new generation of stars is about to be born. Look to see us as an up and comer this season."
Pat Sheahan Head Coach: Pat Sheahan - Number of seasons as head coach with team (including 2015): 16
- Number of seasons as head coach in CIS (including 2015): 27
- Career regular season record with team: 75-45
- Career regular season record in CIS: 123-78-1
- Career overall record with team (reg. season & playoffs only): 87-55
- Career overall record in CIS (reg. season & playoffs only): 141-96-1
OFFENCE Number of returning starters: 8
Key returning players: Doug Corby (WR),
Jesse Andrews (RB),
Curtis Carmichael (WR),
Nicholas Romanchuk (OL)
WR
Doug Corby enters his 4th season with the Gaels and will be looked upon to be a key piece in the offence. Last year he finished with career highs in touchdowns (4) and yards (487) but it was his East-West bowl performance that turned heads hauling in three scores for 131 yards.
RB
Jesse Andrews looks to build off a season that, despite injuries, ended with an OUA All-Star nod. Andrews missed nearly three whole games near the start of the season but returned to the Gaels in top form rattling off four straight 100+ rushing games to end the season including a 245-yard performance at Carleton.
WR
Curtis Carmichael took on a larger role with the team in 2014 and showed off the potential he has with a two touchdown game against Toronto and 134 yards and a touchdown against Ottawa. He set a new career high in touchdowns with four and will be looked upon as a key piece after
Alex Carroll moved on to the CFL.
OL
Nicholas Romanchuk is back in camp and healthy for the Gaels once again. Romanchuk has missed the majority of the past two seasons and despite making a return for the 2014 East-West bowl was injured and missed all of 2014. The 6-11 lineman returns for 2015 looking to make an impact for the Gaels.
Key recruits or transfers: Matthew Duffy (QB),
Chris Osei-Kusi (REC),
Jeremy Pendergast (REC), Philipp Vinzenz (REC)
Key losses: Alex Carroll (WR),
Billy McPhee (QB)
DEFENCE Number of returning starters: 9
Key returning players: Luke Ball (DL),
Corey Flude (DL),
Jason Shamatutu (DB),
Mike Moore (LB)
DL
Luke Ball is one of only a handful of fifth-year players on the Gaels this season and will be looked upon to be a leader with a young and upcoming defensive line. He finished 2014 with 22 tackles to go along with 3.5 sacks which ranked him 11th in the OUA.
DL
Corey Flude enters his fourth-year at Queen's coming off a season where he settled into a full-time role on the defensive line. The Wilton, Ontario native had his best game against McMaster finishing with four tackles and a fumble recovery.
DB
Jason Shamatutu was a standout as a freshman for the Gaels in 2014. He finished third on the team with 33.5 tackles and added two interceptions along with a fumble recovery on his way to being named an OUA All-Rookie.
LB
Mike Moore had a rookie season at linebacker that nearly mirrored that of former Gaels Sam Sabourin. In his first game he racked up 11 solo tackles which is second to only Sabourin in solo tackles in a game for a Gael and both occurred in their first career CIS games. Moore finished the season leading Queen's in tackles with 48.5 and was named an OUA All-Rookie.
Key recruits or transfers: Allen Champagne (DL),
Kurtis Schaefer (LB),
Connor Gascoigne (DB)
Key losses: Derek Wiggan (DL),
Brendan Morgan (DB),
Yann Dika-Balotoken (DB)
SPECIAL TEAMS Key returning players: Dillon Wamsley (K/P),
Doug Corby (PR)
Key losses: Alex Carroll
