September 6, 2006

Underdog Huskies
After an ordinary 2005 season, SMU hopes for return to the top

By MONTY MOSHER Sports Reporter

Billy Robinson, 2005

The Saint Mary’s Huskies were like a champion prize fighter who stayed around one bout too long at the end of last season.

Blake Nill’s teams owned the AUFC for a record six straight seasons, earning the right to play at home in every Jewett Trophy game and taking full advantage.

But the 2005 Huskies were an ordinary 4-4 and had to play an AUFC playoff game on the road for the only time in Nill’s eight-year tenure. The St. Francis Xavier X-Men stomped his once-proud defence 47-29 in the semifinal in what turned out to be his last conference game.

Nill will coach the Calgary Dinos this year after taking a lucrative offer in February and long-time offensive coordinator Steve Sumarah gets his chance to run the show. The 39-year-old Halifax native becomes the first Nova Scotian to be the head coach of a CIS football team.

The Huskies have some vestiges of their back-to-back Vanier Cup titles in 2001-02, most notably senior quarterback Billy Robinson.

However, if the Huskies had any swagger left last season it was gone by the end of the year and Nill’s aura is a memory.

"Sometimes it takes a little bit of adversity to get the train back on the track," said Sumarah, still offensive coordinator. "I felt in the off-season the guys were very committed. They don’t want that to happen again.

"I think we’re going in as decided underdogs this year, and that’s OK. We’re just going to try to build what we have."

The Huskies open Saturday against the X-Men in Antigonish (2 p.m., EastLink).

Quarterbacks
SMU has a reliable quarterback in Halifax’s Robinson, a 2005 all-star. He had 17 touchdown passes, including six in a single game at home against the X-Men, and only threw six interceptions.

"The big thing with Billy is you are bringing experience and leadership back into our team," said Sumarah.

Sophomore Erik Glavic (Pickering, Ont.) will see playing time as he gets groomed for the future.

Receivers
Last year’s unit is back almost intact with Ryean Warburton (Hamilton, Ont.), David Swasey (Scarborough, Ont.) andCarl Hardwick (Kenosha, Wisc.) the leading trio. Darcy Brown (Mississauga, Ont.), academically ineligible a year ago, could become the best of the bunch. Former conference rookie of the year Fraser O’Neill, who originally planned to rejoin the Huskies after a year away, will play for Nill in Calgary.

Running backs
Jacques-Olivier Lumbala (Calgary) will be the feature back with Allistair Blair (North York, Ont.) and Tyler Schussler (Kenora, Ont.) in the mix. Rookie Glen Downs (Burlington, Ont.) should also play. Former MVP Les Mullings is the biggest loss.

Offensive line
Derek Weber (Whitby, Ont.), Bryan Jordan (London, Ont.), Eric Ince (Vancouver), Tom Elinesky (Bedford) and Isaac Robinson (Newmarket, Ont.) return. Robinson and Ince made the all-star team last year. Mac West (Ottawa) is back after missing last year with a concussion. Newcomer Adam Baboulos (Oshawa, Ont.) could play.

Defensive line
Clayton Chiurka (Lloydminster, Sask.) is the only returning lineman. Andrew Paopao (Oceanside, Calif.) is out indefinately with a leg injury and Tim Burris (Scarborough, Ont.) did not return. But the team has made increasing the size of a shaky defensive front an off-season priority. Ian Shaw of Montreal’s Vanier College and Matt Hunter of the South Fraser (B.C.) Rams are six-foot-five and 300-plus pounds.

Linebacker
Tyler Powell (North Vancouver, B.C.), Chad Moore (Calgary), Ian Sherwin (Edmonton) and Tim St-Pierre (Hamilton, Ont.) are the returning players. The loss of veterans Matt Fox and Bart Szarzynski, both 2005 all-conference picks, will hurt.

Defensive back
This may be the strength of the club with the return of CFL draft pick Andre Knights (Brampton, Ont.), Steve Truzak (Bedford), Curtis Woodley (Whitby, Ont.) and Jeff Zelinski (Mission, B.C.). Woodley and Zelinski are all-stars. Woodley has a knee injury and is out indefinitely. Al Birthwright (Whitby, Ont.) is back after missing last year due to ineligibility. Saleem Borhut (Okanagan Sun) will make an impact.

Kicking
Rodrigo Davalos has moved on, leaving Justin Palardy (Truro) in the hunt for the job. Ex-CFLer Terry Baker returns after a year coaching at Acadia to help with the kickers.

Coaching
Edmonton’s Mike McLean takes over from Nill as defensive coordinator. Gord Beattie returns after two years to work with the offensive line. Former Huskies Andre and Anthony Williams are on staff.

( mmosher@herald.ca)