Talent
This year there were 17 returning starters. Unfortunately, due to injuries the team was down to 12 and 14 starters in the last two games respectively. Luckily, there were a few guys able to step it up and help the hurting team out.
Defensive lineman Dan Federkeil finished his fifth and final year as a Dino, accumulating 31 solo tackles and 29 career quarterback sacks. He was nominated for the prestigious J.P. Metras Trophy for Canadian Interuniversity Sport Lineman of the Year.
Offensive guard Tim O’Neill also earned big credits this season by not only being one of the few offensive linemen to start the entire season without injury, but also earning a spot on the Canada West All-Star team. This was O’Neill’s fourth year with the team.
Running back Steven Hughes finished his fifth year with 921 rushing yards, four touchdowns and nine field goals. On defense, Jon Waldie, Byron Barrenechea and Chris Wollin led the team in interceptions with three apiece while Josh Campbell led in solo tackles, totalling 46 for the season.
Effort
Even though this team was riddled with injuries the entire season and lost half their starters, they never gave up. No matter who the rival or what the odds, they kept pushing forward. If effort alone could win you games, this team would have brought home the Vanier.
Coaching
The coaching staff for any Dinos team is almost always exceptional; the football team is no different. One huge contributor to the team this year was John Stevens, who moved to Head Defensive Coordinator. He made huge strides with what could have been considered a lacklustre defense at the beginning of the season. Holding back the best teams in the league countless times in the red-zone and having his players accumulate 434 solo tackles and 16 interceptions for 280 yards makes Stevens our favourite pick of the year.
Achievement
The team finished with a 2-6 record, missed the playoffs and managed to have 259 points scored on them compared to the 149 points they scored. Overall, not good. In fact, due to the overwhelming amount of injuries this season, the team ended up with the worst record in Dinos football history. Tough break. But next year is a different season and we can’t really get much worse.
Overall: C
Animal: Hyena. They work well in a pack, make a lot of noise, hunt aggressively and are confident enough to terrorize lions. But in actuality, lions often eat them and they really aren’t that dangerous. Their bark is worse than their bite.