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Canadians leave their mark in NCAA football

Canadians leave their mark in NCAA football

Four Canadians help Boise State to an undefeated record and Tostitos Fiesta Bowl appearance Eastern Michigan University senior wide receiver ERIC DESLAURIERS (Gatineau, Quebec) was one of only two Eastern Michigan players to be named first-team All Mid-American Conference in voting conducted by the league's coaches. Deslauriers finished the season with 74 receptions for 898 yards and 5 TD for the disappointing 1-11 Eagles.

According to the Emueagles.com web site, Deslauriers earns the honor for the first time in his career, and becomes the first Eagle wide receiver to earn first team honors since 2002.

The Gatineau, Quebec native completed his EMU career with school records for touchdown receptions (27), receptions (248) and receiving yards (3,250), and ranks fifth in Mid-American Conference history for career receptions (248) and is eighth in league history in receiving yards (3,250). He also ranks seventh in EMU history in career scoring (168).

Named to the 2005 and 2006 Fred Biletnikoff Award Watch list, which goes to the top receiver in the NCAA Division 1 ranks, Deslauriers has turned in 14 career 100-yard reception games and caught passes in 35 consecutive games. The last game he was held without a Team Canada alum KEVIN CHALLENGER (Montreal, Quebec) also led a Big East team in receiving this season. Challenger compiled 508 yards on 45 catches and, like Deslauriers, scored 5 touchdowns.

JAMAL WESTERMAN (Brampton, Ontario) helped one of the Big East's top teams -- the Rutgers Scarlett Knights - to an impressive 10-2 record this season. Westerman, a 6 foot 3, 252-pound junior, started all 12 games at defensive end for the Knights. The Notre Dame high grad recorded 15 solo tackles and tied for second on the team with six QB sacks.

Senior running back JON CORNISH (New Westminster, British Columbia) was one of two Kansas Jay Hawks named to the All-Big 12 Conference First Team. Cornish became KU's single-season rushing record holder after collecting 1,457 yards on the ground during the year, breaking the mark in KU's last contest of the season against Missouri.

According to the Jayhawks official site, Cornish's 5.8 yards per carry is also the highest single-season mark in school history by a back with more than 200 carries. Cornish, a native of New Westminster, B.C., ended the year as the Big 12's leader in all-purpose yards with an average of 137.6 yards per contest.

Cornish was also named AT&T Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts in KU's 39-20 victory over Kansas State on Nov. 18. Cornish collected a career-best 201 yards rushing in the Sunflower Showdown and scored two touchdowns

Two Canadian starters helped the Central Michigan Chippewas to the Middle America Conference (MAC) championship. The Chippewas, powered by an impressive passing game, started the season 2-3 but finished on a 7-1 run. Senior WR CEDRIC CETOUTE (Montreal, Quebec) finished the season with 35 receptions (4th on the team) for 509 yards (3rd on the team) and 5 touchdowns (2nd on the team). ERIC FRASER (Burnaby, British Columbia), a sophomore starting defensive back with the Chippewas, recorded 31 tackles and one interception (which he returned for 47 yards).

Also in the MAC Conference, which was home to 10 Canadians this season, former CEGEP star JABARI ARTHUR (Montreal Quebec) led the Akron Zips in receptions. The 6 foot 4, 224-pound junior finished the season with 45 receptions for 730 yards and 4 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball for Akron, senior defensive end JERMAINE REID (Pickering, Ontario) recorded 23 solo tackles and 3 QB sacks for the 5-7 Zips.

Staying in the MAC conference, a pair of young linemen saw plenty of action for the 2-10 Buffalo Bulls. Junior JAMES JUDGES (Pickering, Ontario), who is the son of former NFL/CFL High School Coach of the year Gordon Judges, recorded 14 solo tackles and 3 QB sacks/ Sophomore RONALD HILAIRE (Laval, Quebec) recorded 10 solo tackles and 1 QB sack.

Another lineman plying his trade in the MAC conference - 6 foot 6, 292 pound senior defensive tackle J.P. BEKASIAK (Windsor, ON) - recorded 29 tackles and one sack in 12 starts for the Toledo Rockets.

CALEB CLARK (Calgary, Alberta), a freshman quarterback with the Western Michigan Broncos, will be on the sidelines in Toronto when his team (representing the MAC conference) takes on Cincinnati in the first ever International Bowl. Clark saw limited action this season for the Broncos, appearing in two games and attempting only one pass.

In the Conference USA, former Team Canada standout KEITH SHOLOGON (Edmonton, Alberta) solidified his spot as a defensive leader on the Central Florida Golden Knights. Shologon, a 6 foot 2, 275-pound junior defensive end, started in the team's last 11 games and recorded 40 tackles (27 solo). The Knights finished with a 4-8 record.

The Brigham Young Cougars, who finished the season ranked #21 in the nation, got an outstanding season out of Canadian AARON WAGNER (Lethbridge, Alberta). Wagner, a 6 foot 3, 247-pound linebacker, recorded 71 tackles for the Cougars (2nd most on the team). Wagner and his Mountain West Conference Cougar teammates will now battle Oregon in the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl.

Also in the Mountain West Conference, 6 foot 3, 287-pound senior defensive end COREY MACE (Port Moody, British Columbia) made 57 tackles for the Wyoming Cowboys.

JUSTIN SORENSEN (Vancouver Island, British Columbia), a 6 foot 7, 321 pound sophomore, used the 2006 season to earn a starting spot on the South East (SEC) Conference South Carolina Gamecocks offensive line. Sorensen, helped in part by an injury to fellow Canadian GURMINDER THIND (Mississauga, Ontario), is listed as the starting Right Tackle with the club.

Over in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), Junior running back ROLLY LUMBALA (Calgary, Alberta) appears to have a bright future with the University of Idaho Vandals. The 6 foot 2, 241-pound Lumbala, a former standout at powerhouse St. Francis HS in Calgary, appeared in 8 games for the Vandals, carrying the ball 21 times for 98 yards and 2 TD.

Finally, the NCAA Division 1-A's greatest concentration of Canadians (4) helped the Boise State Broncos to an undefeated season. The Broncos recently received the official BCS invite to take on 10th ranked Oklahoma in the 36th annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The game will be played on January 1, 2007 in Glendale, Arizona.The announcement came one week after the Broncos wrapped up a perfect 12-0 regular season with a convincing 38-7 victory over Nevada. The victory also secured Boise State's fifth straight WAC title.

ANDRW WOODRUFF (Victoria, British Columbia), a 6 foot 3, 331-pound lineman, started 11 games for the Broncos at right tackle this season. JON GOTT (Lethbridge, Alberta) appeared in two games as the backup left guard. On the defensive side of the ball, senior defensive end MIKE G WILLIAMS (Lethbridge, Alberta) recorded 10 tackles in 12 games (9 of them starts). Junior linebacker JOSH BEAN (Calgary, Alberta) recorded 18 tackles in 11 games as a backup.