After a rocky 2018 season that saw a lot of change, the Concordia Stingers football team has emerged stronger under the leadership of new head coach Brad Collinson.
Collinson arrived in June of 2018 to help keep the battered ship afloat, but it wasn’t until six months later that he was officially named the head coach and could begin putting his plans and visions in place.
“I’m happy with the direction the program is heading,” he said. “There’s a lot of change, a lot of new faces. We have a good staff. We had a good off-season and a good training camp. Building a successful program is a process and we’ve taken some good first steps.”
On offence eight of 12 starters return including a senior quarterback. Adam Vance will handle the starting duties. “We’re excited,” said Vance. “It’s a fresh start and it’s been great working with our new offensive co-ordinator Alex Surprenant since the winter.”
On defence there’s only five starters back, but there are experienced players ready to step into the starting positions. Former CFL and NFL star Ed Philion is the new defensive co-ordinator and brings a lot of experience and a new vision to the unit.
On special teams, the Stingers will rely on the big leg of fourth-year kicker Andrew Stevens.
Offence Key Returners
QB Adam Vance – 3rd year. Vance returns for his final season with the Stingers. He played two years of junior football at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif. and now is his third year at Concordia. In 2018, he completed 114 of 202 passes for 1635 yards (204.4 a game) and five touchdowns. He was second in the RSEQ for passing yards.
RB Glody Musangu – 4th year. The John Abbott College graduate started at running back in three of eight games in 2018. He carried the ball 51 times for 248 yards and a touchdown. In August, the Mechanical Engineering major received a bursary from the Montreal Alouettes, recognizing him as one of the top student-athletes in the RSEQ conference.
WR James Tyrrell – 5th year. This is a big year for Tyrrell who is expected to be the Stingers’ premier receiver. He played eight games last season and had 17 catches for 292 yards (17.2 average) and a TD. He may also see some time as a returner.
Key recruits
RB Kevin Foster, Montreal, Vanier College (5’7”, 172 lbs.) Foster is the rookie that has generated the most buzz. He was the Division 1 Cégep all-star running back out of Vanier where he carried the ball 159 times for 971 yards (6.1 average) and four touchdowns in 2018. He’s turned a lot of heads at the Stingers’ training camp.
SB Jeremy Murphy, Montreal, Champlain-St. Lambert College (6’0”, 180 lbs.) Murphy was the outstanding player on offence in the Quebec Division 3 Cégep conference last season. In 2018, he caught 20 passes for 527 yards (26.4 average) and six touchdowns in eight games. He carried the ball 15 times for 131 yards and another three TDs. He also returned kicks and punts, picking up his 10th major of the season on a punt return.
SB Tristan Mancini, Montreal, Champlain-St. Lambert College (5’9”, 175 lbs.) Mancini was also impressive at the college level. He was named a RSEQ all-star in 2018. He had 28 receptions for 524 yards (18.7 average) two touchdowns. The versatile athlete was also a returner and lined up at running back a few times.
Defence Key Returners
LB Sam Brodrique – 4th year. Brodrique, a native of Ste-Marthe-sur-le-lac, Que., was a highly prized recruit out of Champlain College, Lennoxville, in 2016 and he lived up to expectations in his first three seasons. He was the second leading tackler on the team in 2018 with 24 solo tackles and eight assists. He earns respect for his leadership and tenacity. He participated in the 2018 East West Bowl last May.
LB Jersey Henry – 4th year. Henry, a native of LaSalle, Que., is an intense, physical player that sets the pace for the defence. He was the leading tackler on the Stingers in 2018 with 35 solo tackles and 13 assists in eight games. Henry received some well-deserved recognition when he played in the East West Bowl in May of 2019.
DB Khadeem Pierre – 3rd year. Pierre, a native of Ottawa, quickly established himself in the RSEQ when he was named the outstanding rookie on defence in his first season. He has continued to dominate receivers and last year had 16 solo tackles and two assists in 17 games. He also had two interceptions bringing his career total to five.
Key recruits
DB Edwin Tawiah, Ile Perrot, Que., Collège de Valleyfield (5’7”, 175 lbs.) The talented defensive back comes out of Quebec’s premier Division 2 Cégep program. The 2018 all-star had 33.5 tackles, two interceptions and three batted balls in eight games.
DT Jahmensky Lubin, Montreal, West Shore Rebels (6’1”, 313 lbs.) Lubin will help re-establish Concordia’s defensive line which lost a lot of players to graduation after the 2018 season. Watch for this big man to turn some heads in 2019.
DE Wael Nasri, Saint-Etienne, France, Cégep du Vieux-Montréal (5’11”, 222 lbs.) He was dominant in the Cégep Division 1 league in 2018. He was the second leading tackler on his team with 39 tackles and four sacks in nine games. Nasri will also help fill in holes on the defensive line.
