Coach Brad Collinson is confident that the commitment displayed by his team over winter and summer training will translate to success in the 2024 season.
Concordia football opened up their 2024 training camp on Saturday, Aug. 10, with the sun shining and blue skies. With music in the air, and over 100 student-athletes on the field, the energy was palpable.
“It’s been a competitive camp,” said Brad Collinson, who is entering his 7th season as head coach. “There’s intense competition at several positions, specifically defensive back and running back, and we’re going to see who can step up in this group of receivers.”
Camp has gotten off to a good start, according to Collinson, and he thinks it has a lot to do with the team bonding over the off-season.
“There’s a really good buzz around camp this year, and I think it has a lot to do with the dedication and commitment shown by our players during the off-season workouts. We had 70 guys stay in Montreal over the summer to train together. That’s really valuable and helps the team gel much quicker during camp.”
Second Season with Polo running the defence:
The addition of Paul Eddy Saint-Vilien as defensive coordinator before the 2023 season sent shock waves across the Quebec football landscape. A well respected coordinator with loads of experience, coach Polo’s defense improved as the season went on, and Collinson thinks his second season as DC will see even more improvements.
“Polo will be able to build even further on his plan now that he’s familiar with who he has at each position,” said Collinson.
Polo’s unit finished 3rd overall in total defense last season, giving up 358.4 yards per game.
Chapdelaine’s first year as OC:
With the departure of former offensive coordinator Alex Surprenant who took over as head coach for McGill in the off-season, Justin Chapdelaine was promoted from coaching receivers to offensive coordinator.
With a new coordinator, means a new playbook, but Collinson thinks one of Chapdelaine’s skills is his ability to communicate what he expects to the student-athletes.
“Chap is a really detail oriented guy, so it can take some time for the players to get on the same page, but so far things have been great,” said Collinson. “He has a plan that will put the offense in a great place for success, as long as the players execute. I’m confident that once the new playbook becomes more familiar with our players, things will start to click. We’re already seeing it.”
The Stingers finished second in total offense last season, averaging 371.1 yards per game. The rushing attach finished first in the RSEQ, averaging 150.9 yards per game.
3 Key Returning Players:
QB Olivier Roy - The leading passer in Concordia Football history is back for his final year of eligibility, and everyone in and around the team could not be happier. The QB is looking to finish his historic Stingers career on a high note, but will have to get on the same page with an inexperienced receiving core. Last season Roy finished with 1871 yards passing and 11 touchdown passes.
DE Gabriel Tremblay - Back for his 4th year of eligibility, the imposing defensive end is primed to improve on his 20.5 tackle output last season. Tremblay is a leader on the team, and joins Loïk Gagné, Nicholas Roy and Mendel Joseph as players to watch on the defensive side of the ball.
K/P Eric Maximuik - The RSEQ all-star who had a break-out season in 2023 provides some stability across the special teams unit. Maximuik went 12 for 16 on field goals last season, leading the team in points scored with 64. Maximuik led the RSEQ in punting in 2023 with an average of 44.3 yards per punt.
3 Key Recruits:
RB Alex Marchand / William Chamberland - With Franck Tchembe and Dwante Morgan rounding out the top end of the RB depth chart, rookies Alex Marchand from John Abbott and William Chamberland from Édouard-Montpetit are both turning heads as they look to earn a spot as the third RB.
DB Choosen Lokombe - Fresh off being named to Team Canada and winning the 2024 IFAF U20 World Junior Championship in Edmonton, Lokombe looks to add some solid depth to a defensive back unit that only came up with 5 interceptions last season. The Montreal native last played for McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN.
Stingers football open up their regular season on Saturday night - 7 p.m. Aug. 24 vs. Laval. Buy your tickets now at stingers.ca/tickets
