The University of Toronto Varsity Blues football team will be well represented in the 14th annual East-West Bowl, which will take place at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in Montreal on Saturday, May 14 at 1 p.m.,
live on CIS-SIC.tv. Defensive back Richard Gillespie, linebackers Brittley Mokube and Corey Williams, as well as offensive lineman Danny Sprukulis are set to showcase their talents in the Bowl, being held at McGill University for the second straight season. The week-long event features – for the most part - CIS players heading into their Canadian Football League draft year.
In addition to the prospects game, the 2016 edition, which kicks off on Tuesday, May 10, includes three days of practices, a combine for participating players, a CFL free-agent camp and the traditional East-West Bowl banquet. A detailed schedule is included below.
In his first season with the Blues, Gillespie started all eight games, ranking fifth on the team with 28.5 tackles, while adding two interceptions, one break up and one fumble recovery. The humanities major from Whitby, Ont., notched a season-high 5.5 tackles vs Western on Oct. 8.
Appearing in six games this season, Mokube recorded 21 tackles, one fumble recovery and one break up, tallying a season-high 6.5 tackles vs McMaster on Aug. 30 and at Waterloo on Oct. 17.
Williams had 15.5 tackles and was tied for the team lead with three sacks in eight games played in 2015. In Toronto's Argo Cup victory at York this season, he recorded two sacks, totalling a 32-yard loss in the win.
Sprukulis has led Toronto's O-Line since being named a member of the OUA all-rookie team in 2013. The Oakville, Ont., native also earned U of T male rookie of the year honours that same season.
NOTES: A few players might be added to the rosters in the coming weeks... The complete coaching staffs will be announced shortly... May 14th marks the 142nd anniversary of the first intercollegiate football game of North American style football, when McGill played at Harvard in 1874... Before moving to Montreal last spring, the East-West Bowl had been held in London (2009-2014), Hamilton (2008), Quebec City (2006-2007) and Waterloo (2003-2005)... Of the 44 CIS players selected in the 2015 CFL Canadian Draft, 32 were past East-West Bowl participants, including all seven CIS standouts taken in the first round... Past East-West Bowl participants also include Hec Crighton Trophy winners Kyle Quinlan (McMaster), Billy Greene (UBC), Brad Sinopoli (Ottawa), Benoit Groulx (Laval), Daryl Stephenson (Windsor), Andy Fantuz (Western), Jesse Lumsden (McMaster) and Tommy Denison (Queen's), as well as current or former NFL players Stefan Charles (Regina), Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (McGill), David Foucault (Montreal), Jon Ryan (Regina), Dan Federkeil (Calgary), Samuel Giguère (Sherbrooke), Cory Greenwood (Concordia), Vaughn Martin (Western) and Henoc Muamba (StFX).
2016 EAST-WEST BOWL SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, May 10
19:00-20:00 First meeting
20:00-22:00 Team meeting
Wednesday, May 11
10:00-13:00 Combine for participating players (Bell Sports Complex - Brossard)
16:00-18:00 Practice 1 (Molson Stadium)
18:00-22:00 CFL Free-Agent Camp (Molson Stadium)
20:00-22:00 Meetings
Thursday, May 12
10:00-12:00 Practice 2 (Molson Stadium)
15:30-17:30 Practice 3 (Molson Stadium)
18:00-19:30 Meetings
Friday, May 13
10:00-12:00 Practice 4 (Molson Stadium)
16:00-18:00 Practice 5 (Molson Stadium)
19:00-22:00 Banquet (Douglas Hall – McGill)
Saturday, May 14
13:00-16:00 East-West Bowl Game (Molson Stadium)
EAST-WEST BOWL RESULTS:
2015 (at McGill): East 29, West 21
2014 (at Western): East 19, West 12
2013 (at Western): West 18, East 17
2012 (at Western): East 24, West 16
2011 (at Western): East 34, West 27 (OT)
2010 (at Western): East 12, West 9
2009 (at Western): West 16, East 7
2008 (at McMaster): East 25, West 12
2007 (at Laval): West 22, East 19 (OT)
2006 (at Laval): West 34, East 26 (OT)
2005 (at Laurier): West 34, East 16
2004 (at Laurier): West 21, East 12
2003 (at Laurier): West 10, East 5
- With files from the CIS -
