Continuity has Never Been Better (CIS Season Review)
Another season is in the books for the CIS and it was another great season for all involved yet saw something that had never happened before. The season began with many of the best teams remaining the favorites to win it all. The top team was the McMaster Marauders who would open the season as the #1 ranked team in the country. They got this ranking as the defending Vanier Cup Champions with a number of key players returning to the team. This included Kyle Quinlan who was the preseason favorite to win the Hec Crighton Award. The Marauders were not the only preseason favorites as they were joined by some very familiar favorites. The Calgary Dinos, Laval Rouge et Or, and Acadia Axemen all looked to be favorites to win their conferences. It was a season that would see the top teams continue but other teams begin to rise up in their conferences. Teams like UBC and the University of Toronto had begun to make progress in 2011 and were looking to continue it in the 2012 season. Then came the opening week where it seemed that everything that was expected went out the window. The only thing that seemed sure was that the McMaster Marauders were the best team in the CIS. UBC was beat by Manitoba while Laval and Calgary did not have the dominant performances that they were expected to have. McMaster dominated like they were expected to while the surprise of the season, Windsor put up 63 points in their first game. As the season progressed Acadia, Laval, McMaster, and Calgary all continued to be the top teams in the country but many did not seem to be their old dominant selves. McMaster would be the only team to run the table on the season as Calgary would drop one game to Regina and Laval would drop their only game to Montreal. Meanwhile the Acadia Axemen would get past everyone in the conference but would not get past Laval in the crossover game. As the top four teams continued on many had losses and McMaster had none but all remained at the top of their conferences. With the playoffs approaching all seemed to be poised to repeat as champions although some, Calgary and Laval, might have to go through the teams that beat them. In the AUS the Acadia Axemen would see very little resistance in repeating as Jewett Cup Champions as they would take on the Saint Mary’s Huskies and easily get through them. In the RSEQ the awaited rematch of Montreal and Laval would not take place leaving the Rouge et Or to become the 10 time Dunsmore Cup Champions. McMaster saw almost no resistance on their road to a repeat of the Yates Cup as they beat Western and Guelph to the second title. Calgary would also see nothing in terms of challenge as they became the fourth team to repeat and five time Hardy Cup champions. It would be the first time that all four champions would repeat as champions and would close out the season in what would normally be boring. Then came the national playoffs where the same two opponents from the 2011 Vanier Cup would face off again. The season would see much of the same winners and champions except for the last game as the Vanier Cup Champions would see the only major change in the playoffs with the Laval Rouge et Or winning the game instead of the McMaster Marauders. The season was one of continuation as the same teams would all advance but it would not make the season a bad one. There was plenty to see and plenty to look forward to in the future as the reign of the big four will either continue or stay the same. It was another great season in CIS football which is only getting bigger and better every year and does not look to be slowing down.
CIS Football Awards
Hec Crighton Award [MVP]:
Kyle Quinlan, QB (McMaster Marauders)
68.9% cmp
2,457 yds
307.1 ypg
19 TD
2 INT
President’s Trophy [Defensive MVP]:
Frederic Plesius, LB (Laval Rouge et Or)
34.5 tkl
2 sck
0 INT
0 FF
J.P. Metras Trophy [Outstanding Lineman]:
Ben D’Aguilar, DE (McMaster Marauders)
28 tkl
12.5 sck
0 INT
1 FF
Peter Gorman Trophy [Rookie of the Year]:
Shaquille Johnson, WR (McGill Redmen)
61 rec
792 yds
13.0 avg
5 TD
Frank Tindall Trophy [Coach of the Year]:
Stefan Ptaszek (McMaster Marauders)
– Led the Marauders to their first undefeated season
– Won a second straight Yates Cup
– Won a CIS record 21 consecutive games
Russ Jackson Award [Student-Athlete]:
Zach Androschuk, DB (Guelph Gryphons)
30.5 tkl
0 sck
1 INT
1 FF
– Dean’s Honour Roll member
– Held an 84.6% average in 2011
The Sport Addiction 
With the new rules put into place with an age limit of 25 and the 7 years to play 5 have changed the dynamic for teams to suddenly become good. Junior players who want to play in the CIS have to leave after two seasons to get there full eligibility where as before teams could raid the Junior football ranks and bring in a whole crew of 24 year old freshman that can turna team around in a year.
With that short cut to success now gone every team now has to build through good recruitng classes