MONTREAL — The first-place Laval Rouge et Or placed nine players on the 2006 Quebec University Football League all-star team announced by commissioner Tom Allen Tuesday.
The league all-stars mirrored the conference standings as the second-place Concordia Stingers placed eight members on the dream team while the Montreal Carabins had six all-stars, the McGill Redmen and Sherbrooke Vert & Or had two players each and the Bishop’s Gaiters had on representative on the all-star squad.
Quarterback Benoit Groulx (Laval, Qc.) of the Laval Rouge et Or was one of four unanimous choices. Groulx was the league’s top rated passer as he completed 68% of his passes and tossed 12 touchdown passers.
Groulx was joined in the backfield by teammate Pierre-Luc Yao (Charlesbourg, Qc.) and Joseph Mroué (Quebec City, Qc.) of Montreal. Yao averaged 7.9 yards per carries and scored five touchdowns while Mroue posted a 5.72 average per carry and tallied four majors.
Laval’s Alex Zara (Laval, Qc.) was the all-star centre while Keith Drauper (Dublin, Ohio) of Concordia and Montreal’s Jean-François Morin-Roberge (Quebec City, Qc.) was selected at the tackle position. Ben Walsh of McGill (Vancouver, B.C.) and Laval’s Luc Brodeur (St-Hyacinthe, Qc.) were named at the guard positions.
Greg Heatherington of McGill (Toronto, On.) and Laval’s Nicolas Bisaillon (La Tuque, Qc.) and Duane John (Montreal, Qc.) were picked as inside receivers while Matthew Leblanc of Laval (St-Bruno, Qc.) and Sherbrooke’s Samuel Giguere (Sherbrooke, Qc.) were selected as wide receivers. Heatherington led all receivers with 595 yards in receptions.
John was also chosen as the top return specialist while Concordia’s Warren Kean (Dundas, On.) and Mike Renaud (Ottawa, On.) were repeat choices as the conference’s top field goal kicker and punter respectively. Kean led the conference in scoring with 84 points while Renaud led the QUFL in punting with a 39.4 average.
On the defensive side of the ball Martin Gagne (Laval, Qc.) of Montreal and Bishop’s Dan McCullough (Fredericton, N. B.) were picked at the defensive end position while the tackles include two members of the Rouge et Or, Michael Jean-Louis (Granby, Qc.) and Jean-Philippe Gilbert (St. Victor de Beauce Qc.) and Mark Kang (Pointe Claire, Qc.) of Concordia.
The linebacking corps included Concordia’s Pat Donovan (Laconia, NH), Eric Maranda (Notre Dame des Pins, Qc.) of Laval and Sherbrooke’s Pierre-Luc Labbe (Quebec City, Qc.) l Donovan, who missed two games due to injuries, averaged a league-high six tackles per game while Maranda and Labbe were tied for third in total tackles with 42.5 apiece.
Concordia’s Mobido Sidibe (Buffalo, NY) and Sylvester Sarfo (Ottawa, On.) were selected as all-star cornerbacks. Sidibe was co-leader in passes defended with nine for the season.
Concordia Sammy Okpro (Pierrefonds, Qc.) and Jean-Philip Provencher (Trois-Rivieres, Qc.) repeated at inside halfback position while Montreal’s Maxime Gagnier (Baie-Comeau, Qc.) was selected as the all-star safety. Okpro led the QUFL in total tackles with 44 and had three interceptions while Gagnier led the conference with five interceptions and was tied for the lead in passes defended with nine.
Groulx, Leblanc, Jean-Louis and Okpro were unanimous selections.
2006 QUFL All-Star Team
OFFENCE
Quarterback — Benoit Groulx*, Laval
Running Back — Pierre-Luc Yao, Laval
Running Back — Joseph Mroué, Montréal
Inside Receiver — Greg Heatherington, McGill
Inside Receiver — Duane John**, Laval
Inside Receiver — Nicolas Bisaillon**, Laval
Wide Receiver — Matthew Leblanc*, Laval
Wide Receiver — Samuel Giguere, Sherbrooke
Centre — Alex Zara, Montreal
Guard — Ben Walsh, McGill
Guard — Luc Brodeur, Laval
Tackle — Keith Dauper, Concordia
Tackle — Jean-François Morin-Roberge, Montréal
Field Goal Kicker — Warren Kean, Concordia
Punter — Mike Renaud, Concordia
Punt Return Specialist — Duane John, Laval
DEFENCE
End — Martin Gagné, Montréal
End — Dan McCullough, Bishop’s
Tackle — Michael Jean-Louis*, Laval
Tackle — Jean-Philippe Gilbert**, Laval
Tackle — Mark Kang**, Concordia
Linebacker — Pat Donovan, Concordia
Linebacker — Eric Miranda, Laval
Linebacker — Pierre-Luc Labbé, Sherbrooke
Halfback — Sammy Okpro*, Concordia
Halfback — Jean-Philip Provencher, Montréal
Cornerback — Mobido Sidibe, Concordia
Cornerback — Sylvester Sarfo, Concordia
Safety — Maxime Gagnier, Montréal
* denotes unanimous choice
** denotes tie
Courtesy of Quebec Student Sport Federation
