Belleville Chargers make U18 team ontario


Two members of the Centennial Chargers will be playing for the Canadian U18 football championship in Nova Scotia next month.

Derek Wendel and Josh Mora both survived gruelling tryout camps in Kingston and Hamilton to earn spots on Team Ontario East.

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Wendel is a quarterback while Mora is a linebacker.

Scott Symons, senior football coach at Centennial, isn’t surprised the duo made the final cut for Ontario East.

“They’re both great athletes and they’re both team-first guys,” said Symons.

Wendel made the team as a quarterback despite playing most of the past two seasons as a receiver for the Chargers.

After playing his first two seasons at Centennial as a quarterback Wendel was moved to the receiver position to help the Chargers in a position where they were lacking.

“He could have been our quarterback but we needed a receiver,” said Symons. “He’s a real intelligent kid and he puts the team first.”

While Wendel was catching passes the past two years for the Chargers, he was playing quarterback for the Kingston Grenadiers of the Ontario Junior Football League.

Wendel makes two trips a week for practice in Kingston then plays league games Saturdays.

“I prefer playing quarterback. I got a lot of reps in the last two years with Kingston,” said Wendel. “I like quarterback because you touch the ball on every play, it’s not as boring.”

He attended the regional tryout camp for the Ontario East team in Kingston where he had “a pretty good camp.” He was then invited to the final tryout camp at McMaster University in Hamilton.

“At the camp in Hamilton it was pretty well the Ontario East guys against the West guys. I think I did pretty well,” said Wendel.

Symons said Wendel is a good athlete and he’s coachable.

“He played point guard on the basketball team, he did track and field and cross country.

“He’s a good football player. He’s fast and he throws the ball well,” said Symons.

Wendel started playing football in the Belleville Minor Football League when he was in Grade 8.

He said the league provided the perfect preparation for high school football in Grade 9.

“I played for the Bayshore Chargers so a lot of the guys went to Centennial for Grade 9. We knew each other and we knew something about football when we got to Centennial. The minor football league was a big help,” said Wendel.

He says he’s hoping to extend his football playing days beyond high school.

After another year at Centennial next year, the 18-year-old Wendel said he would like to play at the university level.

He’s been in contact with some universities about football but he’s not looking too far ahead just yet. He still wants to take OAC courses next year at Centennial.

“A lot of us aren’t quite sure what we want to do after high school so we’re taking another year of classes — and playing football,” he said.

Wendel said he’s considering courses in marketing or something business orientated when he goes to university.

Symons said Wendel will be the QB at Centennial next season.

While Wendel will be throwing passes for Ontario East, Mora will be bashing bodies as a linebacker.

“He’s a real big hitter,” said Symons. “He’d rather hit you and go through you than go around you.”

While hundreds of players attended the regional tryout camps in Kingston and Hamilton, Symons said Wendel and Mora both possess certain qualiities which many other players don’t.

“They’re both team-first guys who are respectful and well-mannered. If you want to make it to the next level you have to have that,” said Symons.

Wendel and Mora will travel to Ottawa for a brief camp with Ontario East before heading to Nova Scotia July 9.

Eight teams will compete for the Canadian U18 title.

Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.

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