Chance to win each year drew 2 to Guelph

Guelph brings in one Ontario and one out-of-province commit to their Class of 2017.

AJ Chase

Courtesy of AJ Chase.

AJ Chase, a receiver from Champlain College Lennoxville and Brandon Schofield, a defensive back from Nelson High School, will be bringing their competitiveness to their new team, the University of Guelph Gryphons.

Like every player who has ever played the game, AJ Chase wants to win. So, he picked a program where he felt he could best fulfil his goal. “I wanted to go to a program where competing for a national championship yearly was a reality and I feel like Guelph is heading in that direction,” he said. “Coming from a winning program at Champlain, I wanted to go somewhere with a similar setup in terms of quality of coaching and improved facilities.”

While with the Champlain Cougars (RSEQ Division 1), his team captured the 2015 Bol d’Or. “It was an incredible feeling. That feeling made me realize I definitely wanted to be in a position to compete and win on a national level every year,” he said.

But, there is more to football than simply winning. An athlete should never stop trying to improve. In his three years with Champlain, Chase said he greatly developed as a football player both mentally and physically. Now, he will have the opportunity to better himself at the university level.

“Guelph is the best university to develop as a player physically and mentally,” he said. “With all the exceptional coaching and state-of-the-art facilities, it’s exactly what players need to be prepared for the next level.”

He added that, “Guelph’s coaching staff is very impressive. I met with some of the coaches on my visit and I immediately felt welcomed and on the same page. Obviously, the program takes football very seriously and the mentality is to win.”

But, it wasn’t just the coaches that Chase related to. “The vibe from the players was similar to Champlain in terms of a brotherhood, which was also very important to me,” he said.

When he begins his post-secondary studies, he will be majoring in Finances. The school’s academic support system impressed Chase and aided in his decision to commit to the school. He said the school has all the possible tools to help student-athletes succeed, which is something important to him and his family.

Standing at 5’10, 185lbs, the product of Montréal, Québec, has been playing the game since the age of nine. It was with the Alexander Park Roughriders that his love for the game began. He then spent two bantam years with the North Shore Lions (Québec Bantam Football League) and one with the midget North Shore Mustangs (Québec Midget Football League).

Brandon Schofield
Brandon Schofield will have less of a trek to reach Guelph. Originally from Burlington, Ontario, he played as a cornerback with the Nelson Lords (Halton Secondary School Athletic Association). He is 6’1, 170lbs and can run 40 yards in 4.89 seconds.

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