On two separate occasions, Noah Townend, a receiver from Catholic Central High School, was told that his career was finished, but that didn’t stop him from working hard and receiving an offer from the Saint Francis Xavier X-Men.
“…I broke my arm so bad the doctor said it would never regain full strength and I had a weightlifting injury that affected my back (and) again I was told no more football,” Townend said. “Both times I have made stunning recoveries that seemed improbable to the doctors and I am proud to say that I have never missed one game since my very first season of football.”
Courtesy of Noah Townend.
With his ironman streak intact, Townend will be looking to extend it into the U Sports season. He said he chose StFX because of the family atmosphere and the rich tradition and history of the football program. “(It’s) built on winning,” he said. “I (also) love that the coaches are so approachable. You can talk to them about anything. They not only focus on making you a better player, but into a mature, young man.”
Townend, who is interested in majoring in human kinetics with a minor in nutrition, added that, “I love knowing about the human body and what makes up the human body and how we use it….The academics are head and shoulders above so many other universities.”
The 5’8, 165lbs slotback and receiver began his career with the Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary Spartans (Thames Valley Regional Athletics) before transferring to the Catholic Central Crusaders (TVRA) in grade 11.
“I was unhappy (at Mother Teresa) as the football program was failing and was not being taken seriously like it had in the past when my older brother attended,” he said. “I left MTS because I was offered a chance to be in the LEAP program at Catholic Central. I went to CCH to become a better leader in society, a better student and to become a better football player as CCH takes football as seriously as I do.”
Townend also played three years on the London Jr. Mustangs (OPFL). In 2015, his helped his team win a OFSAA Western Bowl. He is a three-time champion with Catholic Central. He was the 2015 Spartan of the Year, which is given to a Mother Teresa student for being both academically and athletically strong. “Someone who follows in the footsteps of Mother Teresa herself,” Townend said.
Last season, the London, Ontario, product won the CCH coaches’ award, which is awarded to the student who embodies what the high school is all about. “It’s about being the best student in the classroom, performing well on the field, being a leader people look up to, a hard worker who does his job well and does whatever is asked of him,” Townend said. “It’s an award the coaches spent a great length in deciding who deserves it the most.”
Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.
