Lancers adds three local recruits

Frat brothers this past season, running back Tarrence Crawford and linebacker Joe Iatzko have decided they don’t want to leave home again.

The two Windsor high school products played at British Columbia’s Fraser University in 2012, but opted to return home.

Needing to sit out a year before being eligible to play university football again, the two spent the season with the Windsor AKO Fratmen and won an OFC title.

Now eligible to compete at the CIS level again, the two have opted to stay home and play for the University of Windsor Lancers next season.

“I just figured if I ever play CIS I’m going to play for my own city and try and bring a championship back here,” said the 21-year-old Crawford, a Catholic Central graduate. “I had a couple things going on down south that fell through, but I made the best decision.”

Both agreed that playing with the Fratmen put the fun back to football that had been missing while away from home.

“It was fun playing in Windsor and in front of home crowd and all my family around,” said the 21-year-old Iatzko, a Herman graduate. “I get to carry that over next year.

“When it came down to it, it wasn’t that hard a decision. It’s my hometown and I got into the (Human Kinetics) program I wanted.”

Both players won an OVFL championship with the Essex Ravens in 2010.

Lancers head coach Joe D’Amore was an assistant on that team a year before being handed the top spot at the University of Windsor.

“(D’Amore) was the one who got me out to Ravens and I didn’t really want to go and it ended up a good decision and we won a championship,” said the five-foot-11, 205-pound Crawford, who is the younger brother of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Tyrone Crawford. “He joked all year, ‘Are you going to be wearing blue and gold.'”

Crawford, who is studying criminology, enrolled at the University of Windsor before joining the Fratmen. In just four games with AKO, he finished fifth in the OFC in rushing with 395 yards on 45 carries for an average of 8.8 yards per carry.

“Adding (Crawford) to the roster is big,” said D’Amore, who loses Mitch Dender to graduation. “Tarrence has experience at the level with SFU.

“One thing about him is he has great feet and great vision. He’s great at making the first guy miss and great inside the hole. He’s a workhorse. He can carry 30 times a game and he looks same the first carry as he does the 30th.”

D’Amore was also quick to get in touch with the six-foot-three, 225-pound Iatzko once he returned to Windsor and he said the two have been in contact all season.

“We’re excited to add him to the mix,” said D’Amore, whose loses Mike linebackers Chris Deneau and Akeem Whonder to graduation. “He did have some opportunities at other schools, but I think what sold him was opportunity to play in his hometown.

“Over the last couple of months, being around us and the guys he knows well playing here, he’s excited to build a winning program locally. We can win with the talent in this city.”

Iatzko, who is also an exceptional long snapper, feels keeping the local talent at home in Windsor will eventually turn the Lancers into an OUA power.

“I just feel they’re getting a lot more home players,” Iatzko said. “Now, there are more players and more (local players in the) pipeline.

“Beau (Lumley) last year and Tarrence now. Hopefully, it encourages younger players. Windsor has some of best talent in Ontario, if not all of Canada. There’s good talent here and it would be nice to keep it home.”

The Lancers also add offensive lineman Lucas Moore to the Lancer roster for the 2014 season.

Moore is a 6’4, 275lb lineman out of Belle River, Ontario, who played his junior football career with the Essex Ravens.

With the graduation of fifth year center Nick Corrado, Coach D’Amore believes Moore will help fill the gap left behind. “Lucas is one of the top offensive lineman in the city,” said D’Amore. “He is a natural center which is a need position for us. He has great size and strong work ethic. With a year in the weight room he will be a staple on our offensive line. ”

Source:  Windsor Lancers Sports Information