THREE VARSITY BLUES TO PARTICIPATE IN 2010 EAST WEST BOWL

OTTAWA (CIS) – Varsity Blues Walter Cariazo, Michael Prempeh and Willie Sharpe are among the 89 football players who will participate in the eighth annual East West Bowl, presented by Under Armour, as announced by Canadian Interuniversity Sport Monday.

The game is set to take place on Saturday, May 8, 2010 at TD Waterhouse Stadium on the campus of The University of Western Ontario in London, Ont.

Official website (including ticket information): [url]http://english.cis-sic.ca/eastwestbowl/2010

The East West Bowl showcases – for the most part – CIS players who will be eligible for the 2011 Canadian Football League draft.

Sharpe, a third-year defensive back from Renfrew, Ont., was fourth on the Blues with 33 solo tackles in 2009 and recorded a season-high nine tackles against the Guelph Gryphons on Sept. 18.

After being sidelined with an injury for most of 2009, Prempeh will get a chance to turn some heads at the East West Bowl. The wide receiver/ slot back, from St. Edmund Campion in Toronto, started all eight games in 2008, recording 16 receptions for 214 yards and one touchdown.

At running back, Cariazo (Toronto) was the starter for six of the Blues eight regular-season contests. A product of West Hill Collegiate, he finished second on the team with 54 carries and also made 12 receptions for 151 yards.

Western is hosting the event for the second straight year. The affair was previously held at McMaster (2008), Laval (2007, 2006) and Wilfrid Laurier (2005, 2004, 2003). Kickoff for the 2010 game is set for 1 p.m.

Last spring, the West team prevailed 16-7 to improve its all-time record to 6-1 in the series.

Pat Sheahan, head coach of the reigning Vanier Cup champion Queen’s Gaels, will lead the East squad in London, while Calgary’s Blake Nill will be in charge of the West contingent.

“This is a promising group of young athletes who all have aspirations of playing professionally in the years to come,” said Sheahan, who guided the Gaels to a 33-31 come-from-behind win last November in Quebec City for their first national title since 1992. “This is an opportunity for them to showcase their talent and further develop their skills while playing with the best young football players in the country. It should be quite an event.”

“In my opinion the significance of the East West Bowl has evolved over the past few years,” said Nill, who last fall led the Dinos to their first Vanier Cup appearance since 1995 and who previously guided Saint Mary’s to a pair of CIS titles. “It has now become a true showcase of the top CIS football talent, and it is something our student-athletes prepare for from their freshmen year in hopes of someday participating in it.”

The East side is comprised of student-athletes representing schools from the Atlantic and Quebec conferences, as well as from Queen’s, Ottawa and Toronto. The West squad is made up of players from Canada West and from the remaining OUA universities.

No less that 16 all-Canadians from 2009 will take the field on May 8 – seven on each side – including Laval wide receiver Julian Feoli Gudino, Queen’s offensive tackle Matt O’Donnell, Laval guard Pascal Baillargeon, Montreal defensive tackle Gregory Alexandre, StFX linebacker Henoc Muamba, Acadia defensive back Mike Miller and Laval kicker Christopher Milo for the East, and Calgary running back Matt Walter, Calgary wide receiver Nathan Coehoorn, Wilfrid Laurier wide receiver Dillon Heap, Calgary inside receiver Anthony Parker, Western guard Matt Norman, Alberta defensive end Craig Gerbrandt and Alberta kicker Hugh O’Neill for the West.

Wide receiver Thomas Howes, linebacker Steve Laporte and defensive back Ben D’Andrea will also represent Vanier Cup champion Queen’s.

Quarterbacking the East team will be Robert Mackay of Concordia and Brad Sinopoli of Ottawa, while Regina’s Marc Mueller and Saskatchewan’s Laurence Nixon will run the West offence.

Mackay set a single-season Quebec conference record in 2009 with 2,739 passing yards, led the nation with 328 pass attempts and tied for the CIS lead in both touchdown passes (18) and completions (201).

Sinopoli and Mueller were impressive in their first season as university starters after taking over from Gee-Gees and Rams greats Josh Sacobie and Teale Orban, respectively. Mueller led Canada West with 2,308 yards through the air, while Sinopoli also reached the 2000-yard plateau (2,084).

In his third campaign as the Huskies number one pivot, Nixon completed at least 60 percent of his passes (62.5) for the third straight year while leading Saskatchewan to the Canada West final.

NOTES: Past East West Bowl participants include Hec Crighton trophy winners Benoit Groulx of Laval, Daryl Stephenson of Windsor, Andy Fantuz of Western, Jesse Lumsden of McMaster and Tommy Denison of Queen’s… Other notables include former Sherbrooke Vert & Or Samuel Giguère and Calgary graduate Dan Federkeil, both members of the 2010 Super Bowl finalist Indianapolis Colts, as well as former Mustang Vaughn Martin, who played his first season with the San Diego Chargers after being selected in the fourth round in the 2009 NFL Collegiate Draft.