Waterloo’s prestige ensnares 4 commits

Waterloo welcomes three Ontario commits and one BC commit to their Class of 2017.

Waterloo has loaded up on offensive linemen in their latest round of commits. In this harvest, Adam Youssef, from Vincent Massey Secondary School, Reid Forster from Clarke Road Secondary School and Liam McCormick from G.W. Graham Secondary School have signed with the team.

On the defensive side of the ball, Jack Andrews, a linebacker from Denis Morris Catholic High School, has also committed to the Warriors.

Adam Youssef
It was the academics that drew Adam Youssef to Waterloo. He said he mainly chose the school because it is an amazing school and has great mathematics and computer science programs. He added he is interested in majoring in computer science. Having a chance to play football was the icing on the cake.

“I am very excited to go and play four more years of football,” he said. “I really like the coaching staff, very welcoming and they understand that academics is just as important as football, which really appealed to me.”

Perhaps what is most important is the campus’s atmosphere. “Being there, it feels like a second home, not just some place you’ll be staying for seven months,” he said.

The 6’0, 315lbs product of Windsor, Ontario, has spent four years playing with the Essex Ravens (OVFL) and the Vincent Massey Mustangs (Windsor and Essex County Secondary School Athletic Association).

In his career, Youssef said he has not won any championships or any awards that are worth noting. He will be looking to change that when he reaches Waterloo. He said, “I hope that with all of the hard work and dedication I put in and will continue to put in, my career at Waterloo will be successful.”

Like his Southern Ontario counterpart, Reid Forster shares similar feelings about Waterloo. “I was drawn to Waterloo because of its amazing campus and its reputation for academics,” Foster said, who is interested in taking sociology.

Hailing from London, Ontario, he has been around the game for five years. “I think the coaching staff is very exciting and fair,” he said. “The coaches are also very optimistic!”

Standing at 6’2, 245lbs, he spent his high school days with the Clarke Road Trojans (Thames Valley Regional Athletics). In 2015, he was a defensive MVP. The following season, he was a TVRA all-star.

While the new season may be a few months off, it will be upon us soon. “I’m very optimistic about this young team,” Forster said. “I can’t wait to start training and practicing with the guys.”

Liam McCormick

Courtesy of Liam McCormick.

Liam McCormick will be leaving Chilliwack, BC, behind and travelling eastward to southern Ontario, drawn by the way the school presents itself. “The school buildings themselves are airy and light. The setup is great, facilities are flawless and the staff and players appeal to me,” he said. “The coaching staff is energetic and expressive. They always have a smile and love doing what they do.”

McCormick added that he chose Waterloo for the coop program the school offers. He will be studying Business.

In his career, he has played for the G.W. Graham Grizzlies (BC Secondary Schools Football Association). He is a provincial champion and offensive all-star, as well as a three-time offensive lineman of the year. He has won two International Bowl championships with Team BC in 2014 and 2016. He has also suited up in the Alberta-BC Border Bowl, winning in 2013 and 2015.

“I was called small and undersized by many people,” the 6’1, 255lbs left tackle said. “But, you can account for size with aggression, speed and word ethic.”

Jack Andrews

Courtesy of Jack Andrews.

It will be a reunion of sorts for Jack Andrews when he reaches Waterloo. “A lot of my teammates and friends have also committed to Waterloo or already attend and this will help me adapt to the new environment,” he said.

But it was the coaching staff that really drew Andrews to Waterloo. “They are all very helpful and welcoming. They’re very family oriented, and when I got to really know them all, I knew it was the right decision,” he said. “I have a lot to learn from them! They are very energetic and positive and know a lot about the game!”

Jack Andrews with fellow Warrior commits, Tre and Tyrell Ford. Courtesy of Jack Andrews.

Originally from Thorold, Ontario, which is near St. Catharines, he started playing house league football in 2008. After four years, he began playing with the Niagara Generals. A year later, he suited up for the Niagara Spears (OVFL) and the Denis Morris Reds (Niagara Catholic Athletic Association).

This past season, he was part of the Team Ontario U18 team that played in Texas in the International Bowl. Also in 2016, he was the Spears defensive MVP and OVFL all-star. He is a two-time FPC Team West player and is hoping to make it again this season.

Andrews, who is interested in psychology, is coming off an undefeated season with the Reds. It was capped off with a championship win. The 6’0, 205lbs nine-year veteran was named as the league defensive MVP and was an all-star.

He will be looking to bring his success with him to the Warriors. “The team is rebuilding and I want to be apart of turning it around and making the football program a big contender for a championship in the near future,” he said.

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