New-look Beefeaters eyeing defence of Ontario title
With a new coach and plenty of new faces, the London Beefeaters Junior Football team kicks off its OFC season this weekend. The goal? Repeat as provincial champs — and more …
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There has been plenty of change, but the goal remains the same – to win an Ontario championship and play for a national title. That’s what the London Beefeaters football team is striving for in 2022, and they’ll begin that quest this Saturday in the nation’s capital.
It’s been nine months now since London’s Junior Football team stunned the No. 1-ranked St. Clair Fratmen – on the road – with a wild comeback win to capture the 2021 Ontario Football Conference (OFC) championship.
The Beefeaters overcame a great deal of adversity in that contest. Down by two scores, 14-0, in the game’s final few minutes, London improbably put up a pair of touchdowns, and then won the game 15-14 on a punt through the endzone (a rouge) as time expired. That win led the Beefeaters to their first appearance in the Canadian Bowl. And though they lost that contest, 37-0 to the Langley Rams at Western Alumni Stadium, the 2021 season as a whole was an unreserved success.
Now, a new team, with a new head coach, is hoping to replicate that success – and perhaps take it a step further. There’s been plenty of turnover, though. And it starts at the top. With the departure of Gavin Lake, the Beefeaters brought in Matt Snyder to serve as the team’s new head coach.
A former Beefeater himself (a quarterback from 2001-03), Snyder has 15 years of coaching experience at various levels. Most recently, he was the running backs coach for Western University during the Mustangs’ Vanier Cup-winning season last year, and he led the U16 Jr. Mustangs team to an Ontario Summer Football League (OSFL) title just last weekend.
Player turnover is normal in a league restricted to athletes aged 18 to 22, but some years have more arrivals and departures than others. It’s safe to say Beefeaters fans will get to know a lot of new faces in 2022.
“We got about 38 to 40 new players joining us,” said Snyder, who’s been recruiting ever since he was named head coach back in February. “Ethan Chambers is a former University of Guelph quarterback who’s won everywhere he’s been. And Ben Regier will be playing with us. He was on Western’s Vanier Cup team last year, and he’ll bring more game experience to the team.”
Other notable newcomers? Pawel Szymanski, A.J. Williamson, and high schoolers Kevin Ricard and Trent Ingram.
“Szymanski played at Laurier University, and he’s a pretty solid player,” Snyder said. “Williamson will be our kicker and punter. He’s the highest-ranked kicker recruit, and he’s by far the best punter in the country. Ricard and Ingram are young guys that we’re excited to have. Kevin is a right guard; he’s a smart player who brings experience, and Trent is another [key] young guy we’ve added.”
Beefeaters players are put through their paces at training camp in July. (Photo: Noah Gray)
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It’s not all new players, of course, and one of several valuable returnees is Mitchel Spence, a fifth-year wide receiver who finished second in the OFC in touchdown catches (8) and third in yards (430) last year. He’s excited to be back on the gridiron, especially after last season’s success.
“Last year, it was good. It felt nice making that comeback in the finals. We battled and hung in there until the end. We didn’t give up, and the fact that we made it a thrilling finish was exciting for all of us. We hope to do it again,” said Spence, who, in fact, feels that London is just getting started.
“Losing to Langley hurt, but we’re hungry for another run. We saw how so close we were last year, and with the roster we have now, we look strong and we’re ready for more,” the receiver said. “The boys are ready to perform, and we know we have a great fan base and great community, so it’ll be great to have that support once the season starts.”
Other key returnees include running back Taz Bell and linebacker Tyler Thompson, as well as David Legg and Ryan Mason.
“Tazie is our overager running back. He went to the CFL regional combine in March but wasn’t picked up, so he’s coming back to play with us,” said Snyder. “I think we have one of the top players to build the offence around. Thompson is our team captain, an All-Star, and he’s the best player on our defence.”
Training camp got underway July 4, and the team has gotten a lot of reps over the last month. Off the field, the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) finalists from 2021 have had some fun making appearances around town to celebrate their provincial title.
“Getting out to the community is huge for us. It helps us gain exposure, and we want London to support us,” said Snyder. “We went to a London Majors game a few weeks ago, and we loved it. We got to interact with the fans and see one of our guys on the field.”
That guy was Drew Lawrence, a defensive back on the 2021 team who’s been spending his summer playing in the outfield for London’s Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) team. A multi-sport athlete, he’ll be returning to the Beefeaters this season.
London kicks off its eight-game regular season schedule Saturday in Ottawa. They’ll open their OFC title defence against the Sooners at Carleton University. They’re back after sitting out last season following the COVID-canceled 2020 campaign.
The Beefeaters’ home opener is set for August 20 (5pm) against the Quinte Skyhawks at City Wide Sports Park. During halftime of that contest, the team will recognize its first inductee into the new London Beefeaters Hall of Fame – the 2001 Beefs squad, led by quarterback Rob Umbelina, All-Canadian Mhoudy Halbouni, and star running back Jason Allison. That team, which returned the Beefeaters to the field after a hiatus, was headed up by coach Mike Circelli.
London will play everyone in the six-team conference between August 13 and October 1, with two games each against Ottawa, St. Clair and the Hamilton Hurricanes. The highlight may very well be the home-and-home against the Saints Sept. 3 in London and Sept. 10 in Windsor.
This year, the title match will go to the home stadium of the Prairie Conference winner. The B.C. and Ontario champions will meet in the national semi-final.
Snyder is excited to get going. Not just for the football action on the field and his coaching duties, but also to see Londoners support another of the city’s successful sports teams.
“There’s no difference between us and junior-level hockey. We want to become London’s football team and support other teams in the city,” the coach said. “We're a community-driven team, and the more we interact with people, the more people will support us.”
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