By Brendan McConnell
When the game clock ticked down to zero and the Myers Riders made history as Ottawa’s first-ever Ontario Varsity Football League champions, quarterback Nick Gorgichuk immediately ran for the stands and gave the game ball to Sandy Ruckstuhl, the club president who’s backed the team for over 30 years.
“I’m getting older and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to stay involved,” Ruckstuhl signals. “It was a big thrill to finally win it, and that was a really nice thing for me – those kids were very excited for me too.”
The exchange between Gorgichuk and Ruckstuhl was a poignant moment – a current star player honouring a figure who helped build the strong foundation, while bringing local football to new levels himself.
And it reflected the state of Ottawa football as a whole in 2013 – a proud past and deep roots worth celebrating, with the potential to grow further to new and greater levels.
The Carleton Ravens rose from the ashes and returned to Canadian Interuniversity Sport football on Sept. 2, and the Ottawa RedBlacks are set to do the same next summer in the Canadian Football League.
Football has remained exceptionally strong at the grassroots levels in the intermittent years without those two major teams, however – starting with the National Capital Amateur Football Association for youth players, right up to the city’s junior football clubs.
“The Ottawa area has seen a steady improvement in the quality of football over the past few years,” says NCAFA president Stephen Dean, whose association boasts an enrollment of 4,000+ athletes across all of their programs. “You can see evidence of this in the number of players who come through the NCAFA and participate in high school, junior and CIS programs.
“NCAFA is a critical element in player and coaching development and is responsible for laying the foundation to not only grow the sport, but to improve it as well.”
Community enthusiasm high
With a strong grassroots presence in Ottawa already established, the question, therefore, is how much the sport will further prosper thanks to the reintroduction of the prominent elite teams.
Josh Sacobie, the former University of Ottawa Gee-Gees star quarterback who’s now receivers coach for the Ravens, agrees that the true strength of the Ottawa football community will be seen in the collaboration between organizations at all levels of play – community engagement and a love of the sport, he says, are two things that will benefit everyone involved.
“I think it will have a great impact on the sport in Ottawa,” Sacobie says, predicting even more local prospects will move on to play CIS, NCAA and even pro football in the years to come. “People tend to connect more with higher level play, so I think it’s a way to attract more young football players to the sport.”
The Ravens, who focused the early stages of their recruitment process during the off-season on locking down local talent, have benefited from the support of a dedicated university as well as a community that’s thrilled to see another team suit up for Ottawa.
“There’s a sense of excitement for sure,” Sacobie says on the eve of the first game back at Carleton on Sept. 7. “It’s becoming more obvious now as we get closer to our home opener. It’s been gone for 15 years now so it’s been good to know that people are starting to catch on.”
Myers Riders junior varsity coach Matt Kassner has for years seen first-hand the quality of football player and coach Ottawa can produce.
“I think football is really a growing sport in Ottawa and I can tell by the numbers I’ve seen rise over the years at our tryouts,” says Kassner, who grew up playing for the Riders, spent two years playing for the Gee-Gees and is now their offensive assistant. “It’s where all the quality is and it’s definitely improving each and every year.”
Dedication spurs riders triumph
The Riders’ OVFL campaign was the club’s best yet, as its three squads all reached their league championship games on Aug. 17, with the varsity and bantam squads both topping Niagara, and Kassner’s JV team falling to Cambridge.
“It was really overwhelming,” highlights varsity coach Max Palladino, who is salivating at the young west-end talent that will move up in future seasons to play for his OVFL squad or his Jr. Riders, also championship contenders this year. “It’s phenomenal. Those young kids are what we look to build on.”
In his many years watching local football, Ruckstuhl observes that the big reason the sport continues to rise in Ottawa is due to the passion and dedication of individuals who stay involved in growing the game after their playing days are complete.
“It takes a lot of effort and a lot of hard work by a lot of volunteers,” the 69-year-old emphasizes. “There’s nothing better for me than to see a kid grow up playing here, go to university, and then come back and say, ‘Gee, I’d like to coach.’
“Ottawa has really flourished here.”
— with files from Dan Plouffe