:: Sudbury Varsity Gladiators Football ::

Winners on and off the field
KEITH DEMPSEY | THE SUDBURY STAR | AUGUST 11, 2011
Just like he led his team on the field all season long, Daniel Poirier did it off the field on Wednesday night, being named the team's MVP.

Awards were given out to players at the Sudbury Gladiators' fourth annual banquet, held at the Caruso Club.

Poirier, quarterback of the team, put up 1,062 yards and completed 85 of 149 passes this season, for a percentage of 0.570, throwing nine touchdowns, with only one interception, for a passer rating of 96.7.

He orchestrated the offence all season long, helping his team finish at top of the Ontario Football Conference's North Division, with a 5-3 record.

Sudbury made the conference finals before falling 20-17 to the Huronia Stallions.

"It feels good to have this award," Poirier said. "But it's a team effort and I know that if I didn't have the guys on the team that I do, I wouldn't have won. This award moreso represents the guys on the team. It was a good season with a nice group of guys. I like how things were going but I didn't like the end result. We were close this year so next year we might as well go all the way.

Poirier will return to the Gladiators next season, hoping to avenge this season's tough defeat at the hands of the Stallions.

"I'm excited to get back into it next year, but at the same time, it will be bittersweet, knowing that no matter what, it's my last season. Hopefully, I can get the best out of it while I can. It's not even all about me leaving after next season. I want to win so badly because I want the other guys on this team who are leaving after next season to go out on a high note."

"He was stellar, as far as what we ask from a quarterback and a captain," Gladiators head coach Brent Richer said of Poirier. "He was always at practice and he always pushed himself and in games he would run or throw when we needed it. He did very well."

Defensive MVP honours went to Owynn Lahnalampi, who led the Gladiators with 26 tackles.

"For the past two years, I've been sitting at these tables and kind of knowing that it's always the veteran guys, but at the same time, I realized that it's the guys that deserve it the most who get the awards, so hearing my name being called was a pretty good feeling," Lahnalampi said.

"What made this sweeter was that I knew my teammates had my back and are proud of me, I think that's the best part of all of this."

Lahnalampi said the team's heart and dedication throughout the entire season is what helped them to be successful.

"I loved how our team worked this year," he said. "Every single week, we just kept working at it and we kept getting better. I think a lot of the credit for our progress throughout the season has to go to our coaches. They worked us really hard, but they had belief in us and showed us that we were capable of some great things."

This was Lahnalampi's final season with the Gladiators. Knowing that it was his swan song, it's like bad music to his ear.

"It hurts," he said. "It eats at me a bit, because this has become a summer habit for myself."

He currently is attending the University of Toronto and will continue to play football there.

"I'll be back training for university football real shortly," he said. "Just because I'm done here doesn't mean I'm done playing the sport I love."

"This is the end of his three years with us," Richer said. "And in my first year with the team in 2009, he started at the same time as me. I know him very well and he brings an intense workout to practices and games and he's a true linebacker and will even run over his own teammates if he had to. I know guys didn't like him throughout practice but he knew what he to do and he did it very well."

Winning the offensive MVP was wide receiver Liam Thorpe.

Thorpe finished the season with four touchdowns, 22 catches and 348 yards.

"He was our biggest surprise of our season," Richer said. "This was his first season. He was very quiet in Notre Dame for the Alouettes, but he walks onto our field a week after we start camp and leads our team in receiving touchdowns and yards.

"He's quick, he has great hands and nobody can wipe that smile off of his face. He' s always smiling."

Other varsity award winners were kicker Travis Perrin, for special teams player of the year, lineman of the year went to Carter Long and Gladiator of the year was given to wide receiver, kicker and return Alex Carriere.

For the Junior Gladiators, special teams player of the year was awarded to kicker Scott Friesen, offensive MVP was Christian Battistelli, defensive MVP was given to running back Cameron McDonald, lineman of the year was Bauer Negrych, team MVP was Cameron McDonald and Gladiator of the year was Collin Donaldson.

Sudbury Gladiators action photos courtesy of Action Event Photos

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