Football: Queen's hopes it has princely pitch-and-catch pair

"Queen's brings an American atmosphere to Canada. They get a lot of fans at their games, and they get a lot of media coverage. That was a plus for me." — Justin Chapdelaine

The news has been out there for a while, but brothers Justin and Matt Chapdelaine, sons of former Vanier Cup-winning coach Jacques Chapdelaine, have signed on with Queen's.

Justin Chapdelaine, a quarterback, was a stellar passer for his B.C. high school team, which went to the provincial final last season. Matt Chapdelaine, a receiver, played for Alberta a couple seasons ago, before encountering concussion problems.

Queen's quarterback Dan Brannagan is entering his fifth season, so there would be an opportunity for Justin Chapdelaine to advance. Between players such as Chapdelaine, Ottawa defensive back Chayce Elliott and Laurier linebacker Mitchell Bosch, there's a steady trickle of B.C. football players coming to Central Canada.

For anyone wondering, Queen's coach Pat Sheahan's teams were 4-3 vs. Jacques Chapdelaine's Laval squads when they were rival coaches from 1997-2000. Concordia beat Laval in the infamous Blackout Bowl (the 1998 O-QIFC final which required two days to complete after it became too dark to play) and also handed the Rouge et Or one of their two losses in 1999, when they went on to win their first Vanier Cup. The circle of life continues.