Football: Catching up with a couple ex-coaches

Some names familiar to football fans in Eastern Ontario were in the news today.

The Ottawa Citizen ran a feature on the Ottawa Sooners' return to the Ontario Football Conference (and Canadian Bowl competition) after a 13-season absence. Former Ottawa and York coach Andy McEvoy, a star Sooners quarterback in the 1980s before going on to fulfill a similar role with the Gee-Gees, has returned as coach.

Meantime, long-time Queen's assistant coach Bob Mullen, who was one of the country's most well-regarded defensive co-ordinators during the 1990s, has the Kingston G-Men poised to make the playoffs in the Ontario Varsity Football League's junior division after going 0-8 in 2008. Former Queen's coach Bob Howes, who was the centre on five Grey Cup-winning Edmonton Eskimos teams in the 1970s and '80s, is also the G-Men's linebackers coach.

Mullen was a career Golden Gael, playing on the 1978 Vanier Cup team and helping coach the '83 runners-up and the '92 national champs. Speaking as someone who covered his final home game (Oct. 14, 2000, a 41-40 victory over Western, Queen's only W that season), it's gratifying to see Mully imparting his wisdom and love of the game to another generation of footballers.

Meantime, things are looking up for football in the region. The return of the Sooners, potential dual return of the Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Rough Riders in 2012 and Team Ontario East winning the U17 Football Canada Cup last week in Saskatoon are all encouraging signs. Ontario East QB Dallon Kuprowski, of Kanata, was offensive MVP. Three other Ottawa-area players, receiver Jamahl Charles, offensive tackle Jeff Veinotte and defensive back David Nsabua, also made the U17 all-star team.

Most Ottawa region users are no doubt well-aware that Capital Region Football Blog is an excellent source of info.

This is also good time to note that the Bleeding Tricolour posts that have been a staple of Out of Left Field for the past three seasons will probably be here exclusively this season. At first, it seemed best to spare this site's readership the ravings borne out of a childhood attachment to the Golden Gaels, but there's something to be said for consolidating coverage under one banner, too. Besides, users always have the option to scroll down to the content they prefer to read.

Related:
It's a double renaissance for Sooners; Ottawa back in CJFL with former player Andy McEvoy at the helm (Darren Desaulniers, Ottawa Citizen)
G-men defence doesn't rest (Patrick Kennedy, Kingston Whig-Standard)
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