Football: OUA all-star defence loaded with Laurier; Brannagan-Faulds debate unsettled

Rob Pettapiece resolved the great Faulds-Brannagan debate a couple weeks ago, but to draw out the suspense the OUA held off on naming a first-team quarterback until it announces its award winners Thursday. Whoever gets it is also the first-team all-star.

That's why both quarterbacks are listed separately. Anyhow, Laurier also had six first-teamers on defence, where no other school had more than four players recognized in total.

The Niagara region also accounted for all three first-team linebackers (Chmielewski from St. Catharines and Rapanaro and Surla from Niagara Falls) and a defensive halfback, Guelph's James Savoie, who plays a bit like a linebacker. Here's the OUA selections:

Offence

• Quarterback — Dan Brannagan, Queen’s and Michael Faulds, Western
• Running back — Nick Fitzgibbon, Guelph and Nathan Riva, Western (Mike Montoya, Laurier and Jordan Wilson-Ross, Ottawa)
  
• Wide receiver — Cyril Adjeity, Ottawa and Nick Trevail, Western (Jedd Gardner, Guelph and Dustin Zender, Waterloo)
• Inside receiver — Dillon Heap, Laurier and Scott Valberg, Queen's (Steve Hughes, Ottawa and Nick Pasic, Western)
• Tackle — Ryan Bomben, Guelph and Matt O'Donnell, Queen's (Josh Buttrill, Western and Mike Sewell, McMaster)
• Guard — Justin Glover, McMaster and Matt Norman, Western (Adam Bestard, Laurier and Vince DeCivita, Queen's)
• Centre — Matt Morencie, Windsor (Dan Bederman, Queen's)
• Punter — Rob Maver, Guelph (Dave Sevigny, Waterloo)
  
• Placekicker — Rob Maver, Guelph (Dan Village, Queen's)
  
• Kick returner — Dillon Heap, Laurier (Jimmy Allin, Queen's)
  

Defence

• End — Paul Hancock, Laurier and Osie Ukwuoma, Queen's (Steve Cecchini, McMaster and Seamus Postuma, Windsor)
• Tackle — Stephen Cormack, Laurier and Sébastien Tétreault, Ottawa (Chris Greaves, Western and Grant MacDonald, Guelph)
  
• Linebacker — Ryan Chmielewski, McMaster and John Surla, Western (Mike Cornell, Ottawa and Adam Dunk, Guelph)
  
• SAM linebacker — Giancarlo Rapanaro, Laurier (Connor Elliot, Western)
  
• Cornerback — Taurean Allen, Laurier and Jimmy Allin, Queen's (Chayce Elliot, Ottawa and Cody Lynch, McMaster)
  
• Halfback — James Savoie, Guelph and Jordan Van Horn, Laurier (Byron Metcalfe, McMaster and David Rooney, Queen's)
  
• Safety — Courtney Stephen, Laurier (Craig Butler, Western)
  
• Rush/Cover — Stephen Laporte, Queen's (Carlos Naranjo, Laurier)