Cheetahs drop heartbreaker to Cougars

The West Island content on the Vanier College Cheetahs CEGEP AAA football team couldn't help the Cheetahs pull out a victory Saturday afternoon at Concordia Stadium, as the defending Bol d'Or champions fell 15-14 to the visiting Champlain-Lennoxville Cougars.

Vanier head coach Peter Chryssomalis said he was disappointed in a number of his team's veterans after the loss, and said the class of impact first-year players needed more help from the second- and third-year players in order for the Cheetahs to make a run at a third consecutive championship.

"It's simple. Our first-year guys are making plays, but they're not getting any leadership out of our veterans. We need more from those guys, and we need them to make plays. Credit to Lennoxville, because they won the game, but we had a 14-3 lead in the fourth quarter, and we should've won the game," said a visibly perturbed Chryssomalis after the game.

With a 2-2 record after four games, the Cheetahs have already lost more games this year than in 2006 and 2007 combined.

Despite the mixed results so far this year, the Cheetahs have benefited from a large number of West Islanders who have decided to study and play football at Vanier College in recent years, and 2008 is no exception.

A large number of West Islanders are contributing greatly to the Cheetahs' success this year – and a couple of them are the first-year impact players Chryssomalis was referring to.

On offense, Pierefonds resident Vincent Levitt starts at centre for the Cheetahs, while fellow Pierrefonds resident James Sifakis starts at fullback. Other offensive starters with local connections include third-year quarterback Myles Gibbon, who played his amateur football in the North Shore system, and slotback Julien Bailey, who played in the St. Lazare system. In addition, a number of locals are filling reserve roles on offense, including North Shore graduates Kevin Hillier and Travis Martin. Dorval resident Mitch Guarna, who cut his teeth in the LaSalle system, also provides depth at running back.

On defence, former North Shore Mustang Matt Bond starts at safety, while former Mustangs Brandon Tennant (Lachine) and Patrick McLennan (Dorval) figure in the rotation at defensive line. At linebacker, former Mustangs Jesse St. James and William Dansereau provide depth for the two-time defending Bol d'Or champions.

The Cheetahs play their next game on the road against Quebec City's F.X. Garneau next Sunday at 1 p.m., while the Cheetahs return home to take on Montmorency at Concordia Stadium Oct. 18 at 1 p.m.