OTTAWA (CIS) – Windsor centre Matt Morencie and Regina slotback Jordan Sisco are the Canadian Interuniversity Sport football players selected to suit up in the 85th edition of the prestigious East-West Shrine Game on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. live on ESPN2.
Every year since 1985, CIS players are invited to the all-star showcase which features over 80 of the top university players in the United States. After Calgary offensive lineman Tom Spoletini was selected in 1985, two CIS representatives have made the trip down south annually with the exception of 2008, when four CIS players were invited to the event.
The Shrine Game has been played annually since 1925 to raise funds for Shriners Hospitals for Children and to raise awareness about the expert orthopedic, burn, spinal cord injury rehabilitation, and cleft lip and palate care, available at no charge to patients and families, through the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children.
The impressive list of past CIS standouts invited to the Shrine Game includes current NFL players Israel Idonije (Chicago) and Dan Federkeil (Indianapolis), who starred at Manitoba and Calgary, respectively; Samuel Giguère of Sherbrooke, currently on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice roster; Hec Crighton trophy winners Don Blair of Calgary, Andy Fantuz of Western Ontario, and Jesse Lumsden and Kojo Aidoo, both of McMaster; three Presidents’ trophy recipients as CIS defensive player of the year, as well as 14 J.P. Metras trophy winners as CIS lineman of the year.
The list of NFL greats who played in the event includes Brett Favre, Tom Brady, John Elway and 62 NFL Hall of Famers.
Morencie of Windsor, Ont., is the first Lancer in history to be invited to the classic, while Sisco of Regina is the third Ram to be selected since Regina joined CIS back in 1999. Guard Brendon LaBatte and inside receiver Jason Clermont previously represented the Rams in 2008 and 2002, respectively.
This fall, Morencie became the first Windsor lineman to claim the Metras trophy. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound human kinetics major was selected 21st overall by the BC Lions in the 2009 CFL Canadian Draft but chose to return to school to finish his degree and was recently signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the 2010 season.
Morencie started every game over five campaigns for the Lancers after joining the team as a 17-year-old freshman in September of 2005. He played all five positions on the offensive line, as well as stints at slotback in 2006 and a number of snaps on the defensive line over the past two years. After being named an OUA all-star in 2008, he made the switch to centre this fall and didn’t miss a beat, earning a spot on the first all-Canadian team.
Morencie was one of the big reasons former Windsor teammate Daryl Stephenson, now a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, graduated in 2008 as the CIS all-time leading rusher with 5,163 career yards.
Sisco, who made the move from wide receiver to slotback in 2009, was named to the Canada West all-star team for the second straight year after he led the conference and finished third in the nation with 52 catches. He scored two touchdowns and racked up 700 receiving yards, which was good for third in Canada West and sixth in the country.
The 21-year-old, who is eligible for the 2010 CFL Draft and could return to Regina for a fifth and final university season next year, ranks sixth in Canada West history with 141 career receptions - 32 shy of record holder and former Rams teammate Chad Goldie - and is 11th in career yards with 2,051.
Sisco helped another former teammate, quarterback Teale Orban capture back-to-back Canada West MVP titles in 2006 and 2007. In his freshman campaign in 2006, the arts student was named Regina rookie of the year after he caught 25 balls for 330 yards. The next season, he had 40 catches and led the team with 678 yards, including a single-game Rams record of 228 yards against Alberta.
In Orlando, Morencie and Sisco will get a chance to play for a pair of coaching legends.
The East team will be led by Romeo Crennel, who spent 28 years as an NFL coach and won five Super Bowls as an assistant. Crennel claimed his first two NFL championships in 1986 and 1990 as an assistant with Bill Parcells’ New York Giants and guided the New England Patriots to Super Bowl victories in 2001, 2003 and 2004 as defensive coordinator under Bill Belichik. The NFL’s assistant coach of the year in 2003, Crennel had a four-season stint as head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2008.
Leading the West squad will be Marty Schottenheimer, who spent 21 years as an NFL head coach. His head coaching experience began in 1984 in Cleveland, where he won three division crowns in five seasons with the Browns. He then moved to Kansas City from 1989 to 1998, leading the Chiefs to first or second place in their division in all but one year. After spending one season in Washington, Schottenheimer wrapped up his NFL coaching career in San Diego from 2002 to 2006. He was named NFL coach of the year by the Associated Press in 2004, after winning the AFC West title with a 12-4 record.
For all the information on the 2010 East-West Shrine Game: www.shrinegame.com
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