Alouettes, Lions highlight CFL all-star teams
The Montreal Alouettes and B.C. Lions dominated the Canadian Football League division all-star teams revealed Monday.
Montreal, which finished first in its division with an 11-7 record, claimed 14 of the 27 spots on the East all-star team (nine on offence). The Lions, second in the West at 11-7, had 13 players on their division's team, including seven on defence.
"When you give up the least number of sacks, awards go to the offensive line and when you're the top passing team and have three of the top receivers in the league, they all get rewarded," said Alouettes general manager Jim Popp.
"We're overwhelmed that we had 14. It's fantastic. But when you win the division, you always get more."
The Calgary Stampeders, first place in the CFL overall at 13-5, claimed six spots on the West all-star team: quarterback Henry Burris, running back Joffrey Reynolds, receiver Ken-Yon Rambo, centre Rob Lazeo, cornerback Brandon Browner and kicker Sandro DeAngelis.
"I think we had the best team," said Stampeders senior vice-president of football operations Jim Barker, emphasizing the last word of that sentence. "Football is the ultimate team game.
"That's what we're proud of. We'll gladly take being the best team."
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers had six, the Toronto Argonauts four and the last-place Hamilton Tiger-Cats three all-stars in the East.
In the West, the second-place Saskatchewan Roughriders and fourth-place Edmonton Eskimos had four each.
Quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who led the league with 472 completions and 43 touchdown passes, earned his sixth career East all-star nod, while his favourite receiver Ben Cahoon, who led the CFL with 107 catches, was named for a ninth time.
Other Alouettes on the East team were tailback Avon Cobourne, receivers Kerry Watkins and Jamel Richardson, offensive linemen Josh Bourke, Scott Flory, Paul Lambert and Bryan Chiu, defensive tackle Keron Williams, linebacker T.J. Hill, cornerbacks Mark Estelle and Davis Sanchez and kicker Damon Duval.
A surprise in the East was that Blue Bombers receiver Romby Bryant was left out. But Winnipeg had running back Fred Reid, tackle Dan Goodspeed, defensive linemen Doug Brown and Gavin Walls, linebacker Zeke Moreno and defensive back Kelly Malveaux.
The Lions' all-stars included receivers Paris Jackson and Geroy Simon, tackles Jason Jiminez and Rob Murphy, defensive tackle Aaron Hunt, and rush ends Cam Wake and Brent Johnson.
The teams were selected in voting by 41 members of the Football Reporters of Canada from across the country, the league's eight head coaches and by fans.
The CFL's defensive all-stars will be unveiled on Nov. 12, followed by the offensive all-stars the next day.
"I think the league one will be much more balanced," said Popp. "And I think we have a chance to have as many players on it as anyone."