Back in the red and black
Migneault, Desmet return to Raiders for final junior season

Michael Rhode - Daily News
Monday, May 11, 2009

Dear Players and Coaches,

The Vancouver Island Raiders preach family values within their team. Teammates are like brothers; coaches like extended fathers.

So when Raiders from the past, linebacker Lucas Desmet and quarterback Marc Migneault, decided to return to the team to play out their final season of junior football, well, they were welcomed with open arms.

Both were in town over the weekend as more than 90 players took part in the Raiders annual spring football camp at Nanaimo District Secondary School field.

Both Desmet, a Calgary product, and Migneault, who hails from North Battleford, Sask., were members of the 2006 Canadian Bowl national junior football championship squad. Migneault left the team to attend the University of Alberta in 2007, while Desmet played for the Raiders the next season as well, opting to attend St. Mary's University in Halifax last year.

Migneault's tenure at the Edmonton school was not a good experience, he said. Last year, he didn't play football at all, opting to focus on work.

For his final year of junior eligibility, there was only one place he wanted to play.

"I wasn't happy doing what I was doing so I wanted to switch things up and live out my last year of junior football," said Migneault. "There wasn't any other program I was willing to play for. You come to a first-class organization when you come out here. I learned that my first two years. They treat you more like a son out here."

Desmet said his year at school was a good experience but Raiders coach Matt Blokker didn't have to use any strong-arm tactics to get him back to the west coast.

"He didn't have to twist (my arm) very hard," said Desmet, who said the Raider 'family' is one of many reasons he decided to come back.

As far as camp itself, Blokker had a chance to see the veterans and crop of newcomers work out over three days, which culminated with an intersquad game on Sunday, as he tries to shape the squad that will try and defend the Canadian Bowl national championship, starting Aug. 1.

To say the coach was impressed would be an understatement. In fact, more time to gauge players would have been useful.

"With the amount of kids we had and the talent level of the young kids that we had there, I could have used another two or three days to watch them all," said Blokker. "It was fun and competitive, it was intense. The camp grew from practice to practice. That's all you can ask from spring camp."

One area Blokker was paying particular attention to was the defensive line.

The front four lost graduating players Rueben Friesen and Kyle Carbert from last season although veterans Josh Williams, Greg Akinola, Nick Woznesensky and Theodore Ash are all back this season.

"We didn't know where we stood with guys and we didn't know if we had much depth," said Blokker, After camp, I know we're going to have a great defensive line. We have great depth there. Our D-line coach, (Bryan Wylie) worked his butt off recruiting his own guys."

The Raider players will continue workouts Sunday nights at Merle Logan field.

Main camp starts July 9 with the season opener Aug. 1 at Nanaimo's Caledonia Park against the Kamloops Broncos.

MRhode@nanaimodailynews.com

250-729-4228
© The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2009