Ottowa Sooners: 2009 OFC Champs

[SoonerShark]

http://www.ottawasooners.ca/


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Sooners

The Ottawa Sooners are a Canadian football team based in Ottawa. The team originally played in the Ontario Football Conference of the Canadian Junior Football League. The team had achieved success during its play in the CJFL, winning a total of 4 National Championships (1974, 1979, 1984 and 1992). After 35 years of competition (1960-1995) in the CJFL, the Sooners moved to the Quebec Junior Football League for the beginning of the 1996 season. The Sooners have also achieved a moderate amount of success in the QJFL, winning 3 Manson Cup Championships (1997, 2001 and 2002). The Sooners will once again begin play in the CJFL for the start of the 2009 season. The Sooners have a long history in the city of Ottawa, and while playing in the QJFL they had developed a good rivalry with the Ottawa Junior Riders. Both of these teams now welcome the addition of a third junior football team in the Ottawa area, the Cumberland Panthers.

The Sooners currently play at Keith Harris Stadium located on the campus of Carleton University, but previously played at the Nepean Sportsplex.

[SoonerShark]

http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/football/2009/10/24/11515596.html

Home field translated into no advantage in games between the best two teams in the Ontario Football Conference this season.

The Ottawa Sooners aim to change that Sunday, just when it matters most.

Looking to put an exclamation mark on their first season back in the OFC, the Sooners host the St. Leonard Cougars in the championship (1 p.m.) at Carleton University’s Keith Harris Stadium. The Sooners defeated the Cougars 16-13 in Montreal on Sept. 5, then lost 18-12 at home on Sept. 20.

Both games were basically decided in the last minute.

“The confidence level with the team is pretty high,” Sooners free safety Steve Backer said. “We beat them once already this year and the game we lost to them, we felt that we left a lot of points on the field.

“This time around we plan on converting the opportunities and bringing an OFC title back to Ottawa.”

The Sooners will have both RBs Sean Murphy and Curtis Cates going Sunday. Murphy was injured in last week’s 24-10 semi-final victory over the London Beefeaters in which Cates had two TDs.

The final is expected to be a hard-fought, physical battle.

“We had more guys banged up in the two games we had against them than we did the rest of the year combined,” said Bino Cesario, the Sooners’ associate coach and offensive co-ordinator. “It’s going to be like a war out there.”

Ottawa will be leaning on its strength, the defence, to advance to the regional championships against the Edmonton Wildcats in a game that would be played here next week.

“The whole defence has been great ... the linebackers have been really good,” said Cesario. “We need them to have a good game and stop the run.

“The last time we played (the Cougars), they made a couple of big plays on us. That’s what we want to try and avoid. If we avoid giving up big plays, I think we have a chance to win.”

[SunnySooner]

There's something really wrong with seeing "Sooners" on a black and orange jersey. Did they just swipe from us or ??? Couldn't find any history on the naming for them.

[A-M]

There's something really wrong with seeing "Sooners" on a black and orange jersey. Did they just swipe from us or ??? Couldn't find any history on the naming for them.

They really do need to change those colors.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

Used to be named the Ottowa Rough Riders... oh the humanity! Straight up stealing from Oklahoma state history!

[SbOrOiNaEnR]

Isn't every Canadian football team called the "Roughriders?"

[SoonerShark]

Weren't we the Rough Riders in the early 20th Century?

[soonerP_A_C]

There's something really wrong with seeing "Sooners" on a black and orange jersey. Did they just swipe from us or ??? Couldn't find any history on the naming for them.


Well, it said they started back in 1960... That's the height of the Bud Wilkinson era, wasn't it? We were getting a lot of press then so I wonder if our name was on the mind of whoever decided to name the team? You think?

[SoonerShark]

I would like to have some retro Oklahoma Rough Riders stuff. Some cool designs could be made.

[SoonerShark]

Well, it said they started back in 1960... That's the height of the Bud Wilkinson era, wasn't it? We were getting a lot of press then so I wonder if our name was on the mind of whoever decided to name the team? You think?

It was the tail end of the era, but the 50s were ours so that would be something to emulate in 1960. In the 90s I saw way too many local kids wearing Miami and Florida State stuff.