by John Austen

“Strong legs run so that weak legs may walk.”

That’s the motto of the annual Shrine Bowl charity football game, which sees Montreal’s two university teams — the Concordia Stingers and McGill Redmen — lock horns to raise money for the Shriners Hospital for Children. This year’s game will be played on Saturday at the Concordia Stadium, beginning at 1 p.m.

“We always look forward to playing against McGill, and of course, it’s all about raising money for the kids,” said Stinger head coach Gerry McGrath. “I’m sure there will be a big crowd on hand. Montrealers should support university football and a cause like this.”

The Stingers will be riding a big high after opening the season last Sunday with a 20-8 upset win over the Laval Rouge et Or before more than 18,000 fans in Ste. Foy. Laval was the No. 2 ranked team in Canada before the game. Meanwhile, McGill was beaten 12-8 by the Bishop’s Gaiters on Saturday.

Last year’s Shrine Bowl between McGill and Concordia produced a record charitable donation of $50,102 in net proceeds for the hospital.

The Montreal Shrine Bowl began 14 years ago, when Stingers coach Skip Rochette and Grant Peterson, a Karnak Shriner, helped plan the event, trying to duplicate the successes of similar games held in the U.S.

This Bowl game not only increases awareness of the Shriners Hospital and its free treatment of burn victims and disabled children, but it also showcases the caliber of Canadian university football.

Among the former Shrine Bowl participants are three players who went on to play in the National Football League, including Concordia’s Mark Montreuil and McGill’s J.P. Darche and Randy Chevrier. Others include four players with the Montreal Alouettes, including ex-McGill stars Michael Soles (a two-time Shrine Bowl MVP) and offensive lineman Ryan Coughlin, plus former Concordia standouts André Bolduc and Sylvain Girard.

One of the players that football fans will get to see this year is veteran Stinger quarterback Jon Kronemeyer. Kronemeyer, 22, is six foot three and weighs 196 pounds. McGrath says his main quarterback is healthy and ready to go.

“Jon has come a long way since he first arrived here as a 17-year-old,” said McGrath. “He had a tough time last year, but he wasn’t the only one. He’s a great kid with lots of talent. If he can get a good start there is no telling how far he and the rest of his teammates can go.”

Kronemeyer, who is specializing in Leisure Sciences, says he’s not making any predictions.“I think our downfall last year was predicting this and predicting that,” he said. “I do know that if we stay mentally focused we’ll be competitive.”

Second-year Stinger Christian Giguere is also optimistic. “I love it in Montreal,” said the native of St. George de Beauce. “And I’ll love it even more if we can win a lot of football games this year. We have a good team, and the players and coaches should be more in sync this season.
We just want to get on with it. Hopefully, a lot of people will be talking about the Concordia Stingers this year.”