Carleton Ravens football
| Carleton Ravens | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 Carleton Ravens logo | |||
| First season | 1945 | ||
| Athletic director | Jennifer Brenning | ||
| Head coach | Steve Sumarah 4th year, 15–17–0 (.469) | ||
| Other staff | Jean-Philippe Asselin (OC) Ryan Bechmanis (DC) | ||
| Home stadium | Keith Harris Stadium | ||
| Stadium capacity | 3044 | ||
| Stadium surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Ottawa, Ontario | ||
| League | CIS | ||
| Conference | OUA (2013 – present) | ||
| Past associations | OIFC (1957–1966) CCIFC (1967–1970) OUAA (1971–1973) OQIFC (1974–1998) | ||
| All-time record | – | ||
| Postseason record | – | ||
| Titles | |||
| Vanier Cups | 0 | ||
| Yates Cups | 0 | ||
| Dunsmore Cups | 1, 1985 | ||
| Hec Crighton winners | 0 | ||
| Current uniform | |||
 | |||
| Colours | Black and Red | ||
| Mascot | Rodney the Raven | ||
| Rivals | Ottawa Gee-Gees | ||
| Website | oldcrowsfootball.ca | ||
The Carleton Ravens football team represents Carleton University, which is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The team plays Canadian Interuniversity Sport football in the Ontario University Athletics conference. The Ravens football program started in 1945 and was continuously in operation until 1998 when the program was disbanded. The football program was brought back to the university in 2011 and began play in 2013.[1] The football team has won one conference championship, winning the Dunsmore Cup in 1985 while playing in the Ontario-Quebec Intercollegiate Football Conference.
History
Historically, the Ravens football team first began play just after the Second World War in 1945 and was in continuous operation until the program was dropped in 1998.[2] While the team had some success in the mid-1980s, poor performances and a plan by the Carleton Athletic department to invest more funds in other sports led to the sport being cut after the 1998 season.[3][4] In their history, the Ravens won one Dunsmore Cup conference championship in 1985, but lost in the following Western Bowl to the Calgary Dinos 56 to 14.[5]
Historical regular season results
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Pct % | PF | PA | Standing | Playoffs |
| 1988 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0.000 | 53 | 244 | 6th in OQIFC | Did not qualify |
| 1989 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0.000 | 42 | 289 | 6th in OQIFC | Did not qualify |
| 1990 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0.143 | 83 | 225 | 6th in OQIFC | Did not qualify |
| 1991 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0.143 | 99 | 225 | 6th in OQIFC | Did not qualify |
| 1992 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0.000 | 44 | 237 | 6th in OQIFC | Did not qualify |
| 1993 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0.286 | 94 | 166 | 5th in OQIFC | Did not qualify |
| 1994 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0.286 | 97 | 224 | 5th in OQIFC | Did not qualify |
| 1995 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0.188 | 136 | 221 | 6th in OQIFC | Did not qualify |
| 1996 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0.625 | 137 | 149 | 4th in OQIFC | Lost to Ottawa Gee-Gees in semi-final 28-0 |
| 1997 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.125 | 106 | 174 | 7th in OQIFC | Did not qualify |
| 1998 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.125 | 102 | 187 | 7th in OQIFC | Did not qualify |
Revival
For a number of years, there had been movements to revive the team, but there was no real interest from the university. However, on June 25, 2009, an announcement was made that the Lansdowne Live group, which owns the Ottawa Redblacks, the new Canadian Football League team, was in negotiations with the university to bring back the football program and play at a rebuilt Frank Clair Stadium to be shared with the CFL team and the Ottawa Gee-Gees. Lansdowne Live partner and Ravens alumnus John Ruddy has pledged $2.5 million to provide funding for the program and it would follow the private partnership model that has proved successful both financially and on the field with the Regina Rams and Laval Rouge et Or teams.[7] The program needed to raise a minimum of $5 million in pledge commitments in order to secure final approvals, and establish Old Crows Football Inc. by May 2011 for the team to start play in time for the 2012 season.[8]
While the group closely missed the May deadline, Old Crows Football Inc. and Carleton University announced on July 6, 2011 that the program would return in 2013. The $5 million was raised and the team operates independently by Old Crows Football Inc. as a non-profit corporate entity that will fund and market the program. Renovations to the locker rooms, coaches' offices and Keith Harris Stadium will be paid for by the Old Crows.[1][9] On January 16, 2012, Steve Sumarah was named the team's head coach.[10]
The 2013 team began the new era of Ravens football on September 2 against the Western Mustangs in London, Ontario with a 71-4 loss. They would finish the season with eight losses in eight games as was expected for a program in its first year. In 2014, the Ravens earned the revived program's first win with an away victory against the Waterloo Warriors. Overall, the team finished with a 4-4 record that year, including a memorable Hail Mary Panda Game victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees.[11] In 2015, the Ravens qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the 1996 season with a 5-3 record. They defeated the Queen's Golden Gaels in the first round, but lost to the Guelph Gryphons in the semi-finals. In 2016, the team hosted their first playoff game since 1986, with both games featuring wins over the Ottawa Gee-Gees.[12]
Old Crows season-by-season record
Team records since the program was revived in 2013:
| League Yr | Team Yr | Games | Won | Lost | Pct % | PF | PA | Standing | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2013 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 95 | 390 | 11th in OUA | Did not qualify |
| 2014 | 2014 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0.500 | 199 | 266 | 7th in OUA | Did not qualify |
| 2015 | 2015 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0.625 | 288 | 244 | 5th in OUA | Defeated Queen's Golden Gaels in quarter-final 39-8 Lost to Guelph Gryphons in semi-final 33-21 |
| 2016 | 2016 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0.750 | 318 | 150 | 4th in OUA | Defeated Ottawa Gee-Gees in quarter-final 45-9 Lost to Western Ontario Mustangs in semi-final 51-24 |
Notable Alumni
- Carl Coulter: Played in the Canadian Football League for 15 seasons as a centre, including one-year stints with the Ottawa Rough Riders and Ottawa Renegades. He was a CFL Eastern All-star twice and a CFL All-star once. He was a member of the 87th Grey Cup champion Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
- Michael Allen: Played in the CFL for seven seasons as a defensive back and played with the Ottawa Rough Riders for two seasons. He was a three-time Grey Cup champion.
- Joe Colvey: Played in the CFL for three seasons as a defensive back and was a member of the 64th Grey Cup champion Ottawa Rough Riders.
- Jason Kralt: Played in the CFL for seven seasons as a linebacker including four spent with the Ottawa Renegades. He was a member of the 88th Grey Cup champion BC Lions, but did not play in the championship game due to injury.
- Cameron Legault: Played in the CFL for eight seasons as a defensive tackle, including one year with the Ottawa Renegades. He won the 88th Grey Cup championship as a member of the BC Lions. He also won the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy as the most outstanding Canadian player in the West Division.
- Michael Philbrick: Played in the CFL for nine seasons as a defensive lineman and played one game for the Ottawa Rough Riders after being drafted by the team in 1990. He was named an East Division All-star three times and was a member of the 87th Grey Cup championship team with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
References
- ^ a b http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Carleton+football+veteran+celebrates+team+revival/5060825/story.html Carleton football veteran celebrates team’s revival
- ^ http://arc.library.carleton.ca/exhibits/ravens_football/1940s
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://www.magma.ca/~jhayman/ciau/22carleton.htm
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://www.sportetudiant-stats.com/universitaire/football/classements-1.php
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-08-07. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://www2.carleton.ca/football/
- ^ http://www.cfl.ca/article/ravens-football-to-kick-off-at-carleton-in-2013 Ravens football to kick off at Carleton in 2013
- ^ http://goravens.carleton.ca/go-ravens-news/sumarah-named-new-ravens-football-head-coach/[permanent dead link] Sumarah named new Ravens football head coach
- ^ Last minute Hail Mary play gives Carleton 2014 Panda Game Victory
- ^ Ravens and Gee-Gees set to battle on 30th anniversary of last Carleton postseason victory
- ^ CIS Football Standings
External links
