Wednesday, December 6, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER . D1 S p o ris W e d n e s d a y 829-0018 One number. 24 hours a day 2 4 H our G ood N eighbor Service" Im ln M M k k m ilM ( r f a U M t S a trn ^ Otfaa Andrew Heideman 829-0018 An O akville Beaver Feature Editor: NORM NELSON Phone:845-3824, ext 255 Fax:337-5567 E-mail:nnelson@haltonsearch.com Photos by Peter C. McCusker In time, the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders may appreciate being second best in all o f O ntario, but there was nothing but heartbreak Saturday night at M cM aster University as they were narrowly beaten, on a couple o f last second foul shots, 34-32, by now three-tim e defending provincial cham pion St. M ary's. INSET PHOTO: both Katie Donovan (#20) and Kara Lang (#15) pounce on a rebound. Second best in Ontario By Norm Nelson BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR St. Thomas Aquinas senior girls basketball team couldn't stop the St. M ary's juggernaut on its way to a third straight provincial high school title at M cM aster U niversity in Hamilton on Saturday night. But what the Raiders can take consolation in -- or per haps it might make it tougher to take -- is that the juggernaut didn't roll over them so much as barely topple over them, 3432, on the strength of a couple of opportunistic foul shots in the dying seconds. It was the only lead o f the fourth quarter held by the pow erhouse St. M ary's team from Hamilton which, in its threeyear reign, has posted a 108-2 record, and one o f those losses was to Aquinas in the recent Golden H orseshoe Athletic (See 'Aquinas' page D3) Aidoo named Canada's top university football player By Kathy V^nchus SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER ______ League. Kojo Aidoo, the country's top university football play er, knows absolutely what he wants and he recognizes that to achieve his ultimate goal, he will have to work for it. "I know I have to work a lot hard er," says the 22-year-old McMaster Marauders running back, who, last Thursday at the Enbridge AllCanadian Awards Dinner in Toronto, was named this year's recipient of the Hec Crighton Award, symbolic of the most outstanding university football player in Canada. "I haven't reached what I think I'm capable of yet. I set a lot of goals for myself, high reaching goals." With the depth of his prowess on the football field ever improving, his awards and records accumulating, his strong work ethic and his enviable support network from family, friends and coaches, his future brush with professional football may be inevitable. "He is not even the best player he can be yet," said Aidoo's former Loyola high school football coach, H is "ultimate" goal is to play in the National Football Pat Daly. "He can go as far as he wants to if he's willing to push him self." Just two years removed from being named the CIAU rookie of the year in 1998, this six-foot, 235 pound power runner ploughed his way into the CIAU and OUA record books. His 20 touchdowns was a new OUA record and the second best alltime in the CIAU behind Paul Brule who compiled 21 majors for St. Francis Xavier in 1967. His 1,329 yards rushing was another new mark in the OUA and fifth best, all-time, in the CIAU. Only two players have bettered that mark, Akbal Singh of the University of British Columbia with seasons of 1,377 and 1,415 and Eric Lapointe of Mount Allison with sea sons of 1,515 and 1,619. Thee times this season, the 21year-old geography and psychology student rushed for more than 200 yards in a game. His remarkable exploits played a large part in leading the McMaster Marauders to their first ever Yates Cup Championship (OUA) title and a new CIAU record of 325 points scored. Mac was ousted in the national semifinals by Ottawa Gee Gees who Photo Special to the Beaver Kojo Aidoo wins Hec Crighton went on to win the Vanier Cup this past Saturday, 42-39 over the Regina Rams. Aidoo made all-Canadian as first team running back and he was joined by a number of his Mac teammates, quarterback Ben Chapdelaine and inside receiver Ryan Janzen on the first team and wide receiver Mike Linton and offensive guard Ryan Donnelly on the second team. Aidoo was also an OUA first-team all-star as was his brother, rookie Kwame Aidoo at com er back. Oakville's Mike Kaslauskas made OUA second team at centre. Despite his strong showing, Aidoo was up against stiff competition for the Crighton: Ottawa Gee-Gees quar terback Phil Cote, Calgary running back Dean Fisher and St. M ary's quarterback Ryan Jones. "I was surprised. I know I had a good season but I also knew the kinds of seasons the other guys (nominees) had too, and I just didn't know. I was nervous." With his dad in the audience, Aidoo heard his name reverberate off the walls. In his acceptance speech, he said he would have traded his award for the Vanier Cup trophy, a game he had to watch from the spec tator stands. "It was hard watching it. Man, we would have had some fun." They certainly had fun throughout the season, taking the Mac football club to the national semis for the first time. "There were a lot of highlights like the coach first letting me know I would be doing a lot of work this sea son, carrying the ball a lot more. "That motivated me because I did n't want to disappoint anybody. And my brother playing with us (20-year- old Kwame Aidoo), that was a big motivational factor." Aidoo has one more year to com plete his social science degree and plans to return to the field next year in his quest for the Vanier Cup. "I think for him personally, it's a tremendous accomplishment to be named the most outstanding player in the whole country," said Daly, who follows his former student's exploits on the field. "From the perspective of knowing him for several years, it's exciting to see a kid do well after high school." Aidoo's presence at the university level was evident in his rookie sea son, an unusual feat not just to play the first year, but to make such a dif ference to the team, said Daly. "He has improved tremendously over the last three years and that's due to coaching at McMaster. I have a lot of respect for the coaching staff there and he has worked hard." The leap from high school football to the university game is a big transi tion; from university football to the pros," even more so," said Daly, adding that he has every confidence that Aidoo will be trying out for some pro team in the future, if that's what he wants to do. 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