EDMONTON - Canada West is proud to announce the 2006 conference football All-Stars, as selected by coaches from each of the seven varsity teams.
Highlighting the list are a series of major award winners, including conference Player of the Year Teale Orban (Regina), Outstanding Lineman Jordan Rempel (Saskatchewan), Outstanding Defensive Player Cory Huclack (Manitoba) and Outstanding Student-Athlete, safety Dylan Barker (Saskatchewan).
Orban passed for 2,619 yards and a conference-record 26 touchdowns in eight games, then added 334 yards and two more majors in a playoff game at Manitoba. Rempel, a 6’3’’, 310-pound lineman, helped open holes along the line for Huskies tailbacks Tyler O’Gorman and Scott Stevens, while Saskatchewan quarterbacks were sacked just 12 times during the conference season. Huclack had 47 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a pass break-up for the Bisons, which allowed a league-low 143 points during their 8-0 regular season, and Barker racked up a team-high 47 tackles in his sophomore season, along with one sack, one interception, four defensive break-ups and forced one fumble for the Huskies.
Making the all-Canada West team on offence for a second straight year are inside receiver Terry Firr (Manitoba) and running back Chris Ciezki (UBC) who, in fact, garners his third straight selection. Ciezki was the league’s only thousand-yard rusher, finishing with 1,082. On the defensive side, interior lineman Simon Patrick (Manitoba) and two 2005 All-Star linebackers made the squad again - Huclack and Steve Wilson (Regina). Kick returner Derek Townsend (UBC) rounds out the list of those getting a second straight nod.
Wilson and Patrick are the only repeat winners who received All-Canadian status last season. The Huskies’ Brian Guebert, conference co-sack leader with another All-Star, Alberta’s Dan Bass Jr., makes the ’06 all-conference list after earning a previous selection in 2004. Also back from the 2004 team is Alberta's Jason James.
Chosen unanimously by the seven Canada West coaches for the 2006 All-Star team were Orban, Ciezki and Patrick.
The Regina tandem of Chris Bauman and Chris Getzlaf, ranked one-two in receiving yards with more than 900 each overall, made the squad at wide receiver and inside receiver, respectively, with season all-purpose yards leader, Alberta’s Kendall Jeske (1,286), getting a special teams selection. Interception leader Drew Carpenter (Calgary), who had three of his five picks in the first half of game one against Alberta, and top pass-defender Jordy Burrows of Saskatchewan, also made the roster.
As expected, of the 29 players on the All-Star team, the 8-0 Bisons had the most selections, with seven, while Saskatchewan and Alberta each had six, UBC and Regina four apiece and Calgary and Simon Fraser had one.
Five players on the list are in their fifth and final year of CIS eligibility, seven in are in year number four, nine are in third and eight are in their second season of eligibility. No true freshman made the list.
Here is the complete list of 2006 Canada West football All-Stars, by position, with year of eligibility and program of study (*denotes unanimous selection):
Offence
Quarterback: *Teale Orban, Regina (3rd year of eligibility, Business Administration)
Running Back: *Chris Ciezki, UBC (4th, Arts); Karim Lowen, Manitoba (4th, Physical Education)
Wide Receiver: Chris Bauman, Regina (4th, Campion Science); Aaron Hargreaves, Simon Fraser (3rd, BA Communication)
Inside Receiver Terry Firr, Manitoba (3rd, University 1); Chris Getzlaf, Regina (2nd, Business Administration)
Tackle: Simeon Rottier, Alberta (2nd, Agriculture, Forestry & Home Economics); Jordan Rempel, Saskatchewan (2nd, Agriculture)
Guard: Ryan Dubyk, Alberta (3rd, Education); Hubert Buydens, Saskatchewan (2nd, Arts & Science)
Centre: Terry Watson, Manitoba (5th, Arts)
Defence
Safety: Dylan Barker, Saskatchewan (2nd, Arts & Science)
Cornerback: Jason James, Alberta (5th, Graduate Studies); Drew Carpenter, Calgary (4th, Kinesiology)
Halfback: Neil Ternovatsky, Alberta (5th, Arts); Jordy Burrows, Saskatchewan (2nd, Commerce)
Linebacker: Dan Bass Jr., Alberta (2nd, Native Studies); Cory Huclack, Manitoba (5th, Science); Steve Wilson, Regina (3rd, Kinesiology & Health Sciences)
Interior Lineman: Ryan Thomson, UBC (4th, Applied Science); *Simon Patrick, Manitoba (4th, Arts)
End: Justin Shaw, Manitoba (3rd, University 1); Justin Cooper, Manitoba (tie) (2nd, University 1); Brian Guebert, Saskatchewan (tie) (3rd, Graduate Studies & Research)
Special Teams
Kick Returner: Kendall Jeske, Alberta (tie) (5th, Education); Derek Townsend, UBC (tie) (4th, Science)
Placekicker: Shawn McIssac, UBC (3rd Applied Science)
Punter: Braden Suchan, Saskatchewan (3rd, Commerce)

The battle for the Hardy Trophy, between Manitoba and Saskatchewan, goes at 3:30 p.m. Central Time on Saturday at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg.