Marauders are moving up
Middlemost of Dundas and Ticats pick Bencze drafted higher than each anticipated
Small universe, Canadian football, so it’s not surprising Tyson Middlemost will see a familiar face or two when he starts his pro career.
The 22-year-old Dundas native was selected in the fourth round of last Thursday’s CFL draft by the Calgary Stampeders, whose new receivers coach is Marquay McDaniel. He was McMaster’s receivers coach in 2018.
He also played the final half of the season for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats when injuries felled their pass catchers like poplars in a tornado.
“I’ve talked to him already,” says Middlemost, who caught 25 passes last season but turned them into 442 yards.
“I was just happy to be chosen. I actually thought I was going to go later in the draft. It’s not like we got a lot of personal accolades.”
Middlemost is a versatile, and gritty, receiver and comes into a decent situation as the Stampeders are remodelling their Canadian receiving corps with young depth.
Until Stefan Ptaszek returned last fall to reinstall a significant aerial attack, Middlemost’s Mac career had been on a team with other priorities. And now he gets to play “catch this” with Bo Levi Mitchell.
“I feel like our team’s been a defensive-minded one and I think it’d be cool to be in a high-powered offence like that,” he said. “I want to go in and work on not just receiving but on special teams.”
Middlemost played locally with St. Mary, the HMFA Panthers, the Hurricanes and the Junior Tiger-Cats. In Calgary, he’ll join former Marauder Eric Mezzalira, from Cardinal Newman, and defensive co-ordinator Brent Monson, out of St. Thomas More. Middlemost was one of a quartet of reigning Yates Cup champions selected Thursday, and not the only one a bit startled at going earlier than anticipated.
“I was expecting rounds six, seven or eight,” says offensive tackle Joe Bencze, taken by the Tiger-Cats in the fifth round. “It’s especially great going to the Ticats. It’s a great organization, they’ve got great fans and I don’t have to move. I know it’s a long-term thing because I’m so new to the position.”
The Peterborough native had switched from defence only in 2018 and by early in the second game of ’19, he was done for the year with an ACL injury.
But the Ticats likely had a little extra local scouting intel on him and sensed development material in the six-foot-five, 295-pounder. They were already deep in young talent on the offensive line before adding Coulter Woodmansey and Bencze on Thursday.
“I had CFL aspirations, so, when I tore my ACL, it was pretty devastating,” Bencze said. “But I think they saw potential. I’ve probably spent 10 games, total, as an offensive lineman. And my first five games were pretty rough. It was a whole new world for me.”
Bencze went just five spots after offensive linemate Jakub Szott, bound for the Ottawa Redblacks.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic,” Szott said from Toronto. “I’m just hoping to make the team. If I dress, it’d be super, but, if I don’t, I understand. It’s about developing, adjusting to the much greater speed.”
The first Mac player chosen was defensive back Noah Hallett, a second-rounder of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He’ll not only be playing with older brother Nick for the first time in their lives, he’s likely to compete directly against him for what could become a starting safety role.
“We’re really supportive and hope the best for each other,” said Hallett who’s staying with his brother in the family’s London
home. “We know that, whoever wins the battle, we’ve made each other better players.”