Bet brought brothers to a new love
High school coach’s hoops challenge converted Cauchy and Henoc Muamba
WINNIPEG — One- on- one challenges against NBA players at the famous Rucker Park tournament in New York give playground regulars a chance to believe they could make the big time.
This was nothing like that: But it was a one- on- one basketball dare by a teacher at a Mississauga, Ont., high school that determined the athletic fate of Cauchy and Henoc Muamba, two fast- rising talents in the Canadian Football League.
The immigrant brothers from The Democratic Republic of Congo were drawn only to basketball when the family moved from Montreal to Mississauga, where both enrolled at Father Michael Gates high school.
“I thought football was a crazy game,” admitted Cauchy, the 25- yearold starting safety for the B. C. Lions who was named the CFL’s Canadian player of the week Tuesday. “I don’t think it’s so crazy now. This is my 10th year playing football, and I’m getting more comfortable. I know what my strengths and weakness are, what I can and can’t do now.”
Cauchy, a year older than Henoc, the starting middle linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers tonight against the Lions, was a jumping bean in high school who won several slamdunk competitions, even though he’s only listed at 5- 11, 196 pounds.
“Cauchy can really elevate, and you saw that the other night against Saskatchewan,” said Gary Waterman, who was that high school teacher and is now the head football coach at St. Francis Xavier University.
Waterman was referring to the first of two interceptions by the Lions safety in a 24- 5 win over the Roughriders. Muamba climbed the ladder to snare a pass attempt away from Chris Getzlaf at the Lions’ 11- yard line.
“Both Cauchy and Henoc are outstanding athletic talents,” said Waterman, who was Muambas’ coach in high school and later at St. FX. “They’ve got great feet, power and explosion. They were built for football. I knew, if I could get them to play the game, they’d do well.”
Trouble was, Cauchy wanted little to do with football. So Waterman, who coached both basketball and football at Father Michael Gates, challenged him to a game of one- on- one hoops in the school gym. If Muamba won, he would stick with roundball. If coach won, Cauchy would be required to come out for football, and drag his younger brother along with him.
“Basketball was our first love, but when Cauchy lost to Coach Waterman, we ended up playing football, and we started liking it,” Henoc said. “We’ve taken it more seriously as the years have gone on.”
Indeed, Henoc, the first overall pick in the 2011 CFL draft, is in his first season as the Blue Bombers’ starting middle linebacker despite his slow development as a rookie last year when he missed eight games with a knee injury.
“It set him back a bit, but he turned out to be our best special teams player,” said Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice. “Now that we’re seven games in [ to the 2012 season], you can see how fast and athletic he is. We felt he’d shown enough to play MAC [ middle linebacker]. You saw what he did last week.”
Henoc had three tackles, one on special teams, and forced two fumbles by the Tiger- Cats that helped to turn the tide in a 32- 25 Winnipeg victory.
Despite the distance from Winnipeg to Vancouver, the Muamba brothers remain extremely close, texting or phoning each other throughout the week to offer encouragement. They spent part of the off- season together in Dallas because it offered better weather and facilities for football training. And it shows.
“We had some good training there,” Henoc said. “I take all the credit for the interceptions Cauchy had last game. I know what he’s capable of, and what type of person and athlete he is. I always knew his potential. It’s a blessing for him and myself to be able to play at this high level.”
“Cauchy was young, probably 15, when I beat him [ in the one- one competition],” Waterman admitted. “I had the veteran experience. I could never beat him now.”
Both the Lions and Blue Bombers would agree, his timing was perfect. Lions Travis Lulay was a very democratic quarterback last game against Saskatchewan, spreading the ball around to nine different receivers. But, with the exception of Arland Bruce, the deepest strikes to his other eight receivers were between eight and 17 yards. Bruce had receptions of 28 yards and a 55- yard touchdown; in both instances, he picked up the majority of his real estate through nifty after- the- catch running ability. Indeed, the 2012 Lions not only have thrown the fewest touchdown passes in the CFL — six — but they have the fewest completions going deep. Only six passes of 30- plus yards have been completed by B. C.’ s offence, which might come as some relief to Jovon Johnson. The Blue Bombers’ allstar cornerback has been beaten badly on deep routes twice this season — by Toronto’s Chad Owens and Hamilton’s Chris Williams.
BRYANT’S BIG DAY
Bryant Turner had a field day the first time the Lions and Blue Bombers met this season, June 29 at BC Place. The defensive tackle from AlabamaBirmingham sacked quarterback Travis Lulay three times — a tremendously significant number, since the Lions’ O- line has allowed only five sacks since then, the eight overall number representing the fewest surrendered in the CFL. “I believe I got one sack against [ rookie Matt] Stormin’ Norman, another against [ Patrick] Kabongo and another against Hamster [ Jon Hameister- Ries]. It was luck, all luck,” Bryant said, with a chuckle. “The big thing about [ Travis] Lulay is he makes plays when he gets out of the pocket. That’s no big secret. The key for any defensive line is keeping him in the pocket. Luckily, it was great pressure from the other guys that brought him straight to me, at the point of escape.”
TEAR IN SUPERMAN’S CAPE
Geroy Simon began his CFL career in Winnipeg in 1999, playing 10 games, making 34 catches, picking up 306 yards but failing to score a touchdown in his debut season with the Blue Bombers. Now, in his 14th CFL campaign, the league’s all- time pass reception yards leader is on the schneid again, touchdownwise. Simon is stuck on 99 career scores and has yet to register a TD this season. The great Lion’s most productive game was his first, against Winnipeg on June 29, when Simon had six catches and 105 yards, among them a 56- yard reception to pass Milt Stegall as the CFL’s career king in reception yards. Yet some observers are beginning to wonder if Simon, who turns 37 next month, has lost some of his ability to separate from coverage and become more of a possession receiver. Doubts will disappear if “Superman” can return to vintage Geroy.