Feature: special teams coaches

Before the 2019 OUA season even got under way, expectations were high for Gryphon Football’s special teams unit. The group was a microcosm of the whole program, an important component of a sqaud that had new faces under different leadership. Special Teams Coordinator Donnavan Carter, who came back to Guelph this past winter for his second stint as a Gryphon coach, knew the potential of the group regardless of the changes – and he made a bold prediction when the players were working hard in the summer preparing for the season ahead.

“We had a competitive environment at training camp and that certainly helped,” says Coach Carter, noting the confidence his players displayed early. “I told the guys that I thought we had the potential to have double-digit return touchdowns.

“They looked at me like I was crazy. But they started to believe after Week 3.”

In this new era for the program, the special teams unit led by Carter and veteran kicking coach Daniel Ferraro was among one of the most pleasant surprises. That prediction Carter had in August didn’t look so impossible after rookie sensation Clark Barnes took Guelph’s first touch of the season to the house with a 100-yard kick-return TD on the opening kickoff of the Week 1 game versus McMaster.

Barnes, a 6-2, 200-pound transfer from the University of Maine, bettered that play the following week with a 106-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff against Carleton in a Week 2 win. And the Brampton, ON native incredibly added a third straight kickoff return for a score the following week in Guelph’s 53-19 dismantling of York. 

Barnes would go on to lead the team with 486 kick return yards, helping the Gryphons pace the OUA with a 26.4 yards per return average. It was especially gratifying for Carter to see. The coach had recruited Barnes from Brampton’s St. Marguerite d’Youville, where he saw the Gryphon rookie score on a return touchdown in a playoff game when the elite athlete was in grade 12.  

It was apparently a harbinger of things to come.

 “Clark had a sensational year,” says Carter, a Brampton native himself. “He was very good at hitting it at full speed and taking advantage of that moment when the hole is there.”

The unit proved to be loaded with talent. Fourth-year defensive back Jason Richards flashed his impressive speed during the season and second-year receiver Kiondre Smith showed an ability to impact games either returning the ball or simply making big plays, like when he scored two critical touchdowns in an emotional 27-24 win over Queen’s in Kingston.

The 2019 season suggested that the future is bright for this group.

“It started in the spring,” says Carter, who motivates his players by reinforcing the idea that great special teams play can be a route to professional football. “We implemented a lot of drills that we knew would lead to good things on special teams and become better players in space, which is difficult. We continued that into training camp, which was the building blocks of a lot of the success we had in the return teams and the coverage units.

“Bring your hard hat and come to work.”

One of the team’s biggest changes came in the kicking game. For the first time in a decade, there was no Ferraro on the field making the kicks that mattered. But second-year kicker/punter Eric Stranz smoothly made the transition to starter after the departure of school legend Gabe Ferraro, who embarked on his CFL career in Saskatchewan this year.

“We had a very good year in the kicking game and on special teams in general,” says Coach Daniel Ferraro. “I was very proud of Eric this season. He handled the pressure really well. It’s always difficult in your first year starting but he showed a lot of poise and confidence.”

Stranz, a native of Ayr, ON, was great in his debut, drilling 14 of 17 field goals with an impressive longest make of 47 yards. He was also perfect on all 27 of his point-after attempts. Stranz had the privilege of being coached by one of the best and the Ferraro mantra of simply narrowing your mental energy on the kick ahead proved to be successful.

“My biggest message is to only focus on the things that they can control,” says Ferraro. “Focus on going one-for one. When it comes down to it, the kicker can only take two steps, swing his leg, and trust it. Trust that he has practiced his technique enough to know he’s doing it the right way. Trust the snapper, trust the holder, trust your teammates, and trust your coaches.

“You can’t win a championship or become an all-star with one kick so the challenge becomes going one-for-one over and over again.”

Ferraro and Carter collaborated closely all year to ensure the Gryphon special teams was operating at its peak. The two coaches coordinated every practice and before they hit the field, they would dissect film of the upcoming opponent to show the scout team. Once game day arrived, it was all about being prepared for every situation.

“We talked about how our kicker is feeling that day and what his range looks like,” says Ferraro. “We talk about the other team’s kicker/punter so that we can get a feel of how we think he’ll perform. And we also talked about the weather and different situations that could affect the special teams game.”

“We have to be in communication daily,” Carter says of his contact with Ferraro. “Practice time is limited. We have to get our carve of the pie and get enough time to prep these guys for every situation. That’s what makes special teams so difficult – it’s the amount of time you have. You have to cover a wide range of things that can happen in a football game that they have to be prepared for and able to react in a positive manner.”

And there were certainly many positives for the retooled unit in what was a successful 2019 season. Now that it’s over, the focus switches to offseason work. For Ferraro, that’s an opportunity to help Stranz reset, concentrate on fundamentals, and fine-tune the mental aspect of the game that is so crucial to that position.

Carter adds that now is the time to put energy into player development and recruiting. The coaches will make sure players are doing well academically and are getting their workouts in. Carter is already organizing playbooks for next year and preparing manuals for clinics.

It’s undoubtedly a 12-months-a-year job. But Guelph’s special teams leaders are more than up for it given the carrot dangling in front of them. Carter came back to Guelph to be part of the new culture being established by Coach Ryan Sheahan and most importantly, to win championships.

“We’re definitely not satisfied,” says the coach. “We think we had a good start but we want to get to the top.

 “We want to be playing late into November.”

Written by: david dicenzo