Pelly, Festeryga take home Dal football awards

By Henry Whitfield, Staff Contributor

With the snow melting and football players excited to get back on the field, the Dalhousie Football team handed out it’s end of season awards last week.

In its inaugural season the football team managed to finish second in the Atlantic Football League and galvanized the students, alumni and community, bringing out crowds that Wickwire field has not seen in recent memory.

With alumni on hand, including former head coach Merv Shaw and standout players Eric Thomson, Reg Cluney, Bob Lewington and Peter Corkum, the team celebrated it’s successes on the field.

In a season where all the players were rookies in a sense, the rookie of the year went to first-year player Steve Fox, a fan favourite throughout the season.

The defensive player of the year was awarded to Phil Benda, a player that lead the team in tackles despite never having played competitive football.

Not surprisingly, special teams player of the year went to the electrifying Greg Pelly, who had a number of touchdowns on punt returns, including in the championship game.

Both Jeff Pond, president of the football team, and Jim Wilson, the administrative force behind bringing football back to Dal, praised the team and supporters for what was a successful first season. They also challenged the team to continue to push themselves and be even better next season.