By Dylan Monico – Contributor

The 2023 season was filled with plenty of ups and downs for Gaiters football. The Gaiters attained their best record (6-2) of the Cherif Nicolas era. They fielded a high powered offense led by second-year quarterback Justin Quirion (Saint-Georges, QC). Quirion finished the year with 1457 passing yards and five touchdowns. A devastating shoulder injury forced Quirion out of the final three regular season games as well as the AUS semifinals against Mount Allison. Fourth-year quarterback Mason McGriskin (North Bay, ON) stepped up in his place and led the team to four consecutive victories. McGriskin would finish the season with 680 passing yards and five touchdown passes. He also proved a true threat on the ground and in short yardage situations, contributing seven rushing touchdowns on the season. He logged four during the regular season, the second-most in the conference.

Third-year running back David Chaloux (Joliette, QC) was an indispensable player in Bishop’s offense. Chaloux’s 1144 all purpose regular season yards ranked sixth in the entire country. Chaloux attacked opposing teams’ defenses in the run game, the pass game and the return game. His career at Bishop’s gathered the attention of the CFL as he was invited to the CFL Invitational Combine in Waterloo.

There were a couple of other stand-out Gaiters among the team. Veteran receiver Oliver Burnett (Fredericton, NB) hauled in six receiving touchdowns on the campaign; the performance tied him in second across the entire country and earned him a conference all-star honours. Up front, a trifecta of conference all-stars led the Gaiters: fourth-year Mitchell Martel (Kirkland, QC), senior Olivier Fournier (Frampton, QC) and last but not least the AUS Rookie of the Year Mikael Pattin (Mandeville, QC). 

As star-studded as the offense was, the Gaiters’ defense deserves recognition for its astounding record. The defense finished first in the entire country in yards allowed per game. On the defensive line, third-year Samuel Robichaud (Quebec City, QC) was a force to be reckoned with. He finished the season with 32 total tackles and five sacks, tying him for second-most sacks in the conference and ranking seventh in the entire nation. He would also add 10.5 tackles for loss, the fourth-highest in the country. Robichaud was congratulated with all-star honours alongside with third-year linebacker Gabriel Royer (Lawrenceville, QC). A leg injury would put the star linebacker out of the final regular season game and the playoffs. Despite this, Royer finished the year with 41.5 tackles, fifth-most in the country, and three interceptions, tying him for the second-most in the country. Royer’s performance over the last three years at Bishop’s landed him a spot at the CFL National Combine in Winnipeg. 

One of the leaders in interceptions in the country is Bishop’s Yani Gouadfel (Mitry-Mory, France). He finished the year with six total interceptions. He returned one interception for a touchdown in the semifinal against Mount Allison, and in the regular season he returned a fumble for an interception. Gouadfel was honored for his accomplishments not only with a conference all-star but also an invitation to the CFL Invitational Combine. In essence, 2023 was one of the most successful seasons in a while for Gaiters football. A 6-2 record and at one point a ranking of 10th nationally is certainly an outcome the Gaiters will look to build on in 2024.