OFC - Ontario Football Conference

WATERLOO — A local minor football volunteer says he is reluctant to step into the spotlight and so Jim Macarthur has shone the beam on his association instead. Macarthur, of Kitchener, was presented with the Canadian Junior Football League's executive of the year award in Hamilton this past weekend. "I guess they had to put somebody's name on the award," Macarthur said Monday. "But something like this never gets done by one person." Macarthur, the president of the Twin Cities Minor Tackle Football Association, was honoured with the Stewart MacDonald Award for his role in launching the CJFL's newest franchise, the under-23 Twin Cities Predators, this past season. Macarthur serves as the U-23 Preds director of football operations and was chair of the launch committee for the Waterloo-based team. "Typically the award goes to someone who has worked slavishly for years to bring their football team to prominence. But this year, given the success of the Predators . . . the nod has deservingly gone to Jim," Ontario Football Conference president Doug Dittmer said in a release. The U-23 Preds completed their inaugural season with a 2-6 (won-lost) record. But more importantly, the team established itself as a fixture in the local sports community, Dittmer said. "This award recognizes Jim's leadership skills, his ability to work within the community . . . his fundraising capabilities and his passion for football," Dittmer added. The Predators were also congratulated for building regional support from local universities and governments and for their efforts to support local charities, the Dittmer said. "The more people you have involved, the less the work for everyone," Macarthur said of his work assembling the Preds' launch committee. "The more ideas you get and the more exciting it gets for everybody," he said. The Twin Cities football association, featuring some 600 players, has programs for local players from ages five to 23. "With the (U-23) Predators, we've now created a full loop," Macarthur said. Meanwhile, Predators kicker Charles Smith was named the Ontario Football Conference's top punter and kicker. His teammate, Keaton Jones, was named the league's return specialist of the year and Preds outside linebacker Jono Carreiro had a share of the conference lead with 40 tackles through eight league games. Both Smith and Jones have gone overage and are not eligible to return. Team leaders Carreiro, along with quarterback Cory Prince, receiver Timm Van Schyndel, defensive backs Jake Marken and Mark Harris and defensive end Jason Christie will be back next season, a team press release noted. "They are the future of this young team," said Predators head coach Chris Triantafilou. In the recent CJFL championship game, the Saskatoon Hilltops defeated the OFC champion Hamilton Hurricanes 29-1 to claim the Canadian Bowl. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it