Ricky Clarke of the Toronto Raiders has just completed his 4^th season in the Northern Football Conference.  Coming into the 2008 season, he had amassed 7 All Star nods and racked up 5 Awards.  Those numbers increase to 9 and 7 respectively in 2008 as Clarke was tabbed as the Co-M.V.P., Special Teams Player of the Year for the third straight time and earned two All Star nods at Receiver and Punt Returner based on votes cast by the League’s players and coaches. 

Veteran Brandon Lewis of the League finalist Sault Steelers earned his 12^th All Star nod on the Defensive Line to go along with his selection as Defensive Lineman of the Year.  Clarke tied with Tri City’s Ian Forde for the M.V.P. nod in the first such tie for this honour since 1963 when John Clifford and Burch Dupuis of the Sturgeon Falls Bombers split the honour for the only other time.  The Lineman of the Year award has been split into Offensive and Defensive this season.  The anchor of the Champion Outlaws offensive line, Lee Becker, earned that spot while the above noted Brandon Lewis continued his winning ways on the defensive side with his 9^th nod.

The League Champion Tri City Outlaws and finalist Sault Ste. Marie Steelers led the way with 6 All Star nods each followed by the Milton Marauders and Oshawa Hawkeyes with 3 apiece while the Kingston Privateers and Toronto Maddogs racked up 3 All Star kudos.  The Outlaws led the Awards parade with 3 selections while Milton and the Toronto Raiders earned 2 awards each.

2008 also sees the continued recognition of Second Team All Stars.  The complete listing of those earning honours is below:

Most Valuable Player             Ricky Clarke – Tor. Raiders     2^nd honor, also won in 2005

                                               Ian Forde – Tri City                  1^st honor

Offensive Player of the Year   Jeff Nosal – Tri City       Also cited in 2006

Defensive Player of the Year  Craig Davoren - Milton Also honored in 2003 and 2005

Offensive Lineman                 Lee Becker – Tri City   First year for award

Defensive Lineman                Brandon Lewis – Sault  8 time winner of previous Lineman of the Year

Rookie of the Year                 Dennis Lyte - Milton     First Marauder to be so honoured

(Leo Troy Memorial)

Coach of the Year                   Clarke Stewart – Tor. Maddogs Second time a Maddogs coach wins honor

(Sid Forster Memorial)

Special Teams Player             Ricky Clarke - Raiders Third straight time for this award

(Mike Jackson Memorial)    

Leading Scorer                       Josh Gauthier – Sault   First three timer for this since 1994

(August Kangro Memorial)   

Championship Game M.V.P.   Jon Nedeljkovic – Tri City        Also honoured in 2006

                                                Andrew Dashper – Tri City       First honour

Quarterback               Jeff Nosal – Tri City                             First selection at position

Running Back             Josh Gauthier – Sault                           2007

                                    Matt Browning – Sarnia *                  First selection

                                    Evan Davis – Oshawa   *                     First selection

Receivers                    Dan Brownlee - Kingston                     First selection

                                    Ricky Clarke – Raiders                       2006, 07

                                    Ian Forde – Tri City                              First selection

                                    Damian Hannaford                                First selection

Offensive Line             Lee Becker – Tri City                           2007

                                    Chris Marshall - Oshawa                      2006, 07

                                    Mike Miller – Milton                             2001, 03, 07

                                    Rob Rochester – Kingston                    First selection

                                    Bill Jurich – Sault *                               2007

                                    Ashton Young – Sault *                        First selection

Punter                         Sean Spencer - Maddogs                      First selection at position

Punt Return                Ricky Clarke – Raiders                          2005, 06, 07

                                    Kyle Gauthier – Sault                           First selection

Kicker                         Josh Maveety - Kingston                       First selection

Kick Return               Kwadwo Adusei – North Bay First selection

Defensive Line           Brandon Lewis – Sault              1996,98,99,2000,01,02,03,04,05,06,07

                                    Gord Campbell - Sault              2007

                                    Anton Collymore – Maddogs     First selection

                                    Jason Tomlinson – Tri City       First selection

Linebackers               Mark Armstrong – Tri City                     2007

                                    Craig Davoren - Milton                         2005,07

                                    Delroy George – Oshawa                     1995,96,97

                                    Sean Spencer – Maddogs                     2004,06,07

Defensive Back         Jahmeeks Beckford – Tri City                  First selection

                                    Dennis Lyte – Milton                            First selection

                                    Sean Weathers – Oshawa                    2005,06.07

                                    Norm Yellowman - Sarnia                  First selection

* indicates tie for the position

Quarterback                 Darrell Wood – Sault Ste. Marie

                                   Kelly Hughes – Milton

Running Backs             Jon Nedeljkovic – Tri City

Receivers                     Chad Murray - Kingston

                                    Vaughan Swart – Oakville

                                    Gifford Rose - Oshawa

                                    Kyle Gauthier – Sault Ste. Marie

                                    Kareem Pollydore – Toronto Maddogs

Offensive Line                Dave Copeland – Oakville

                                    Michael Sherwin – Toronto Maddogs

                                    Jeremy Thorp – Toronto Raiders

                                    Tom Reynolds – Tri City

                                    John Irwin – Kingston

                                    Craig Boyd – Kingston

                                    Aaron Heideman – Kingston

                                    Kirk Giffin – Oshawa

                                    Nick Moran – Sault Ste. Marie

Punter                          Jeff Gummersell – Kingston

                                    Rob Horstman – Oshawa

                                    Boris Dobrusin – Toronto Raiders

Punt Return                  Loxley Prince – Toronto Maddogs

Kicker                          Domenic Camastro – Tri City

Kick Return                  Josh Gauthier – Sault Ste. Marie

                                    Ian Forde – Tri City

Defensive Line               Hughroy Simms – Oshawa

                                    Justin Sevigny – Toronto Raiders

                                    Tyson Vanderloo – Sault Ste. Marie

                                    Gary Fraser – Toronto Raiders

Linebackers                  Matt Gauthier – Sault Ste. Marie

                                    Paul Fraser – Toronto Raiders

                                    Randy Nodder – North Bay

                                    Mike Borisenko – Oakville

                                    Wayne Sliwinski – Oakville

                                    Rolando Daley – Oshawa

                                    Shane Everest – Tri City

Defensive Backs           Sam Jansen – Oshawa

                                    Josh Maveety - Kingston

                                    Brian Samson – North Bay

                                    Brent Richer – Oakville

                                    Kirby Ginn – Oakville

                                    Wade Kraft – Sault Ste. Marie