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Acadia Axemen football

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Acadia Axemen
Acadia Axemen logo
First season1957
Athletic directorBrian Finniss
Head coachJeff Cummins
19th year, 72–78–0  (.480)
Other staffTom Flaxman (OC)
Shad McLachlan (DC)
Home stadiumRaymond Field
Stadium capacity3000
Stadium surfaceFieldTurf
LocationWolfville, Nova Scotia
LeagueU Sports
ConferenceAUS (1999–present)
Past associationsNSJCFL (1957)
MIFL (1958–1959)
AFC (1960–1965)
MIAA (1966–1968)
AIAA (1969–1973)
AUAA (1974–1998)
All-time record– 
Postseason record– 
Titles
Vanier Cups2
1979, 1981
Atlantic Bowls4
1976, 1977, 1979, 1981
Jewett Trophies15
1975, 1976, 1977, 1979,
1980, 1981, 1986, 1995,
1998, 2005, 2006, 2011,
2012, 2017, 2019
Hec Crighton winners3
Al Charuk, Bob Stracina, Bob Cameron
Current uniform
ColoursGarnet and Blue
   
Fight songWagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show
OutfitterAdidas
Websiteacadiau.ca

The Acadia Axemen football team represents Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia in the sport of Canadian football in U Sports. The Axemen have been in continuous operation since 1957 when they played their first full season in the Nova Scotia Junior Canadian Football League.[1] The program entered the top tier in Maritime football in 1962 and has been competing there ever since.[2] The program saw its greatest success from 1975 to 1981 where they won six conference championships, appeared in four Vanier Cup national championships, and won two of those in 1979 and in 1981.[3]

Recently, the Axemen had their most success in the 2011, 2012, 2017, and 2019 seasons, when the teams finished first in the AUS and reached the Uteck Bowl all four years. Since 1998, the program has qualified for the playoffs every year except for the 2008, 2022, and 2023 seasons.[4]

Recent regular season results

[edit]
Season Games Won Lost OTL PCT PF PA Standing Playoffs
2000 8 4 4 0 0.500 196 155 2nd in AUS Lost to Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 38-18
2001 8 4 4 0 0.500 121 187 2nd in AUS Lost to Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 38-7
2002 8 4 4 0 0.500 205 215 3rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 25-11
2003 8 4 4 0 0.500 201 181 2nd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 30-28
2004 8 5 3 0 0.625 254 156 2nd in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 15-11
Lost to Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 24-7
2005 8 5 3 0 0.625 276 135 1st in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Loney Bowl 69-6
Lost to Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in Uteck Bowl 31-10
2006 8 5 3 0.625 197 155 1st in AUS Defeated Mount Allison Mounties in semi-final 16-16
Defeated Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 32-24
Lost to Laval Rouge et Or in Uteck Bowl 57-10
2007 8 3 5 0.375 182 287 3rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 38-17
2008 8 1 7 0.125 120 239 4th in AUS Missed Playoffs
2009 8 2 6 0.250 138 239 3rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 33-30
2010 8 4 4 0.500 134 154 2nd in AUS Defeated Mount Allison Mounties in semi-final 22-14 (OT)
Lost to Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 37-8
2011 8 7 1 0.875 261 108 1st in AUS Defeated Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 39-20
Lost to McMaster Marauders in Uteck Bowl 45-21
2012 8 7 1 0.875 229 132 1st in AUS Defeated Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 17-9
Lost to Laval Rouge et Or in Uteck Bowl 42-7
2013 8 3 5 0.375 165 122 3rd in AUS Lost to Mount Allison Mounties in semi-final 19-10
2014 8 3 5 0.375 144 210 3rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 18-17
2015 8 4 4 0.500 185 170 3rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 26-4
2016 8 2 6 0.250 124 214 3rd in AUS Lost to Mount Allison Mounties in semi-final 27-18
2017 8 6 2 0.750 226 193 1st in AUS Defeated Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 45-38 (OT)[5]
Lost to Western Mustangs in Uteck Bowl 81-3
2018 8 5 3 0.625 236 146 3rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 33-10
2019 8 8 0 1.000 309 165 1st in AUS Defeated Bishop's Gaiters in Loney Bowl 31-1
Lost to Montreal Carabins in Uteck Bowl 38-0
2020 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 6 1 5 0.167 52 59 4th in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 27-22
2022 8 0 8 0.000 88 209 5th in AUS Missed Playoffs
2023 8 1 7 0.125 81 203 5th in AUS Missed Playoffs

[6][7]

Head coaches

[edit]
Name Years Notes
Fred Kelly 1956–1959 [8]
Scorchy MacVicar 1960–1964 [8]
Bill Busching 1965–1967 [8]
George Hemond 1968–1970 [8]
Bob Vespaziani 1971–1978
John Huard 1979–1983
Sonny Wolfe 1984–2003
Jeff Cummins 2004–present

National championships

[edit]

Semi-final championships

[edit]
Axemen playing Laval Rouge et Or at Quebec City on September 15, 2012
  • Runner Up: 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019
  • Champions: 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981
  • Runner Up: 1975, 1980, 1986, 1995, 1998

Conference championships

[edit]
  • Champions: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1995, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019

National award winners

[edit]

Axemen in the CFL

[edit]

As of the start of the 2024 CFL season, three former Axemen players are on CFL teams' rosters:

[9]

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Canadian Football in Halifax and Nova Scotia 1940-1957
  2. ^ University Football in Atlantic Canada 1958-1973
  3. ^ 1981 Football Axemen: ‘A special group of players’
  4. ^ Bob Adams CIS Sportspage, 1997
  5. ^ "AUS hands Loney Bowl title to Acadia following eligibility controversy with SMU". Atlantic. 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
  6. ^ Bob Adams CIS Sportspage
  7. ^ U Sports Standings
  8. ^ a b c d "Football Builders Award". Acadia University. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  9. ^ "CFL players". Canadian Football League. Retrieved June 15, 2024.