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David Miller-Johnston, who coached Ward with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, thinks he’s got a real crack at a job with the Redblacks. It won’t be easy, he’s an underdog in this battle.
Castillo, who played two games with the Redblacks in 2016, was having a terrific season in Hamilton last season before he was knocked out with an ACL injury and Leone averaged 49.3 yards per punt with the B.C. Lions in 2016 before getting an NFL opportunity with the Arizona Cardinals.
“(Ward is) the type of kid you dream about getting,” said Miller-Johnston. “He’s mature, he’s hard-working, he’s self sufficient, he’s very coachable. If we had 30 Lewis Wards, we’d be competing for the Vanier Cup every year — he’s that type of kid.”
It’s Ward’s field-goal kicking ability that is his calling card. He booted 89 field goals over his Gee-Gees career. Last season, he was good on 24-of-29 attempts, successfully converting all 15 of his converts.
“Every field Lewis has been on, he’s had the best leg, he’s the best kicker on that field,” said Miller-Johnston. “There will always be athletes that will be able to come in and bang a 65-yard field goal. When you get to this level, there will always be Americans to compete against that have huge legs. But that’s not the name of this game. The reality is you win your paycheque and keep that paycheque by being consistent, basically from 45 yards and in. We haven’t had difficulty here with missed field goals outside of 55, we’ve had difficulty in the past with missed field goals inside 40.
“Lewis has demonstrated perhaps better than any CIS kid in recent memory that he hits the kicks he needs to hit. He’s hit big ones, he’s hit long ones in cold and tough conditions, he’s hit kicks in front of 24,000 fans. He never missed a kick we absolutely needed. His skill-set, which is his mental toughness, really translates well to this game. I think Lewis has a very good opportunity to be a place-kicking specialist — not unlike a Tyler Crapigna or a Rene Parades. They don’t have the type of leg that comes out of the States, but they hit a high percentage of their field goals and, because of that, they’re going to have long careers.” ...
Working in Ward’s favour is the Redblacks are unlikely to keep both Leone and Castillo. “We’re not locked into any type of scenario other than we would never go with two Americans,” said Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins. “I don’t see how we would manage that within the roster. “Castillo proved over the long haul with his tenure in Hamilton that he can handle all three (field goals, kickoffs and punts) at the CFL level and do it well. We’re excited to have him back, we’re excited he’s healthy and can participate. In Richie’s case, he’s been an all-star in this league, he has a big leg. For both guys, it’s a function of being consistent and trying to win the job as the guy who does all three.”