Glen Constantin is confident his star receiver Kevin Mital can have as good a season as he won the Hec Crighton Trophy as the country’s Most Valuable Player in 2022, despite the distractions of his legal woes.
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“I don’t see how he could have had a worse season,” said the Rouge et Or head coach. “He’s a thoroughbred who only knows one speed.” I expect a very, very good production from him. During the camp before his injury he trained just as hard and well as last year. He was still going full throttle. He also showed in double coverage that he’s in good spirits. When he’s on the field, he doesn’t think about what’s going to happen in court.
Could Mital get his hands on the RSEQ Most Valuable Player trophy and Hec-Crighton for the second straight year? If he is convinced that André-Grasset’s Phénix product has the necessary capabilities, Constantin nonetheless issues a reservation.
“Given the incidents off the field, I’m not sure the coaches will vote for him.” Mital caught 58 passes for 751 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season last year.
Mital is very talkative on the field and will certainly be entitled to similar treatment on his return to the game from his opponents who will try to disrupt him, but Constantin isn’t worried. “Kevin will stay put in his bubble.”
Mital was involved in a bar fight on December 10, 2021 and will plead guilty on reduced charges. He will hear his verdict on September 7 when he appears before the municipal court. He was initially charged with assault, assault and threatening another Rouge et Or athlete. Until then, he will not grant any interviews.
If he recovers from his calf injury that kept him out for a few days, Mital will be in his place on Friday when the Rouge et Or visit the University of Sherbrooke’s Vert & Or to draw the curtain on the RSEQ season open .
Apologies to his teammates
Did the allegations against Mital disrupt the training camp that ended on Sunday? “It wasn’t a distraction,” assured the Laval driver. Earlier in the camp, Kevin apologized to his teammates during a team briefing and didn’t want to be distracted. He asked the boys to focus on camp and that he would go about his business. It was a small bombshell at the time the charges were announced, but it’s no longer a hot topic within the team.
The Rouge et Or will await the judge’s verdict before imposing a sanction on their star player. “There is an educational component that we apply to the players and the team and we also have to support Kevin for the mistake he made. We will await the judge’s decision.”
A more humble Muganda
The other gem of the Kalenga-Muganda offensive, which also had to sit out due to injury, also showed great things for Constantin. “He has improved his attitude a lot compared to last year. We remember his statement that he was the best running back in the country. He’s more humble.
Racked with injuries ahead of his Laval appearance last year, Muganda did not have an exceptional season but shone with all his might in the Canadian semifinals against the Western Mustangs.
With 173 yards on 24 carries, he was named the Mitchell Cup’s most outstanding offensive player in a 27-20 win over Greg Marshall’s charges.
“Against Western and the Vanier Cup, I saw the porter walking on water for the first time, like some people described to me,” Constantin introduced himself. He was physical and smart on both parts. He found his form back as the season progressed.
In the health sector, Muganda will be the number one carrier of the Rouge et Or.