FRC - CIS football players of the week (#5): Kelly, Gascon-Nadon, Gagné honoured

Photo credit Trevor Mahoney, Laurier / Yan Dublet, Laval / Yves Longpré, Sherbrooke

OTTAWA (CIS) – Wilfrid Laurier quarterback Shane Kelly, Laval defensive lineman Arnaud Gascon-Nadon and Sherbrooke kick returner Raphaël Gagné are the Canadian Interuniversity Sport football players of the week for the period ending Oct. 2, 2011.

The selection was made by a committee comprised of members of Football Reporters of Canada (FRC).

Kelly, an MBA student from Basking Ridge, N.J., was honoured on offence after a dominating performance in a 51-16 upset win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees (3-2), who were ranked 10th in the country going into the contest. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound pivot threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns and also scored on a one-yard run as the Golden Hawks (2-3) racked up over 500 yards of net offence. Kelly, in his second season at Laurier after starting his university career in the NCAA, currently leads CIS in passing yards (1,599) and touchdown passes (16).

Running backs Craig Leger of Saint Mary’s, Sébastien Lévesque of Laval and Matt Walter of Calgary were also up for the award.

Gascon-Nadon, an open studies student from Montreal, took home the weekly honour on defence thanks to his game-winning touchdown and a pair of quarterback sacks in a 37-4 home win over Concordia (2-3). With top-ranked Laval (5-0) trailing 4-0 late in the opening quarter, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior intercepted a pass at the Stingers’ 19-yard line and returned it all the way to the end zone to give the reigning Vanier Cup champion Rouge et Or a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The 2010 CIS outstanding down lineman, who finished the game with three solo tackles and a pass breakup, led a remarkable defensive effort that saw Concordia finish with only four first downs, 51 net yards through the air and eight yards on the ground.

St. Francis Xavier linebacker Ron Omara and defensive backs Matt McGarva of Windsor and Steve Famulak of Regina were also nominated.

Gagné, a second-year business student from Saint-Jeanne-d’Arc, Que., was the choice on special teams after he amassed 154 yards on only five returns, including a team-record 104-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the first play of the second half, to help the No. 4-ranked Vert & Or (4-1) defeat Montreal 20-11 in a battle of top-five teams. With Sherbrooke down 7-3 at the break, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound speedster changed the momentum with his spectacular scoring play only 18 seconds into the third quarter. Gagné, who last year finished second in the country as a freshman with 693 punt return yards, currently leads CIS with 383 yards on kickoff returns.

Acadia punter Kyle Graves and kick returners Dillon Heap of Laurier and Nic Demski of Manitoba were also up for the distinction.

Offensive nominees:
AUS: Craig Leger, running back, Saint Mary’s
RSEQ: Sébastien Lévesque, running back, Laval
OUA: Shane Kelly, quarterback, Wilfrid Laurier (recipient)
CWUAA: Matt Walter, running back, Calgary

Defensive nominees:
AUS: Ron Omara, linebacker, St. Francis Xavier
RSEQ: Arnaud Gascon-Nadon, lineman, Laval (recipient)
OUA: Matt McGarva, defensive back, Windsor
CWUAA: Steve Famulak, defensive back, Regina

Special team nominees:
AUS: Kyle Graves, punter, Acadia
RSEQ: Raphaël Gagné, returner, Sherbrooke (recipient)
OUA: Dillon Heap, returner, Wilfrid Laurier
CWUAA: Nic Demski, returner, Manitoba

CIS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)

October 6
19:00 ET Laurier (2-3) at Waterloo (0-5), SSN webcast
19:00 ET Toronto (2-3) at No. 5 McMaster (4-1), Cable 14 TV & McMaster webcast

October 7
19:00 AT StFX (1-3) at No. 8 Saint Mary’s (3-1), sportstream.ca webcast

October 8
13:00 ET Guelph (1-4) at No. 2 Western (5-0), Rogers TV Cable 13 & SSN webcast
13:00 ET No. 1 Laval (5-0) at No. 6 Montreal (3-2), Radio-Canada (TV & web)
13:00 ET McGill (0-5) at Concordia (2-3), SSN webcast
13:00 ET York (1-4) at Ottawa (3-2)
14:00 AT Acadia (3-1) at Mount Allison (0-4), EastLink (TV & web)
19:00 ET Bishop’s (2-3) at No. 4 Sherbrooke (4-1)
19:00 ET Queen’s (3-2) at No. 10 Windsor (4-1)

About Football Reporters of Canada – University Division
The Football Reporters of Canada – University Division represents journalists and broadcasters in every region of the country covering CIS Football. Since 1958 the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) have been an organization of media members who have covered the Canadian Football League, serving to select the league’s outstanding players, coach-of-the-year and all-star teams through voting conducted by its members. In 2009, the FRC amalgamated with the University Football Reporters of Canada (UFRC) to give the organization greater scope in its affiliation with amateur and college football.

The FRC also works with the CFL and CIS to establish guidelines and working conditions for the men and women who report on the game. Selected members of the FRC also help to choose builders, players and media members for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

-CIS-