FRC - CIS football players of the week (#8): AUS standouts sweep national honours

OTTAWA (CIS) – Receiver Michael Squires and defensive lineman Jake Thomas, both of the Acadia Axemen, and St. Francis Xavier kick returner Jordan Catterall are the Canadian Interuniversity Sport football players of the week for the period ending Oct. 23, 2011.

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

Squires, a fourth-year student from Halifax, was honoured on offence after he became the first CIS player in three years to record four touchdown receptions in a single game. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior, who caught eight balls for 166 yards on the afternoon, found the end zone in every quarter on Saturday in a crucial 41-28 victory over Saint Mary’s, opening the scoring three minutes into the match on a 49-yard pass from Kyle Graves and adding majors of 15 yards in the second frame, five yards in the third and nine yards in the fourth. With the win, the Axemen (6-1) clinched first place in the AUS standings and a bye in the first round of the playoffs, and entered the national rankings for the first time this season, at No. 9.

Running backs Sébastien Lévesque of Laval, Ryan Granberg of Queen’s and Matt Walter of Calgary were also up for the award.

Thomas, a fourth-year student from Douglas, N.B., took home the weekly honour on defence thanks to his five tackles, including four for losses of 33 yards, and a forced fumble in the win over Saint Mary’s. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound lineman was in the Huskies’ backfield all afternoon and registered two sacks of quarterback Jack Creighton to up his season total to eight, good for first place in the Atlantic conference and second in the country. Thomas, who also leads the AUS with 13 tackles for a loss this fall, was also credited with a quarterback hurry in the game.

Laval defensive back Abel Boucher, Queen’s lineman Osie Ukwuoma and UBC defensive back Chris Mark were also nominated.

Catterall, a second-year business administration student from Oakville, Ont., was the choice on special teams for his game-changing touchdown on a spectacular 114-yard missed field goal return in a wild 42-41 overtime win over Mount Allison, last Friday. With the X-Men trailing 34-27 with under five minutes to go in regulation, the 5-foot-10, 163-pound speedster took the ball four yards into his own end zone following a missed attempt from 42 yards out and took it back the length of the field to tie the affair at 34 all and send it to extra time. Catterall also returned four punts for 41 yards and two kickoffs for 17 yards, had a 25-yard run and added 101 yards and a touchdown on five receptions to finish the day with a remarkable 298 all-purpose yards. With the win, StFX secured a berth in the AUS playoffs.

Bishop’s returner Alexander Fox and kickers Ronnie Pfeffer of Wilfrid Laurier and Billy Pavlopoulos of UBC were also up for the distinction.

Offensive nominees:
AUS: Michael Squires, receiver, Acadia (recipient)
RSEQ: Sébastien Lévesque, running back, Laval
OUA: Ryan Granberg, running back, Queen’s
CWUAA: Matt Walter, running back, Calgary

Defensive nominees:
AUS: Jake Thomas, lineman, Acadia (recipient)
RSEQ: Abel Boucher, defensive back, Laval
OUA: Osie Ukwuoma, lineman, Queen’s
CWUAA: Chris Mark, defensive back, UBC

Special team nominees:
AUS: Jordan Catterall, returner, St. Francis Xavier (recipient)
RSEQ: Alexander Fox, returner, Bishop’s
OUA: Ronnie Pfeffer, kicker, Wilfrid Laurier
CWUAA: Billy Pavlopoulos, kicker, UBC

CIS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)

October 29 – OUA playoffs
13:00 ET Laurier (4-4) at No. 8 Queen’s (6-2), The Score (TV & webcast)
13:00 ET Windsor (5-3) at Ottawa (5-3), SSN (webcast)

October 29 – regular season
13:00 ET No. 6 Sherbrooke (6-2) at No. 5 Montreal (6-2), Radio-Canada (TV & webcast)
13:00 ET No. 2 Laval (7-1) at Bishop’s (3-5), SSN (webcast)
13:00 ET Concordia (3-5) at McGill (0-8), SSN (webcast)
13:00 CT Regina (2-5) at Manitoba (3-4), Shaw (TV – in Manitoba)
13:00 MT No. 10 Saskatchewan (4-3) at Alberta (0-7), CanadaWest.tv (webcast)
14:00 AT Mount Allison (0-7) at Saint Mary’s (5-2), sportstream.ca (webcast)
14:00 AT No. 9 Acadia (6-1) at StFX (2-5), EastLink (TV & webcast) / SSN (webcast)
14:00 PT No. 1 Calgary (7-0) at No. 7 UBC (5-2), Shaw (TV)

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.

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