FRC - CIS football players of the week (#10): Heather, Newton, Henry honoured

Photo credit Andrew Dobrowolskyj

OTTAWA (CIS) – Bishop’s quarterback Jordan Heather, Guelph linebacker Curtis Newton and Alberta returner Tylor Henry are the CIS football players of the week for the period ending Oct. 26, 2013.

Heather, a fifth-year history student from Oromocto, N.B., was honoured on offence for the third time this fall thanks to a record-breaking performance which helped the nationally sixth-ranked Gaiters clinch second place in the RSEQ standings and the program’s first home playoff date since 1994. In the final regular season game of his career, a 40-21 win over McGill on Saturday, the 6-foot, 200-pound senior racked up 484 yards and four touchdowns through the air - with no interceptions – to finish conference play with 3,132 passing yards and shatter the previous single-season CIS mark of 3,047 set only a week earlier by Western’s Will Finch. Heather, who also set an RSEQ season record with 20 TD passes, will now try to lead Bishop’s (6-2) to its first post-season win in two decades Saturday against No. 7 Montreal (5-3), in a league semifinal.

Running backs Jordan Botel of Mount Allison, Wayne Moore of McMaster and Anthony Coombs of Manitoba were also up for the award.

Newton, a second-year arts major from London, Ont., took home the weekly honour on defence after he helped the No. 5 Gryphons to a 31-21 OUA quarter-final victory over visiting Windsor, on Saturday. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound sophomore, who finished the contest with 5.5 tackles, returned an interception on 58 yards for a touchdown seven minutes into the game to give his troops an early 14-0 advantage they would not relinquish. Guelph (8-1) travels to Kingston on Saturday to face No. 4 Queen’s (7-1) in OUA semifinal action (1 p.m. – Sportsnet 360).

Devante Sampson, a defensive back from Mount Allison, as well as linebackers Shayne Gauthier of Laval and Brad Kotania of Saskatchewan were also nominated.

Henry, a first-year physical education and recreation student from Camrose, Alta., earned the nod on special teams thanks to a spectacular performance in the Golden Bears’ final game of 2013, a 60-18 home loss to No. 9 Manitoba. The 5-foot-10 speedster, who also stars at receiver for Alberta, amassed 192 return yards off five punts and two kickoffs, including a team-record 106-yard kickoff return touchdown late in the first quarter. The talented freshman added 149 yards on 11 receptions to end the contest with 341 all-purpose yards.

Kickers Kyle McLean of Mount Allison, Mathieu Paquette of Bishop’s and Daniel Ferraro of Guelph were the other nominees. 

Offensive nominees:
AUS: Jordan Botel, running back, Mount Allison
RSEQ: Jordan Heather, quarterback, Bishop’s (recipient)
OUA: Wayne Moore, running back, McMaster
CWUAA: Anthony Coombs, running back, Manitoba

Defensive nominees:
AUS: Devante Sampson, defensive back, Mount Allison
RSEQ: Shayne Gauthier, linebacker, Laval
OUA: Curtis Newton, linebacker, Guelph (recipient)
CWUAA: Brad Kotania, linebacker, Saskatchewan

Special team nominees:
AUS: Kyle McLean, kicker, Mount Allison
RSEQ: Mathieu Paquette, kicker, Bishop’s
OUA: Daniel Ferraro, kicker, Guelph
CWUAA: Tylor Henry, returner, Alberta (recipient)

WEEK 11 SCHEDULE (all times local)

November 1

19:00   No. 10 Saskatchewan (5-3) at No. 9 Manitoba (5-3) (SHAW TV & video webcast)

November 2

13:00   Sherbrooke (3-5) at No. 2 Laval (8-0) (Radio-Canada TV & video webcast)

13:00   No. 5 Guelph (7-1 / 1-0) at No. 4 Queen’s (7-1) (Sportsnet 360)

13:00   No. 7 Montreal (5-3) at No. 6 Bishop’s (6-2) (video webcast)

14:00   Acadia (3-5) at Mount Allison (4-4) (Eastlink TV & video webcast)

15:00   UBC (4-4) at No. 3 Calgary (8-0) (SHAW TV & video webcast)

16:30   No. 8 McMaster (5-3 / 1-0) at No. 1 Western (8-0) (Sportsnet 360)

About Football Reporters of Canada

Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) represents journalists and broadcasters in every region of the country covering CIS Football. Since 1958, Football Reporters of Canada has 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. 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 FRC also help to choose builders, players and media members for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

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