FRC - CIS football players of the week (#1): OUA stars sweep first national honours of season

OTTAWA (CIS) – McMaster receiver Danny Vandervoort, Western linebacker Jean-Gabriel Poulin and Queen's kicker Dillon Wamsley are the first CIS football players of the week for the 2015 season.

The regular schedule kicked off on Sunday in the OUA conference and gets under way this weekend in the RSEQ and Canada West. League play in the AUS starts on Sept. 11.

Vandervoort, a third-year sociology student from Barrie, Ont., was honoured on offence thanks to a record performance in the Marauders' wild 55-33 road win against Toronto. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior set a new team standard and tied the single-game OUA mark with four touchdown receptions, including a spectacular 89-yard score in the second quarter that gave McMaster a 17-16 lead. Vandervoort finished his impressive season opener with 10 catches for 168 yards as the 2014 Yates Cup champions and Vanier Cup finalists outscored the Varsity Blues 31-7 in the second half.

Poulin, a second-year King's College student from St. Nicolas, Que., took home the award on defence after he helped the Mustangs smother the Windsor offence in a dominating 76-7 road victory. The 6-foot-1, 216-pound sophomore recorded a team-high six tackles, including four of the solo variety, and scored a touchdown in the third quarter after he scooped up a loose ball before returning it 15 yards to the end zone. As a team, Western held its rivals to 11 first downs and 188 yards of total offence.

Wamsley, a fourth-year arts and science student from London, Ont., was the choice on special teams following an unblemished season debut. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound veteran was perfect on two field goal and four extra-point attempts while also averaging 36.9 yards per punt and 48.7 yards per kickoff in a 34-24 home win over Carleton. Wamsley's 39-yard field goal early in the third quarter brought the Gaels back to within three points at 20-17 and his 27-yard effort with 64 seconds left in the contest sealed the deal for the winners.

Offensive nominees:
AUS: No league games scheduled
RSEQ: No league games scheduled
OUA: Danny Vandervoort, receiver, McMaster (recipient)
CWUAA: No league games scheduled

Defensive nominees:
AUS: No league games scheduled
RSEQ: No league games scheduled
OUA: Jean-Gabriel Poulin, linebacker, Western (recipient)
CWUAA: No league games scheduled

Special team nominees:
AUS: No league games scheduled
RSEQ: No league games scheduled
OUA: Dillon Wamsley, kicker, Queen's (recipient)
CWUAA: No league games scheduled

2015 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE & RESULTS: WEEKS 1 & 2 (all times local)

August 30
Queen's 34, Carleton 24 (at Queen's)
Laurier 38, York 21 (at York)
Western 76, Windsor 7 (at Windsor)
McMaster 55, Toronto 33 (at Toronto)
Guelph 78, Waterloo 7 (at Waterloo)

September 4
17:30 No. 7 UBC (0-0) at No. 4 Calgary (0-0) (CanadaWest.TV)
19:00 Sherbrooke (0-0) at Concordia (0-0) (StretchTV)
19:00 Bishop's (0-0) at McGill (0-0) (StretchTV)
19:00 Alberta (0-0) at Regina (0-0) (CanadaWest.TV)
19:00 No. 10 Manitoba (0-0) at No. 8 Saskatchewan (0-0) (Shaw TV & CanadaWest.TV)

September 5
19:00 No. 1 Montreal (0-0) at No. 2 Laval (0-0) (TVA Sports 2)

September 6
13:00 Waterloo (0-1) at Carleton (0-1) (OUA.TV)
13:00 Queen's (1-0) at Ottawa (0-0) (OUA.TV)

September 7
13:00 Laurier (1-0) at No. 6 Guelph (1-0) (OUA.TV)
19:00 York (0-1) at No. 3 Western (1-0) (OUA.TV)
19:00 Windsor (0-1) at Toronto (0-1) (OUA.TV)

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.