Ottawa kicker Lewis Ward named CIS special teams football player of the week

OTTAWA (CIS) – Regina running back Atlee Simon, Saskatchewan safety Mark Ingram and Ottawa kicker Lewis Ward are the CIS football players of the week for the period ending on Oct. 25, 2014.

Simon, a first-year arts student from Regina, was honoured on offence thanks to his four-touchdown performance in a crucial 56-41 home win over nationally-ranked Manitoba, last Saturday. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound freshman racked up 154 yards on the ground and three scores on 24 carries and also caught four passes for 89 yards and one major to finish the day with 243 all-purpose yards, the most by a Regina player in four years. His four total touchdowns and three rushing majors both equal single-game school records.

Quarterbacks Tivon Cook of St. Francis Xavier, Hugo Richard of Laval and Austin Kennedy of Windsor were also up for the award.

Ingram, a fifth-year agriculture and bioresources student from Imperial, Sask., took home the weekly honour on defence after he helped the Huskies (5-2) clinch second place in the Canada West standings with a 41-23 home win against Alberta, on Saturday. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound senior had a pair of key interceptions in the contest, the first one in the third quarter with the game tied at 17, and the second in the fourth stanza, a play that led to a Huskies touchdown on the ensuing drive. Ingram also racked up a team-high nine tackles, including eight solo.

Acadia linebacker Russell Rainey, Sherbrooke linebacker Olivier Goulet-Veilleux and Queen's lineman Derek Wiggan were also nominated.

Ward, a second-year social sciences student from Inverary, Ont., was the choice on special teams after he kicked five field goals in a game for the second time this season on Saturday, a performance that helped the Gee-Gees (5-3) upset previously undefeated McMaster 38-18 and secure a playoff spot. The 5-foot-7, 175-pound sophomore split the uprights from at least 35 yards out on four occasions, including a personal best 43-yard kick in the second quarter. Ottawa visits Windsor (5-3) on Saturday for an OUA quarter-final.

Returners Josh Blanchard of Mount Allison, Régis Cibasu of Montreal and Keegan Arnek of Saskatchewan were the other nominees. 

Offensive nominees:

AUS: Tivon Cook, quarterback, StFX

RSEQ: Hugo Richard, quarterback, Laval

OUA: Austin Kennedy, quarterback, Windsor

CWUAA: Atlee Simon, running back, Regina (recipient)

Defensive nominees:

AUS: Russell Rainey, linebacker, Acadia

RSEQ: Olivier Goulet-Veilleux, linebacker, Sherbrooke

OUA: Derek Wiggan, lineman, Queen's

CWUAA: Mark Ingram, safety, Saskatchewan (recipient)

Special team nominees:

AUS: Josh Blanchard, returner, Mount Allison

RSEQ: Régis Cibasu, returner, Montreal

OUA: Lewis Ward, kicker, Ottawa (recipient)

CWUAA: Keegan Arnyek, returner, Saskatchewan

Source: CIS