OUA standouts sweep CIS football players of the week to open season

TORONTO (CIS) – York quarterback Brett Hunchak, Wilfrid Laurier cornerback Godfrey Onyeka and Western defensive back Malcom Brown are the first CIS football players of the week for the 2016 season. 

The regular schedule kicked off Sunday in the OUA conference and gets under way this week in the RSEQ and Canada West. League play in the AUS starts on Sept. 10. 

Hunchak, a second-year psychology student from Calgary, was honoured on offence thanks to a spectacular performance in a 57-13 win over visiting Waterloo. In only three quarters of action, the 6-foot-3, 188-pound sophomore completed 17 of 25 passes for 331 yards, five touchdowns and only one interception, while also adding 32 rushing yards on three carries. Hunchak, who had thrown only two TD passes in 143 attempts a year ago in his rookie campaign with the Lions, connected with eight different receivers against the Warriors and had three TD strikes of over 30 yards, including 42 and 77-yard tosses to his brother Colton.

Onyeka, a third-year biology major from Brampton, Ont., took home the award on defence after he single-handedly rallied the nationally 10^th-ranked Golden Hawks to a 37-18 home victory against Queen's. With Laurier trailing 18-16 early in the fourth quarter, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound all-Canadian sparked the Hawks' comeback with a 43-yard interception return for his first career OUA touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, he stripped the Queen's returner, setting up another major just two plays later. Onyeka finished the game with 4.5 tackles, one interception, one pass breakup, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery as the Hawks held the visitors to 203 yards of total offence.   

Brown, a fifth-year King's College student from London, Ont., was the choice on special teams thanks to a pair of first-quarter blocked punts in a 78-6 home win against Windsor. Both of the 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior's blocked punts were scooped up and returned for touchdowns by teammate Jordan Beaulieu, the first on 43 yards and the second on 24, giving the Mustangs a commanding 22-3 lead at the end of the opening frame. Brown also contributed on defence with four tackles and an interception. 

Offensive nominees:

AUS: No league games scheduled

RSEQ: No league games scheduled

OUA: Brett Hunchak, quarterback, York (recipient)

CWUAA: No league games scheduled 

Defensive nominees:

AUS: No league games scheduled

RSEQ: No league games scheduled

OUA: Godfrey Onyeka, cornerback, Wilfrid Laurier (recipient)

CWUAA: No league games scheduled 

Special team nominees:

AUS: No league games scheduled

RSEQ: No league games scheduled

OUA: Malcolm Brown, defensive back, Western (recipient)

CWUAA: No league games scheduled

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

NOTE: Click HERE for the complete 2016 regular season schedule & results

August 28

Laurier 37, Queen's 18 (at Laurier)

York 57, Waterloo 13 (at York)

Guelph 41, Toronto 22 (at Guelph)

Western 78, Windsor 6 (at Western)

McMaster 40, Carleton 10 (at McMaster)

September 1

19:00   No. 7 Calgary (0-0) at No. 5 Manitoba (0-0) (Shaw TV/Access & CanadaWest.TV) 

September 2

16:30   Concordia (0-0) at McGill (0-0) (StretchTV)

19:00   Regina (0-0) at Saskatchewan (0-0) (Shaw TV/Access & CanadaWest.TV)

September 3

19:00   Sherbrooke (0-0) at Bishop's (0-0) (GaitersTV)

19:00   No. 2 Montreal (0-0) at No. 3 Laval (0-0) (TVA Sports)

20:00   Alberta (0-0) at No. 1 UBC (0-0) (CanadaWest.TV)

September 4

19:15   No. 4 Western (1-0) at No. 9 Carleton (0-1) (OUA.TV)

September 5

12:00   Toronto (0-1) at No. 8 McMaster (1-0) (Cable 14 & OUA.TV)

13:00   No. 6 Guelph (1-0) at Windsor (0-1) (TVCogeco & OUA.TV)

13:00   Ottawa (0-0) at Waterloo (1-0) (Rogers TV Waterloo & OUA.TV)

19:30   York (0-1) at Laurier (1-0) (Rogers TV Waterloo – tape delayed & 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.