Week 7 - Football Players of the Week
Football Players of the Week – October 7, 2017
Offence: Jake Puskas, Queen’s Gaels
Jake Puskas of the men's football is the Queen's University Male Athlete of the Week and the OUA Football Player of the Week (Offence). With an injured Jonah Pataki, the Gaels needed Jake Puskas to step up, and he definitely did not disappoint. The third year running back led Queen’s to a 68-17 win over the Waterloo Warriors on Thursday night.
His third consecutive 100+ yard game on the ground, Puskas was a threat each and every time he touched the ball. Wasting no time, the Thunder Bay native ran for 57 yards on the Gaels first drive of the game, finishing the first frame to a tune of 71 rushing yards. Physical, fearless and powerful, Puskas had a career-high performance, collecting 175 rushing yards and 57 passing yards for a total of 233 all-purpose yards and a total of four touchdowns.
Defence: Shomari Hutchinson, Laurier Golden Hawks
A record-tying performance on the defensive side of the ball gives Shomari Hutchinson the OUA Football Player of the Week (Defence) honours.
While the headlines will feature the impressive offensive showing from the Golden Hawks’ 53-31 win over the York Lions, Hutchinson’s defensive efforts cannot be overlooked. In what was a dominant performance for the 2nd year linebacker, Hutchinson picked up a total of 14.5 tackles for the game, including 12 solo takedowns. His total not only helped keep the Lions from making the game closer, but it also helped him tie the school’s all-time mark, previously set by Jesse Alexander v. Ottawa in 2006.
Not only that, but Hutchinson did all of this in his first career start at linebacker.
Special Teams: Kadeem Hemmings, York Lions
York was able to put points on the board in the loss to Laurier, and receiver Kadeem Hemmings played a big part in making that happen. Hemmings had a total of 207 return yards and one touchdown against the Golden Hawks on Thursday night.
The first-year return specialist had an electric 96-yard kick-off return touchdown early in the third quarter to punctuate a strong game. Hemmings, for the game, put up 164 yards on six kick returns and another 43 yards on six punt returns. His 96-yard return was the second longest in the OUA so far this season and he is one of only three players to score a kick-off return touchdown. Through five games, Hemmings ranks second in the OUA with 21.6 yards per kick-off.