Jamal, Gregorcic, Olay named OUA football players of the week

Graphic on predominantly blue background featuring action photos of Mohsen Jamal, Ethan Gregorcic, and Alfred Olay with their name and school logos placed beneath their respective photos, along with the Canadian Football Perspective logo and white text that reads 'Football Players of the Week' in the lower third
September 6, 2023

Burlington, Ont. – Mohsen Jamal, Ethan Gregorcic, and Alred Olay have been named Canadian Football Perspective’s OUA Players of the Week for Week 2.

Offensive Player of the Week – Mohsen Jamal, Western

Action photo of Western football player Mohsen Jamal raising his arms and pointing to the camera

In the first home game of the season for the Western, Mohsen Jamal put up an impressive stat line to help his Mustangs defend their field for a win against the McMaster Marauders.

The senior receiver followed up his strong Week 1 outing with another impressive showing, reeling in seven receptions for 173 yards, good for an average of 24.7 yards per catch.  carrying his team for a 34-22 win for the Mustangs. The biggest play of the day for the social sciences major came halfway through the third quarter, when he combined with Evan Hillock for a highlight reel 96-yard catch and run touchdown to put the Mustangs up by 11 – a lead they would not relinquish.

Jamal has settled in nicely atop the OUA leaderboard in receiving yards per game through two weeks of play, with his Week 2 performance boosting his 2023 mark to 139.5 yards per game and three majors.

Defensive Player of the Week – Ethan Gregorcic, Wilfrid Laurier

Action photo of Laurier football player Ethan Gregorcic facing away from the camera within a team huddle

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks took care of business in their home opener with a clutch 20-15 win against the Ravens in a game where freshman linebacker Ethan Gregorcic shone brightly for the purple and gold.

Following up on his strong varsity debut a week ago, Gregorcic finished up Week 2 with a game-high 8.5 tackles and a forced fumble, but he also added a flare for the dramatics with just over three minutes left in the game. With Carleton marching into Laurier territory late in the game, trailing by just four, the rookie linebacker stepped up with a huge interception. His late pick not only stopped the drive, but his corresponding 55-yard return set up what proved to be the game-winning touchdown thereafter.

Despite being very early in his OUA tenure, the Courtice, Ont. product is already showcasing a dynamic skillset as part of the formidable Laurier defence..

Special Teams Player of the Week – Alfred Olay

Action photo of York football player Alfred Olay catching a kickoff in the end zone

While the end result may not have been what York was looking for in Week 2 against Waterloo, the game could not have started any better for the Lions thanks to the electrifying play of Alfred Olay.

Epitomizing the notion of putting your best foot forward, the York receiver hauled in the opening kickoff and didn’t look back. Olay broke free for an incredible 110-yard kickoff return for the touchdown to put his side up early, an effort that ties him for fourth in the OUA record books for longest kickoff returns.

The 2022 first team all-star and all-Canadian continued to wreak havoc in the return game the rest of the way as well, amassing a total of 271 return yards overall, including over 200 on kickoffs alone for an average of 50.8 and a mark of 17.0 yards per punt return on his four efforts therein.