Football POWs: Ford, Hoyte, Victome take home Week 8 honours on the gridiron
Athletics (OUA) Football Players of the Week for the period ending October 13, 2019.
Offensive Player of the Week – Tre Ford, Waterloo Warriors
The Waterloo Warriors and Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks went toe-to-toe in the latest Battle of Waterloo In what was one of the most entertaining university football games in recent memory. And while things didn’t work out for the former, Tre Ford did all he could to give his team a fighting chance.
It is well known that Ford can do damage both in the air and on the ground, but he may have outdone himself in showing off his dual-threat capabilities on Thursday. The reigning OUA MVP stuffed the stat sheet against their cross-town rivals to the tune of 351 yards in the air (27-for-43), another 135 on the ground (16 attempts), and a combined five touchdowns for the black and gold.
After going down 12-0, Ford found Ternowski on a 52-yard connection early in the second quarter for his first passing touchdown, which he then followed up in the following quarter with a five-yard strike to Gordon Lam. From there, Ford showcased his proficiency on the ground, turning in a nine-yard score with four minutes to play to tie the game, a four-yard scamper to open up the scoring in the first overtime, and an eight-yard major to even things up at 47-apiece in the second extra frame.
Defensive Player of the Week – Trevor Hoyte, Carleton Ravens
In a must-win game for Carleton, the Ravens were going up against one of the nation’s best, with the McMaster Marauders finding their groove on both sides of the ball. But with Trevor Hoyte at the heart of it, Carleton was able to upend the Hamilton squad and come away with the clutch victory.
Hoyte was a man on a mission against the Marauders, making his presence felt on multiple occasions across the field. The third-year linebacker picked up eight tackles in the game, all of the solo variety, to produce a game-high in the category. He also added a forced fumble to his impressive stat line. The effort was also a season-high for the Gatineau, Que. native and brought his season average up to over 4.5 tackles per game.
Not only was the defensive effort important in shutting down the Marauders when it mattered, especially in the opening half, but it was a much-needed effort in a must-win scenario to keep the Ravens’ playoff hopes alive.
Special Teams Player of the Week – Kevin Victome, Ottawa Gee-Gees
The Ottawa Gee-Gees kept their winning ways intact against Windsor on Friday, more than doubling up on the Lancers when the final whistle blew, and a key figure in the win was on the special teams side of the ball – Kevin Victome. The freshman cornerback has been off to an outstanding start to his career in Garnet and Grey and his latest effort was highlighted by a pair of plays that were a definite factor in the outcome.
Up only one point in the third quarter, Victome flew off the edge to block a go-ahead field goal from the Lancers. If that wasn’t enough, the Ottawa native made another standout effort early in the fourth quarter. Victome sped downfield on a kickoff, laying a hit on the returner and forcing a fumble that resulted in a scoop and score touchdown for the Gee-Gees who eventually won 54-26.
For the game, Victome also racked up 4.5 tackles and a pass breakup.
