Mustangs pace the conference pack with 14 all-star selections from the gridiron
The defending Yates Cup and Vanier Cup champion Western Mustangs maintained the high standard from last season, producing an incredible 14 all-stars, nine making the OUA's first team. The Mustangs battled their way to a perfect 8-0 regular season record, thanks in part to a dominant offence that put up a league-best 45 points per game. The catalysts were Western's triple threat of quarterback Evan Hillock (Hamilton, Ont.), running back Keon Edwards (Toronto, Ont.), and receiver Savaughn Magnaye-Jones (Hamilton, Ont.), each earning first team honours.
Hillock paced all OUA quarterbacks in passing touchdowns with 16, without tossing a single interception all season. Seven of those scores came in an impressive two-game stretch when the second-year man helped Western defeat rivals Wilfrid Laurier and Queen's in back-to-back games in early September. Edwards was a lock for another first team nod after leading all Canadian university rushers with an eye-popping 129 yards per game. The third-year back added nine touchdowns on the ground and had multiple scores in three of the Mustangs' eight games. The speedy Magnaye-Jones showcased his senior savvy by hauling in 33 receptions for 579 yards, and an OUA-high nine touchdowns. Those numbers translated to a second consecutive appearance on the first team.
Western's electrifying trio did have plenty of help along the way. The Mustangs saw three of their standout offensive linemen repeat as members of the OUA first team - fourth-year centre Elliot Beamer (Bowen Island, B.C.), fourth-year tackle and local product Zack Fry (London, Ont.), and third-year guard Phillip Grohovac (Victoria, B.C.). That balance of talent and grit across the O-line played a crucial role in the defending champs' ability to control the line of scrimmage.
Football fans in the nation's capital witnessed something special with an inspirational performance from Ottawa Gee-Gees third-year running back J-P Cimankinda (Ottawa, Ont.). Cimankinda is no stranger to accolades after earning OUA all-rookie team honours when at the University of Guelph in 2018 and then being named to the OUA second team in 2021 with the Gee-Gees. In 2022, the durable back reached a new level, carrying the ball a league-high 159 times for 976 yards, while adding eight rushing scores (and a receiving touchdown). Cimankinda found the end zone twice in each of Ottawa's last three games, including a pair against Western's top-ranked defence in the regular season finale.
The first team is simply loaded with talent at the receiver position. Ethan Jordan (Chatham, Ont.) of the Laurier Golden Hawks emerged as a thorn in the side of the conference's defensive backs. In just his second year, Jordan led all OUA players at his position in receptions (52) and yards (643), adding five touchdowns. One of those scores was a conference-best 86-yard catch against the Warriors in the Battle of Waterloo on October 6. Jordan finished that game with seven grabs for a personal season-high 157 yards.
Fourth-year receiver Richard Burton (Ottawa, Ont.), meanwhile, headlines a list of seven Queen's Gaels players named to the OUA first team. The veteran was a reliable component of the Gaels' offence, finishing fourth in the conference with 557 receiving yards. Burton caught 34 balls on the season, seven coming in a stellar performance against the York Lions on October 1st, when he racked up 113 yards and a major.
The Guelph Gryphons receiving corps is in good hands with the emergence of third-year man Vyshonne Janusas (Windsor, Ont.). The big wideout broke out in 2022 with 30 catches for 428 yards in seven games. Janusas showed his enormous potential with a statement game against Waterloo on September 10th, registering eight catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns. One score was an incredible 84-yard touchdown grab, the second-longest scoring reception of the OUA season behind only Jordan.
Queen's ranked second behind Western in total offence, with 466.5 yards per game and two members of the Gaels' offensive line played pivotal roles in producing those numbers. Jas Khaira (Brampton, Ont.), a towering second-year tackle, and fourth-year guard Evan Floren (Ancaster, Ont.) were deserving names added to the OUA first team.
The Gaels also had plenty of talent on the other side of the trenches, with first team honours going to third-year defensive tackle Darien Newell (Brampton, Ont.) and second-year defensive end Silas Hubert (Hastings, Ont.). Newell imposed his will on the Queen's D-line, registering 15 total tackles, with four sacks. Hubert was at his menacing best when rushing opposing quarterbacks. He finished the year with six sacks (tied for the second most in the conference) and 17.5 tackles, while leading the conference in yards lost on sacks (51) and total yards lost on tackles (54). The other Gael to earn a first team berth on the defensive side of the ball was standout halfback Ashton Miller-Melancon (Montreal, Que). Miller-Melancon had an impressive sophomore season in the OUA, racking up 25 tackles along with three interceptions and four pass breakups.
Western produced three first team players on defence, starting with fourth-year defensive tackle Malcolm Hinds (Brampton, Ont.). The veteran was a versatile anchor for the Mustangs' defensive unit, chipping in eight tackles en route to a second straight all-star appearance. Hinds was joined by two longtime members of the Western secondary, halfback Rob Panabaker (London, Ont.) and free safety Daniel Valente Jr. (London, Ont.). Valente Jr., in his fifth and final year, got another nod on the first team after leading all OUA defenders in both interceptions (five) and interception yards (116), adding 16 tackles and a sack. Three of those picks were in Western's 34-11 opening-week win over Guelph. Panabaker was right behind his all-star teammate, finishing second in the conference with four interceptions (for 88 yards, also second to Valente Jr.). The fourth-year man had 22.5 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and four pass breakups.
Three Gee-Gees defensive players were named to the OUA First Team. The team allowed just 16.1 points per game (third in the conference) and star linebacker James Peter (Ottawa, Ont.) played his part with one of the most dominant defensive seasons in the entire nation. Peter paced the league with 44 solo tackles (tied for first) and added 28 assisted efforts to lead all OUA players in both total tackles (58) and tackles per game (7.3). He also forced two fumbles and added a pass breakup. Peter was joined by fellow SAM linebacker Emmanuel Aboagye-Gyan (Ottawa, Ont.) and cornerback Kevin Victome (Ottawa, Ont.). The second-year man Victome was a presence in the Gee-Gees' secondary, finishing with 26 tackles, a fumble recovery, and two interceptions. Gyan-Aboagye did a little of everything for the Ottawa D, meanwhile, collecting 24 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and an interception.
The Gryphons had two players earn their way onto the defensive first team. Guelph cornerback Siriman Harrison Bagayogo (Bois-Des-Filion, Que.) is a known quantity in both the OUA and Canadian football circles. The third-year secondary star, who was the lone OUA defensive player on the CFL's Top-20 eligible draft prospects back in September, repeats as a member of the first team. Bagayogo had 13.5 tackles, a forced fumble, and two interceptions, one of which went for a pick-six in a matchup with Laurier on October 15. Fellow Gryphon Scott Murray (Mississauga, Ont.) developed into a game-changing defensive end in his third OUA season, finishing tied for second in the conference with six sacks. He registered 2.5 of them against Western in the season opener, the first of two games with multiple sacks. Murray added 26.5 tackles and led the entire conference with 11 tackles for loss.
Laurier linebacker Ife Onyemenam (Toronto, Ont.) played his way onto the OUA first team with a stellar third season. The big LB registered 36.5 tackles to go along with a forced fumble and two pass breakups.
It takes courage to make clutch kicks in the OUA and no one performed those duties better than Queen's rookie Tyler Mullan (North Bay, Ont.). Mullan had a dream debut season by not missing a single kick in seven regular-season games. He finished a perfect 17-for-17 on field goals and 32-for-32 on extra points, accounting for 83 points on the year (second in the conference). Mullan made all four field goals and five extra points he attempted in his first ever OUA game, a 47-25 Gaels' win over the Toronto Varsity Blues before adding four more field goals and two extra points the following week in a 26-16 victory over Ottawa. He registered double-digit points in five of the seven games he played.
Laurier punter Dawson Hodge (Coquitlam, BC) also separated himself from the competition with his leg. The second-year Golden Hawk proved to be an exceptional placekicker, but his punting was next level. Hodge had 63 punts for 2,772 yards, an average of 44 yards per punt. His longest was 71 yards, with 12 finishing inside of the opponent's 20-yard line.
Alfred Olay (Courtice, Ont.) had a year to remember for the York Lions. The fourth-year player was an elite special teams option, tallying 35 kickoff returns for 739 yards and 26 punt returns for 349 yards. Olay led his team in all-purpose yards with 1,377 and produced one of the highlight-reel plays of the entire OUA season when he returned a missed Carleton field goal an astonishing 119 yards for a score in a matchup on September 10.
Waterloo Warriors standout defensive player Jack Hinsperger (Waterloo, Ont.) rounds out the OUA first team at the RUSH position. The veteran tied Ottawa's Peter for the conference lead in solo tackles with 44, while also adding an interception.
Six of Laurier's nine 2022 all-stars were named to the OUA Second Team, led by breakout second-year running back Quentin Scott (Brampton, Ont.). The young rusher ranked third in the conference in both rushing yards (924) and yards per game (115.5). Scott also ran the ball into the end zone seven times during the season, including two scores in a massive 192-yard performance against rival Waterloo on October 6th. He was joined on the second team by fellow sophomore Golden Hawk Raidan Thorne (Kitchener, Ont.). The receiver was a reliable offensive weapon with 33 grabs for 350 yards. Like Scott, he saved his best for the crosstown Warriors, finishing that game with six catches for a season-high 115 yards.
Laurier was also represented on the second team by third-year tackle Cooper Hamilton (Innisfil, Ont.), fifth-year SAM linebacker Jordan Veltri (Burlington, Ont.), fourth-year free safety Nico McCarthy (Scarborough, Ont.), and fourth-year halfback Patrick Burke Jr (Etobicoke, Ont.).
Fourth-year quarterback Andreas Dueck (Winnipeg, Man.) leads a trio of McMaster Marauders on the second team. Dueck put up great numbers in his second straight all-star season, pacing the OUA in completions (170), passing yards (1,898), and yards per game, while adding seven touchdowns through the air and three more on the ground. His defensive teammates, second-year tackle Mitch Price (Caledon, Ont.) and second-year cornerback DeEmetrius Masuka (Hamilton, Ont.) also earned their all-star status with amazing performances in 2022.
The second team's remaining skill group includes Western running back Edouard Wanadi (Saint-Jerome, Que.), Carleton Ravens receiver Kaseem Ferdinand (Ottawa, Ont.), Ottawa receiver Daniel Oladejo (Ottawa, Ont.), and Waterloo receiver Gordon Lam (Kitchener, Ont.). Wanadi ran for 834 yards with nine touchdowns, four of those scores coming in an October 7th matchup with Toronto when he posted 216 yards. Ferdinand had 44 catches for 528 yards and seven touchdowns in just seven games, while Oladejo caught 32 balls for 399 yards, with three touchdowns. Lam hauled in 34 catches for 410 yards, finding the end zone once, but his biggest moment came in the team's season finale, when he surpassed Laurier great Kurleigh Gittens Jr. for the conference's all-time record in career receptions (208).
The offensive linemen featured on the second team includes Queen's centre Ryan Berta (Hamilton, Ont.), Western tackle Erik Anderson (London, Ont.), Windsor Lancers guard Zack Benson (Leamington, Ont.), and Ottawa guard Tristan Fortin (Roberval, Que.). Other defensive players earning second team honours are Windsor defensive tackle Muftah Ageli (Windsor, Ont.); Western's trio of defensive ends Bruce Maas (London, Ont.), linebacker Riley MacLeod (Hamilton, Ont.) and cornerback Richard Aduboffour (Toronto, Ont.); York teammates in defensive end Jason Janvier-Messier (Beloeil, Que.) and linebacker Matt Dean (Oshawa, Ont.); and Ottawa halfback Eric Cumberbatch (Alexandria, Ont.).
The special teams all-stars are the Toronto pair of punter Dante Mastrogiuseppe (London, Ont.) and returner Luka Stoikos (Toronto, Ont.), Ottawa kicker Campbell Fair (Carrying Place, Ont.), and Queen's RUSH Raheem Balogun Jr (Brampton, Ont.).
The complete list of 2022 OUA football all-stars is as follows:
First Team All-Stars
QB - Evan Hillock, Western
RB - Keon Edwards, Western
RB - J-P Cimankinda, Ottawa
REC - Savaughn Magnaye-Jones, Western
REC - Ethan Jordan, Wilfrid Laurier
REC - Richard Burton, Queen's
REC - Vyshonne Janusas, Guelph
C - Elliot Beamer, Western
T - Zack Fry, Western
T - Jas Khaira, Queen's
G - Phillip Grohovac, Western
G - Evan Floren, Queen's
DT - Darien Newell, Queen's
DT - Malcolm Hinds, Western
DE - Silas Hubert, Queen's
DE - Scott Murray, Guelph
LB - James Peter, Ottawa
LB - Ife Onyemenam, Wilfrid Laurier
SAM - Emmanuel Aboagye-Gyan, Ottawa
FS - Daniel Valente Jr., Western
HB - Ashton Miller-Melancon, Queen's
HB - Rob Panabaker, Western
CB - Siriman Harrison Bagayogo, Guelph
CB - Kevin Victome, Ottawa
P - Dawson Hodge, Wilfrid Laurier
K - Tyler Mullan, Queen's
RET - Alfred Olay, York
RUSH - Jack Hinsperger, Waterloo
Second Team All-Stars
QB - Andreas Dueck, McMaster
RB - Quentin Scott, Wilfrid Laurier
RB - Edouard Wanadi, Western
REC - Kaseem Ferdinand, Carleton
REC - Daniel Oladejo, Ottawa
REC - Gordon Lam, Waterloo
REC - Raidan Thorne, Wilfrid Laurier
C - Ryan Berta, Queen's
T - Erik Anderson, Western
T - Cooper Hamilton, Wilfrid Laurier
G - Zach Benson, Windsor
G - Tristan Fortin, Ottawa
DT - Muftah Ageli, Windsor
DT - Mitch Price, McMaster
DE - Bruce Maas, Western
DE - Jason Janvier Messier, York
LB - Riley MacLeod, Western
LB - Matt Dean, York
SAM - Jordan Veltri, Wilfrid Laurier
FS - Nico McCarthy, Wilfrid Laurier
HB - Patrick Burke Jr., Wilfrid Laurier
HB - Eric Cumberbatch, Ottawa
CB - DeEmetrius Masuka, McMaster
CB - Richard Aduboffour, Western
P - Dante Mastrogiuseppe, Toronto
K - Campbell Fair, Ottawa
RET - Luka Stoikos, Toronto
RUSH - Raheem Balogun Jr., Queen's