Hillock, Moretuzzo, Bayfield named OUA football players of the week

Burlington, Ont. – Evan Hillock, Anthony Moretuzzo, and Ethan Bayfield have been named Canadian Football Perspective’s OUA Players of the Week for Week 1.

Offensive Player of the Week – Evan Hillock, Western

After an all-star campaign a season ago, Western quarterback Evan Hillock picked up right where he left off when his Mustangs took home the big win over the York Lions in Week 1.

The third-year pivot showcased his precision and poise under centre, completing 13 of his 18 passes on the day for a total of 305 yards in the air. His longest passing play was a 66-yard major to Savaughn Magnaye-Jones, the second such connection between the two on the day, and it didn’t stop there. The Hamilton, Ont. product tossed another two touchdowns the way of Seth Robertson, good for 15 and 22 yards, respectively, before adding his fifth and final major on a 12-yard play to Mohsen Jamal before the half.

Hillock’s numbers would be impressive for a full game’s worth of work; however, he managed the feat in just a single half after helping his team build a sizeable lead at the break and sitting out the rest of the game thereafter.

Defensive Player of the Week – Anthony Moretuzzo, Guelph

Anthony Moretuzzo was here, there, and everywhere for the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday, making plays all over the field as part of their 33-10 Week 1 victory over Toronto.

The second-year defensive back showcased his versatility all game long, lining up at multiple defensive positions and making several big plays at key moments in the game. The Stoney Creek, Ont. product posted a pair of sacks, both coming on 2nd-and-long plays to pin the Blues back, while also putting the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter with a 47-yard pick-six.

A key figure in helping hold Toronto to just 10 points on 190 yards of offence, the history major finished off his season debut with seven tackles (five solo, four assisted), two sacks, and an interception.

Special Teams Player of the Week – Ethan Bayfield, Wilfrid Laurier

In a tight, low-scoring game where special teams proved to be the difference, Wilfrid Laurier’s Ethan Bayfield was among the standouts in helping his Hawks soar to the win over Queen’s.

Facing a tough opponent in the two-time defending Yates Cup finalists, Bayfield did all he could to get the Golden Hawks off on the right foot. The sophomore from Toronto, Ont. collected a pair of kick returns for 56 yards, including a long of 41, as well as eight punt returns for 60 yards. Perhaps his biggest impact on the game, however, came on a pair of missed Queen’s field goals. On both occasions, he ran the ball out of the end zone and prevented the Gaels from adding to their score, with the second such effort coming as time expired to seal the one-point win for Laurier.

The defensive back finished the day with 116 all-purpose yards and added a solo tackle to round out his Week 1 performance.