Canada West football Players of the Week: Snyder, Verdone, Mark

OFFENCE: #34 Richard Snyder, Calgary

Fifth-year senior receiver Richard Snyder of the Calgary Dinos knows how to bring it against the Saskatchewan Huskies.

In a game reminiscent of his performance in the 2009 Hardy Cup game in Saskatoon, Snyder picked up eight catches for 238 yards in Saturday night’s 45-4 Dinos win over Saskatchewan at McMahon Stadium. The first of these was impressive, a 90-yard touchdown strike from Eric Dzwilewski, but it was a catch in the third quarter that stood out most.

Snyder was hit as he caught the ball, sent airborne by the Huskies defender. Somehow, he managed to maintain control of the ball and it ended up between his knees for a spectacular completion – one that was featured on SportsCentre’s Honour Roll Saturday night on TSN.

The 90-yard pass play was the longest in the conference so far this season, while his 238 receiving yards is the best single-game performance in Canada West in 2012, a career high, and the fourth-best in school history.

Snyder and the 5-0 Dinos head into the bye week before their next action Friday, Oct. 12 when they face the winless Alberta Golden Bears in Edmonton.

DEFENCE: #44, Jordan Verdone, Calgary

Fourth-year linebacker Jordan Verdone gets the nod on behalf of the entire Calgary defence, which put up a dominant performance in Saturday night’s 45-4 win over the Saskatchewan Huskies at McMahon Stadium.

The B.C. Lions’ draft pick racked up five tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a pass knockdown in a solid all-around performance. His sack of Chase Bradshaw jarred the ball loose, allowing teammate Byron Roberts to jump on the ball deep in Saskatchewan territory in the first quarter. The momentum swung significantly in the Dinos’ favour at that point when they turned it into a Johnny Mark field goal, opening a nine-point lead that they never looked back from.

The second half was a defensive clinic by the Dinos, who allowed just 15 yards of total offence and one first down after the break.

Verdone and the Dinos (5-0) take a breather on bye week before starting the stretch drive Oct. 12 in Edmonton when they face the winless Alberta Golden Bears.

SPECIAL TEAMS: #33 Johnny Mark, Calgary

Johnny Mark was on the mark for the Calgary Dinos in Saturday night’s 45-4 thrashing of the Saskatchewan Huskies at McMahon Stadium.

The second-year kicker, a 2011 second team All-Canadian, tied a school record set in 1992 with six field goals in the game, accounting for more than half the Dinos’ points on the night with 23. In addition to his six field goals, Mark went three-for-three on extra points and added a single by both kickoff and punt – you might call it hitting for the cycle as a kicker.

In his other capacity as the Dinos’ punter, Mark averaged 45 yards per punt and pinned the Huskies deep several times, including a pair of punts that landed inside the Saskatchewan five-yard line – helping the Dinos force a pair of safeties on the night.

Mark is the leading scorer in Canada West through five games with 78, more than double the total of his nearest rival. He is also approaching the school record of 18 field goals in a season, with 16 through the first five games of the campaign.

He’ll get his next chance to add to those totals Oct. 12 in Edmonton when the Dinos (5-0) visit the Alberta Golden Bears (0-5) at Foote Field.