OUA Yates cup players of week: Western sweep

HAMILTON, Ont. – The Yates Cup champion Western Mustangs have swept the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Football Players of the Week honours for the period ending November 13, 2010.

OFFENCE: Jerimy Hipperson, Western Mustangs, Running Back
Third-year running back Jerimy Hipperson had a game-high 162 rushing yards on 18 carries, along with one touchdown, in Western’s 26-25 win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the 103rd Yates Cup. Hipperson broke open for huge gains throughout the game and helped Western to secure crucial first downs, including one on the final game-winning drive. As a result of his performance, the St. Catharines, Ont. native was named the Porter player of the game on the Score and also earned the Dalt White Trophy as the Yates Cup MVP.

DEFENCE: Craig Butler, Western Mustangs, Defensive Halfback
Mustangs defensive halfback Craig Butler intercepted Ottawa Gee-Gees quarterback and OUA MVP Brad Sinopoli in the end zone and came up with a huge knockdown on a deep ball intended for Ottawa receiver Steven Hughes to kill a momentum-gaining Gee-Gees drive in the second half of a thrilling 103[SUP]rd[/SUP] Yates Cup on Saturday. The fourth-year from London, Ont. also tallied a team-high seven solo tackles in Western’s win.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Lirim Hajrullahu, Western Mustangs, Placekicker
With all the pressure of a championship game and 7,000 fans cheering against him, Western placekicker Lirim Hajrullahu booted the game-winning, 34-yard field goal to give his team an OUA-best 29th Yates Cup on Saturday. It was one of four field goals on the day for Hajrullahu who also hit from 32, 17 and 12 yards out, adding three kickoffs for 181 yards. He was also perfect on both point-after attempts in the contest. Hajrullahu’s boot provided poor field position for Ottawa on the day and contributed to the special teams edge for the Mustangs in a game that came down to just one point. In all, the St. Catharines native accounted for 11 of Western’s 26 points on the day.

-OUA-