Canada West Players of Week 8: Nixon, Sherman, Ifield

OFFENCE: Laurence Nixon, QB, Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan QB Laurence Nixon helped the Huskies solidify a first place finish with a 52-29 win over the Regina Rams Friday night Nixon, in his fifth and final year of CIS eligibility, completed 23-of-32 pass attempts for 424 yards and four touchdowns in the game.

His first touchdown pass came in the second quarter marching the ball down the field on a six yard drive ending in a four-yard pass to Alex Balogun. In the second quarter he also added a 44-yard pass to Owen Geier at 6:58 and a 48-yard pass to Jade Etienne at 13:56. He opened the third quarter with his final touchdown pass a 16-yarder to Mitch Stevens.
The Richmond, B.C., native also handed the ball off three times to Dathan Thomas for touchdowns and 20 yards of rushing.
Nixon and the No. 3 Huskies will host the Alberta Golden Bears in a Canada West semifinal on November 6, 1:00 p.m. MT at Griffiths Stadium in PotashCorp Park. It is the third straight season the Huskies have finished in first place.

DEFENCE: Teague Sherman, DB, Manitoba
Bisons defensive back Teague Sherman had a strong game as Manitoba earned a 35-25 home win against UBC on Saturday, October 30. Overall, he had a game-high 7.5 tackles with one interception and two break-ups in the second win of the season for Manitoba to complete the 2010 season.
In his first-ever start at halfback position in three season with the Bisons, Sherman was all over the field and had a five solo tackles and five assisted tackles with one tackle for a loss. On the last drive by UBC, Sherman snuffed out any hope for the Thunderbirds with an interception on Manitoba’s 25-yard line. He added two break-ups in the victory.
Sherman finished with 29 tackles on the year and eighth in Canada West with five conference passes defended (four break-ups, one interceptions) and had one fumble recovery.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Aaron Ifield, P/K, Calgary
Fifth-year kicker Calgary Dinos Aaron Ifield definitely didn’t do it the easy way, but he did it in style – and he is the new all-time CIS leader in field goals.
Entering Saturday’s season-ending contest against the Alberta Golden Bears, Ifield needed two field goals to own the national record outright. With eight seconds left in the first half, he kicked a 47-yarder to tie Frank Jagas (Western Ontario) atop the career leader board with 70, and McMahon Stadium held its breath with each subsequent attempt.
Midway through the third quarter, Ifield’s 35-yard attempt sailed just left and through the end zone for a single. Early in the fourth, he had another opportunity from 47 yards – again, wide left.
The Dinos’ third-string offence was on the field and managed to get the ball down to the 44-yard line, setting up a 51-yard attempt with three seconds on the clock. It cleared the crossbar by inches, giving him 71 field goals in his career and the new CIS record as he was mobbed by his teammates.
The Dinos (6-2) host the Regina Rams (5-3) Saturday afternoon in a Canada West semifinal, live on Shaw TV. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. at McMahon Stadium.

Next Football Players of the Week: November 8, 2010
About Canada West Universities Athletic Association
Canada West is consistently the most decorated of the four conferences in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), winning at least 10 CIS national titles every year since 1997-98. Comprised of 14 schools, from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada West produces numerous major award winners and Academic All-Canadian student-athletes each year, with many going on to athletic success around the globe in pro leagues or events such as the Olympics, Paralympics or Universiade Games.
A proud member of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).