FRC – CIS football players of the week (#6): Quebec players sweep weekly honours

OTTAWA (CIS) – Running back Rotrand Sené and defensive lineman Jonathan Pierre-Étienne, both from the Montreal Carabins, and Concordia kick returner Kris Robertson are the Canadian Interuniversity Sport football players of the week for the period ending Oct. 8, 2011.
The selection was made by a committee comprised of members of Football Reporters of Canada (FRC).

Sené, a third-year arts and science student from Montreal, was honoured on offence after he helped the Carabins (3-3) edge previously undefeated and No. 1-ranked Laval (5-1) 17-12, which marked the first loss in 19 overall games for the reigning Vanier Cup champions dating back to the 2009 Mitchell Bowl. Going against the best run defence in the country, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound junior racked up 111 yards on 22 carries, including the game-winning touchdown on a 13-yard scamper with 56 seconds left in regulation. Sené became the first player to rush for 100 yards or more against Laval since Nov. 14, 2009, when he had another 111-yard effort in the Quebec final.
Saint Mary’s running back Craig Leger and McMaster quarterback Kyle Quinlan were also up for the award.
Pierre-Étienne, a fourth-year law student from Montreal, took home the weekly honour on defence thanks to a dream afternoon against the Rouge et Or offence, which entered the contest as the top unit in the RSEQ. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound senior recorded a game-high 14 total tackles (12 solo), forced a fumble that led to a Carabins field goal and set a team record with 4.5 quarterback sacks, just a half-sack shy of the single-game conference mark set by McGill’s Jason Manzano back in 2003. A 2009 draft pick of the BC Lions, Pierre-Étienne currently leads CIS with 7.5 sacks on the season.
Acadia defensive back Cameron Wade and Wilfrid Laurier linebacker Mitchell Bosch were also nominated.
Robertson, a third-year sociology student from Pickering, Ont., was the choice on special teams after tying the single-game Quebec conference record with 214 punt return yards in a 39-16 win over McGill in the 25th annual Shrine Bowl. The 5-foot-7, 183-pound halfback had a pair of 60-plus yard returns, including a 69-yard touchdown that gave the Stingers (3-3) a 26-11 lead early in the third quarter. Robertson also took a kickoff back on 52 yards to finish the contest with 266 total yards in returns.
Kickers Anthony Alix of St. Francis Xavier and Dan Village of Queen’s were also up for the distinction.

Photo credit James Hajjar, Montreal

Offensive nominees:
AUS: Craig Leger, running back, Saint Mary’s
RSEQ: Rotrand Sené, running back, Montreal (recipient)
OUA: Kyle Quinlan, quarterback, McMaster
CWUAA: No nominee (bye week)

Defensive nominees:
AUS: Cameron Wade, defensive back, Acadia
RSEQ: Jonathan Pierre-Étienne, lineman, Montreal (recipient)
OUA: Mitchell Bosch, linebacker, Wilfrid Laurier
CWUAA: No nominee (bye week)

Special team nominees:
AUS: Anthony Alix, kicker, St. Francis Xavier
RSEQ: Kris Robertson, returner, Concordia (recipient)
OUA: Dan Village, kicker, Queen’s
CWUAA: No nominee (bye week)

CIS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)


October 14
19:00 CT No. 2 Calgary (5-0) at No. 7 Saskatchewan (3-2)
October 15
13:00 ET No. 1 Western (6-0) at Toronto (2-4)
13:00 ET No. 6 McMaster (5-1) at Laurier (3-3), The Score
13:00 ET Windsor (4-2) at No. 10 Ottawa (4-2), Rogers TV & SSN webcast
13:00 ET Waterloo (0-6) at Queen’s (4-2)
13:00 ET York (1-5) at Guelph (1-5), SSN webcast
13:00 ET No. 5 Montreal (3-3) at McGill (0-6), Radio-Canada (TV & webcast)
13:00 CT Alberta (0-6) at Manitoba (2-3)
14:00 AT Mount Allison (0-5) at Acadia (4-1), SSN webcast
14:00 AT No. 8 Saint Mary’s (4-1) at StFX (1-4), EastLink (TV & webcast) / SSN webcast
14:00 PT Regina (2-3) at No. 9 UBC (3-2), Shaw TV
19:00 ET Concordia (3-3) at No. 4 Sherbrooke (5-1)

October 16
13:00 ET Bishop’s (2-4) at No. 3 Laval (5-1)

About Football Reporters of Canada – University Division
The Football Reporters of Canada – University Division represents journalists and broadcasters in every region of the country covering CIS Football. Since 1958 the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) have been an organization of media members who have covered the Canadian Football League, serving to select the league’s outstanding players, coach-of-the-year and all-star teams through voting conducted by its members. In 2009, the FRC amalgamated with the University Football Reporters of Canada (UFRC) to give the organization greater scope in its affiliation with amateur and college football.
The FRC also works with the CFL and CIS to establish guidelines and working conditions for the men and women who report on the game. Selected members of the FRC also help to choose builders, players and media members for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
-CIS-