FRC – CIS football players of the week (#9): Nixon, Boucher, Dion honoured

OTTAWA (CIS) – Saskatchewan quarterback Laurence Nixon and Sherbrooke teammates, defensive back Dave Boucher and kicker William Dion, are the Canadian Interuniversity Sport football players of the week for the period ending Oct. 30, 2010.

The selection was made by a committee comprised of members of Football Reporters of Canada (FRC).

Nixon, a fifth-year arts and science student from Richmond, B.C., was honoured on offence for a second time this season after he helped the No. 3-ranked Huskies (6-2) secure first place in Canada West and home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs with a convincing 52-29 win over No. 8 Regina (5-3), last Friday. The 6-foot, 200-pound senior completed 72 per cent of his passes (23-of-32) for 424 yards and four touchdowns, including 44 and 48-yard TD strikes in the second quarter that sent Saskatchewan to the halftime break with a comfortable 35-7 lead. The Huskies kick off the post-season on Saturday when they host Alberta (3-5) in CWUAA semifinal action.

Mount Allison running back Matt Pickett, Laval running back Pascal Lochard and McMaster quarterback Kyle Quinlan were also up for the award.

Boucher, a first-year multidisciplinary studies student from St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., took home the weekly honour on defence after he became the first player in QUFL history to return two interceptions for touchdowns in a single game as No. 10 Sherbrooke (5-4) secured a playoff spot with a 43-8 defeat of McGill, last Saturday. The 6-foot, 190-pound freshman, who also had a pair of solo tackles in the contest, ran his first pick back on 50 yards late in the second quarter, and then made it a 35-6 affair only 17 seconds into the second half with a 30-yard score. The Vert & Or will be looking for the first post-season win in program history when they visit No. 7 Montreal (6-3) for a Quebec semifinal, on Saturday (Radio-Canada, 1 p.m.).

Saint Mary’s linebacker Brian Ridgeway, Wilfrid Laurier lineman Stephen Cormack and Manitoba defensive back Teague Sherman were also nominated.

Dion, a third-year history major from Drummondville, Que., was the choice on special teams after he set a single-game school record with six field goals in the Vert & Or victory over McGill. The 5-foot-11, 203-pound junior, who also averaged 38.0 yards on five punts and 51.0 yards on five kickoffs in the win, went 6-of-7 on the day splitting the uprights from 27, 40, 21, 18, 9 and 25 yards out. Dion finished conference play with 20 field goals, also a Sherbrooke record.

Kickers John Szilagyi of Mount Allison, Giancarlo Rapanaro of Wilfrid Laurier and Aaron Ifield of Calgary were also up for the distinction.

Offensive nominees:
AUS: Matt Pickett, running back, Mount Allison
QUFL: Pascal Lochard, running back, Laval
OUA: Kyle Quinlan, quarterback, McMaster
CWUAA: Laurence Nixon, quarterback, Saskatchewan (recipient)

Defensive nominees:
AUS: Brian Ridgeway, linebacker, Saint Mary’s
QUFL: Dave Boucher, defensive back, Sherbrooke (recipient)
OUA: Stephen Cormack, defensive lineman, Wilfrid Laurier
CWUAA: Teague Sherman, defensive back, Manitoba

Special team nominees:
AUS: John Szilagyi, kicker, Mount Allison
QUFL: William Dion, kicker, Sherbrooke (recipient)
OUA: Giancarlo Rapanaro, kicker, Wilfrid Laurier
CWUAA: Aaron Ifield, kicker, Calgary

CIS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)

Note: Complete webcast and radio schedules at [URL]http://english.cis-sic.ca/sports/fball/2010-11/schedule

November 6
13:00 AUS semifinal: Acadia (4-4) at Mount Allison (4-4) (TV & Web: EastLink)
13:00 QUFL semifinal: No. 10 Sherbrooke (5-4) at No. 7 Montreal (6-3) (TV & Web: Radio-Canada)
13:00 QUFL semifinal: Bishop’s (5-4) at No. 1 Laval (9-0)
13:00 OUA semifinal: Laurier (5-4) at No. 4 Ottawa (7-1) (TV & Web: The Score)
13:00 CW semifinal: Alberta (3-5) at No. 3 Saskatchewan (6-2)
13:00 CW semifinal: No. 8 Regina (5-3) at No. 5 Calgary (6-2) (TV: Shaw)
16:30 OUA semifinal: No. 6 McMaster (7-2) at No. 2 Western (7-1) (TV & Web: The Score)
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.

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