Gibson’s Finest 2013 CFL Players of the Week (18): Ray, Hughes, Banks & Cornish

TORONTO – Ricky Ray, Charleston Hughes, Brandon Banks and Jon Cornishwere named the Gibson’s Finest Players of the Week for Week 18 of the 2013 Canadian Football League season.

The four players were chosen by a panel of judges including: former Canadian Football League players Matt Dunigan and Duane Forde of TSN, and Pierre Vercheval of RDS.

Gibson’s Finest CFL Offensive Player of the Week:
Ricky Ray
QB – Toronto Argonauts  
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 21 @ Toronto Argonauts 36

Toronto Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray was named the Offensive Player of the Week for Week 18. Ray had a career night by completing 39 of his 45 passes (86.7%) for a career-high 505 yards (also a CFL season-high), and threw three touchdowns in Toronto’s 36-21 win over Winnipeg.

Ray also set an Argonauts record with 21-straight completions, the second-longest streak in CFL history.

Ray threw two touchdown passes to Romby Bryant (31 and 4 yards) and a 69-yard touchdown to Dontrelle Inman.

Ray leads the CFL with 126.4 QB Rating and completion percentage with 77.2%. Despite missing time due to injuries this season, Ray still has accumulated 21 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions.

Ray has won Gibson’s Finest CFL Canadian Player of the Week three times this season, including Weeks 1 and 8.

Gibson’s Finest CFL Defensive Player of the Week:
Charleston Hughes
DL – Calgary Stampeders
Saskatchewan Roughriders 25 @ Calgary Stampeders 29

Calgary Stampeders defensive lineman Charleston Hughes was named the Defensive Player of the Week for Week 18. Hughes was able to take sole possession of the CFL sack lead by getting to Darian Durant three times in Calgary’s 29-25 win over Saskatchewan.

Hughes, a six-year CFL vet, had a total of five tackles in the game.

The former standout at Northwood University leads the CFL with 18 sacks and is one sack shy of Harold Hallman’s Stampeders single-season record.

Gibson’s Finest CFL Special Teams Player of the Week:
Brandon Banks
KR – Hamilton Tiger-Cats 
Montreal Alouettes 24 @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats 27

Hamilton Tiger-Cats kick-returner Brandon Banks was named the Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 18. In only his fourth-career CFL game, Banks made his presence felt with 210 combined return yards including a 107-yard missed field-goal return, which helped Hamilton secure a home-playoff game by defeating Montreal 27-24.

Banks, the all-time kickoff return touchdown leader at Kansas State University, had four kick returns for 61 yards (15.3 yards per return) and had three punt returns for 42 yards (14.0 yards per return).

Banks also caught two receptions in the game for 19 yards and had two rushes for 47 yards and a touchdown in the game.

Gibson’s Finest CFL Canadian Player of the Week:
Jon Cornish
RB – Calgary Stampeders
Saskatchewan Roughriders 25 @ Calgary Stampeders 29

Calgary Stampeders running back Jon Cornish was named the Canadian Player of the Week for Week 18. Cornish ran for 109 yards on 20 carries (5.5 YPC) and a touchdown in Calgary’s division clinching win over Saskatchewan.

Cornish also added a pair of receptions for 12 yards in the game.

The seven-year veteran from New Westminster, BC extended his rushing over 100-yards streak to five games. In those games, Cornish has rushed for 706 yards on 86 carries (8.2 YPC) and four touchdowns.

The Kansas University product also broke Willie Burden’s 38-year-old Stampeders record for most yards from scrimmage in a season.

Cornish currently leads the CFL in rushing (1,799 yards) and touchdowns (14) this season, with one week left in the 2013 season. Cornish has won Gibson’s Finest CFL Canadian Player of the Week seven times this season, including in Weeks 1, 7, 11,15,16 and