Augustine, Rush and Ferraro named OUA Football Players of the Week
HAMILTON, Ont. - The following athletes have been named Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Football Players of the Week for the period ending November 16th, 2015.
BURLINGTON, Ont. - The following athletes have been named Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Football Players of the Week for the period ending November 16th, 2015.
OFFENCE: Johnny Augustine (Welland, Ont.) – 3rd yr. – Guelph
Guelph Gryphons running back Johnny Augustine takes home the OUA Offensive Player of the Week honours after his 108 yard rushing performance in the Gryphons' 23-17 Yates Cup victory over the Western Mustangs.
Augustine, a third-year criminal justice and public policy student-athlete, carried the ball 19 times and averaged a solid 5.7 yards per carry, while contributing to a 203 yard Gryphon rushing game that kept the ball moving for Guelph.
The Welland, Ont. native averaged 176.5 yards per game throughout the playoffs, while collecting two touchdowns in the Gryphs semifinal win over Carleton. Augustine also collected the OUA and CIS player of the week awards after his performance against the Ravens last week, where he ran for a stunning 245 yards on 35 carries.
The 5-foot-10, 210 lbs running back will lead the Gryphs offence in their Mitchell Bowl matchup against the Montreal Carabins, a team that allowed the second fewest points in the CIS this season (13.6), and limited opposing offences to a nation-leading 93.5 rushing yards per game.
DEFENCE: John Rush (Niagara Falls, Ont.) – 5th yr. – Guelph
Linebacker John Rush has been named the OUA Defensive Player of the Week to go along with his Dalt White Trophy, as the Porter Player of the Game, in Guelph’s Yates Cup victory over Western.
Rush, a fifth-year marketing management major, collected 10 solo tackles to go along with four assisted take-downs. The 6-foot-1, 220 lbs linebacker also added three sacks for a loss of 25 yards in his outstanding defensive performance, which included a tackle on their own 10 yard line to halt a driving Western at the end of the game.
Rush was named a first team OUA all-star this season after leading the country in tackles with 60.
Rush will captain the Gryphons defence this weekend in their Mitchell Bowl matchup against the Montreal Carabins this Saturday. The Carabins will really test the Gryphons stamina this weekend, as they one of the top teams in the country when it comes to keeping their offence on the field. Montreal is third in the CIS in time of possession per game, holding onto the ball an average of just over 31 minutes a game.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Gabriel Ferrraro (Mississauga, Ont.) – 2nd yr. – Guelph
Guelph kicker Gabriel Ferraro played a pivotal role for the Gryphons in their Yates Cup win over the Mustangs this weekend and has been named the OUA Special Teams Player of the Week.
Ferraro, a 5-foot-11, 182 lbs kicker, connected on three of his four field goal attempts in addition to two extra points on his way to 11 points in the Gryphons win.
The first-team OUA all-star was locked in all game for the Gryphs, scoring seven of Guelph’s points in the fourth quarter to take the lead from Western with just under seven minutes left to play.
The second-year commerce student-athlete had a phenomenal season after finishing second in the conference in field goal percentage (83%) and points (85). Ferraro was almost perfect while playing at home this season, only missing one field goal at Guelph’s Alumni Stadium, while connecting from as far as 42 yards out.
