FRC - CIS football players of the week (#9): Kennedy, Caron, Hus honoured

OTTAWA (CIS) – Windsor quarterback Austin Kennedy, Concordia linebacker Max Caron and Regina special teams specialist Jorgen Hus are the Canadian Interuniversity Sport football players of the week for the period ending Oct. 29, 2011.

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

Kennedy, a second-year business student from Windsor, Ont., was honoured on offence after a near-perfect performance in the first playoff game of his CIS career. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound sophomore completed 74 per cent of his passes (25 of 34) for 429 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions to lead the Lancers (6-3) to a 50-33 OUA quarter-final win at Ottawa, which marked their first post-season victory since 2003. Kennedy, who also rushed for a team-high 86 yards and a major on the afternoon, now hopes to lead the Blue & Gold to an upset of nationally third-ranked Western (7-1) in Saturday’s conference semifinals.

Acadia receiver Taylor Renaud and quarterbacks Reid Quest of Concordia and Billy Greene of UBC were also up for the award.

Caron, a second-year political sciences student from Kingston, Ont., took home the weekly honour on defence thanks to his two interceptions in a 58-30 playoff-clinching win over McGill, including one he took back 96 yards for a touchdown. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound sophomore also had six solo tackles and two assisted tackles on the day to end the regular schedule with a CIS-high total of 78.5, a new single-season Quebec conference record. Caron also set new RSEQ marks for most majors scored on interception returns in a season (3) and in a career (4).

Linemen Rob Jubenville of Saint Mary’s, Seamus Postuma of Windsor and Stefan Charles of Regina were also nominated.

Hus, a third-year kinesiology student from Saskatoon, was the choice on special teams after he helped the Rams (3-5) secure the final playoff spot in Canada West with a key blocked punt in the early moments of a 31-22 road win over Manitoba. Four minutes into the contest, with the Bisons facing third-and-long deep in their own territory, the 6-foot-1, 213-pound linebacker broke through the protection and stepped in front of a Brendon Bowman kick. The loose ball was recovered in the end zone by teammate Steve Famulak and Regina held on to the lead the rest of the way.

Kickers Thomas Blight of Acadia, Boris Bédé of Laval and Dan Village of Queen’s were also up for the distinction.

Offensive nominees:
AUS: Taylor Renaud, receiver, Acadia
RSEQ: Reid Quest, quarterback, Concordia
OUA: Austin Kennedy, quarterback, Windsor (recipient)
CWUAA: Billy Greene, quarterback, UBC

Defensive nominees:
AUS: Rob Jubenville, lineman, Saint Mary’s
RSEQ: Max Caron, linebacker, Concordia (recipient)
OUA: Seamus Postuma, lineman, Windsor
CWUAA: Stefan Charles, tackle, Regina

Special team nominees:
AUS: Thomas Blight, kicker, Acadia
RSEQ: Boris Bédé, kicker, Laval
OUA: Dan Village, kicker, Queen’s
CWUAA: Jorgen Hus, cover, Regina (recipient)

CIS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)

Conference semifinals

November 4
19:00 MT Regina (3-5) at No. 2 Calgary (7-1), Shaw (TV)

November 5
13:00 AT StFX (2-6) at Saint Mary’s (6-2), EastLink (TV & webcast) / sportstream.ca (webcast)
13:00 ET Concordia (4-5) at No. 1 Laval (8-1), Radio-Canada (webcast)
13:00 ET No. 7 Montreal (6-3) at No. 5 Sherbrooke (7-2), Radio-Canada (TV & webcast)
13:00 ET Windsor (6-3) at No. 3 Western (7-1), The Score (TV & webcast)
14:00 PT No. 10 Saskatchewan (5-3) at No. 6 UBC (6-2), Shaw (TV)
16:30 ET No. 8 Queen’s (7-2) at No. 4 McMaster (7-1), The Score (TV & webcast)

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-