November 23, 2021
Edwards, Fordham-Miller, Garrity named OUA football players of the week
Burlington, Ont. - Keon Edwards, Austin Fordham-Miller, and Brian Garrity have been named Canadian Football Perspective's OUA Players of the Week for the 113th Yates Cup.
Offensive Player of the Week - Keon Edwards, Western
For the third time this season, Keon Edwards piled up a three-touchdown outing for the Western Mustangs, with his latest scoring trifecta helping his team take home the 113th Yates Cup.
After picking up a pair of offensive player of the week honours during the season, Edwards' latest nod started with an early contribution on the scoreboard. On Western's second possession of the game, the Toronto, Ont. product rumbled his way into the end zone from five yards out to open the scoring. His next major would come on the Mustangs' following drive, and after kicking off the nine-play, 85-yard drive with a short carry, he capped it off by finding a gaping hole and taking it 24 yards to the house.
Edwards' sizzling first half didn't end there; however, as he would add his third touchdown of the opening 30 minutes with his longest run of the game, a 36-yard scamper to extend Western's lead to 23-0 and to help bring his first half yardage above the century mark. While he didn't find the end zone in the second half, he still managed to help the London squad move the ball, especially on their late drive that began with a 32-yard catch and run from Edwards and reached its pinnacle with a 33-yard run inside the Queen's five-yard line to set up the final points of the game.
The philosophy major, who was named the Dalt White Player of the Game, wrapped up his championship outing with 21 carries, 158 yards, and three touchdowns on the ground, as well as his lone reception for 32 yards.
Defensive Player of the Week - Austin Fordham-Miller, Western
Lining up against the second best offence in the province - including the second-ranked running game - on their home field, the Western defence was facing a tall task in the 113th Yates Cup, but Austin Fordham-Miller and company stepped up in a big way.
His first takedowns of the day came against Queen's quarterback James Keenan in the opening quarter, before next turning his attention to first team all-star Rasheed Tucker and the Gaels backfield. After stuffing Tucker for just a one-yard gain early in the second, he would proceed to earn three tackles in a four-play stretch on the ensuing Queen's drive, including another against the Gaels' top back. He would add one final takedown of Tucker in the second half to bring his total tackles for the game to 6.5.
The fifth-year defensive lineman from Morpeth, Ont. was an instrumental part of the vaunted Western defence that stymied the run game - and entire Queen's offence on the day - limiting the host squad to just 116 yards on the ground and 203 overall, while posting the first Yates Cup shutout in 50 years.
Special Teams Player of the Week - Brian Garrity, Western
With Edwards' knack for finding the end zone, the kicking game wasn't relied upon often, but when Brian Garrity was called into action, the confident kicker made no mistake.
After going 3-for-3 in his extra point attempts to open the game, the first-year kicker from London, Ont. was brought in for his first field goal attempt late in the opening half. With his team up 23-0, Garrity stepped up from 37 yards out with 25 seconds to go before the break to extend Western's league even further. When the scoring slowed in the second half, it was another successful Garrity kick that not only accounted for the lone points of the half, but helped the Mustangs put the cherry on top of their convincing championship win.
The made 14-yarder halfway through the final frame brought the kinesiology major's point total on the day to nine and along with his 140 yards in the punting game, including a long of 48 yards, marked a productive Yates Cup debut for Garrity.
Offensive Player of the Week - Keon Edwards, Western
For the third time this season, Keon Edwards piled up a three-touchdown outing for the Western Mustangs, with his latest scoring trifecta helping his team take home the 113th Yates Cup.
After picking up a pair of offensive player of the week honours during the season, Edwards' latest nod started with an early contribution on the scoreboard. On Western's second possession of the game, the Toronto, Ont. product rumbled his way into the end zone from five yards out to open the scoring. His next major would come on the Mustangs' following drive, and after kicking off the nine-play, 85-yard drive with a short carry, he capped it off by finding a gaping hole and taking it 24 yards to the house.
Edwards' sizzling first half didn't end there; however, as he would add his third touchdown of the opening 30 minutes with his longest run of the game, a 36-yard scamper to extend Western's lead to 23-0 and to help bring his first half yardage above the century mark. While he didn't find the end zone in the second half, he still managed to help the London squad move the ball, especially on their late drive that began with a 32-yard catch and run from Edwards and reached its pinnacle with a 33-yard run inside the Queen's five-yard line to set up the final points of the game.
The philosophy major, who was named the Dalt White Player of the Game, wrapped up his championship outing with 21 carries, 158 yards, and three touchdowns on the ground, as well as his lone reception for 32 yards.
Defensive Player of the Week - Austin Fordham-Miller, Western
Lining up against the second best offence in the province - including the second-ranked running game - on their home field, the Western defence was facing a tall task in the 113th Yates Cup, but Austin Fordham-Miller and company stepped up in a big way.
His first takedowns of the day came against Queen's quarterback James Keenan in the opening quarter, before next turning his attention to first team all-star Rasheed Tucker and the Gaels backfield. After stuffing Tucker for just a one-yard gain early in the second, he would proceed to earn three tackles in a four-play stretch on the ensuing Queen's drive, including another against the Gaels' top back. He would add one final takedown of Tucker in the second half to bring his total tackles for the game to 6.5.
The fifth-year defensive lineman from Morpeth, Ont. was an instrumental part of the vaunted Western defence that stymied the run game - and entire Queen's offence on the day - limiting the host squad to just 116 yards on the ground and 203 overall, while posting the first Yates Cup shutout in 50 years.
Special Teams Player of the Week - Brian Garrity, Western
With Edwards' knack for finding the end zone, the kicking game wasn't relied upon often, but when Brian Garrity was called into action, the confident kicker made no mistake.
After going 3-for-3 in his extra point attempts to open the game, the first-year kicker from London, Ont. was brought in for his first field goal attempt late in the opening half. With his team up 23-0, Garrity stepped up from 37 yards out with 25 seconds to go before the break to extend Western's league even further. When the scoring slowed in the second half, it was another successful Garrity kick that not only accounted for the lone points of the half, but helped the Mustangs put the cherry on top of their convincing championship win.
The made 14-yarder halfway through the final frame brought the kinesiology major's point total on the day to nine and along with his 140 yards in the punting game, including a long of 48 yards, marked a productive Yates Cup debut for Garrity.
