Edwards, Panabaker, Magnaye-Jones named OUA football players of the week

Burlington, Ont. – Keon Edwards, Robert Panabaker, and Savaughn Magnaye-Jones have been named Canadian Football Perspective's OUA Players of the Week for the 114th Yates Cup.

Offensive Player of the Week – Keon Edwards, Western



No stranger to production during the regular season and no stranger to production on the championship stage, Keon Edwards lived up to the hype in the 114th Yates Cup.

In a game in which both teams took some time to find their footing, Edwards was quick to come out of the gates with multiple impact runs. A pair of 15-yard scampers in the first quarter weren't only the longest plays of the game through the opening frame, but a sign of things to come for the third-year Western running back.

His longest play of the day came early in the second quarter, when he broke free from deep in the Mustangs own end to reel off an 81-yard run to the Queen's 10-yard line, setting up Western's second touchdown of the game to that point. He would once again set up a Keanu Yazbeck touchdown with more impressive work on the ground, as he kept the Mustangs moving down the field time and time again throughout the championship affair. All-told, Edwards would finish with 24 carries for 260 yards rushing to headline Western's relentless run game.

As if the yardage wasn't enough, Edwards put an exclamation point on his performance with a determined touchdown run late in the game. With multiple defenders in his path, the regular season MVP would not be deterred, overpowering the Gaels defence to come away with the major and put the final touches on his Yates Cup masterpiece. With his dynamic performance in tow, Edwards would cap off the day with his second consecutive Dalt White Trophy as the game's MVP.

Defensive Player of the Week – Robert Panabaker, Western



With Queen's second-ranked offence lining up against them in the Yates Cup, Western's defensive group was in for a tough test, but the group, headlined by Robert Panabaker, was up to the task.

The hometown defensive back put on a show for the London crowd, racking up six total tackles on the day. He accounted for three of those takedowns on his own, while also chipping in with six assisted tackles, as he was an active part of a Western group that kept Queen's at bay throughout the game.

Late in the game, Panabaker would add the defensive exclamation point on the Mustangs' win. With Queen's driving and looking for the end zone to further cut the deficit, the kinesiology major did what he has done all season and came away with the interception on the Alex Vreeken pass. Ranked second therein in the regular season, the ball hawk came down with the drive-ending play and secured the 34th Yates Cup win in Western's program history.

Special Teams Player of the Week – Savaughn Magnaye-Jones, Western



It was tough sledding on special teams on Saturday, as the windy and snowy weather conditions made for an uneasy backdrop for the game's kickers and returners.

Despite the unfavourable settings, Western's Savaughn Magnaye-Jones managed to make his mark on multiple occasions when he corralled the Gaels kicks. Tasked with returning six kicks on the day, the all-star receiver produced a combined 89 yards for the London squad. His standout effort in the return game came on a 30-yard play, which helped anchored his 77 yards on four kickoff attempts, to go along with 12 yards on two punt returns.

Doing what he did all season, meanwhile, Magnaye-Jones, who led the conference receivers in touchdowns in 2022, would also chip in offensively, taking his one reception 57 yards into the end zone for the game's opening score.