Ternowski, Thomas, Ferraro named Football Players of the Week
Burlington, Ont. – Tyler Ternowski, Kadeem Thomas, and Gabe Ferraro have been named Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Football Players of the Week for the period ending October 21, 2018.
Offence: Tyler Ternowski, Waterloo Warriors
In fitting fashion, Tyler Ternowski put the cherry on top of his incredible campaign with a performance that has put the Waterloo Warriors receiver in the OUA record books.
In Waterloo’s final game of the regular season, Ternowski needed two majors to set the record for touchdowns in a single season, and the province’s leading receiver delivered. The first big play came early in the second half, a 39-yard touchdown to put the Warriors up 23-18. Tying the record wasn’t enough for “Double T”; however, and it was later that very quarter that he took sole possession of the record. A 19-yard pass, once again to give Waterloo the lead, brought Ternowski’s total to 14 for the year, passing Stefan Ptaszek (1994) for the most single-season touchdowns in OUA history.
Ternowski ended the game with six catches for 107 yards and the two majors, helping him end the season with 144 yards per game and the 14 touchdowns, which were seven clear of any other receiver in the OUA.
Defence: Kadeem Thomas, York Lions
York football player Kadeem Thomas had an outstanding game on defence for the Lions in the team’s final game of the 2018 season, and his individual effort tabs him as this week’s standout defensive player in the OUA.
Thomas, who led the York squad to a 31-15 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues for the second straight Red & Blue Bowl victory, set a record in the rivalry with three interceptions, all coming in the second half. His third and final pick came with just 2:35 left in the game to seal the Lions victory.
Thomas also had one tackle and broke up a pass in an outstanding game for the sophomore, who ends his season with 24 tackles and a total of three broken up passes. His first three interceptions of the year, meanwhile, leave him tied for fourth overall in the OUA.
Special Teams: Gabe Ferraro, Guelph Gryphons
Big kicks are nothing new for Ferraro and the fifth-year phenom was his clutch self against the Warriors on Saturday en route to him being named the OUA Special Teams Player of the Week. Ferraro nailed four field goals that not only helped his team to victory, but also put his name in the U SPORTS record books again.
Ferraro was good on short kicks of 24 and 27 yards near the end of the first and third quarters, respectively. But his most critical contribution was still to come. Ferraro sent the game into overtime by coolly hitting a 32-yard field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter. And in the second OT, he went back to work, with a make from 42 yards out that proved to be the winning points.
That final three-pointer was also big from an historic point of view. Ferraro’s winning field goal was the 91st of his Gryphon career, tying the U SPORTS record for most all-time, previously established by the University of Calgary’s Johnny Mark.
