THE CANADIAN PRESS
HAMILTON — Quarterback Benoit Groulx won the Hec Crighton Trophy as the top player in Canadian university football Thursday, highlighting a big night for the Laval Rouge et Or ahead of their appearance in the Vanier Cup.
Teammate Etienne Legare received the J.P. Metras Trophy as outstanding down lineman while the top-ranked Rouge et Or (11-0) also set records by placing five players on the all-Canadian first team’s offence, and eight players on the squad in total.
The last order of business remaining for the six-time Quebec champions is winning the national championship Saturday when they face the No. 3 Western Mustangs (10-1) for the Vanier Cup. The Rouge et Or are seeking a fourth national title in six years.
Rounding out the winners at the all-Canadian Banquet were Queen’s linebacker Thaine Carter, who captured the Presidents’ Trophy as the county’s top defensive player; Waterloo linebacker Jordan Verdone, who claimed the Peter Gorman Trophy as rookie of the year; and Toronto quarterback David Hamilton, who earned the Russ Jackson Award for combining academics, athletics and citizenship.
Groulx is the first Rouge et Or player to claim the Hec Crighton Trophy and just the second winner from a Quebec-based university, joining McGill fullback Dave Fleiszer who won the prize in 1969.
The fourth-year education student enjoyed a record-breaking season in which he completed 75.2 per cent of his passes (185 of 246) to better the previous CIS mark of 70.4 set by Alberta’s Garry Smith in 1962, leading his team to the fourth 8-0 finish in school history.
The five-foot-nine, 216-pound Montrealer finished second in the country with 185 completions, third with 9.70 yards per completion, fourth with 2,385 passing yards and tied for sixth with 12 touchdown passes. He was also picked off a CIS-low two times.
Mount Allison quarterback Kelly Hughes of Brampton, Ont., Queen’s running back Mike Giffin of Kingston, Ont., and Calgary running back Matt Walter of Calgary were the other nominees.
Legare, a defensive tackle from St-Raymond, Que., won the top lineman honours after collecting 6.5 sacks, 23 tackles and a forced fumble as the Rouge et Or set a team record by allowing only 60 points during the regular season.
The six-foot-four, 265-pound education student is the third Laval player to win the award, joining Dominic Picard (2005) of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and former B.C. Lion Carl Gourgues (2001).
St. Francis Xavier offensive tackle Steve Myddelton of Barrie, Ont., Queen’s defensive end Osie Ukwuoma of Mississauga, Ont., and UBC defensive end Scott McCuaig of Surrey, B.C., were also nominated.
Carter, a fourth-year economics student from Nanaimo, B.C., earned the top defensive player prize after leading his team with 42.5 tackles, 33 of them solo, while also racking up three quarterback sacks, two forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries.
The six-foot-two, 225-pound linebacker’s efforts helped the Golden Gaels to the first 8-0 season in school history.
Three fellow linebackers — St. FX’s Henoc Muamba of Kinshasa, Congo, Montreal’s Joash Gesse of Montreal, and Calgary’s Andrea Bonaventura of Hamilton — were also in the running.
Verdone, a linebacker from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., bagged the top rookie honour after leading the Warriors with 52.5 total tackles, 44 of them solo, while adding three sacks and an interception. The 19-year-old also played a key role on special teams and got the call as a fullback in short yardage situations.
He beat out Saint Mary’s receiver and return specialist Jahmeek Murray of Mississauga, Bishop’s defensive halfback Harrison Maloney of Thurso, Que.; and Saskatchewan offensive lineman Ben Heenan of Regina.
Hamilton, a fifth-year human biology major from Mississauga, is the first Varsity Blue to win the Russ Jackson Award.
On the field, he helped Toronto end its record 49-game losing streak with an 18-17 victory over Waterloo, and had a career day in a 38-14 loss to Windsor on Sept. 9 by throwing for 465 yards and four touchdowns.
Hamilton’s academic honours include the Faculty of Arts and Science Racozki Award (for highest standing in an independent study on international economic history). He also volunteers with the Paediatric Ward of the Toronto East General Hospital, where he spends two to four hours per week counselling and entertaining children, among other endeavours.
Other finalists for the award were: StFX defensive tackle and science student Harrison Petropolis of Halifax; Sherbrooke fullback and civil engineering student Benoit Boulanger of Sherbrooke, Que.; and Regina quarterback and business administration student Teale Orban of Regina.