OUA BY THE NUMBERS - YATES CUP ISSUE
HAMILTON - A weekly look at stats and figures from around the OUA.
11 - The number of Ottawa Gee-Gees players that earned OUA all-star honours this season, a high among all 10 teams. Four of those players, including centre Kevin Kelly, quarterback Josh Sacobie, linebacker Joe Barnes and cornerback Anthony-Plante Ajah, received first-team nods. Kelly and Barnes are making their second consecutive appearances on the first team (Barnes was also a second-team all-star in 2004), while Sacobie earned second-team honours last season, behind current Laurier offensive co-ordinator Ryan Pyear.
4 - The number of Yates Cup consecutive appearances for Laurier boss Gary Jeffries since he took control of the Hawks football program in 2003. McMaster pummeled the Hawks 41-15 in Jeffries first shot but his team rebounded to defeat the Marauders 31-19 in 2004 and Western 29-11 last season. Jeffries was named OUA Coach of the Year in each of his first three seasons.
357 - The number of rushing yards Laurier has racked up in their past two Yates Cup wins. The Hawks have succeeded in churning out yards on the ground in each of the last two championship games, including a clutch218-yard, three-touchdown effort in 2005 over Western. They ran for
139 yards and a touchdown in the 2004 victory over Mac. Former Hawk Nick Cameron, an all-Canadian last season, accounted for 274 of the 357 yards – and all four touchdowns.
5 - The number of interceptions thrown by Sacobie in seven regular season games, which was second lowest in the OUA for starting quarterbacks behind Toronto's Mark Stinson. Two of those picks came in Ottawa's game against the Hawks, an impressive 29-19 road win in Waterloo back on September 9. But the veteran quarterback didn't do as well protecting the ball in the Gee-Gees' playoff opener last week – he almost matched his season tally for interceptions, tossing three in a 23-10 win over Queen's.
5 - Also the number of years since Ottawa has been in the Yates Cup. The Gee-Gees won the Vanier Cup in 2000 (42-39 over Regina) and rejoined the OUA the following season after spending 25 years playing in the old OQIFC. Ottawa lost a tight 30-22 decision to champion McMaster in their last appearance on November 10, 2001, despite an incredible 217-yard rushing effort from Jean-Philippe Davilmar.
108 - The number of years that have passed since the first Yates Cup was awarded, making it one of the oldest football trophies in North America. Toronto won the inaugural game back in 1898, the first of three championships in four years. The trophy, named after Dr. Henry Bridges Yates of McGill, is 11 years older than the Grey Cup. No Yates Cup games were played during each of the years in World Wars I and II.
4 - The number of Laurier players that have won the Dalt White Trophy as MVP of the Yates Cup since the award was originally handed out in 1979. Cameron took the honours last year after teammate Andy Baechler earned the prestigious award in 2004. Quarterback Bill Kubas was the recipient in 1991, Laurier's last Vanier Cup-winning edition prior to 2005, and in 1987, running back Luc Gerritsen won the Dalt White in the Hawks' 28-15 win over Guelph. The last player to win the trophy other than a Laurier or McMaster player was Nate Martin of the Waterloo Warriors in 1999.
- OUA -