Football players of the week: Hardy Cup MVPs headline weekly winners
Evan Daum, Canada West Communications
Highlights:
- Hardy Cup MVPs Adam Sinagra (QB – Calgary) and Jakub Jakoubek (LB – Calgary) are the offensive and defensive players of the week respectively
- The Dinos claimed the 80th Hardy Cup Saturday with a 46-43 win over the UBC Thunderbirds at McMahon Stadium
- UBC’s Trivel Pinto is the special teams player of the week
NEW WESTMINSTER – After their win in the 80th Hardy Cup, Calgary Dinos quarterback Adam Sinagra and linebacker Jakub Jakoubek are the Canada West football players of the week.
In a rematch of last year’s Hardy Cup, Sinagra and Jakoubek helped guide the Dinos to the program’s 16th conference title with a thrilling 46-43 win over the UBC Thunderbirds at McMahon Stadium on Saturday in the highest scoring game in Hardy Cup history.
Sinagra, the offensive player of the week, completed 22 of his 29 pass attempts for 366 yards and a trio of touchdowns, while Jakoubek recorded an interception to go along with his 20-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the second quarter on the defensive side of the ball.
On special teams, UBC Thunderbird Trivel Pinto takes home the weekly award after racking up 156 combined return yards. The second-year T-Bird returned four kickoffs for a total of 107 yards, while adding an additional 49 yards on five punt returns.
Calgary now gets set to host the St. FX X-Men in the U Sports Mitchell Bowl. The game is slated for Saturday, November 19th at 2 p.m. MT, with the winner moving onto the Vanier Cup on Saturday, November 26th at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.
OFFENCE: Adam Sinagra
Calgary Dinos
Quarterback
2nd-year
Pointe Claire, Que.
Open Studies
Game log: Saturday, November 12 – 22/29 for 366 yards and three touchdowns in 46-43W vs. UBC in 80th Hardy Cup.
Calgary quarterback Adam Sinagra came up big in his first Hardy Cup appearance, as the first-year Dino earned offensive MVP honours in Calgary’s 46-43 win over the UBC Thunderbirds in the highest scoring game in Hardy Cup history.
Sinagra, who has filled in the last four weeks for injured starter Jimmy Underdahl, helped the Dinos earn the win in a rematch of last year’s conference championship game.
The Pointe Claire, Que. native tossed all three of his majors in the opening half of the game, finding Dallas Boath, Whitman Tomusiak and Brendon Thera-Plamondon on TDs of 39, three, and 14 yards respectively.
Sinagra has now thrown 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions this season in six games of action, with his last four games being starts.
DEFENCE: Jakub Jakoubek
Calgary Dinos
Linebacker
2nd-year
Calgary, Alta.
Arts
Game log: Saturday, November 12 – five tackles, fumble recovery for a TD, interception, and a breakup in 46-43W vs. UBC in 80th Hardy Cup.
Saturday was a game to remember for Jakub Jakoubek, who was named the defensive MVP of the 80th Hardy Cup after being involved all over the field.
The second-year Dino recorded five tackles, an interception and a breakup in his team’s 46-43 win over UBC.
While those stats were crucial to Calgary’s win, Jakoubek’s biggest moment came in the second quarter when the linebacker scooped up a fumble by UBC quarterback Michael O’Connor at the UBC 20 and ran it home for the TD.
That major pushed the score to 22-7 in favour of the Dinos, who would withstand a second half comeback from the T-Birds to hang on for the conference championship win.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Trivel Pinto
UBC Thunderbirds
Kick returner
2nd-year
Brampton, Ont.
Arts
Game log: Saturday, November 12 – 107 kickoff return yards and 49 punt return yards in 46-43L @ Calgary in the 80th Hardy Cup.
Despite falling in the 80th Hardy Cup to the Calgary Dinos, return man Trivel Pinto had another big day for the UBC Thunderbirds.
Pinto, who was the Canada West defensive player of the week back in early October, returned four Calgary kickoffs for a total of 107 yards along with five Dinos punts for 49 yards.
The versatile Brampton, Ont. product also added 50 yards receiving to finish the afternoon with 206 all-puprose yards.