Sports Take

This week the Canadian Football League announced the team award winners. Earlier in the year I made my own predictions into who would be the Stampeders award winners. Today let’s go over them and see how well I did. I named my midseason award winners on the Running Wild Podcast.

The CFL Awards are:
Most Outstanding Player (MOP)
Most Outstanding Canadian (MOC)
Most Outstanding Defensive Player (MOD)
Most Outstanding Rookie (MOR)
Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (MOL)
Most Outstanding Special Teams Player (MOS)

I will start with Special Teams and work my way to MOP.

MOS – My Prediction Godfrey Onyeka
Winner- Mark Vassett

At the time of recording my midseason awards, my choices were either Vassett, or Onyeka. Due to the less than ideal start by future hall of famer Rene Paredes. At the time Onyeka was the leader in special teams tackles, but Vassett proved to be very worthy of being the Stampeders MOS nominee, leading the league in net punt average with 42.1, which would break the single season record of 41.5.

MOL -My Prediction D’Antne Demery
Winner- Zack Williams

D’Antne Demery has sat out a few games, and that’s sometimes the determining factor in naming a MOL nominee. Usually the nominee has played every game, and at the same position, and hasn’t been the subject of too many highlights. Zack Williams fits the bill and is fully deserving of the nomination.

MOR – My prediction Chris Fortin
Winner- Chris Fortin

When Bryce Bell went down early in the season, Chris Fortin picked up the ball and has not looked out of place in his first pro season. The 8th overall selection by the Stampeders out of the UCONN Huskies program could be a 15 year Stampeder at the centre position, and with only one bad snap is deserving to be the West Division nominee for MOR.

MOD – My prediction Jacob Roberts
Winner- Clarence Hicks

What a second half to the season by Clarence Hicks. 11 sacks to lead the team and second in the league. At the time of the recording, Jacob Roberts was as dynamic a defensive player the Stampeders had on the defensive side of the ball. But Hicks has just taken over the defensive line.

MOC – My prediction Adrian Greene* got injured, if he didn’t get hurt likely would’ve been MOC (My opinion)
Winner- Jalen Philpot

Adrian Greene is one of the best ball hawks on the Stampeders, and I’m fully convinced if he had a full season would’ve been the nominee. But Jalen Philpot, when healthy, is a game changer. Keyword is healthy. The injury bug has plagued him his entire career so far. This season he has racked up a career high 830 yards and 3 touchdowns. It will end with that total as Philpot is ruled out for the last game of the season.

MOP – My prediction Dedrick Mills
Winner- Dedrick Mills

Kind of hard to argue with the league leader in rushing yards. Well over 1000 yards rushing heading into the last game against the Elks, and obvious choice as this teams MOP.

Looking over things at the end of the season, 2/6 with the nature of football, and making midseason predictions, I’ll take it.

The CFL playoffs start Nov. 1 with the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg less than a month away.