Run James run. @IAm_Wilder32 once again is the @Shaw_CFL Top Performer of the Week. #CFL pic.twitter.com/c0aUnL5vHF
— CFL (@CFL) November 7, 2017
Tuesday, November 7, 2017 — TORONTO (November 7th, 2017) – James Wilder Jr., Tristan Okpalaugo and Ricky Ray were named the Shaw CFL Top Performers of the Week for Week 20 of the CFL’s 2017 season.
The three players were chosen by a panel of judges who independently send their selections to the CFL head office. The panel includes former Canadian Football League players Matt Dunigan and Duane Forde of TSN and Pierre Vercheval of RDS.
RB | JAMES WILDER JR. | TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Running back James Wilder Jr. finished the season with a bang in a dominant 40-13 team win over the BC Lions to solidify first place in the East Division for the Toronto Argonauts. Wilder ran for 136 rushing yards on 18 carries in his third-highest per-game total in 2017.
It was the fourth game this year with over 100 rushing yards for Wilder, who also racked up 91 receiving yards on seven receptions and scored a touchdown in the contest.
His major came in the fourth quarter after three runs to steer the Argos into position. Following the trio of runs compiling 35 yards, Wilder plunged three yards through coverage to muscle his way into the end zone.
Wilder finished fifth overall in 2017 rushing yards, with 872 in 17 games played. He collected an astonishing 7.1 yards per carry on 122 carries.
Wilder was previously named a Shaw CFL Top Performer for Weeks 13 and 14 as well as a Top Performer of the Month for September.
DE | TRISTAN OKPALAUGO | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Defensive end Tristan Okpalaugo made big contributions to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ 23-5 defeat of the Calgary Stampeders on Friday night at McMahon.
The native of Livermore, California had six defensive tackles, 52 fumble return yards, three quarterback sacks, a forced fumble and a touchdown in the victory. His first sack came midway through the third quarter on Andrew Buckley, followed by another just a few minutes later. He completed the hat trick with a sack on quarterback Ricky Stanzi at the top of the fourth frame. All three sacks combined equaled 21 yards lost.
At the end of the second quarter, Okpalaugo scooped up a loose ball after a hit on quarterback Andrew Buckley, running it all the way into the end zone for his first career touchdown.
Okpalaugo finished his third season in the CFL season with 34 defensive tackles, six sacks and one interception in 12 games played.
QB | RICKY RAY | TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Pivot Ricky Ray steered the Argonauts to first place in the East with a resounding 40-13 win in BC on Saturday night.
Ray collected 341 passing yards and three touchdowns in the contest, with zero interceptions and a 76.5% completion percentage.
SJ Green had the first touchdown off a 10-yard pass in the first quarter, giving the Argos a 10-0 lead after a successful convert kick. Ray continued in the second quarter, setting up two consecutive Lirim Hajrullahu field goals before a 20-yard pass to DeVier Posey, who ran in three yards into the end zone.
Declan Cross caught an eight-yard Ray pass in the third frame for the major.
He finished second overall in passing yards with 5,546. This was the fourth time in his career he broke the 5000-yard mark, and the first time since 2008. He also reached 60,000 career passing yards, just the fourth player in CFL history to do so. He finished 2017 with 13 games in which he had over 300 passing yards.
Ray was also a Shaw CFL Top Performer in Week 1.
SHAW FANS’ CHOICE OF THE WEEK!
Diontae Spencer won Week 19 of Shaw Fans’ Choice of the Week and collected 10 bonus points.
SHAW CFL TOP PERFORMERS LEADERBOARD
|
Rank |
Player |
2017 Points Total |
Points Breakdown | ||||
| 1st place points | 2nd place points | 3rd place points | Fan Choice Points | Monthly Points | |||
| 1 | James Wilder Jr. | 450 | 300 | 50 | – | – | 100 |
| 2 | Mike Reilly | 410 | – | 100 | – | 10 | 300 |
| 3 | Brandon Banks | 325 | 100 | – | 25 | – | 200 |
| 4 | Alex Singleton | 310 | – | 100 | – | 10 | 200 |
| 5 | Andrew Harris | 300 | 100 | – | – | – | 200 |
| 6 | Diontae Spencer | 280 | 200 | – | 50 | 30 | – |
| 7 | SJ Green | 245 | 100 | 100 | 25 | 20 | – |
| 8 | Maurice Leggett | 210 | 100 | 50 | – | 10 | 50 |
| 9 | Brandon Zylstra | 200 | 100 | 50 | – | – | 50 |
| 10 | Duron Carter | 170 | 100 | – | 50 | 20 | – |
| 11 | Matt Nichols | 150 | – | 50 | – | – | 100 |
| 12 | Ricky Ray | 135 | 100 | – | 25 | 10 | – |
| 13 | Kevin Glenn | 125 | 100 | – | 25 | – | – |
| T-14 | Ed Gainey | 110 | 100 | – | – | 10 | – |
| T-14 | Jeremiah Masoli | 110 | – | – | 50 | 10 | 50 |
| T-14 | Justin Medlock | 110 | 100 | – | – | 10 | – |
| T-17 | DaVaris Daniels | 100 | 100 | – | – | – | – |
| T-17 | Greg Ellingson | 100 | – | – | – | – | 100 |
| T-17 | Kevin Fogg | 100 | 100 | – | – | – | – |
| T-17 | Trevor Harris | 100 | – | 100 | – | – | – |
| T-17 | Travis Lulay | 100 | 100 | – | – | – | – |
| T-17 | Jerome Messam | 100 | 100 | – | – | – | – |
| T-17 | Terry Williams | 100 | 100 | – | – | – | – |
| 24 | Victor Butler | 75 | – | – | 25 | – | 50 |
| T-25 | Darvin Adams | 60 | – | 50 | – | 10 | – |
| T-25 | Martese Jackson | 60 | – | 50 | – | 10 | – |
| T-27 | Solomon Elimimian | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-27 | Nik Lewis | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-27 | Marken Michel | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-27 | Tristan Okpalaugo | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-27 | DeVier Posey | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-27 | Chris Rainey | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-33 | Weston Dressler | 35 | – | – | 25 | 10 | – |
| T-33 | Jackson Jeffcoat | 35 | – | – | 25 | 10 | – |
| T-33 | Chris Randle | 35 | – | – | 25 | 10 | – |
| T-36 | Bryan Burnham | 25 | – | – | 25 | – | – |
| T-36 | Ja’Gared Davis | 25 | – | – | 25 | – | – |
| T-36 | Charleston Hughes | 25 | – | – | 25 | – | – |
| T-36 | Jonathon Mincy | 25 | – | – | 25 | – | – |
| T-36 | Nick Moore | 25 | – | – | 25 | – | – |
| T-36 | Shaquille Richardson | 25 | – | – | 25 | – | – |
2017 SHAW CFL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK
| Week | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 1 | Ricky Ray (TOR)* | SJ Green (TOR) | Jonathon Mincy (MTL) |
| 2 | Diontae Spencer (OTT) | Trevor Harris (OTT) | Weston Dressler (WPG)* |
| 3 | SJ Green (TOR)* | Solomon Elimimian (BC) | Victor Butler (TOR) |
| 4 | Travis Lulay (BC) | Martese Jackson (TOR)* | Nick Moore (BC) |
| 5 | Jerome Messam (CGY) | Mike Reilly (EDM)* | Charleston Hughes (CGY) |
| 6 | Duron Carter (SSK) | Marken Michel (CGY) | Jackson Jeffcoat (WPG)* |
| 7 | Justin Medlock (WPG)* | Maurice Leggett (WPG) | Bryan Burnham (BC) |
| 8 | Ed Gainey (SSK)* | Mike Reilly (EDM) | Kevin Glenn (SSK) |
| 9 | Andrew Harris (WPG) | Matt Nichols (WPG) | SJ Green (TOR)* |
| 10 | DaVaris Daniels (CGY) | Nik Lewis (MTL) | Diontae Spencer (OTT)* |
| 11 | Kevin Glenn (SSK) | Alex Singleton (CGY)* | Shaquille Richardson (CGY) |
| 12 | Maurice Leggett (WPG)* | Brandon Zylstra (EDM) | Jeremiah Masoli (HAM) |
| 13 | James Wilder Jr. (TOR) | Alex Singleton (CGY) | Diontae Spencer (OTT)* |
| 14 | James Wilder Jr. (TOR) | Darvin Adams (WPG)* | Ja’Gared Davis (CGY) |
| 15 | Terry Williams (CGY) | DeVier Posey (TOR) | Chris Randle (WPG)* |
| 16 | Brandon Zylstra (EDM) | Trevor Harris (OTT) | Jeremiah Masoli (HAM)* |
| 17 | Kevin Fogg (WPG) | SJ Green (TOR) | Duron Carter (SSK)* |
| 18 | Brandon Banks (HAM) | James Wilder Jr. (TOR) | Duron Carter (SSK)* |
| 19 | Diontae Spencer (OTT)* | Chris Rainey (BC) | Brandon Banks (HAM) |
| 20 | James Wilder Jr. (TOR) | Tristan Okpalaugo (WPG) | Ricky Ray (TOR) |
2017 SHAW TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH
| Month | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| July | Mike Reilly (EDM) | Greg Ellingson (OTT) | Victor Butler (TOR) |
| August | Andrew Harris (WPG) | Matt Nichols (WPG) | Maurice Leggett (WPG) |
| September | Alex Singleton (CGY) | James Wilder Jr. (TOR) | Brandon Zylstra (EDM) |
| October | Brandon Banks (HAM) | Mike Reilly (EDM) | Jeremiah Masoli (HAM) |
Source: Clare Hutchinson, CFL.ca
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